UO Blog

From Los Angeles

Skateboarder Magazine "Boys' World"

Skateboarder Magazine's spring look book "Boys World" features a hot babe (Amanda Mondale) in dude clothes from brands like Vans and Brixton. The editorial is an obvious play at the basest interests of the magazine's hyper-sexualized mostly-young male audience! But like, oof, amiright? No complaints here.  Angelo 





From Los Angeles

Marfa Journal #1

The inaugural issue of Marfa Journal, the new mag named for and inspired by the enigmatic arts hub of Marfa, Texas, is now available. FYI their awesome splash page is probably NSFW if you work at some square-ass office (so many acronyms.) The first issue includes features on Odd Future's visit to Marfa, Rachel Korine, Lindsey Lohan and photographer Tim Barber. —Angelo







From New York

Patterns by Bobby Doherty

Bobby Doherty has a talent for pattern. In his editorial work for the New York Times Magazine, the Brooklyn-based photographer finds the geometric connections between organic and man-made objects most of us miss. Saturated colors and tightly cropped points of view aid the sense of infinite repetition that make Doherty's photos, and the phenomena of pattern in general so intriguing. Angelo














From Elsewhere

Coachella: Day Negative-One

The Thursday before Coachella is basically one long pre-game to get ready for three days of festival fun. Driving in from Los Angeles, we made some requisite stops at In-N-Out, where a burger, fries and a shake officially announced to our stomachs that we had arrived in California.




The Cabazon Dinosaurs. We weren't going to pay to get in, but then the promise of 'robotic dinosaurs' made us pony up the $7.95 admission fee really fast. Check out our Vine for shots of them in action. 


After that, our first 'official' Coachella stop was the Filter Yacht Club Kick-Off Party, which featured live sets from St. Lucia and Penguin Prison in a dreamy setting around a small lake (idea: next year guys, remote control boat races?) and some DJs who won us over by showing a fondness for Stevie Nicks. 


We also bonded with Filter's online editor, Bailey Pennick, who became our new BFF when she showed off her 'Bluth Company' iphone case. There's always money in the banana stand, right, Bailey?—Kate


Designed By: V::Room

Matthew Henson is the Market Editor at Complex Media, and since casual style is his passion, we thought he'd be the perfect guy to tell us what he thinks about our exclusive V::Room sweatshirt. —Katie



How would you describe your day-to-day style?

My style is very simple, and more importantly comfortable. I basically have a uniform so it's really easy for me to get dressed in the morning. It's usually layered with an overcoat, followed by a sweater or sweatshirt, a button-down shirt, and a tee shirt, black or navy pants, and sneakers (shoes only at market appointments). When you are running from showrooms, to photo shoots, and to the office all day, you need to be prepared for anything.

What clothing item do you consider a must-have for every man out there?
A must-have clothing item for every man out there is a great jacket. It's one of the first things people notice about your outfit when they look at you, aside from your shoes. Your jacket should not only be nice, but it should be functional—think in terms of having a removable lining, or being waterproof.

What's one fashion tip you wish men everywhere would adhere to?
I think fashion tips in general should be ignored and purposely broken, but I would say you should not have on more than eight articles of clothing on at any time (that includes socks, underwear, and your watch, so choose wisely).

Who or what influences your style?
My style is influenced by my inquisitive nature in regards to fashion, constantly learning, working with new brands and designers before they become mainstream, and learning how to make fashion actually wearable. My parents are both very stylish individuals so it is also something I always had an interest in growing up.

What are some of your favorite fashion magazines and blogs?
Complex is of course my favorite website and magazine. Outside of that I am a huge fan of Fantastic Man, 10 Men, i-D Magazine, V Man, Sneeze, and Monocole if I want to give myself a headache. The blogs I visit often are Highsnobiety because my friend Jeff Caravalho works there, and Four-Pins is by far one of the best men's blogs around right now.

What is it you like about the V::Room sweatshirt?
The V::Room sweatshirt is great because it has a great fit, and the details are amazing. It's rare that you can find sweatshirts made in speckled cotton, so you almost immediately notice the tiny pops of color woven into the fabric. It's also done in two tone navy and grey colorway with raglan details, which is a big trend for Spring '13.

How does V::Room fit your fashion aesthetic?
V::Room fits my aesthetic because the brand is based upon simplicity. They make necessities like tees, sweatshirts, and knitwear that are all made very well in great materials and have this lived-in quality, so they end up being really comfortable, and that is why they are so successful.



The Designed By collection will be available in select stores starting 4/11. Check out our Remi Relief and Garbstore previews, and come back tomorrow for more sneak peeks from the collection!

From Elsewhere

The HIGH TIMES US Cannabis Cup

Fuck all these festivals, how do I become a Colorado medical marijuana patient in time for the First Annual HIGH TIMES US Cannabis Cup?!  Attendees of the sold out event can drink beer, smoke weed and watch Cyprus Hill and Slightly Stoopid perform on 4/20, and possibly mingle with some of Mary Jane's celebrity pals. (With friends ranging from Snoop Lion and James Franco, to Parks and Recs' Nick Offerman and the cast from Trailer Park Boys, you might just get to toke up with some of America's—and Canada's—favorite stoners.) -Ally

From Toronto

Bad Day Magazine Online Archive

Bad Day, the Toronto-based interview and editorial magazine, has made its archive of back issues available online. The issues, which feature style icons like Glenn O'Brien and Charlotte Gainsbourg, actors such as Jason Schwartzman and James Franco, and low-key fashion shoots with skinny naked chicks, are mostly out of print and being made available digitally for the first time. Check out the archive for some of the best, minimalist print design I've seen in awhile. —Angelo






From Los Angeles

Franco and Korine in Filter Mag

Franco and Korine just sounds like a moniker that will go down in history, like Laurel and Hardy, Martin and Lewis, or Hepburn and Tracy. Filter talks to them both in this interview, and even unearths some pretty amazing footage of a post-Kids Korine on David Letterman in 1995.—Kate

From New York

Interview: Jesse Pearson of Apology Magazine

Jesse Pearson is making a magazine on his own terms. The Manhattan-based writer and former VICE editor is currently working on the second issue of Apology, the literary and arts quarterly he founded, edits, art directs and markets almost entirely by himself. And though he resists prods to take shots at his former employer, Pearson acknowledges the motivations for creating Apology are partly in response to the media's growing investment in irony and indifference. A labor of love with simple aims to give people something beautiful, valuable and worth their time, Apology is a reminder of the subtle pleasures print can deliver.

Pearson took time from his hectic schedule to talk to me about the new magazine, the state of print, daring to be pretentious and how his cat helped him find the light of veggies. — Angelo


(via NYT)

Starting simply, aside from Apology, are there any magazines you're particularly digging lately?
My most satisfying magazine reading is archival. As I mention in my Editor's Notes in the first issue of Apology, I've been really into the classic New American Review (later known as American Review) these days. It was a paperback-sized magazine of fiction, poems, and essays. Really smart, great stuff. It was published from 1967 until 1977.

Similarly, what's your most played album of late?
Lately I've been in one of my big Grateful Dead periods. These have come over me a couple of times a year since I first got hooked on the Dead, via my mom and stepdad, when I was seven years old or so. This week, I've been listening a lot to a Dead show from May 8th, 1977. It happened in Ithaca, New York and it is, as they say, a heavy one. Other than that, I have been just pretty much leveled—every day since it came out—by the new My Bloody Valentine. It's perfect.

 

Every artist interview asks the inspiration question, so let's flip it, what are some things that don't inspire your work?
The dominant culture to be found on the Internet is the opposite of inspiring to me.

In a New York Times interview you mentioned Apology addresses some of the things you see as problematic with the magazine industry. Could you elaborate on some of those problematic things? 
I'm trying to talk less shit lately. Sorry. As the maker of a small magazine, I need all the friends I can get.

 

Every once in awhile the mainstream media does a piece on the print resurgence, but high-end, niche print has been strong for a decade in a variety of genres. Why do you think that is? I'm broke and buy $20 magazines. Am I an idiot or a valuable patron of the arts?
What you are is a saint. But the story (which, I agree, keeps getting told) that print is dead is not true. Print is evolving, that's all.

Though, while niche fashion, music, etc. mags have done well, literary journals are still kind of out there in their own world. Did you intentionally want to bring a stronger literary element to a more mainstream audience? (not that Apology is mainstream, per se, but here it will be available at Urban Outfitters, so will be seen by more than just magazine nerds.)
I wouldn't necessarily say I'm aiming for a mainstream audience, but maybe more for a… slipstream audience? I don't know.  But I absolutely want to make short fiction and also poetry accessible to a different readership than the ones to which those things are usually targeted. For me, that doesn't involve dumbing anything down. It's more about saying, "Look how rewarding this stuff is to read. It can provide you with elation, thrills, laughs, and sobs. Don't let weird ideas of audience demographics keep you away from it."

 

Making magazines is an all encompassing art form, second only maybe to filmmaking, in that you're writing, editing, art directing, designing, marketing. Do you do everything? Are there elements of the process you enjoy more than others?
I do all of the above except for designing. A patient genius named Stacy Wakefield does that for Apology. And I enjoy the whole process, but maybe the best parts are the very beginning (meeting a writer and deciding on a story with them, for example) and the end (doing the final touch-ups on an issue before it goes to press).

You describe Apology as "a general interest magazine for people whose general interests aren't general. It's a sophisticated alternative to sophomoric magazines; it's a sophomoric alternative to sophisticated magazines." — It seems like you're wrestling with a challenge faced by a lot of high-end publications: making something artful, valuable and (relatively) expensive but trying to be self aware, not pretentious. Is finding that balance something you've thought about?
Actually, I am fully embracing pretentiousness now. I think it's almost like a radical act at this point because culturally we're mired in a lot of irony, cynicism, and fear of vulnerability. All that stuff is dark and sad. So I'm actively trying to fight it. Go ahead and be pretentious, take that kind of risk, maybe even get embarrassed. You'll be stronger for it—and you'll learn things. Part of why Apology is called Apology is because it's me saying that I am sorry for having been one of the many architects of the reign of nihilism that sprung up in the early-mid 2000's. 

While creating Grantland (different arena definitely, but cultural force nonetheless) Bill Simmons talked wanting to be the place young writers aspired to write, like The National was to him. I think VICE is that publication for a lot of writers my age, but there are only so many versions "We Took Acid and Went to ______" to be written. Do you feel an obligation, or a desire, to be an aspirational publication?
I love to see people wanting to be published in Apology. I'm already getting a lot of blind submissions and requests-for-guidelines, so I guess it's happening. That's great. It's heartening.

Advertising is the necessary evil of making magazines (or maybe you feel differently, they're a valuable partner?) Apology has some high end advertisers. What does that say about the magazine's audience, or what those advertisers perceive to be the audience?
Advertisers are not a necessary evil. They're just a fact of magazine life. I can't afford to do this thing myself, and I'm not interested in grants. As for high-end ad clients, yeah, there are a couple in the first issue. There are also ads from small record labels. No matter who they are, if a company wants to advertise in Apology, I take it as them saying that they see value in the magazine's mission. So I'm just grateful for that. 

You wrote on the Apology website about being conflicted over social media. It's a boringly hot topic, but one that everyone in media has to deal with. It's an incredibly easy way to get in front of people, but an inherently vapid and egotistic method. Have you given any more thought to the subject, or leaned nearer toward the pro or con, since writing about that conflict?
I feel like starting an Apology Instagram or Twitter account would be like trying to force my infant child (if I had one) or my cat to tweet. Something that is dependent on me, that I pour a lot of love into, and that is incapable of living without me doesn't need to be explicitly involved in social media. I, on the other hand, have a personal Twitter  and an Instagram, and I post Apology stuff on both of those when the time is right—in addition to the usual idiotic jokes and observations.

 

Tell me about your cats?
Thank you for asking. I have two cats—Pickles and Schweppes. I love them both, but my bond with Pickles is just ridiculously deep. I'm pretty sure he's the reincarnation of somebody I knew in a past life. Sorry, I know that's crazy. But I totally, 100 percent mean it. Also worth noting: Pickles turned me into a vegetarian eight months or so ago. I was reading in bed and he jumped up on my chest and just stared at me like he was saying, "Dude. We have to talk." And I had a fully revelatory, Road-to-Damascus moment where I thought, "Wait, Picks, you're an animal and I love you like crazy. Why am I eating other animals?" And then he moved over and lay down. It was like he was saying, "Finally. Thank you." So I haven't had any meat except for a little seafood since that moment, and I'm trying hard to cut that out too. You probably think I'm a huge freak now. Oh, and I quit Facebook right around the same time I quit meat. That was an equally great decision.

There are two pieces, I think, in the first issue that are in some way about the 1980s. In my lifetime the 80s have mostly been portrayed as a kind of novelty of neon and spandex. Are we far enough away now that the decade can be explored more seriously?
In 1980 I was five and in 1989 I was 14, so those were pretty formative years for me. It was a complicated, super weird decade. At 10 years old, I was more scared of nuclear war and AIDS than I was of, I don't know, monsters or bullies. But it was also a decade of crazily amazing art and music—probably much of it in response to fear and anger. There are a thousand examples, but just off the top of my head, let's say, hmm... Black Flag and David Wojnarowicz. Anyway, yeah, summing up a decade like that with just "neon and spandex" would be goofy. And, besides all that, I like neon and spandex.

 

With the cycles of nostalgia getting shorter and shorter along with our attention spans, how can we write about eras in a timeless manner? In a way that's not just "hey, remember this?" but that is important even to those who didn't experience it?
Yeah, I've noticed this compression of the cycle too. It's weird to me to see some of the younger artists that I like being so obsessed with the '90s. As for writing in a timeless manner? If the story has good characters, emotional resonance, and a point, then it'll turn out fine.

Anything else you'd like people to know about Apology?
Issue two is coming in June. I'm working on it now. It will have some really strange surprises in it. The website goes into 2.0 mode in mid-March. It will feature original pieces that will be published according to a relaxed schedule. Think weekly and monthly, not daily.

From Austin


UO Backlot Sesh 2013: Day 1 Street Style

Yesterday's looks were out of control awesome, but what else would you expect from a DIY craft fest presented by the always stylish crew from Rookie Mag?! Here's some of our favorite looks of the day.  We'd like to post them all, but I don't think a post can hold 200+ photos...-Ally


















From Australia

LOVE WANT Issue Six

Creative couple Bec Parsons and Bartolomeo Celestino founded LOVE WANT in 2005 to keep the magazine dream alive. "It's a reaction to the overwhelming gravity of putting images online," says Celestino. "It would be sad to think someone will never handle a magazine one day. It's a very personal journey when you self-publish, but one that's very satisfying when you see who it touches." The petite publication, which just debuted its sixth issue, also gives the photographers a chance to express themselves beyond the confines of their commercial work, while encouraging the same from their peers such as Pierre Toussaint, Gen Kay, Derek Henderson, Valerie Phillips and Ben Sullivan. As it has evolved, LOVE WANT's focus has strayed from fashion to embrace "beautiful images that convey a sense of place and time," says Parsons. "We decided that issue six would be an intensely personal conversation between its contributors. When we commission someone to shoot for us, the only thing we ask them to achieve is that their images won't date." 



"Shooting Staz in Los Angeles was special for me because I was pregnant, and the temperature was extreme, but she has such a special character," says Parsons, whose pictures have appeared in RUSSH, Oyster and Harper's Bazaar Australia. "It was difficult to jump fences to get those shots, but it was worth it. I also love Valerie's pictures of Arivida; the whole concept is wonderful--a photographer photographing another photographer with such freedom that you can't help but be enthralled."


"The cover with Bambi is special," says Celestino. "One because she's wearing Lover, who we greatly admire for their ethics and craft, and then the sense of excitement and happiness that comes through that image. I also think Gen Kay's images of Codie Young are absolutely amazing."


"Raw and direct" is how the Sydney-based pair sum-up LOVE WANT, issue six of which was designed and art directed by Monster Children's Campbell Milligan, and introduces the work of burgeoning Australian photographers Axel Moline and Jack Salkid. "Jack gave us a beautiful story of Rachel Rutt he shot in Japan, that is beyond wonderful," says Celestino. "So many young photographers are more concerned with fame, money or status in social media, whereas Jack is the complete opposite. He creates images you can fall in love with and that's all that concerns him." What else would they advise the next generation of young fashion snappers? "Often, mistakes are the best answers," says Parsons. Adds Celestino: "If you travel a long distance to take a picture, make sure there's film in the camera."—Natalie


From Austin

UO Backlot Sesh 2013: Wednesday, March 13

RISE AND SHINE YOU LITTLE SOUTH BY SPRING BREAKERS! That's right, it's 9AM and I'm writing to you from Austin, Texas after a wild night of petty-cabs, flaming shots and lots of music. Not pointing any fingers, we're all over 21, amirite? JK. We mostly chugged Red Bulls so major shout out to them for keeping us awake until four.

So, today is day one of our UO Backlot Sesh, which will be kicked off by a pizza party and some cutesy DIY crafts hosted by Rookie Mag and a few of their contributors!  After we stuff our faces, adorn ourselves in flower crowns and try to bring out the Rookie in all of us, we'll have a day filled with killer music and the hot sun of this weird town. Come grab some free music and free beer! Beer is 21+ obvs, but the shows are all ages.

The back doors open at 1PM (NOTE: NOT 12! Oopsies. Or you could just, like, help us set up if you're antsy?) with artists Mount Moriah, Icky Blossoms, Nu Sensae, White Lung and Icona Pop (plz no Hannah-inspired ideas, y'all). There's going to be a lot of chicks but that's even more of an excuse for you cute boiz to come check out the bands. See you babes there, and don't forget to pick up one of the totes below on your way out the door! ;) -Ally


PS- If you're not in Austin, but in LA, you can still get some Rookie love at the Hattie Stewart pop-up shop at Space 15 Twenty, where Rookie t-shirts are exclusively on sale. 


From Elsewhere

Employee Side Projects

Over the past few months, Urban Outfitters has supported employee entrepreneurial efforts by creating Side Projects, a chance for employees to show off their amazing talents and get their products featured in local stores. Below were our first round of employees, with more coming throughout the year. Enjoy! -Ally


UO Sales Associate Andrew Cunningham has spent his time working with wood and building for the last 11 years. Recently, he's been making his own skateboards out of reclaimed wood, turning material that others might pass right by into hand-carved works of art.  The reason he started making these decks? "I couldn't find the skateboards that I wanted, so I went out into my parents garage and started making my own."  He's been perfecting his craft ever since. You can find his boards in our Santa Monica store (1440 Third St. Promenade).






Upper Midwest District Manager John Migala helps run this vintage shop which is described as, "American heritage with a touch of white collar flair referencing utility, work wear and military styles." Focusing on the needs of the quintessential "man," Scout manages to mix the outdoors with low-cost, unique clothing that will have even the most experienced male thifters at a loss for words. Go get some new digs before they run out at our NYC stores at 14th and 6th (526 Avenue of the Americas).





This vintage shop is filled with all of the things you want to fill your closet with but can never find in any stores. If you want some one-of-a-kind outfits (especially with festival season right around the bend), then this is your to-go shop for making you look cooler than you are.  Shop BPV by San Francisco Store Merchandiser Laura Cerri and her BFF Jessica Dega at the NYC Broadway Store (2633 Broadway) and in San Francisco (3322 Fillmore St.).



Hollywood Sales Associate Sean Tully (and our former Employee of the Month) is back for more Urban fun with a bunch of new zines, T-shirts and faux wooden spray cans he created in between his surf days at sea.  You can find his stuff in San Francisco and on 5th Ave in NYC. Get 'em while they're hot!



Looking for some new zines to flip through? Then Portland Sales Associate Sara Golden is your girl.  Just browsing through her photographs on Tumblr is like having a little kid on your leg begging you to take her on a trip to Disney Land (yeah, that's my idea of a getaway. Sue me.).  Her 'Zines are in San FranciscoCambridge, MA, and NYC.




You would never guess from employee Kat Mills' cat-filled Tumblr that she makes super gnarly zines. You can buy her satanic kitty zine (and more) here, or check her out in San Francisco and NYC.

Lila Ash
Lila Ash, assistant display artist at UO Space 15Twenty, is an illustrator, sculptor and performance artist from NYC who lives and works in L.A. Her paintings and comics have been exhibited at L.A.'s Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) and are published bi-monthly in L.A. Record Magazine. She is an alum of the painting department at the Rhode Island School of Design, class of 2011.

From Elsewhere

Meet Dangeruss

Or, maybe Riff Raff isn't getting a check after all? Because here Complex talks to Dangeruss, the rapper who, according to James Franco, is the true inspiration for his role as Alien in Spring Breakers.  Riff Raff, you just got out-gnarlied. For real. —Kate

From Australia

Stonefox Magazine Issue Two

"The reason I like to self-publish is because there are so many rules on magazinesno matter who you work withplus, I like to support the industry," says Australian photographer and publisher Christopher Ferguson, who followed-up his lush and luxuriously visual fashion magazine SUMMERWINTER with STONEFOX, named for his creative studio of the same name. 


"It's exciting meeting new people and the magazine gives [readers] access to talented people—and I can do what the fuck I want." Issue two, featuring the mesmerizing Bambi Northwood-Blyth on its tactile, matte cover, and interviews with Joanna Preiss, Roman Coppola and Haley Bennett is hot off the press. Here, we chat to Ferguson about Australian style, the inconveniences of bad weather, and the beauty of whispering. —Natalie 


How would you describe the spirit of STONEFOX's second issue?
This issue was a nightmare! I have always described my magazines as albums—we don't pump one out every one or two months. The staff is the band and then we have a core line-up of guests to mix things up. This issue went on forever; I can't even look at it, I've seen it so many times. We were supposed to shoot all of it in Europe, but last summer was the worst weather in Europe in 100 years. Second album blues, I call it. So we had to come up with some ideas to make it work. The spirit is always the same, I guess: Shoot interesting people who have something to say or who I want to meet because I'm drawn to their talent. We don't go for fads, we go for people who quietly go about their business and who are brave. The people we feature don't shout, they whisper.


The divine Bambi is on the cover. What is she like to work with?
I have known Bambi from the start. The quiet girl who came into the studio shy with a cute smile. The reason certain models work—especially Australian girls—is because they're cool and laid back, funny and cheeky, they get the joke but they're still professional. I always pick models on personality before looks. Of course I have to be attracted to them, but they have to have charisma and spunk. 


How would you describe Australian style?
I think we have a great style, unique to our climate and way of life. Like anywhere in the world, some people should be shot in site for what they're wearing, but generally we are really cool and understated. 

Who are your favorite Australian models, designers and creatives?
Models: Julia Nobis is an amazing person, I don't think she's changed since I shot her for one of her first tests. Abbey Lee, before she became Abbey Lee, she was always great, she was always going to do well—she just didn't give a shit. Zippora (but she's from New Zealand), she's a free spirit, an amazing woman. 


Designers: I'm not sure on this one yet, they have to have a point of difference but still be Australian, and I find that hard because everybody in Australia wants to be international. I think Australians lead the way in fashion in a different way, it's our style more than our designers. Sass & Bide and Zimmermann always do a great job. Dion Lee is a craftsman and should jump on a plane and leave without passing go and collecting $200. 

Creatives: David Michod who wrote and directed Animal Kingdom is brilliant. I think Andrew Dominic who directed Chopper and recently Killing Them Softly is amazing. There is whole crop of gifted ozzies. Nothing makes me prouder then seeing an Australian do well because I know how hard it was for them to do it. It takes two words: hard work.

From Barcelona

Apartamento Magazine

Apartamento has become my favorite magazine over the past year or so, probably because it’s the only interiors mag I’ve seen that manages to keep shit unpretentious. Most interior design publications focus on modern minimalist spaces that don’t look like anyone’s real life living quarters. Simply, Apartamento delivers interesting people, and a look at how what they do manifests throughout the places they live. 

There’s a softness to Apartamento which is aided by the matte pages and bookish format. That muted tone allows the Barcelona-based magazine to present subjects like Swedish ceramic artist Lisa Larson with equal admiration as it does Hermes creative director Christophe Lemaire and Spring Breakers star Rachel Korine. The only overriding theme to Apartamento is exploring the varying degrees of whim that accompany the lives and homes of artists.

Apartamento is available at a variety of U.S. and international retailers. Pick up a copy. Get inspired. -Angelo

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From Australia

Got It Together: The Fashion Pack

In the December 2012 "Wise Up" issue of i-D MagazineVogue’s creative director Grace Coddington (above, winking on the cover in all her flame-haired glory) commented that designers need "a few things going wrong in their life. I mean, I hate to say it, but it teaches you a hell of a lot, you know." 

Some of the fashion world’s most lauded luminaries have fallen off the horse (and the wagon) and made major pratfalls on their way to becoming the industry icons they are today. "Nicolas [Ghesquière] took forever to get where he was. Marc [Jacobs] got fired ten times before he made it," Coddington added. So, if you’re jobless, scandalized, or just a little down-in-the dumps, take comfort in fashion’s fabulous failures and how they rose from the ashes. -Natalie

[Marc Jacobs, 1992]

Epic Fail: In 1998, Jacobs was plucked from relative obscurity to become Perry Ellis' creative director, a move perhaps doomed from the start as the magnitude of the job caused massive fear in Jacobs, which spiralled into a serious drink and drug habit. His critically acclaimed ‘grunge’ collection of 1992 famously got Jacobs fired, and had his business partner Robert Duffy remortgaging his house to keep the pair afloat.

Back in the Game: Jacobs’ fall from grace was at least a glamorous one, and with supporters like Anna Wintour and Bloomingdale's in his corner, it wasn’t long before Louis Vuitton came calling and the designer cleaned up his act.


[Anna Wintour, 1970]


Who: Anna Wintour
Epic Fail: In 1976, Wintour’s first foray into the New York publishing world ended abruptly when she was fired as junior fashion editor of Harper’s BAZAAR for, as she puts it, “not understanding American fashion.”
Back in the Game: While her edgy appeal proved too much for some, it highlighted her as an innovator to others. In fact, Wintour later cited the incident as one of the best things that could have happened to her career. "I worked for American Harper’s BAZAAR... they fired me. I recommend that you all get fired, it's a great learning experience," she told the young audience at Teen Vogue's Fashion University in 2010.

[Alber Elbaz, 2012]

Who: Alber Elbaz
Epic Fail: After a short stint as creative director of YSL, Tom Ford unceremoniously dismissed Alber Elbaz when Gucci Group (now known as PPR) took over the label in 2001. "At Yves Saint Laurent I felt like the son-in-law, like I was part of the family but not quite," he has said of the events. "When I was fired, I felt like the widow." Adding insult to injury, Elbaz went on to work for Krizia in Italy, but left three months later after an alleged falling-out with the label’s founder.
Back in the Game: Elbaz briefly considered going into medicine, but was hired to resuscitate Lanvin, the world’s oldest running couture house, which he has achieved to overwhelming success. "It was painful and destroying, but it didn't crush me," he said of the YSL incident. "I have never been Alber from Saint Laurent, just like I'm not Alber from Lanvin. I am just Alber, short. And I am very short." LOLZ.

[Kate Moss, 2006]

Who: Kate Moss
Epic Fail: Two words: Cocaine Kate.
Back in the Game: Nothing keeps this good-time girl down. Moss pulled up her bootstraps, worked her butt off, and pouted her way to becoming a more powerful fashion force than before. Fragrance deals, endless billion-dollar campaign contracts, high street collaborations, wedding bells and a coffee table tome promptly followed.

And, let’s not leave out the woman in question…
[Grace Coddington, 1980]

Who: Grace Coddington
Epic Fail: In her recently published Grace: A Memoir, Coddington details her move from British Vogue to Calvin Klein in the late ’80s. Having consulted for the brand and styled its ad campaigns, Coddington was hired as design director when Klein was admitted into rehab. After dismal reviews and a direction that proved "completely wrongheaded and far too grandiose for Calvin’s minimalist aesthetic," in her words, "My efforts showed that I was not good at leading a design team, and certainly not one that worked on the basis of designing from the ground up. Eventually I might even have led the company into deep trouble." Ouch.
Back in the Game: Coddington made nice with Klein by creating the iconic Eternity campaign with Bruce Weber, then promptly jumped ship to American Vogue, where she still presides, decades later, as the über-respected creative director.

From Philadelphia


Modern Wall Shelf

Trend: Put It Away

In the spirit of getting it together, let's take a look at some things that can help your apartment start looking more like a real human's house instead of the home of disorganized wolverines. Who knows, maybe you'll get inspired.—Katie


Invisible Double Book Shelf
This shelf is great because the screws just go straight into the wall and boom, you're done. If you've ever tried to put up an Ikea Lack shelf, then you'll understand why this is so important.


Over-the-Door Vanity Station

This is seriously the most ingenious thing ever! Over the door! Shelf space! A mirror! Whoever invented this thing deserves a Nobel Prize.


Scroll Wall Hook
This coat hook/shelf combo would be so handy. Just make sure you aren't screwing this sucker into a plaster wall because plaster + five heavy coats + delightful succulents = probable catastrophe.


Waiting Room Magazine Rack
A magazine rack is basically like, "Here, let me hold this trash for you until you stop being too lazy to put it in the actual trash can," but at least your old magazines will look classier in this thing than strewn all over the bathroom floor.


Cubed Curiosity Shelf
Perfect for displaying your dog-baby hybrid vase (trust me, you want to click that link).

From New York




(Photos by Roger Kisby)

4 Artists 1 Cause Was Awesome

We just want to thank Converse, The FaderCultsThe AntlersGrizzly BearSleigh Bells and—MOST IMPORTANTLY—all the fans who came out to the 4 Artists 1 Cause event last Friday at Terminal 5. Together, we raised almost $300,000 to benefit the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City and hurricane Sandy relief, and also had a really good time. 


See more at #4artists1cause and The Fader

From Sydney

Oyster Magazine's 'Power and Fashion'

I'm weirdly into this recent spread from Oyster Mag titled 'Power and Fashion.' Shot by Byron Spencer and styled by Mark Vassallo, the editorial takes all my favorite crazy pieces from the season and, of course, mixes them together to make some bananas ensembles. They describe it as, "Baroque meets disco meets hypercolour meets floral" which is DEFINITELY what your 2013 look should be, amirite? - Hazel