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karin khoo says...
Since the birth of PinksuitcaseTrinkets in December 2011, Karin Khoo has been impressing fellow designers
and avid fans alike with her creative flair and unique style. The 24-year-old
founder puts her innovative skills to good use, churning out a vast array of finely
crafted accessories. Her recent collections, ranging from necklaces to watches
and pouches, are made from wood, surgical steel and acrylic materials that are
deceptively simple, yet exquisitely simple – fit to complement any style. We check in with Karin
as she walks us through her artistic journey thus far.
Audrey Lee: Care to give our readers a little more about your
inaugural moments? What fuelled your decision to venture down the path of
producing creative wares?
Karin Khoo: I’ve always loved the
arts. Since secondary school I was in the art stream, took up design during my
diploma days, got involved in designing mobile application on my first job and
subsequently I free-lanced a lot of designing jobs throughout my full time job.
It’s funny how I naturally stumble onto designing no matter what route I took.
Well, I’m turning 24, had a bit of awakening and took this as a sign to get
into doing something wholeheartedly that has been the biggest constant in my
life.
Well, I’m a
deviantart nethead! Before we even had Facebook or Friendster (during the IRC
days) ß boy I’m old, there was deviantart. I always
loved kawaii stuff but never really admitted it until I was probably 17? You
see, during the whole secondary school debacle, we were hit with constant weird
emotions, friends teasing, puberty… imagine a kawaii phase. So I suppose
deviant kept me saint for that period of time. The amount of artists in there,
it’s crazy! They have so much talent I just hope one day I’d be like them and
finally (2011)… I took my first step!
AL: For the sake of our
readers who are not currently aware of your designs, tell us a little bit about
the birth and subsequent life of PSC Trinkets.
KK: PSC
Trinkets is a line of original designs. They are all sketched and later
computer illustrated. Funny how I started production in 2011 and aimed to
launch my items by end of January 2012
but only got all up by early April 2012. I’m new to this and there were a
couple of occasion where I’m at a point that I was all ready to launch PSC
Trinkets, only to find that I’m missing something. It’s okay though, I am so
glad that I went through this whole process and strangely I liked every bit of
it. From waiting for my jewelry findings to coordinating with my cutter how big
my pendants should be to making sure my printer got my packaging artwork right,
it has been a heck of a journey.
Like every
other fellow indie designer, I hand assemble my chains, my packaging and even
self-shoot my photos. I first had the idea to cut my designs in surgical steel.
The wood working section came in a little later but boy am I glad they’re in my
collection. They are extremely light and match well with almost anything. I
would without a doubt increase the variety of designs from time to time. I
already had different request coming in even when it has only been published
for 2 weeks. *YAY*
AL: Is
there a common theme or focus in your designs and are they influenced by your
personal style?
KK: They are certainly
in some ways influenced by my personal style. I have a huge penchant for cute
stuff but I didn’t want my designs to be 12 years old cute (not that I wouldn’t
wear cute 12 year old jewelry =X). I wanted something cute but still wearable
for casual wears. Then again that is how I’d like my daily casual jewerly to
look like.
Theme probably not, more like a material I’d like to stick to for a while. It’s my first time working with wood and it’s great! I like how when they’re painted on, that they look absolutely stunning, the perfect blend.  AL: What sets your collection apart from the rest? What can your consumers expect from you?
KK: Of course
hands down my designs (giggles). I’d say my materials used. It’s not easy to
find indie designs with surgical steel materials. I guess most to most they’d
be in stainless steel or silver.
I’m also pretty
proud of my Mall Girls collection. They are all originally designed cut up
wooden charms where I’d hand paint them, putting on different shades and
styles. These were the last set of designs I came up with. I wanted to get more
hands on with my stuff, wanted to make it more personal, giving a little
friendly touch there.
I am hoping to
level up on my designing skills and bringing in preferably different types of
merchandize like hand sewn purse with customized fabric (maybe some Blubber
fabric!). I can foresee a big range of stuff coming up but my ultimate goal
would still be to remain as indie possible even if I’ll ever have the chance to
go big.
AL: How about a little insight of your workspace and a day-to-day
regime?
KK: Oh wow, my
workspace is crazy. You see, I’m currently living in a rented apartment, space
is very limited, and so I have a lot of cute boxes stacked up against each
other on my working table. I have my painting supplies, my fabrics, my jewelery
finders etc… all on the same table I use the computer and craft on. But it’s
undeniably good enough! I manage to make it as comfortable possible and I’m
loving it!
Day to day
regime huh… Here’s the breakdown. I’ll get up by 8am, prepare for work, try to
get back home by 7pm, nap a little bit and start painting, or updating my
facebook page or sewing some kawaii purses or something… My resolution this
year’s to make sure I get something productive done every day (not talking
about my full time job here) and yeah, I try to sleep by 4am.
Weekends are
the best! I’ll make sure my house is sparkling clean by Friday 12mn, so I can
dedicate myself fully to getting stuff done for PSC Trinkets. I usually don’t
sleep until 6am on Friday nights, because having a full time job makes weekends
so precious that really I don’t want to waste it. I’ll be up at 12noon on
Saturday and everything exciting happens! I know this probably isn’t the best
schedule and I’m banking on borrowed energy but hey, we only get this energy
once huh! =X
AL: What is your take on Singaporean designers compared to
international designers? Do you think there is a unique trait that is specifically
homegrown?
KK: Hmm, this is a tough one. There
definitely are a couple of limitations between Singaporean and international
designers. The resources we can play with here are limited (of course it’s not
an excuse). But I guess if we’re talking about creativity, we do have a bit of
a knack and can be on par with our fellow designers across the globe. We are
still after all compared to people who design throughout their family tree,
young and can definitely improve at how we perceive and portray things.
I guess when it comes to designs, the
word home-grown doesn’t mix in well (my thoughts really) Art is so subjective.
If you put a locally designed necklace beside an international one, I’d most
definitely not be able to tell which is from where.
AL: And your muses?
KK: Muse… hmmm unquestionably Kim
Rountree of Oborocharms. Followed her since deviant days, try to control myself
from hitting the favourite button on every of her entry *HAHA. She is amazing,
determined, harworking… she does these cute little polymer clay charms and
paints every single one of them! I played with polymer clay a while back and
used colored clay instead of paints. Imagine sculpting, baking, painting,
varnishing a super tiny charm. Sure takes a lot of talent. She is doing super
well right now, over 11k fans on facebook. She updates her page every week with
what she’s working on and attending which event, uploading video tutorials and
painting ten gazillion charms a day. I am till today very inspired by her.
AL: What are your long-term and short-term goals?
KK: Short term, to be able to do
this full time in probably 2 years? I guess I’m still at a point where I’m
trying to absorb as much stuff I can from my full time job right now. It’s a
great job and if given the chance I wouldn’t want to be leaving that soon. Long
term would be to eventually be having PSC Trinkets stabled with a huge but
humble range of great stuff and on the other hand to be able to be a travelling
artisan.
Came up with this idea with my
husband how we would one day want to travel to different countries, have pit
stops at different places to craft and sell our stuff on the spot!
AL: Finally, would you leave us with a little known fact about you?
KK: My name is Karin, I’m from the very beautiful fine city of
Singapore. I’m a very homely person, I’d rather stay home all day long than to
shop or hang out with friends (sorry friends). Of course I do occasionally
spend time with them. =) My favourite store is Takaishimaya’s Kinokuniya
Japanese craft section. My most prized possession (http://www.etsy.com/listing/97749791/the-karin?ref=pr_shop), the Karin, made by my husband. I love buying cute food not to eat them, look at
it, smile and only throw them away when they turn horribly mouldy or expired. I
can also buy all the cute things in the world, not use them, keep it aside in
the store room and taking it out once in a while to just look at it.
Labels: Design, Fashion, Interviews desti saint says...
Audrey Lee: Hi Desti, care to share with our readers a lil’ more about your fashion background, and what made you first set foot into the industry? Desti Saint: My background was in finance. And I get quite frustrated with the colours, styles and the pricing. So when I left my job, I decided to go into retail. And I became a distributor for handbags, which we took to New Zealand. However, the colours didn’t sell, etc, so I decided to create my own brand. Exactly what happened, I got the right colour of gold, I created my first handbag. And I suppose the rest is history, really. AL: So I understand that you left Hong Kong to come to Singapore to live. So what triggered that decision? DS: My husband is also in finance. He was offered the opportunity to come here, so we followed. I’ve got three children. Once we got here, the business was yeah, it’s great. But once we got here, it tends to completely just explode. So it’s been a fantastic move. I’ve got the branding done, and we’ve been here for three years now and business has really gone from up and up and up now you know. The government has just been amazing, tremendous support from everyone really. AL: Can you speak Cantonese? DS: No, I’ve tried. (Laughs) AL: So yeah, you once hold a position in finance, and you said that the colours didn’t really impress you. What do you mean by that? Is it about the corporate attire or…? DS: No, I think everything. Well, maybe the shoes, bags and accessories. I mean everyone always wears black in the corporate world. The black, the dark greys... But you can really up it with your accessories, and often be the wrong silver, the wrong gold, the wrong… even the black sometimes. Or it’ll be cheap and you have to pay very expensive price; it was just a bag, it wasn’t, not unless you can seriously design that. There really wasn’t a lot else. So yeah, that’s sort of why I decided to really give the right colours, the right price, the right quality and kind of do it that way. AL: Is it safe to say that you can’t really accessorize yourself when you’re in the finance world compared to if you’re in fashion. I mean, has fashion always been something that you love to do? DS: Yeah, fashion is always something I love, and my mother has been amazing. My mother has amazing style. I love fashion, I love creating and it has always been finding the right colour. I’ll spend hours in a leather shop, finding the right colour, the right silver, the right gold. I do love fashion. I love the individuality of fashion. How individual you can be. And how the use of silk and fabrics, and stuff like that. I love all that. AL: So what are some of the prominent challenges you faced in the course of your career and in this scene? DS: Competition’s fierce. What I’ve learnt is that if you have a really strong platform, do your branding, understand your brand. If you have a point of difference, uniqueness, I mean you really have to get something that is different. That people are gonna want. And also, your production and your manufacturing are key. If you haven’t got good quality production and good quality materials, then really, you can’t get anywhere. Also handling manufacturing, getting delivery dates on time is really really hard. So you’ve got to have that amazing relationship. In this field, it’s all about having good relationships. And it’s a very small market, you’ve got to treat people respectfully I think. It doesn’t matter if you manufacture your jade supplies, you’ve got to treat them respectfully. If you help them, then they will want to help you. And it really really works. So I’ve got really good relationships with my manufacturers. And I think that they are amazing. AL: So tell us a little bit about your brand, what is your identity? DS: The Desti Saint brand is unique – it’s about quality, standing out from the crowd. It’s about having this unique style, there’s also a message in the bag, often. For example, my goat skin bag. The goat is not killed for the skin you know. It’s a by-product and it’s designed like the Balinese clouds, the trees and the flowers. It then has the jades, which again it’s a very important part of me – Asia. So a lot of it is Asia, I find. How it’s all carved and beautiful. So there are messages in it. The next one, my Italian range has got the happiness symbol and the leather’s all Italian. I’m trying to be spot on with the colours, it will be a work of art as well. It will have something that makes you feel good when you wear it. AL: So what would be your typical approach, when it comes to designing your bags? DS: I would start with my inspiration first, and decide what the collection’s gonna be. My next collection’s gonna be the Love Knot. For example, The Tulip, it’s a love knot, it never breaks. And so I now have it in my head, basically, so the whole thing will revolve around the Love Knot. It’s gonna have silk tassels so I’ll more or less work backwards. Shape of the bag comes last. I’ll choose the materials first, and then I’ll go to the bag. Often, materials could be, you know, if I’m going for the shiny leather, that’s obviously gonna be for evening wear. So then I’ll work backwards and then go to the bag. I won’t often go with the shape, I’ll just decide what’s gonna be based around. AL: So where do you usually get your inspirations from? DS: Anywhere. Singapore, Little India, Arab Street, or I look to books of colours of Singapore, the temples of Singapore. The jade market stuff are around china. Anywhere really. Bangkok... The Love Knot is from Hong Kong. AL: And when is that coming out? DS: That will be coming out from my head (laughs). And I’ve also got an Indian manufacturer because I would very much like to go to India. It will be huge. When I spoke to our brand ambassador, Anita Kapoor, she told me about her incredible trip to India, and it sounded unbelievable. So maybe you should do that journey, she said. And this is kind of how it’s happening. AL: I can see you love travelling! DS: I love to travel, love travel, but very much in Asia. I’m an Asian child – I call myself a banana. It’s like Asian but I’m white on the outside. Laughs. I love Asia. I love the mentality of Asians. But again, I love Europe, but I get most of my real wow moments from Asia. It absolutely just blows me away. AL: Is there anyone you actually look up to? For inspirations as well? DS: I love Valentino, because he makes a woman a woman. And he goes for the most amazing soft fabrics, beautiful quality. I say the brand is sorta Sex in the City meets Valentino. So it’s got the quality but it always has the quirky uniqueness as well. But I think he is incredible. And I think some designers just try too hard. Any dress he creates, any woman can wear. It makes you look beautiful, which is what I’m trying to do with the bags. To make beautiful statement pieces. AL: So how do you describe your own personal style? Coz the bags are named after you, so I would think that it’s your style that is input in the designs, so what’s your personal style? DS: I like to look sometimes, a little bit unique, something interesting. I like to go for quality. I always say quality lasts. But the things I’ve invested have lasted me for a long time. It is the style, it is the colour, it is the quality, but also you can drop and change. It’s not just one bag, you can have various straps on it. You can take things off, you can add things on. So you’re not stuck with one bag. But it actually means something. And I found in my life that, I lost a very good friend of mine about four years ago. And that taught me a lot. He was very young. So that actually taught me a lot that you’ve got to live life and enjoy life. So there’s a lot of that essence that goes into the bags as well. And the message is quite strong. Like “happiness”, that’s the key. This is actually my friend’s necklace, she was wearing it in Hong Kong, and I love her, she’s wonderful, took a photo of that, and that kind of represents my time in Hong Kong. It’s about happiness. AL: So any future plans for yourself, for your brand? DS: Yeah, I’m looking into India, the inspiration. I think there’s just so much there. I want keep a production in India. An expansion into Australia is also another. I mean we’ve just got here, but we’ve gotten seven retails already, and an agent. We’re looking at America, which we’re currently talking to as well. We’re also investing a lot into Singapore. We aim to do Blueprint as well. That’s mainly we want to support the government, we want to get back to them, we want to get back to Singapore because they’ve just been phenomenal. We are a Singapore brand. And we’re here, so that’s it. So next year, you’re gonna see Love Knot. That’s going to be coming through, production in India, as I said. And the Maddie range will come out. AL: I can’t wait for that! Lastly, any known fact we should know about Desti Saint? DS: Born in Asia, as I said. I’ve got three children. I’ve got a very tolerant husband, he’s just fabulous. He’s always been incredibly supportive, and amazing friends. Came to Singapore three years ago. Things really, have gone on it’s own, on a momentum. And it’s been an amazing market. This is homegrown, our market, this is our baby, Singapore. Check out Desti Saint Goatskin collection on Clozette Shoppe NOW >> View original post at Clozette. Labels: Fashion, Interviews tilly soelistyo says...
 When we were first exposed to the inspired works of Tilly Soelistyo, needless to say we were very much impressed. There is something impeccably raw about this fledgling label, which rose to the scene early this February. The collection, POSSI-TILLY-TY, presents itself as a unique ensemble of redefined garments that embodies sleek textures and striking monochrome hews. Invigorated by today’s urban fashion trends, the Indonesian born Chinese designer created a style tweaked in the most interesting ways and made it her own. Audrey Lee: Care to give our readers a little more about your inaugural moments? What fuelled your decision to set foot into the industry? Tilly Soelistyo: My love for design sprung from being plagued by my own difficulty to find clothing that fits, as during my teenager days I was short and scrawny. I started bringing my design sketches to a local tailor and had all my clothes custom made. Thus started my love affair with fashion. What really fuelled my decision to start my own label was when my best friend lamented during one of our shopping outings that nothing flattered her well-endowed figure. That was my “a-ha” moment as it struck me that this is a universal problem faced by many women who have a certain predicament about their own body shape, so I launched my eponymous label TILLY in 2009 to play up the nice features of a woman’s body instead of hiding behind copious amount of fabric. AL: How have you and your style progressed since then? TS: My style progressed through interacting with my loyal customers who has been with me since the day one. One of my best-selling designs is the 7-way TTD (Tunic Top Dress). The success of this design encouraged me to come up with the diffusion line possi-tilly-ty, which was launched in May 2011 at Blueprint. The objective is to enable women to feel positive through the unique cuts and colour combinations that is figure flattering and to intrigue them with the possibilities of how each piece could be worn. AL: For the interest of our readers who aren’t in the know of your work, how would you describe Tilly Soelistyo’s style? Any influences? TS: My style is pared down chic, versatile and understated with a twist. This translates into my designs as I hope to help women feel more confident and find their own personal style effortlessly. I hope they will have a look-good and feel-good factor when they wear my designs, so I will not compromise in the quality of the fabrication and the workmanship. I ran into a loyal customer the other day and she was wearing a dress from my 2009 inaugural collection. It is comforting to know that my design and quality stood the test of time.  Influences? Jill Sander and Phoebe Philo. They create clothes that are so beautiful through being minimal. If it is my personal style, it just evolved naturally through the years knowing what works and what does not for my own petite frame. AL: What do you find challenging in this line of work? TS: Lack of supporting resources, from fabrication choices, trimmings as well as behind the scene channels that can help me achieve my ultimate vision. It is hard to find skilled people that can do embroidery, knitting and fine sewing for a reasonable price. AL: What is your take on Singaporean designers as compared to international designers? Do you think there is a unique trait that is specifically homegrown? TS: Due to our lack of resources, we are still quite far from what the well-known international or other designers based in other parts of Asia can produce for their collection. Having said that, I believe through being resilient and resourceful, we are starting to catch up. As for the unique trait that is specifically homegrown, I would say majority of us local designers have to be pretty practical when it comes to designing our collection, as there are certain constrains due to our climate as well as the society’s pressure to blend in rather than stand out. Though nowadays, it is great to see more and more stylish folks are bold in experimenting and manage to carry their personal style with aplomb. AL: What are your plans for the coming year? TS: Through taking part in Blueprint possi-tilly-ty has made its way overseas. I hope to grow this initial success and expand to other parts of the world as well as grow my pool of loyal customers here. AL: Finally, would you leave us with a little fact about Tilly Soelistyo? TS: This is a tough one… I am an Indonesian born Chinese and have lived in Singapore for 13 years now. I have been blessed to have lived in 6 different countries; Indonesia, Malaysia, Germany, USA, Shanghai and Singapore. These experiences have broadened my outlook of life and have taught me to be grateful everyday that I am doing what I love.  Check out the POSSI-TILLY-TY collection on Clozette Shoppe NOW. View original post at Clozette. Labels: Fashion, Interviews tine beez says...
 Dubbed by Vogue UK as the “new rising star”, Tine Beez is fast turning heads in the fashion scene for her arresting taste in style. Not one to conform, the young German designer proves to have a unique knack for creating comfortable, yet cutting-edge sportswear. And with that multitude of a talent, it’s little wonder she now holds the reigns as Uniting Future Legends’ (UFL) lead fashion designer. We’ll keep the superlatives to a minimum and have Tine walk us through her journey as a fashion designer thus far. Audrey Lee: Career wise, it’s safe to say you’re heading towards a very successful path. Was working with active sportswear always a goal for you, or was it something that sparked in the wake of your fashion endeavour? Tine Beez: During my studies at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London I developed a strong interest in functional and intelligent textiles. I was doing research on Nano Technology and latest sportswear and fabric developments. My ambition throughout the whole of University – as well as now – is to make latest fashion functional. Sports and keeping fit is a major part of my personal life. I am a passionate long-distance runner and enjoy various types of sports. It was an obvious choice for me to go into sportswear design. I feel fortunate to be able to make a living from the combination of my two most dominant interests – art and sport. AL: What inspired you to bring together style and athletic wear all under the same banner? TB: Sportswear has not always been fashionable. During the 1980s, designers started to create trendy sportswear but at that time fabrics were nowhere near as functional as they are now. Today, I would like to combine the best of both worlds – innovative design and latest functional textiles. AL: You have cited mountaineer, George Mallory, as a major inspiration for your ‘Fashion meets Technology’ collection, what fuelled your thought process? TB: Researching on George Mallory was very inspiring as I learned about sportswear fabrics and cuts from the ‘old days’. At UFL we are always sourcing for alternative and innovative materials and cuts. Quite a few exciting innovations can be expected in our AW 2012 line.  Color Your Performance AL: The design concept behind UFL’s ‘Color Your Performance’ was conceived to suit anyone with the desire to be fashionable and sporty at the same time. How does the collection reflect on your personal style? TB: I like a wide mix of different styles. It is important to keep your mind open to whatever is out there. A couple of years ago I started collecting traditional clothes from all over the world. This kind of clothes excites me just as much as the latest designer wears. Color plays a big part in my life. It is an art to handle color. They are like music. Colors evoke emotions and not all colors are good to be mixed together. My everyday clothes are a mix of practical but stylish basics, with a combination of whatever I feel like wearing that day.  Play Loud AL: And what of ‘Play Loud’? What is the unique contributing factor to the collection and how does it differ from the ‘Color Your Performance’ range? TB: The ‘Color Your Performance’ line has a more bold approach to golf wear than the ‘Play Loud’ collection. Every line is a development based on a mix of market research, design innovation and our own developments. We are currently working on Autumn/Winter 2012, which will be another exciting line. AL: Finally, will you leave us a little known fact about Tine Beez? TB: Being based in Asia opened my mind even more in terms of styling and design interests. Our planet is magical. There are so many things to discover and try out. I am dedicating my life to explore and learn as much as possible. UFL is now showcasing their collection on Clozette Shoppe! CHECK IT OUT NOW View original post at Clozette. Labels: Fashion, Interviews hellen rose says...
 It’s hard to sum up Hellen Rose in one paragraph. Sieving through the highlights from her raft of accomplishments alone would fill pages. Not one to conform, Hellen has achieved admirable success and commanded high levels of respect from those in the know for more than 20 years now. While she’s not busy pushing musical boundaries, her preceding reputation has also led her to tap into other creative pursuits, including acting and opening her eponymous performing space, the Hellen Rose-Schauersberger LabOratorium. And the list goes on. For a woman who has proven her worth many times over, we’ll keep the superlatives to a minimum and have Hellen shed some light on her past, present and future. Covered: Back in the '80s…, constant adjustments, The Hellen Rose-Schauersberger LabOratorium, Moonlight film and a one-woman show. Audrey Lee: You've been making music for more than 20 years now and have sung alongside bands including X and Dangerous Curves back in the 80s. Care to give our readers an insight of how your career in music first began? How have you and your sound progressed since then? Hellen Rose: I started singing when I was very young. I come from a family where one side is music and the other is… all the other stuff that I’ve never been into. I snuck into a pub at around 14 and pushed my way onto the stage and just got up and belted out a blues number I was making up on the spot! My first live show with a band called Great Dane who were totally cool about it and the crowd loved it! When I moved to Sydney at around 18 I asked Peter Reid at a venue called Frenches if I could get up and play his guitar and sing when he finished a Moist set and he said yes! That’s how I got to know and work with all the Black Eye folk. One day before then I think, I ran into Ian Rilen on Oxford St when everyone lived in Darlinghurst and I had no idea who he was and I gave him a flyer for a band I was in at the time called Moral Fibro. It was OK but I didn’t really fit in with them and he said, “I’m in a band called X and we need some back up vocals for a tour we want to do”, so I became an Xette for a while. We were rehearsing in our lounge room and all my house mates knew who Ian was, while I sang back up vocals like “I’m Your Dip Stick Not Your Lipstick…” First gig I surely found out that X were great! Dangerous Curves was a late ‘90s version of the original Peter, Paul and Hellen, only we got Rev Kriss Hades in for this round and new songs. In the ‘80s I was into extreme noise carve-up guitar and caused absolute outrage around town by carving up an SG copy with a kitchen carving knife. I loved the guitarist from The Butthole Surfers and Snakefinger, Fred Frith and Black Sabbath and Diamanda Galas and Yma Sumac and The Runaways all mixed into one with a touch of country. AL: For the sake of our readers who aren't familiar with your work, how would you describe Hellen Rose's music and who or what has influenced you musically? HR: Everything has influenced me. The blues and spirituals have always been my foundation. Meeting Jimmy Carter this year from The Five Blind Boys of Alabama at The Opera House and singing a Mahalia Jackson song for him was one of the best moments for me, he held my hand and he was so old, the last remaining member of the original band and the cool thing was that he was really total rock ‘n’ roll; the coolest 84 year old, full of energy and life, I loved that! I have recently been training with an opera diva and my voice has expanded into further dimensions. I don’t really know how to categorise my music I’ll leave that up to the listener, hell - Sleazy from Coil died last week, they influenced me as well as Throbbing Gristle. At the moment, I am working with Jeffrey Wegener (Laughing Clowns), just doing drums and voice. It’s amazing that the sound is full enough with just those two instruments. I’m definitely going to get out the carving knife and hack into that axe with a manic energy that will leave me feeling all calm afterwards, haha. AL: Your work requires you to travel out of Sydney quite regularly, predominantly to Berlin. Do you feel like you have to make constant adjustments as an artiste as a result? HR: Yes it’s just so difficult shoving those shoes and dresses into one small bag and not getting charged excess. I have to get around like all artists must, especially Australians, as we are so so so far far far awayyy from the hub of the world. I love performing in Berlin, Switzerland, wherever I can; I got to sing at the Australian Embassy on Australia Day last year. That was weird. I sang ‘Summertime’ in my unique style, in a glass atrium and it was 20 degrees below zero outside - wacky it was. I loved singing to generals and bureaucrats and other artists; a unique gathering. AL: Sounds like you already have so much on your plate. What's more, in 2007, you actually opened The Hellen Rose-Schauersberger LabOratorium in Surry Hills. What gave you that idea? How has the space evolved since its launch? HR: Well now. I have spent a lot of time living in warehouse spaces since squatting The Gunnery in Woolloomooloo in the ‘80s with many Black Eye folk and painters and dancers. Then I moved to another warehouse space called Gearco with Bain Wolfkind and the painter Adam Cullen, but I missed being in a space that was full of constant thriving creativity and where all artists must have freedom to create. I think there should be a bohemians and artists strike march downtown to demonstrate about the ever-crushing state of trying to fight for a studio, living space and exhibiting/performing space where artists can be free to create what the buyers fight over, and what all the punters pay to see and hear: music and art! This town is constantly crushing the goose that lays the golden egg. Galleries are in a sense a dead space for the final processed product of the artist; studio galleries are a place where art is in full throttle and the work is whirling straight off the hands and lips and out of the soul of the artist. AL: OK, music aside, let's talk about your acting pursuits. I've read that you once trained as an actor at the Victorian College of Arts. What fuelled your decision to pursue an acting career? And how has that endeavour been going for you? HR: In Melbourne training as an actor at VCA, I became interested in performance art rather than traditional ‘acting’, I wanted to incorporate music into my work too. This was considered bizarre at that time as no one really knew or understood what I was exploring. Many times the police were called to my shows or they were described by the media as shocking, dangerous, satanic, haha. My work at that time looked heavy and some of it was, but in reality I was playing with the hypocrisy around me and directly attacked homophobia, misogyny, paedophilia. A lot of my work was pranksterish – the world was much darker in the ‘80s and ‘90s with Roger Rogerson running Taylor Square cop shop, Frank Arkell getting killed by Mark Van Krevel, Justice Yeldham committing suicide etc. In the ‘80s I formed a group called ACHHAC and we performed at the old Performance Space and other galleries around at the time. Around 1987, I was asked to join a group called Butchered Babies; this group had a huge influence on the band Thug and contributed to the whole artistic oeuvre of that time. That group as well as another group I was in called Big Mac Overbite with Joe Claxton and Sybilla Vassali, both from the legendary riot girl band Matrimony, used to perform in between bands like Thug, Lubricated Goat, Box The Jesuit. We’d do these strange theatre pieces that converged with music; it was great, though for some reason we weren’t taken very seriously as no one really knew how to sell or promote what we did. And probably because we were girls (in BMOB) we really got ignored or vilified for even being on stage. Jo really copped it when she shaved her hair off! Bloody weird now to see that level of sexism in retrospect, I’m so glad we busted through that! In 2009 I did a performance at the MCA dedicated to an Afghani friend. She had told me in an email that she was going outside without a burqa on as she just wanted to feel the sun on her face and the wind in her hair; for this she was killed and mutilated. Wade Keighran from The Scare accompanied me on bass and I worked with the fabulous interactive sculptures of the genius sculptor Philip Barnes. I am currently working on a neo magic realist/surrealist play called Ladders By The Sea by Keiran Carrol. It’s going to be on here in The LabOratorium – 9, 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18 Dec 2010. AL: You were recently in Pakistan making a film with the Australian artist, George Gittoes. Tell us, what was the experience like, and perhaps you can also tell us a little about the upcoming film? HR: Well I could write a book about that! Working with George is like working with the high priest of ‘uberpranksterism’. Just getting me into the country was a kind of intervention and prank. After shooting the film Moonlight on location in the day, we would shoot all the nightclub scenes, in the large dining room of the hotel at night. This became like doing live theatre every night as it attracted many men from the mountain villages. They came to see girls without burqas and word had got around that there was a foreign actress on set: me. The scariest thing we did was to make a dance video clip in the film where I come up wearing a pretty ‘risqué for Pakistan outfit’ - very tight fitting - and performed a super-wild “vampire” themed interpretive performance/dance with the small guy actor/comedians Bul Bul and Arshied, Na Na and plastic AK-47s. The local Taliban were in the audience and they seemed both shocked but thrilled to see something like that, seeing women live without burqas was a big drawcard. What personally cracked both George and me up was that we did it to ‘I Wan’t Everything’ by The Ramones - nice way to introduce a legendary band to the good folk of The North West Frontier Pakistan, now officially known as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It was scary because it could have been seen as really overstepping the mark and we may have had to face the wrath of locals with real AK-47s, but somehow we seem to have got away with it so far. I have worked with George a few times now, but it was great, and a real privilege, to be the first person George has ever taken into a war zone. Many soldiers and male artists have asked him many times, but it was good to be a woman and going to a place where there is apartheid against women so that I might fight against the misogyny we face today through art. George has always been a staunch supporter of women and that has been something that attracted me to him as an artist. Bullets of the Poets, a film about the female Nicaraguan freedom fighters and poets he made in 1986, totally amazed me. Wearing a burqa or niqab was a very strange experience for me and gave me a very deep understanding of the nature of that form of oppression and torture, a combo of a type of Stockholm syndrome and Chinese water torture – a subtle psychological daily torment that can drive you mad. It was strange to be bullied/shunned/ignored openly because of my gender. AL: Finally, what are your plans for the rest of the year? HR: 2011 I’m in heaven. I hope not literally! I will be working again with George, this time in Afghanistan working on more films and… radio plays! I have always wanted to do that mainly because I love Orson Wells’ radio plays and now I get to create some. Happy day! I am also planning a move to NY at some stage, which will be great fun I hope. I will be recording with Jeffrey Wegener and fantastic bass player Mme Julie Kim, someone whom I’ve had the privilege to work with previously in a performance music group called Young Shaved Pissing Boys and more recently Prowler with The Rev Kriss Hades. I am also working on a one-woman show with the very clever actor and director David Field helping in the background, and I am almost popping to get that on a stage in Sydney and show everyone a work that will be a real conglomerate of my experience and styles in performance, acting, writing and music. Labels: Interviews, Music the finders keepers designers say...
.jpg) Being a part of Kluster Magazine has really been a real joy. Recently, we joined hands with Finders Keepers for their Spring/Summer Markets held at Sydney's CarriageWorks this December. Finders Keepers is a design and art market organisation that highly supports Australia's homegrown emerging designers, artists and musicians. So with this partnership comes an opportunity for me to interview several awe-inspiring designers who will be involved in this event. Have a read and you might just be inspired to do something for a change! Anika Cook Fold Studio Jen Allison Materialistic Parliament for Two The Mup For my readers residing in Sydney, the 2010 Spring/Summer Finders Keepers Markets takes place on December 3, from 6-10pm, and December 4, from 10am - 5pm. Keep a lookout for your favourite designers! Labels: Art, Design, Interviews songs says...
 A formidable bunch of sheer talent, Songs displays a true a knack for creating soulful pop-indie tunes that will skip you off to faraway wonderlands. The Sydney based quartet quickly found their way into the hearts of many (including ours) with their rousing eponymous debut. Needless to say, I was pretty bummed when I recently heard that Jeff Burch and Steve Uren would be departing the band. Mark your calendar folks: Songs will also be bidding farewell to fans at This is Not Art festival in Newcastle, on October 2, making it the band's final show in their current incarnation. 'Nuff said. We’ll let Jeff, Steve and Ela Stiles take it from here. Covered: The birth of Songs, ‘My Number’, the last gig and the future of Songs. Audrey Lee: For the benefit of our readers residing in the UK and USA who may not have heard of your band, how did the Songs come about? And why ‘Songs’? Jeff Burch: Max and I met when I first moved to Sydney from New Zealand as I really wanted to work for his magazine Doingbird. I ended up doing a bit of work for him, we became friends, did a few other projects together, then talk of starting a band entered the conversation. We wanted to do a pop band in the vein of some of the bands from our homeland, New Zealand. Obviously it has grown to incorporate a lot of other ideas but those groups were central to it at the start. Songs because we live in an era where we should probably be exploring new/other ideas with guitars and maybe it’s an admission that troubadour music is not new but it can be fun to write and play. AL: Songs has been playing together for three years now. How has the band grown over the years? Ela Stiles: I would say that we have become better at playing our instruments and playing together. We have built a good vibe together over these past few years. Max has become better at singing too. Jeff accumulated a million pedals too, which has added a lot to our sound. We will be sad to lose him. AL: Who would you cite as the band’s main influences? JB: I would assume it’s quite obvious but I would say the Velvet Underground, the Bats, the Clean, Can, the Gordons, Toy Love, Neu, United States of America, the Dead C, Gate, Thela, Snapper, Suicide, Fahey, Riley etc. AL: We get the impression that the four of you are rather different in terms of your other creative outputs. How do these differences impact the creative process for the band? JB: We are all involved in other things artistically and it probably has a lot to do with why we all get on well, but I’m not sure those things really affect how we make music together in a practice room. AL: Can you give us an insight into the band’s songwriting process? ES: Well, usually Max brings a song to us with lyrics and chord progression, etc and we basically deconstruct it together. Usually it ends up completely different. I don't think he minds. AL: Songs recently released a self-titled double LP of which the band only produced 200 copies. What’s the reason behind that? ES: I guess the main reason we only produced 200 copies is because it’s quite expensive to produce a double LP and we had no money. Luckily our label (Popfrenzy/Chris Wu) believed in us and we are forever grateful! We also weren't sure if we would end up selling them all if we made more. AL: Tell us about some of the exclusive numbers on the album. ES: Yes, there is a song called 'My Number' on the album. It goes: "9386 1272. That’s my number and I'm going to give it to you". AL: What can people expect from the band’s performance at the This is Not Art showcase gig? ES: Well this is our last show with the current line up, so I think it will be a bit sad. We have a couple of new songs that we've been playing; it’s a bit of a shame because we were just starting to get good. AL: We understand that Jeff is also sitting on the panel for Sound Summit’s Draining the Tasman and Reinventing the Obsolete: Music as a Cultural Artefact. Can you tell us a bit more about that? JB: Chris Hearn has been involved in the organisation of the panels for Sound Summit this year and asked if I would like to take part. I have known Chris for years and see him from time to time because of his project Alps or because of Songs. Draining the Tasman, because I am a New Zealander now based in Australia. The latter, because I run an imprint/record label dealing in esoteric musics pressed on vinyl. I think both panels have the potential to become interesting dialogues if well directed. AL: We’ve read that band members Jeff and Steve will be relocating overseas, and as a result, TiNA will mark the band’s last show. Can you tell us a little bit more about that? Steve Uren: Jeff is relocating to New York, and I am relocating my brain to different endeavours. Beyond that there is not so much to tell really, we all still get along swimmingly and are looking forward to finishing up in at TiNA. Thanks to Chris for inviting us back. AL: And finally, we know it’s a little premature, but we’re sure your fans would love to know if Songs have any plans to reunite in the future. SU: Songs will still exist if Max keeps writing, No doubt it will sound quite different but there will be a new configuration playing live again no doubt – so by default, you won’t see a reunion – which is a good thing.  View original post at Kluster Magazine. Labels: Interviews, Music jess cook says... oh alfred!
 In celebration of its reopening, Prince Alfred Park is getting a little makeover, initiated by the folks behind Token Imagination. As part of this year’s Art & About Sydney festival, Oh Alfred! is transforming the boring ol’ boundary that surrounds Alfred Park Park into a “fence-ciful” work of art. Each Saturday in September, Sydneysiders can take part in this collaborative project, alongside school children and 10 local artists, to help give that fence the sprucing up it needs. We got founder of Token Imagination and curator of Oh Alfred!, Jess Cook, to show and tell. Audrey Lee: We understand that during the last month, Oh Alfred! has been calling out for participants to get involved in the final phase of a collaborative project as part of Art & About Sydney 2010. For the sake of our readers who haven’t yet caught wind of the project, can you tell us a little more about Oh Alfred!? Jess Cook: Oh Alfred! is a massive outdoor art extravaganza. We are using the construction fence around Prince Alfred Park as our ‘canvas’ to transform area and herald the reopening of the park. Prince Alfred Park has been under construction for quite some time. It’s a park that local workers, resident and school kids enjoy as well as being very much in the eye of many commuters. As a local I would walk past the construction site and think, “Oh Alfred! how can we make you look pretty?” So the brainstorming began on what, who, who and when? We really needed a great team to make this all happen! We knew we wanted to work with the local community and have open working bees. We knew wanted local artists to bring their own interpretations of the site. Art & About seemed like the perfect match and so we began carving a project plan to present an application for this years festival. It was very exciting to hear that we had been selected and that Oh Alfred! would be this years village project. AL: The project will transform the current unsightly fence around Prince Alfred Park in Surry Hills. Besides the obvious aesthetic changes what kind of impacts do you anticipate Oh Alfred! having on the Surry Hills community and, more specifically, the local arts community? JC: On Saturday, 4 September, we moved down to the actual fence and began weaving pretty much everyday. The best thing about this has been the response from the public. We have had people yelling “YEAH … NICE ONE!” and “Oh its wonderful” etc. We made this artwork for people to enjoy without buying a ticket or being invited. It’s for everyone who drives past, walks their dog, has their lunch break etc. I love art making to be open and collaborative, fun and accessible. We have a creative crew of around 30 people – its great to be able to offer work to local art workers. AL: You started work erecting the artwork last weekend. How is it progressing so far? JC: We have a really big install period on three weeks so we are being careful to slowly roll things out. It also makes it fun for the public as they see each part of the fence slowly morph! Its so much fun painting colour and shapes with fabric. Garth Knight is the first artist to install. His rope weaving is just magic and is inspired by the Yellow Orb Spiders web. AL: I believe you are looking for some assistance in mounting the work created by artists. Why should people take part in the project and what opportunities are still open to them? JC: Every Saturday up until the 25 September, we will be down on the fence weaving and attaching the sculptural elements made in the community working bees. Email us at info@tokenimagination.com if you would like further information on how to get involved. Also check out our blog www.ohalfred.wordpress.com for details about the artists, community groups and schools we have worked with to make this all happen. OR just come down to the fence and get happy making with us! AL: We see that Sydney’s Lord Mayor, Clover Moore has thrown her support hat into the ring. Having the backing of the City of Sydney must have made things a little easier but it wouldn’t have all been smooth sailing, can you tell us about some of the challenges you faced setting up this project? JC: Sydney is my favourite city and it is so fantastic to have a Mayor and City Council who understand the importance of the having a healthy Creative Industry. Sydney is a very creative city full of amazing art workers and Art & About really celebrates this. We have never worked on a construction site before! WOWSA things keep changing all the time and so we have had to be very flexible with our install. We have been very lucky to have a wonderful team who are able to work with changes and rearranges. View original post at Kluster Magazine. Labels: Art, Festivals, Interviews samantha lim says...
 Teenagersintokyo are no strangers to us. From their humble beginnings as a little-known band to the acclaimed success they are today, the Sydney quintet is proving to be an everlasting dark-pop stronghold. Following the celebrated-release of their eponymous EP in 2008, the band continues to steal hearts all across the UK and is now fast-becoming a firm favourite in the indie scene of both sides of the world. And they’ve done pretty well for themselves, with their debut album, Sacrifice (which dropped their single ‘New Day’), landing the number one spot on the Independent Record Store charts. Earlier this month, we hit up front-woman Samantha Lim for the lowdown on what’s been happening in their world. Covered: Not aiming for hype, open air festival in Basel, Switzerland, eclectic tastes, touring in Australia and a weird tax scheme in London. You guys have been pretty busy making waves around London and the rest of Europe of late. For the sake of our readers who weren’t privy to the history of the Sydney-gigging band that existed prior to the move overseas, fill us in: what’s the story behind Teenagersintokyo? Samantha Lim: We're a five piece originally from Sydney, playing together for a number of years now. We released our EP in 2007, toured a bit and then decided to move over to the UK in 2009 after a mini-tour here gave us a taste for broader pastures. So now here we are a year later and we've finished our debut album with David Kosten. It's out in the UK and Europe, so now we're excited to release it back home where it all started.[more] What keeps the band motivated? Any muses, musical or otherwise? SL: We're motivated by everything around us in terms of art, music and culture. There is so much consumption of each of these on a daily basis that it's hard to pinpoint it all as I'm sure much of it is very sub-conscious. I'd have to say we're all very motivated by each other as well; you need everyone to be equally dedicated to make it work. So it's good to be in a band with people who are passionate and keep challenging you to work harder. Your debut album, Sacrifice, has been receiving its fair share of buzz and we believe even BBC1’s Zane Lowe has being shouting your praises of late. What does it feel like, in amongst all the hype? SL: Hype is such a double-edge sword, as inevitably there comes a time when it falls away. We've never been ones to aim for hype - we've always tried to do things from the ground up in an organic and natural way. It's always the best to hear from or meet fans who first discovered us through demos on MySpace and have been waiting for the album to come out and now that it has they love it. How has the success been treating you thus far? SL: We're by no means getting mobbed on the street, but having people buy your record and enjoy it is a great feeling. But it doesn’t stop there, does it? SL: Playing shows is the other part that's just incredible. Last week we headlined this open-air festival in Basel, Switzerland. We'd never been before and didn't know what to expect, but we had the most amazing experience playing to thousands of people. Plus the Europeans are the best when it comes to hospitality; they really know how to take care of their guests. Sacrifice has been described as a highly referential album and you are a band who wears your references proudly on your sleeves. Which bands in particular would you list as influences on this release? SL: As it's our first album, it's kind of a pastiche of everything all five of us have been influenced by over the course of our lives. We've all got quite eclectic tastes and with this record we threw everything into the pot. I remember David asked us to come up with a list of references for the album and we ended up with about 50 references individually. So between us it was a lot, but some of the key ones would be The Cure, Fleetwood Mac, Talking Heads, Human League, Bat For Lashes, Kings of Convenience... It goes on and on. For those who have not yet had the opportunity to hear it, tell us a little bit about the single, ‘New Day’? SL: We wrote ‘New Day’ when we were still living in Sydney. I can't remember exactly how it came together, but I'm pretty certain it started with Linda's bassline and then the drums followed suit after. The rest of the parts came together instrumentally and then the basis of the lyrics was written one very early morning when I couldn't get to sleep. I was literally lying in bed as the sun rose, staring out the window at the rooftops of Surry Hills. You’ve recently embarked on some rather successful tours of Europe, with gigs in Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin and Rome. Any plans to tour the USA or return to your native land, Australia? SL: America is such a big territory and it's so expensive to tour there that we just don't think it's going to be possible for us yet. We'd love to at some point in the future, but our priority at the moment is coming back to Australia for summer and touring the record then. And finally, will you leave us with a little-known fact about Teenagersintokyo? SL: This one isn't about us specifically, but it was something that Sophie told us the other night that we found fascinating. Around London you might see some windows of a building all bricked up. Apparently this is because in the old days they used to charge taxes based on how many windows a house had. So bricking them up was like a little tax loophole. View original post at Kluster Magazine. Labels: Interviews, Music Dean Evan says...
 Australia seems to be pumping out a lot of home-grown talent as of late, with Dean Evan fast becoming the next hot commodity in the fashion scene. Currently pushing through his last few months as a fashion design student at Ultimo TAFE, the young Sydney native’s been hard at work tying up loose ends in preparation for his first runway upon graduation. And with that multitude of a talent comes a collection that piles on the bold attitude with a cutting-edge style. Sparing me some time from his hectic schedule, I came up close and personal with the young chap himself, and he’s here to spill more. Hi Dean! For starters, what sparked off your interest in fashion design? Dean: I've always been a creative person. From secondary school continuing something that is creative is what I really wanted to do. I chose to focus on fashion design because the mix of art and the human figure is such a remarkable thing to me. What would you say is your personal style? D: This question has constantly stumped me even now as I am making my own range for graduation from fashion school in Sydney. I will say simply that my style has interests in minimalism, couture, unique technology and surface textures. Can you share a little about what you're currently working on? D: Yeah sure Audrey ;) As a third year fashion design student I am working on my graduation range from Ultimo TAFE fashion design studio in Sydney. I have also just finished an eveningwear dress that was for me about recovery. The brief was "The Collector". Where each student utilise bits and pieces and the period of 1930's to create an individual eveningwear garment. Where do you look for inspiration for your collection? D: The range itself is about communication and birth in the dark. I was inspired by 14th/15th century gothic European historical clothing and bioluminescence. And your muses? D: I absolutely adore women who stand up for themselves. Women that go out and do exactly what they want to do! At the moment Emma Watson is who I think about when I’m making my pieces. She is so brave and courageous for sailing around the world. So many things could have gone wrong but she went against the odds on that huge journey. Who would you like to see wear your clothes? D: Emma Watson for sure. She is such a beautiful young woman. What has been the biggest challenge for you as a fashion designer? D: Time and money! Haha. If we had more of both in this industry I would constantly be shooting the breeze. So what’s next on your list? D: I hope to be working on small projects and travelling after I graduate later this year. How about leaving a powerful message for budding designers out there? D: It takes determination. Driving talent and new learned skills together to create a career is massive. I myself have not seen fruition of my work yet. Staying focused and happy are key elements you need to start off with. From there I believe you can achieve anything.
Labels: Fashion, Interviews a fashion rise: lako bukia
  Lako Bukia may be one of few words, but her arresting taste in style speaks volumes. Collections that are striking, deep and unique seem to come effortlessly to the 23-year-old Georgia-born designer. With a BA degree in Fashion Design and Textiles from A. Kutateladze Tbilisi State Academy of Art under her arm and a positive attitude to match, Lako has already made her way across international borders and now there’s no stopping her. Describing her personal style as “feminine, stylish and classical”, Lako takes her bold signature look to shape-shifting new heights for her latest collection, Cubart. Fusing geometric shapes and linear lines into one tasty black-and-white blend, it was inspired by artworks of the cubism period, including those of Pablo Picasso. Currently studying at the London College of Fashion for her second BA degree in Fashion Design and Technology Womenswear, the young designer also busies herself styling projects with fellow fashion designer, Katie Burnett. When asked of the reasons behind her success, Lako says it was through hard work, passion and her education in different universities that cemented her footing as a fashion designer. “Being in the fashion industry is already very hard. Every step is getting harder and harder. Fashion is already a big challenge. [But] if you love your work and believe in yourself, you will definitely succeed.” The runway at the Vauxhall Fashion Scout during the London Fashion Week, she says, is next on her list. With her constant drive and artistic talent, we know it’s only a matter of time before she gets there. Go Lako! View original post at Kluster Magazine. Labels: Fashion, Interviews
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