Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Neighbourhood Ska steady Life We love dirt Style New skin generation
Design Rise of the robots Culture Burnt and fragile + The Fashion Special
Do not throw on the public domain.
ST[ePdgR^\
4 The editor's letter
Publisher There was a moment back in February that I started to wonder whether we’d gone too
Nicholas Lewis far with this issue. I’d just received a message from one of our photographers telling
me that she’d finally managed to talk her way into the Hell’s Angels clubhouse. Alone.
Editor-in-chief At 10pm. On a Friday night. Yes, we’d flagged up the Skin issue as being raw-as-it-
Hettie Judah comes, no-holds-barred, no-place-left-to-hide, but I began to worry that we’d asked
the team for too much. I fi red back a message asking the photographer to let me know
Design when she’d got out safely – then pondered the curious journeys that we’d sent our
Facetofacedesign people out on.
pleaseletmedesign
Skin had started off as a kind of fl ippant theme – a cheap excuse to get some nudity
Writers onto the pages, and hang out listening to old Trojan recordings – but as usual, things
Immanuel Abraham (ia) had got way out of hand. Sure, there was a phase early on when we found it amusing
Nick Amies to turn down party invitations because we had to stay home and watch porn for
Devrim Bayar ‘research’ purposes, but the (dirty) honeymoon period soon wore off.
Sabine Clappaert
Alex Deforce Before long we found ourselves ankle deep in theses on bacteria and confl icting testa-
Rozan Jongstra ments from dermatologists. Mails were coming in from correspondents as far away
Hettie Judah as Australia and South Africa proposing stories that we couldn’t turn down. Subjects
Nicholas Lewis were becoming audacious – robots ! Future skin ! Extreme dirt ! Wrongness with fruit !
Athena Newton (an) – to the point that the whole exercise seemed to be teetering on the brink of fantasy.
Yves Van Kerkhove
Randa Wazen As the content finally started flooding in a few weeks ago, it was evident that however
near impossible the assignments we set, the results exceeded our expectations. Be they
Photography/Illustration amazing reportage shots of a burn rehabilitation unit, sensitive portraits of fragile skin
Benoît Banisse conditions, investigations into contemporary taxidermy or an intelligent reappraisal
Michelle Beatty of the skinhead legacy. Everything that came in was so exciting, so fresh : it was one of
Jean Biche those magical weeks when editing a magazine felt like Christmas all over again. Except
Ulrike Biets without the comedy knitwear and family arguments – just, you know, the good bit
Sébastien Bonin with the presents.
Carmendevos
Marcel Ceuppens Stripped back and pushed to the limit, The Word seemed to be doing better than ever
Sarah Eechaut and we were really excited by it. I guess once you’ve got down to the skin, you might as
Vincent Fournier well go all the way.
Valentine Gallardo
Steve Jakobs
Charlotte May Wales
Yassin Serghini
Guy Van Laere
Virassamy Hettie Judah
Interns
Athena Newton (editorial)
Virginie Van de Casteele (editorial)
Maren Spriewald (photography)
Visit thewordmagazine.be/
the-magazine for full subscription
information. On this cover
Rutger out the back
For syndication
Our content is available Sweater CP Company
for purchase. Go online at
© Kris De Smedt
The Word is published fi ve times a year by JamPublishing, 107 Rue Général Henry Straat 1040 Brussels Belgium. Reproduction, in whole or in part, without prior permission is strictly prohibited.
All information is correct up to the time of going to press. The publishers cannot be held liable for any changes in this respect after this date.
MATTHIAS SCHOENAERTS PHOTOGRAPHED BY MICHEL DE WINDT
www.essentiel.be
6 The contents
* * *
Life Design
11 The diary
Belgium *
13 A word from our advertisers Style
Burberry The fi nest work
14 The diary 46 The showstoppers
Belgium + United Kingdom Sensory recall 89 A word from our advertisers
15 The diary 49 A word from our advertisers Buroform
United Kingdom The Word Magazine 90 The eye
16 The diary 50 The way If the snow never stopped
Holland + France Hard as nails, soft as velvet
17 A word from our advertisers
Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen 52 The fashion Word *
18 The diary
Gigs to catch & Give aways
21 A word from our advertisers 94 The stockist
Brussels Philharmonic And others we love
95 A word from our advertisers
Art Brussels
* 96 The advertisers
Neighbourhood Feeling skin Round up
Lapin
Illustrator
Pages n° 50, 51
FASHION FOR WALLS
by Levis Ambiance
www.levis.info
10 The moodboard
Events Arts Music Getaways
Neighbourhood 11
Belgium ( 01¤ 10 )
© Joseph Marioni
have, his palette covers the essentials - green, struct a soft, moving and inclusive narrative.
yellow, red and blue - , building an environ- Evidently well thought-out and planned,
ment to which it is central, rather than treat- most of her installations evoke something of
ing it as an ad-hoc component. Add to that an unfounded abstractionism to them, with
the artist’s modernist approach to his art – a message clearly attached, all the while per- 02.
‘function follows light’ describing it perfectly forming an aesthetic function. Still at an early
– and you’ll quickly understand why Marioni stage in her career, we’d urge you to classify
doesn’t paint light but, rather, is light. her name under ‘those to watch’.
© Richard Hutten
@Dansaert/Kanaal (Brussels), from 23rd April
to 2nd May 2010 – Having treated the maga- and design, the show takes a resolutely more
zine’s pages as a gallery for over 14 issues positive approach to the issue, seeking not
now, we thought it was high time to get physi- what distinguishes both disciplines but,
cal and showcase the works of five of our most rather, what unites them. Digging deep into
loyal, trusted and loved photographers, com- the unclassifiable, the exhibition treats design 03.
missioning them to produce an exclusive body on a par with art, eschewing any temptation
of work based on, you’ve guessed it, Skin. to give one preference over the other. Curated
thewordmagazine.be/skin by design expert Veerle Wenes and Francois
Foulon, with everyone from Marti Guixé to
Wim Delvoye on show.
© Kelly Schacht
02. The players’ club Le fabuleux destin du quotidien
A prolific and versatile designer, À Until 23rd May 2010
Hutten graduated from that ☞ Grand Hornu, Hornu
venerable breeding-ground for design talent, grand-hornu-images.be
Eindhoven’s Design Academy. A conceptual- 04.
ist at heart, his work reveals an acute under-
standing of function’s importance in design, *
and integrates it in a playful manner – his The lecture
most infamous and iconic creation, Dumbo, is to sit through
a cup which boasts massive ‘ears’ as handles,
for example. You might refer to him as a con-
© Tomás Gabzdil Libertiny. Courtesy of MoMA, New York
Hannah Higgins
ceptual functionalist or a functional concep- @ Beursschouwburg (Brussels), on 2nd April
tualist, depending on the day. Also entrusted 2010 – Where does our collective visual bank
with the exhibition’s scenography, expect originate from, and what are the elements
rooms full of laughter and a heady dose of that shape it? Shapeshifters demystifies
tongue-and-cheek. the meaning of images through a series of
lectures, this one by American writer and
Richard Hutten academic Hannah Higgins.
À Until 6th June 2010 beursschouwburg.be & shapeshifters.be
☞ Design Museum, Ghent
design.museum.gent.be
12 The diary
☞ S.M.A.K, Ghent
smak.be
*
The concert
06. The big bang to catch
06. Moti’s work could be compared
to that humongous particle col- Made in Vienna
lider in Cern, Switzerland in that he immortal- @ Bozar (Brussels), on 13th March 2010
izes long-forgotten anecdotes, incidents and – To concerto connoisseurs, the oboe often
individuals (‘black holes’ as he refers to them) gets relegated to the back seat. With its
by intertwining them on film, complementing Made in Vienna series, the Symfonie Orkest
his vision with photography, books and other Vlaanderen rectifi es this, bringing the timid
found objects. The intensity prevalent in his trumpet to the fore and giving it the attention
© Melvin Moti
work, together with its undertones of eternity, it deserves with a rendition of Strauss’ fl atter-
lends it somewhat of a grand, even imperial ing and refreshing concerto for oboe, led by
aesthetic, one you imagine to be shown along- soloist Alexei Ogrintchouk and conducted by
side a Monet in 50 years time. His first solo Etienne Siebens.
07. exhibition in Belgium, this one takes as focus symfonieorkest.be
dust and failure, interlacing the two to reveal
an evasive, yet moving, collision.
( 11 ¤ 16 )
United Kingdom
resolved and confident, his is a narrative years, from his post-punk DIY approach to the
that allows the viewer’s imagination to run, impeccably slick, technologically-advanced
with something of an insider’s joke present objects he is known for today. Consisting of
throughout. For this exhibition at Zeno-X, over 120 works - of which a dramatic LED
Manders presents new drawings (“the inves- 10. installation – the sheer and instant familiarity
tigation of thought” he has called it) as well as of certain of these reminds you how much his
several sculptures. oeuvre has entered the mainstream.
The concert
to catch Hamilton’s political inclinations,
London’s Serpentine Gallery – which cel-
Contrastes ebrates its 40th anniversary this year – presents
@ Flagey (Brussels), on 30 th April 2010 11. the artist’s most poignant body of work, that
– Somewhat of a classicist’s face to face, which uses global politics, riots, terrorist acts
Brussels Philharmonic’s Contrastes series and war as a backdrop for a powerful narrative.
harmonises the impossible, opposing, for Imbued with his obvious sense of discontent
example, Ravel’s Boléro with Schubert’s together with his knack for sarcasm, the many
Fourth Symphony in a duel at the highest paintings on show will resonate with most
echelons of classical music. viewers’ collective visual memory, in a nod
brusselsphilharmonic.be to Hamilton's fascination with the media’s
obsession with and hunger for (more) images.
The first solo exhibition of his works in the
UK, this isn’t to be missed.
10. All eyes on me
Fashion photographer Cindy Richard Hamilton
Frey fights for animal rights, likes vegetar- À Until 25th April 2010
ian cuisine, is addicted to tattoos and listens ☞ Serpentine Gallery, London
to heavy metal music. These disparate, serpentinegallery.org
sometimes anti-social passions mean she
often fi nds herself living in a certain liberat-
ing, if not slightly isolating, manner. This *
© Ron Arad
© Archile Gorky
Archile Gorky – A retrospective commentary on urban environments?
À Until 3rd May 2010
☞ Tate Modern, London Franz Ackermann
tate.org.uk/modern À Until 1st April 2010
☞ Whitecube, London 14.
whitecube.com
*
The prize
© Charly Nijensohn
to catch 16. The cult leader
Billy Childish’s body of work
Deutsche Borse Photography Prize spans many practices. He paints,
@ The Photographers’ Gallery (London), photographs, writes music, novels and
until 18th April 2010 – Brits Anna Fox and poetry, sculpts and even sings. Symptomatic
Donovan Wylie, American Zoe Leonard and of the artist who lives in the shadows of his 15.
Frenchwoman Sophie Ristelhueber are the larger-than-life persona, Childish’s art is,
four shortlisted photographers for this year’s well, himself, garnering a loyal and unre-
Prize. We bank on Wylie’s Maze show - in mitting following. For this fi rst major solo
which he depicts the last days of Northern exhibition attempting to bring his disparate
Ireland’s infamous Maze prison – winning the talents together, several of his many facets are
© Franz Ackermans
hearts of this year’s jury. brought to life: his self-portrait and still life
photonet.org.uk paintings (muscular and powerful), his music
(bathed in punk ethos) as well as his literary
efforts (novels and over 40 collections of
poems) all are on show.
14. Video on demand 16.
The newly-refurbished Billy Childish: Unknowable but certain
Whitechapel gallery presents À Until 18th April 2010
two videos, one by Berlin-based artist Charly ☞ ICA, London
Nijensohn, the other by Texan Nova Paul. ica.org.uk
Both, although resoundingly different from
one another (despite a common fragility), are
presented as part of an initiative seeking to give *
video (and audiovisuals in general) the place they The gig
deserve within contemporary art. In Nijensohn’s to queue for
The Dead Forest, he captures the exposure and
removal faced by a human figure when struggling LCD Soundsystem
to survive in a threatening natural environment @ Brixton Academy (London), on 24th April 2010
(in this case, a storm). Paul’s Technicolour film – With rumours of separation dodging the
– more colorful and poignant - reflects on the James Murphy ensemble on the blogosphere,
poetics and politics that make a place what it is this might well be your last chance to see the
by giving new (visual) meaning to it. New York nu-disco ravers strut it on stage.
Essential.
Charly Nijensohn & Nova Paul o2academybrixton.co.uk
© Billy Childish
( 17 ¤ 18 ) ( 19 ¤ 20 )
Holland France
her portraits to be taken as a whole, more which are selected, by the designer himself, for
artistic concept than mere representation. Her this intimate and bridge-building show.
approach is soft, her tone gentle and her work
simply lovely. Patric Jouin – Les substances du design
18. À Until 24th May 2010
Katinka Lampe – Kate, Bob & Luca ☞ Centre Pompidou, Paris
À From 13th March until 30th May 2010 centrepompidou.fr
☞ Kunsthal, Rotterdam
kunsthal.nl
*
Last days
© Michael Kirkham
* to catch
The show
to see Au-dela du réel
@ Galerie Jérome de Noirmont (Paris), until
Mylou Oord 23rd March 2010 – Group show presenting
@ Foam Gallery (Amsterdam), until 24th March 19. the works of five photographers, painters and
2010 – Young fashion and portrait photog- sculptors and, specifically, their transcending
rapher Mylou Loord captures the beautiful vision of what constitutes ‘reality’. A rapid-fire
people of Amsterdam’s creative scene, the way of getting away from it all for just a couple
focus of this exhibition organised as part of of seconds.
Amsterdam International Fashion Week. denoirmont.com
foam.nl
© Patrick Jouin
gerhardhofland.com
Brussels.
Palais des Beaux-Arts
MADE IN VIENNA
Saturday. 13.03.2010. 20:00
J. Haydn. Symphony n° 31 ‘Horn Signal’
R. Strauss. Concerto for oboe
J. Brahms. Serenade n° 1
BEETHOVEN 9
Saturday. 24.04.2010. 20:00
A. Schönberg. A Survivor from Warsaw
L. van Beethoven. Symphony n° 9
Alexeï Ogrintchouk. © Marco Borggreve
Gigs to catch
High Needs Low BEMF The Toasters Joakim The Gaslamp Killer Femi Kuti
13th March 2010 26th – 28th March 2010 1st April 2010 2nd April 2010 2nd April 2010 19th April 2010
@ Congres Station @ Bozar @ Botanique @Democrazy @ L’Ancienne Belgique Het Depot
(Brussels) (Brussels) (Brussels) (Ghent) (Brussels) (Leuven)
bozar.be botanique.be democrazy.be abconcerts.be hetdepot.be
— With undertones — With more DJs — When sounds of — Producer and — Dubstep-don and — Living up to your
of Germanic rigour, and musicians than Ska and screams of DJ Joakim (of Flying Lotus affi li- father’s reputation
High Needs Low, the 2009 edition, Oi Oi Oi’s fi nally Tigersushi fame), ate The Gaslamp will always be a chal-
now in its fourth Brussels Electronic echoed through the fi rst made a name Killer’s vibes are lenge, not least when
edition, has garnered Music Festival is streets of the big for himself with lethal, future-futur- he is none other than
a reputation for show- back, bigger and apple, The Toasters serious remixes for istic and eclectic. the founding godfa-
casing solid electro better, continuing were on the battling serious artists – Air, Infused with ther of afrobeat. This
sounds. This version in its quest to go front, doing for the Royskopp and the everything from hasn’t diminished
brings together ‘ze beyond the club US’ skins what The likes. He now mostly psychedelic funk to Femi’s talent, nor has
Germans’ Holger culture tag given to Specials did for the prefers to play his alt-pop, this native it tamed his resolve
Zilske (aka Smash electronic music. UK’s two-toners. own stuff, his most Los Angelinos has to continue in his
TV of Pitch Control A pointy, tightly- recent offering Milky big things in the father’s footstep and
fame) and Dave DK. curated program- Play Amsterdam Ways being on heavy pipeline. move the world to
ming is the base of it (Meloe Meloe) Word rotation. the fusion of jazz,
all – Chris De Luca on 28th March 2010 funk and traditional
Mystery Jets and Hexstatic being Nigerian sounds.
on 19th March 2010 some of the sets to Play Antwerp
@ Le Club des look forward to. (Bar Mondial)
Halles (Brussels) on 30 th March 2010
losninos.be
Play Mantes
— Having done (CAC)
Ghent, it is now time on 11th April 2010
for Brussels to gets it
dose of block rocking Play Aachen
beats, in the shape of (Musikbunker)
the city-hopping Los on 15th April 2010
Ninos parties and their
very special guests, Brit
nu rave-rockers the
Mystery Jets.
Give aways
NEW YORK SKA ENSEMBLE THE GASLAMP KILLER on 2nd April 2010
on 23rd March 2010 @ Botanique (Brussels) @ L’Ancienne Belgique (Brussels)
THE TOASTERS on 1st April 2010 FEMI KUTI on 19th April 2010
@ Botanique (Brussels) @ Het Depot (Leuven)
Contrastes:
Messiaen, Schumann, Schubert & Ravel
conductor Michel Tabachnik, with Marie Hallynck, cello
28/04/10: OOSTENDE – 29/04/10: HASSELT – 30/04/10: FLAGEY – 1/05/10: ROESELARE
www.brusselsphilharmonic.be
Brussels Philharmonic – het Vlaams Radio Orkest is een instelling van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap.
Vlaams Omroeporkest en Kamerkoor vzw | Eugène Flageyplein 18 B-1050 Brussel | T +32 2 627 11 60 | info@brusselsphilharmonic.be
20 The papers
Water cooler Music We love Consume Lifestyle
—
This time we’ve let the skin do the talking, from
the walking biography of a foreign legionnaire’s
tattoos, to the epidermal canvas of the
grandmother of performance art. We track down
the world champion taxidermist and ask who will
keep the skin trade going for the next generation ?
While listening to the sounds of the Trojan Skins,
we ask what happens when an actor really gets
inside the skin of a character, and stays there
for 50 years?
Writers Nick Amies, Devrim Bayar, Sabine Clappaert, Alex Deforce & Rozan Jongstra
Neighbourhood 21
Speaking
in skin
Once, tattoos were almost exclusively the
domain of convicts, military prisoners, drug
pushers, pimps and prostitutes. Photos of them
are hidden in the archives of prison doctors and
dermatologists: museums of the skin. Digging
through books of tattoos, we had stumbled on
the extraordinary Les Tatouages du Milieu,
with its photos and drawings of prison tattoos
that documented the life and times of early 20th
Century villains. They came across as stories
© Yassin Serghini
from a distant era until we ran into Marc a
couple of years ago. Marc was an ex-legion-
naire, ex-jailbird, ex-almost all of the above,
and he was prepared to tell us his stories.
Marc opened the book ; his fi ngers read
‘Bang Bang’, two letters on each fi nger; the rest
of his hands were covered with the portrait of in Dutch or Belgian prisons for instance.” He Above I've had ‘Legion Etrangère’ tattooed…
a foreign legion soldier. “These pictures aren't points to his neck, where he has what looks like As a memory, I guess.”
lying, I've seen plenty like this, in prison and in five dots of a dice: “This means tout seul dans “You know, I have OK tattooed on my
the legion. Some legionnaires had their whole ma cellule” (alone in my cell). His neck has knees, O on the left, K on the right. If ever I'd
life story tattooed on their back.” seven stripes on the front, as if it were made for fallen in battle, my comrades would cross my
“A lot of the tattoos with a meaning to them scissors to cut. “Every stripe is for one year I’ve legs: KO. All that is in the past though, but I
are traditionally French, this didn’t originate spent in prison, that's why the dice is next to it. have no regrets.” (AD)
Rocksteady
and rising
Back in the late 1960s, British dancehalls were
fi lled with young, working class white skins
and their West Indian neighbours decked out
in immaculate clothes and hot-stepping to the
sounds of reggae, ska and rocksteady brought
to their ears by a small subsidiary of Island
Records called Trojan.
Formed in 1967, Trojan Records came
into its own a year later when businessman
Lee Gopthal took the helm. Gopthal recruited
© Trojan Records
ˆ
“ The artists breathe mouth to mouth the air exhaled by the other
until they fell unconscious ”
© 2010 Marina Abramović. Courtesy the artist and Sean Kelly Gallery
My body, The product of a strict education, growing up
under Tito’s dictatorial regime in the former
Yugoslavia, Abramović’s extreme art practice
work seem to have run their course, but what
of her legacy to the next generation ? Humor,
rather than self-harm now seems to prevail. In
my canvas emerged in a period when the West was shaken
by social and sexual liberation movements.
Belgium, young women artists such as Danai
Anesiadou and Kate McIntosh (also a member
Abramovi positioned her work at the margins, of the band Poni) create works where exuber-
Burned, frozen, scratched or cut; over the last and pushed to re-defi ne the limits of control ant costumes, surrealism and burlesque replace
30 years Marina Abramović’s skin has prob- over the body, art and within wider society. the nudity, mysticism and austerity that char-
ably been the most abused in the art world. The In 1975, Abramović moved to Amsterdam acterize Abramović’s work. In the Netherlands,
spectacular nature of her work leaves quite an where she met the German artist Ulay. For over the collective Kimberly Clark present instal-
impact but is paradoxically why what’s widely 10 years, the couple developed a common artis- lations and delerious performances depicting
known of her practice has often been reduced tic practice. This “two-headed body” created the body of uninhibited women – “art with
to a few very shocking images. The current works that explored the multiple parameters of pleasure” as they call it. Working under the
major retrospective at the MoMA in New a relationship through the prism of the body. name of I.I.I.I. (for International Institute for
York should place her career into perspective. Many of their performances put the body in Important Items), the young Parisians Chloé
Among the 50 works are performances, less danger. In Death Self, one of their fi rst col- Maillet and Louise Hervé produce installa-
well known photographs, video installations laborations, the artists breathe mouth to tions, genre movies and performed confer-
and sound pieces, and it’s as good an excuse mouth the air exhaled by the other until they ences fi lled with a great sense of the absurd
as any to take an overview of the work and fell unconscious 17 minutes into the perform- (think : “sportsclub on the Moon”). There are
legacy of this self-proclaimed ‘grandmother of ance. Abramović and Ulay’s work belonged to a inumerable manifestation of the colorful and
performance’. larger range of transgressive and violent bodily liberated aesthetics promoted by this emerging
Born in Belgrade in 1946, Abramović practices, gathered under the term “Body Art”, generation of women performers, which, while
entered the art scene in the 70s with testing which appeared in the 70s and of which the most they might not be as dramatic as the work of
physical performances in line with the Viennese notorious propent is probably the American their ‘grandmother’, certainly deserve to be
actionists. One of her early works invited the artist Chris Burden who ordered his assistant regarded as more than skin deep. (DB)
public to use any of 70 objects on her body, to fire a gun at his own arm (Shoot, 1971).
which might provide her with pleasure, pain After 30 years, the masochism and dra-
or even (in the case of the loaded gun) death. matic tension that pervaded Abramović’s
Neighbourhood 23
ˆ
“ Owners bring us the mangy old body of a dog and expect us to reconstruct Fido
the way they remember him as a young, healthy animal ”
ˇ
© Sarah Eechaut
ˆ
“ Hollywood wasn't having it ; if Joey couldn't play Joey (…),
he couldn’t play anything at all ”
© Virassamy
A role for life break from the show, Wagner never landed
any notable roles elsewhere. Record holder on
this side of the Atlantic, and perhaps a more
television probably helped feed her popularity
behind the mic; her first single Locomotion was
an instant hit. He's now 22 and Ms Minogue is
Once upon a time, there was an ordinary familiar face, is Coronation Street’s William still on the scene having just completed a string
12-year-old boy who liked Mars Bars, Fulham Roache, who fi rst took on the character of Ken of world tours. If only Jason Donovan had been
F.C and the Simpsons. He went by the name of Barlow exactly half a century ago. When The so lucky, lucky, lucky.
Daniel. Nine years and six feature fi lms later Sun accused Roache of being as boring as his Zoom in to our modestly-sized country
he is known to the world as Harry Potter. character, the British actor sued the newspaper and you'll fi nd actors with a more modest
It’s one thing to grow up on set, but Daniel for libel and won, making it very clear that he share of fame - yet not talent - that know all
Radcliffe has spent his entire puberty amidst was not to be mistaken for Ken Barlow. Ever. about having to switch identities. Charlie
invisibility cloaks and wands. Adolescence is But there are less long-serving soap stars Dupont, who played Vincent in the hit series
about developing your own identity – a chal- that also have a hard time shaking off their Seconde Chance on TF1, believes that though
lenge in itself. Imagine having to figure out who on-screen persona. Just think of Matt LeBlanc. actors’appearances might stay the same, it’s
you are when the world keeps telling you you're After 10 seasons of playing Joey Tribbiani the way the audience looks at them that trans-
the boy who fl ies broomsticks, and has that on Friends, the actor tried branching out by forms them. When he grew a moustache, four
scar? Yet Daniel – or ‘Dan’ as he now prefers to playing in movies such as Ed and Charlie’s different directors thought it perfect for a
be called - appears to be handling things rather Angels, but Hollywood wasn't having it ; if Joey part in their show, after which Charlie laid
well and seems more than ready to show what couldn't play Joey (as he did in the convenient- down perfect performances as a Belgian cop, a
other tricks he has up his sleeve. He stripped ly-named TV series Joey, which fi zzled out Spanish porn star, an 18th century painter and
off his Potter persona very literally in 2007 after two years), he couldn’t play anything at all. a French creative director.
for Equus, a West End theatre production that Other names that spring to mind include Ron Now there’s something Matt LeBlanc
pointedly required him to bare all. Moss (Ridge from The Bold and the Beautiful) never tried. (RJ)
While nine years is a long time to portray and Henry Winkler (who, even though manag-
a character, it's nowhere near the record. Helen ing to score quite a number of roles after Happy
Wagner, otherwise known as Nancy Hughes, Days, will - admit it - always be the Fonz).
has played in the American soap opera As Of course there are exceptions. Kylie Minogue Visit thewordmagazine.be/dribbles/
The World Turns since it fi rst aired in 1956 – got her break as Charlene on the Australian aroleforlife for our pick of notorious
a whopping 54 years. Despite the occasional soap Neighbours in 1986. Her popularity on “25-to-lifers”.
DESIGNED BY GARY CARD
26
Ons vakmanschap drink je met verstand. Notre savoir-faire se déguste avec sagesse.
28 The institution
We love Lifestyle Classic Watercooler
ˆ
Certainly in the later
films, she has an absent
demeanour assisted by
her hearty uptake of
coke and champagne
ˇ
In the end, of course, it is the lean, fair
Utrecht-born Kristel who won Emmanuelle.
The strong-willed beauty queen – who became
the lover of Belgian intellectual Hugo Claus
when he was 45 and she 22 – was condemned
to spend her life identified with this single char-
acter, to which she had not even been allowed
to give a voice. Her relationship with Claus
pre-dated the Emmanuelle fi lms ( although he
encouraged her participation in them ) – and it
seems significant that it was perhaps the only
‘pure’ relationship that she had with a lover. The
intoxicating character of Emmanuelle dominat-
ed all the rest. “Men have loved my body,” she
wrote recently. “I have been their fantasy, but
I’ve seen few hearts. My fans were faceless, and
I didn’t belong to myself… I wanted to be big
when I was nothing but a child. I wanted to be
looked at and that’s all that ever happened.”
Through a life scarred by alcoholism,
cocaine addiction, exploitation and bad rela-
tionships, Kristel time and again found herself
wooed by men unable to separate her from her
most famous role. Even in her 50s, recovering
from major surgery, she was treated like public
property, a walking emblem of liberal sexuality
submitted to intimate questions about orgasm The free-loving ethos is shattered in the honed on the Pirelli Calendars, and who was
on French TV shows. third movie by marital jealousy – the new also responsible for the iconic publicity stills
It has become a cliché to describe the origi- erotic philosophy that provides the series with from the fi rst movie. With wardrobes raided
nal 1974 Emmanuelle movie as tame by modern its raison d’etre is implicitly discarded and from Balenciaga and beyond, it’s not surprising
standards – what is much more striking, in fact, normal service resumed. But while the sexual- that the style of the films has had a particular
is its coupling of force to female enjoyment. ity of the fi lm is very much of its time, the book influence all of its own. Everything from Sylvia
While the women happily toy with one another is genuinely transgressive, with a lingering fas- Kristel’s haircut, to the heavy kohl eye makeup
and masturbate openly, most of the penetrative cination with childhood sexuality that leads to to the rattan furnishing to the peek-a-boo
sex seems to be initiated in circumstances little some unforgettable pronouncements – “The eveningwear became a cultural reference. The
short of rape. Watching the fi lm you can see erotic woman is the one who, at snack time, Emmanuelle style has influenced fashion col-
a vista of ‘when a woman says ‘no’ she means calls her son and tells him to make a sperm lections ( notably from Veronique Branquinho )
‘maybe’’ thinking and date rape rolling out in sandwich for his little sister.” and is still visible on women of a certain age.
its wake. Emmanuelle may end the movie as While the books are almost an exercise in Unlike Sylvia Kristel, of course, the generation
a sexually liberated woman, but she attains sexual philosophy strung out between physi- of copycat Emmanuelles really did choose to
this status via enforced pain and humiliation. cal diversions, the films communicate this new align themselves with an image of sexual hedon-
Matters are not helped by the fact that Kristel so libertinism via the lush exoticism of their loca- ism and availability – and thus perhaps most
rarely looks as though she’s having a good time tions ( Thailand, Hong Kong, the Seychelles ) deserve the title of the real Emmanuelle.
– her faked orgasms have an edge of disgust to and artful mise en scène. Both the first two films
them, and certainly in the later films, she has an were made by fashion photographers, the fi rst Visit thewordmagazine.be/dribbles/
absent demeanour assisted by her hearty uptake by the Dutch-born Just Jaekin, the second by ohohemmanuelle for our selection of
of coke and champagne. Francis Giacobetti, whose softcore aesthetic was classic Emmanuelle scenes.
30 The Word on
We love Exclusive Photography
Fragile Skin
Photography Sarah Eechaut Interviews Yves Van Kerkhove
Eline (10)
Irene (21)
Aloys (64)
Mieke (29)
—
It all started rather innocently.
The idea to test some tanning products on
several peaches was thrown into one of
our infamous brainstorms, more of a ‘let’s see
if they latch on to it’ type of idea than a thought-
through pitch. To our amazement, our bluff
was called and there we were, mid-January,
scouring the streets of Brussels for soft fruit,
getting ready to apply some ungodly beauty
products on these five euro a pop peaches
( adjusted for winter price hikes ).
Photography Benoît Banisse Retouching Ilan Weiss
Life 35
01.
Kiehl’s sun-free self-tanning (¤28)
kiehls.com
02.
L’Oréal accord perfect blush (¤11,49)
lorealparis.com
36 The other Word on
03.
Rimmel stay matte pressed powder
rimmellondon.com
04.
Rituals gemstone foundation (¤19,90)
rituals.com
Life 37
05.
L’Oréal sublime one day body bronze (¤14,49)
lorealparis.com
06.
Louis Widmer tinted hydrating cream (¤14,90)
louis-widmer.be
Surface complex
—
Travelling through South Africa,
we discover that nothing about
skin is ever simple
Photography Guy Van Laere
Good dirt.
What’s so great about washing, anyway ?
—
Viva pet dirt ! Your skin is host to a flourishing layer of
bacterial flora that protects you against aggressive pathogens.
Individual to you, these babies need to be nurtured rather than
scrubbed out. We spend vast amounts on cleaning and treating
our skin, would we do better to leave it alone ?
Photography and interviews Ulrike Biets Writer Hettie Judah
As part of her graduation project last year, requisite to live.” Dr Zuberbier is Professor rather stronger feelings about the role dirty
Sonja Baumel constructed a giant petri dish lay of Dermatology and Allergy at Berlin’s skin has to play in building up our immune
down briefly on the jelly-fi lled container, then Charité – Universitätsmedizin, but while he system. “Children get bugs into their mouths
covered and incubated it to create a self-portrait waxes humorous on contemporary obsession via their fi ngers,” he explains. “If you have good
rendered in bacteria. Sonja’s background is in with scrubbing and perfuming ourselves, he hygiene in the living space and in your skin, it
fashion design, and her project looked at human does also warn that a lot of the media reports will render the immune system unemployed.
skin bacteria as a kind of living outfit – one that into allergy and hygiene have been misleading, In families with four children the likelihood
dispersed and reacted to its surroundings, and particularly in the interpretation of research of any child having the disease is lower than in
which, like a well considered ensemble, simul- into childhood exposure to potential allergens. families with one child, because the standards
taneously protected the wearer and made an of hygiene won’t be the same.”
individual statement. In her thesis (In) Visible Dr John considers argument for frequent
Membrane, she proposed fashion as a medium ˆ washing to be a question of sociability rather
by which science and scientific information than health. “We are not fi sh – our skin doesn’t
could travel outside the laboratory. Evolution did not create like to be swimming all the time ; the longer you
Researching the project, Sonja interned put skin into water the more permeable it gets.
in a microbiology lab and learned about the
soap or showers before Water dries skin, then it starts splitting and gets
delicate bacterial balance that was required humans ; daily washing little fi ssures and allergens can easily get in.”
to guard against disease, she experimented He also points out that the ‘pet’ bacteria
with growing bacteria on textiles, and even
with soap is not that we need as a barrier on our skin thrive
with growing textiles from bacteria. She was a pre requisite to live in an acid environment of around ph 4 or 5.
also surprised by the extreme specialisations Detergent soaps can have an alkaline ph of up
of the different scientific departments that to 9. In addition, modern fluid soaps contain
she worked with, and contemplated a role for ˇ preservatives and perfumes that often provoke
designers in provoking interplay between spe- an allergic reaction ( whether the fragrance is
cialists and allowing them to see their practice “Early contact in life with pathogenic bac- ‘artificial’ or of plant origin has no bearing ).
from a different perspective. teria and parasites prevents allergies of allergic For those of us who can’t kick the washing
The fashion business, does, of course, have rhinitis and asthma by 50% but it’s not a ques- habit, Dr John stresses the importance of rehy-
an existing relationship with the bacteria on tion of not washing the kids – what’s protec- drating the skin after the shower ( he recom-
our skin. We don’t only wear a dab of Chanel tive is drinking milk with tuberculosis bacteria mends using almond oil ) and avoiding harsh
No.5 behind our ears in bed these days – we and being in a barn with swine for three hours a and heavily perfumed soap.
tend to wear the matching body lotion, eye day. It has nothing to do with washing the skin
cream, face milk, lip balm, neck cream, décol- and household, it’s about getting the bacteria
leté gel, cellulite drainer, hand food and hair into you skin and your gut.” For more information on Sonja Baumel :
masque. Fashion may be an exciting medium Dr Zuberbier also points out that certain sonjabaeumel.at
for collaborations on skin bacteria, but the for- allergic conditions – notably Atopic Dermatitis For more information on dermatology :
tunes being made by the industry in persuading (a variety of eczema) involve an overgrowth of eadv.org
customers that they are dirty, smelly and unat- bacteria that irritates the skin – so would not
tractively wrinkled are likely be a significant profit from less washing. Overall, however, he
impediment to visible bacteria textiles becom- does feel that we overdo hygiene in our society :
ing a hot new trend. “people wash their clothes frequently, but you
As leading dermatologist Dr Torsten would never wash your shoes frequently.”
Zuberbier points out, “evolution did not Professor Swen Malte John of the depart-
creates soap or showers before humans ; ment of Dermatology and Environmental
daily washing with soap is not a pre Medicine at the University of Osnabrueck has
Life 41
Kasper Moreaux wet country, but in fact, it’s just a grey country, as economic as possible. “We live in a house with
not at all wet. Imagine that one day, for some a community of 15 adults, and our consumption
Kasper travels as an artist with his theatre reason the production of chlorine was stopped of water is less than a regular household. We try
company De Vuurmeesters, creating big instal- or the most important cleaning systems would to not bath or shower that often. When we do,
lations that spit fire. While he is playing with be out of order. That would be a disaster, since we use the rainwater we catch in barrels in our
fire, he tries to avoid the use of the one thing that most of the water in Belgium has to be purified. garden. And when the water is used for shower-
could save him if a fire trick goes wrong: water. Unlike New Zealand or Australia, we can’t go ing, we re-use it for flushing the toilets. It’s irre-
Trained as a geologist he is all too aware that to a lake to provide ourselves with clean water, sponsible and ridiculous to flush a toilet with 13
we’re close to running out of drinkable water. because we don’t have them. We depend on litres of drinkable water. It goes straight into the
“Especially because we don’t have much rain installations.” Kasper wants to make people sewer, into the sea. That’s almost what you drink
or reserves here. People think Belgium is such a aware of how to keep their practises with water in a whole week, just to get rid of a simple pee.”
42 The report
Cam Pipes handle the odours anymore – and when we’re rather grab a beer than a shower. Then again,
out of baby wipes – we stop at a hotel just too much alcohol can be the trigger for a long
Cam is the lead singer of the Canadian heavy to take a quick shower. We only do it out of hot bath, or at least the hangover can be.”
metal band 3 Inches Of Blood, which means mutual respect. Your own smell is never as
that being on tour with a bunch of dudes is a bad as someone else's smell.” Even at home
big part of his life. “Our days on tour consist Cam only occasionally takes showers. “I don’t
of sitting in a small van, travelling from venue mind, my girlfriend doesn’t mind, so there is
to venue. After a few days, that thing is a no reason to shower.” Only when he sees other
total mess. Especially because in the US and people looking all clean and fresh, with wet,
Canada, venues don’t have a real backstage washed hair, is he tempted to take a cleaning
area, and certainly not showers. So if we can’t moment for himself. “Even after a show I’d
Life 43
Jennifer Beckx worse. At the end my body always looks as if particular event,” she says. She now has the
I have been caught in some kind of burning choice between washing or painful spots.
Knowing your body consists of 40% water, accident.” When she was four years old, “I practically never wash my face. Whenever
you can hardly imagine someone being allergic Jennifer became really sick when visiting her I take a bath, I have to add oil to the water to
to this substance, but Jennifer has a condition family in Romania. “I went for a swim in a soften it.” Jennifer tries to avoid water in all
called Aquagenic Urticaria, a rare disease in lake near the Black Sea. The water was dirty circumstances, even during her job. “I'm a
which water dissolves her skin protein which and green, but we didn't think it could do any cleaning lady, so I have no choice but to work
in turn provokes an allergic reaction. “When harm. All the other kids were swimming there with water all day. It ruins my hands, my nails
my body comes into contact with water, I get too.” But Jennifer became ill, vomited for are crumbling, but I do my very best to fi nd a
red and dry spots all over. They itch, so I can't two weeks and became dehydrated. “I think way to combine my job with my disabilities,
help scratching them, which makes it even my allergy to water can be attributed to that and try to live my life as normally as possible.”
44 The report
Jonas Geysemans the toilets with. Showering is not that impor- greasy hair you can easily cover with a hat,
tant to us ; we wash our hands with rainwater, like I do now,” he laughs. “The only downside
A while ago, Jonas discovered an abandoned and if we feel too dirty, we shower at school, of having no tap water for us is that although
minigolf course and decided this would be at our workplace or with friends. I am an edu- we dream of installing our own silkscreen
his new home. Together with a few friends he cator in a boarding school for mentally disa- atelier here, we can’t, because we’d need a
squatted it, and made it into a cosy, welcoming bled children, and sometimes, at night, when pressure washer. But otherwise, living without
but very unusual house. “We are melting snow they are all asleep, I have a quick wash over tap water is really not such a big deal… once
on the big stove now, because we live here there when I feel too fi lthy. We don't want to you’re used to it.”
without a water supply. We have no choice be ‘the smelly kid’, but as long as you don't
but to be creative about it ; we use all kinds of stink, washing is a luxury. A full wash once
different ways to obtain water, mainly to flush in a few weeks is sufficient, and things like
Life 45
Ronny “Manoly” his jacket to be baptised, no problem, but it’s when we hit the ground or fall down while
not an obligation anymore to become part of riding our bikes. But at that moment, the
Ronny “Manoly” is one of the full members the pack. Now, the baptism takes place over only thing we care about is our Harley.
of the Hell’s Angels in Ghent, which means he the years, because no one ever washes their That machine is like a woman to us, we love
has earned all the patches on his black leather jacket, so it becomes a kind of souvenir that it almost as much as our family and brothers.
sleeveless jacket. The patches state your contains smells and stains from everything If the jacket is ruined, we take off the patches,
place in the group, as being a hang-around, we went through. We wear it outside of our burn the jacket, buy a new one, and stitch the
a prospect or a full member. In the early days, other gear, so whenever we take a trip through patches back on. With our bikes it's not that
the Hell’s Angels used to baptise these jackets Europe or the rest of the world, it has been simple of course.”
with beer and dirt, but these days this ritual there with us. Sometimes the evidence is
has kind of disappeared. “If someone wants clearly present ; the sweat, or the dirt from
46 The showstoppers
Consume We love Lifestyle Classic Fashion
Sensory recall
—
They say fetish is all to do with memory – experiences that leave traces
on you like stains on the skin from back in childhood. Something about
the creases round the ankle on a pair of silk stockings, the crisp first touch
of rolling papers stolen from an older cousin, the smooth glossy metal
of a very expensive, very forbidden thing. We still like mucking around
with fake tattoos, pretending that we’re still pretending to be grownups,
but watching Shane Meadows movies reminds us what it really felt like
at the time, back in our younger skins.
Photography Benoît Banisse Art direction and styling Facetofacedesign
01.
Night moves
02.
Where we’re coming from
03.
Brand nude
04.
Grubby mits
05.
Crispy skins
06.
Get your seams straight
Ç;G::
0
SCRIBE
Neighbourhood Life + Global Style
volume 01 — issue 03
01 3
Ç;G::
2 GET
volume 01 — issue 05
volume 01 — issue 04
BACK
belgium lifestyle fashion design culture
Gate Crashing Baggage Check Macadam Boulevard Handle with Care Bubble Superstar
volume 01 — issue 06
volume 02 — issue 01
ISSUES
Neighbourhood Life + Global Style
Belgium Living at Mum’s Lifestyle Asleep on the Job Fashion Wasted Days
Design Sleep Keepers Culture Motel Coma + The Car Special
volume 02 — issue 02
Do not throw on the public domain.
Belgium Behind the Curtains Lifestyle Feeding Power Fashion Manicured Mysteries
Design Moving Horizons Culture Cinematic Mystery + The Fashion Special
3 READ
Do not throw on the public domain.
volume 02 — issue 03
volume 02 — issue 04
THE
Neighbourhood Life + Global Style An Original Screenplay
by
The Word Magazine
Belgium Me, Myself & I Lifestyle Lonesome Cowboys Fashion Mole Men
Design When Right Met Left Culture Micro Mad + The Design Special
Belgium Pocket Moves Lifestyle Tokyo Entourage Fashion Yamamoto & Daughter
Design My Robot Fridge Culture Rope Burns + The Beauty Special
I N T
S I H
S P E
BLOG
U P
Do not throw on the public domain.
volume 02 — issue 06
E O
N
Belgium Big Consoles Lifestyle Techno Techno Techno Fashion Mason’s Apprentice
Design Studio Job Are Older Than Jesus Culture Boy Guards + The Bling Special
Do not throw on the public domain.
Do not throw on the public domain.
thewordmagazine.be
50 The way
Lifestyle Fashion Classic Underground
Hard as nails, soft as velvet This meant that by the late 60s, skins were clad
in a uniform of long- or short-sleeve button-up
shirts or polo shirts, religiously pressed straight-
legged Levi’s jeans and shiny, heavy boots.
“This image sent out a message that these
— A freshly clipped grade 2, checked shirt and were intensely masculine, working class people
whose highly polished and fastidious dress
a pair of Doc Marten’s have come to inspire showed a real pride in their identity,” Bill says.
When the punk movement and the death of
fear in the moral majority. Where did it all go the sixties dream in the mid-1970s brought with
it anarchy and social despair, far-right groups
so wrong for this brotherhood of British and saw the potential in the proclivity for violence
and fierce patriotism that some punk or Oi! skins
Jamaican youth styles ? And how did labels like were beginning to embrace. Recognising the
power images of snarling, shaven-headed youths
Fred Perry and Ben Sherman, that had such tight waving nationalist flags could have, far-right
groups began both recruiting white skins with
associations to the bitter end of the skinhead right-wing views and promoting the skinhead
image among their own youthful members.
movements, manage to rehabilitate themselves ? While adopting even shorter haircuts,
tighter jeans, combat trousers and knee-high
boots, these Nazi boneheads also kept their
Writer Nick Amies Illustration Marcel Ceuppens Brutus and Ben Sherman shirts, their Lonsdale
sweaters and Fred Perry cardigans. As a result
skinheads and skinhead fashion became syn-
onymous with the neo-Nazis.
Nothing makes old people cower in fear and maintained that mod aesthetic for being obses- "With the skinhead revival in the 1970's
young mothers pull their offspring closer than sively fastidious about what they wore. They and the fusion with punk, the style became more
the sight of a group of skinheads marching were well polished, stylish and street sharp. aggressive and we saw an adoption of the skin-
down the street in full regalia. Skinheads are the Some of the brands they wore were actually head style which has since been popularised
bogeymen of youth culture; a movement that has quite up-market, like the Cromby overcoat by skins in former Eastern Bloc countries and
been a social pariah for decades. Their violent which was favoured by city gents.” other parts of Europe,” says Bill. “This was not
reputation and far-right connotations precede the classic skin image but it was the one which
them. Their uniforms label them a threat. became equated with the movement and with
Or do they? While there is little doubt that ˆ the far-right, racist elements involved in it.”
skinheads have always had a reputation for dis- While there have always been aggressive
order, to judge a shaven-headed lad or lass by They were employed overtones to the movement, violence for the
his or her clobber may be a dated misconcep- original skinheads was never the consuming
tion that is fi nally ready to be consigned to the
and had money to spend passion, and contrary to popular belief, they
history books. on looking good. were not grouped together around a fl ag of
Clothing has been an important part of the nationalism and united by a racial hatred of
skinhead culture ever since the schism in the mid-
It’s a myth that the skins minorities either.
1960s mod scene in Britain created the ‘peacock’ were more about fighting In fact, coming from the working classes,
mods – a less violent, more affluent and fashion they mixed with immigrants from all over the
conscious group who favoured expensive clothes
than fashion world in their manual jobs, their tight-knit
– and 'hard' mods who embraced a more work- communities and in their dancehall leisure
ing-class image and whose less privileged lives time where they danced to ska, reggae, and
gave them a tougher edge.
ˇ rocksteady beats alongside their Jamaican
By the end of the decade, these ‘hard’ co-workers. These traditional skinheads,
mods were known as skinheads and their lives Bill maintains that just because the skins also known as trads or Trojan skins, gathered
and their fashions had strayed further away were working class, it didn’t mean they were around the nucleus of Afro-Caribbean music,
from the middle class fascination with the poor. They were employed and had money to not a banner of extremism.
latest trends, settling for an image made up of spend on looking good. “They bought brands However, these skinheads found that since
practical styles that suited their employment – like Fred Perry and Ben Sherman off the peg their image, style and brands had been pervert-
steel-toed boots, straight-legged denim jeans, which was still fashionable but cheaper than ed by the right-wing skins and claimed by the
shirts and braces. having a suit made,” he says. “It’s a myth that neo-Nazis, they were now being tarred with the
“When the skins segued from the mods, the skins were more about fighting than fashion. same brush. Fuelled by sensationalist television
they adopted a more robust image,” says Bill This was not a pauperised style.” coverage, all skinheads were suddenly stereo-
Osgerby, Professor in Media, Culture and Bill says that these skins were, in essence, typed as mindless, violent, and racist, with little
Communications at London’s Metropolitan robustly masculine mods that stayed loyal to attempt made to discriminate one subgroup from
University. “However, this didn't mean that the fashion fusion of black – most Jamaican – another. In the eyes of the media and the public,
they were shabby or scruffy. In fact they youth styles and a British working class image. every skinhead was a racist, everyone who wore
Style 51
ˆ
Fred Perry have targeted
alternative movements
by using personalities
with positive images such
as Paul Weller to promote
their clothing to indie and
rock audiences
ˇ
Carl says that the brands themselves never
made an issue out of the right-wing connection
or reacted to it because they believed that if
they had, they would have had a very different
problem. Instead, they began a policy of spread-
ing a positive message to the next generation
through grass roots interaction and support.
“What the brands have done is use positive role
models in sport and music, and have reached
out to younger audiences by sponsoring sports
events, such as table tennis tournaments in
inner-city youth clubs,” explains Carl.
a Fred Perry shirt was a fascist, and everyone have targeted alternative movements by using And what of the skins themselves ?
who wore Doc Marten’s boots was a Nazi. personalities with positive images such as Paul “The traditional skins, especially the older
“Of course some of the brands adopted Weller to promote their clothing to indie and generation, have done much to move away from
by far-right skins come from the pre-political rock audiences and have always used ethnic this racist image by forming action groups and
origins of the subculture, labels like Fred Perry models to promote equality in their ads, promoting the Jamaican roots, style and music
and Lonsdale for instance,” said Bernd Richter, harking back to the origins of the skinheads of the original movement,” Bill Osgerby con-
a German expert on far-right movements and when it was a multi-racial scene.” cludes. “As the original trads regularly used to
their symbolism. “These have been politicised, The labels themselves have noticed a posi- say : You can't have roots in black music and be
however, purely by being worn by these groups. tive change in the way the public and media into white power.”
Once they were embraced by the far-right, perceive them in recent years, although it took
rightly or wrongly, they became signifiers.” more than dressing palatable rock stars in their Visit thewordmagazine.be/dribbles/
Bernd said that some brands sullied by far- clothes to make a difference in some cases. hardasnailssoftasvelvet for classic
right association have attempted to change their “In the last five years we’ve seen a real skinhead styles.
image through specific marketing and adver- decrease in the association with the right-
tising campaigns. “Fred Perry, for example, wing skins across Europe,” says Carl Toye, the
52 The fashion Word
Arts Consume
—
So maybe this isn’t England, and maybe we weren’t around when it all
kicked off, and so what if we don’t listen when you try to make us do things
your way? You say original – we say new generation – but we’re all still
Photography Kris De Smedt Styling Pierre-Yves Marquer
Style 53
Deceased wears: Lace Shirt Givenchy, Trousers Balenciaga, Boots Louis Vuitton
Jacket Junya Watanabe Man (Stylist’s Own), Polo Shirt Ben Sherman, Jacket Y’s
Style 59
Jacket Adidas Originals, Shirt Fred Perry, Tank Top Y’s, Shorts Filippa K
Photographer
Kris De Smedt
cestchicagency.be
Stylist
Pierre-Yves Marquer
cestchicagency.be
Stylist’s Assitant
Sybille Langh
Models
Eva Heisp & Rutger Derksen
newmodels.be
The 1.
Since most women do not know themselves they should try to do so.
2.
A woman who buys an expensive dress and changes it,
often with disastrous result, is extravagant and foolish.
3.
Most women (and men) are color-blind.
They should ask for suggestions.
4.
Remember-twenty percent of women have inferiority complexes.
Seventy percent have illusions.
5.
Ninety percent are afraid of being conspicuous, and of what people will say.
So they buy a gray suit. They should dare to be different.
6.
FAshion
Women should listen and ask for competent criticism and advice.
7.
They should choose their clothes alone or in the company of a man.
8.
They should never shop with another woman,
who sometimes consciously or unconsciously, is apt to be jealous.
9.
She should buy little and only of the best or cheapest.
10.
Never fit a dress to the body, but train the body to fit the dress.
11.
A woman should buy mostly in one place where she is known and respected,
and not rush around trying every new fad.
12.
g
And she should pay her bills.
© Alfred Yaghobzadeh
shed,” he explained, noting that where you fi nd
luxury, violence is rarely found far behind.
Josephus is a true Word-style internation-
alist : half Russian with homes and roots in the
UK, The Netherlands, France and Belgium,
he studied at the Antwerp fashion academy
then moved to Paris where his fi rst big break
came in 1992 at the then broken house of
Balenciaga. “There was no atelier, no commer-
cial department, nothing,” he recalls. “I stayed
six years and constructed the whole thing like
it is today, but after six years I wanted to do
my own thing.” By the time Josephus left the
house, it was back on track as the house of elite
high-fashion, with a young Nicolas Ghesquière
already in place, ready to move up the ranks
into Josephus’ shoes.
A professional interest in violent upheav-
als seems curiously honest, given his fascina-
tion with martial tailoring “for me, the mili-
tary jacket is my Chanel jacket,” he explains.
He also attributes his on-going fascination
with all things Russian to his mixed parentage,
which influences everything, right down to his
selection of runway models. “It was very impor-
tant that most of the models were Russians.
The music I used was a Russian choir– old
songs, sung by deep vibrating voices – it was
like going to mass, it was almost spiritual, and
they were very touched by it ; one model actu-
ally wept during the show.”
After leaving Balenciaga, Josephus ran his
Thimister label for four years, at which point, as expanded to fit the opportunities presented. years. Josephus considers creative people to
he puts it, “I’d had no money anymore, and I’d Eventually the Haute Couture federation sug- have a duty to centralise their energies and make
had enough.” He travelled for three years, then gested that instead of showing it during Frieze something out of the global mess of the current
came back and worked with Charles Jourdan or FIAC, Josephus came as a guest designer moment. “Is fashion art ?” he muses. “It can be
and the Andy Warhol Foundation. His return during the Haute Couture week in Paris. but not necessarily. It’s all a means of expression
this season to the world of Haute Couture His decision to do another collection was – as an artist or designer you are always margin-
seems to have happened almost by accident – in part a response to the emptiness he feels in alised by society. But society needs that margin
the collection started as an art installation that the marketing-led fashion scene of the last 10 to go on : that margin is its conscience.” (HJ)
62 The fashion papers
Disruptive Online Talent We love Consume
© Arielle de Pinto
with demand she can barely keep up with. “It still
does come organically from me,” she tells us of
her designs. “Crochet use to be something that
kept me feeling peaceful but it doesn’t really
anymore. It’s a very meditative practice, but as
soon as you have a deadline you lose that.” was time to formalise. While Arielle still creates in the handsome prince’s chainmail. Copycat
Until recently, her life was as spontaneous as the expressionistic prototypes by hand, she now works are already starting to hit the market, but
her designing style : she travelled with her equip- sits down and analyses the process that’s gone it only encourages Arielle to keeping pushing
ment – including up to 50lb of silver chain – in into the pieces with a specially trained team who her very particular skills ; “that’s something
her bag. It was when the metal treatment chemi- will reproduce the works by hand. I love about being specialised ; I still feel like
cals exploded inside the case one day, destroy- There is something magical to her work – the I’m ahead of the game.” (HJ)
ing all her best clothes, that she realised that it fragile decay of sleeping beauty running riot arielledepinto.com
Looks good
in print
The soaring reputation of Peter Pilotto ( pic-
tured on the left ) is a wonderful illustration of
the British fashion world’s ability to claim a new
star as its own. Three years ago, the designers
behind the label were Antwerp boys, at least
enough to earn a place in the Antwerp 6+ exhi-
bition as part of the ‘new generation’ of fashion
talents working out of Flanders. The style was
recognisable – a kind of retro-futurist feminin-
ity – if hardly mainstream.
Born in Wörgl, Austria in 1977, Peter
© Peter Pilotto
Ctrl-alt-del
the front row
They have been labeled as pesky, a threat to
a noble profession, a hodgepodge of relentless
posers and a slew of other colourful compli-
ments. Someone (cough – Cathy Horyn of the
New York Times – cough) claims they have
“overrun the ivory tower”. All this upheaval is
© Virassamy
about the ominous rise of the deadly – cue evil
organ music – fashion bloggers. Not the slight-
est hint of an altered hemline or sneak peak at
a luscious lapel is too trite for them ; all it takes
is a click, a fl ash and an upload button for it and editors : front-row seats at major shows Bloggers and readers will always need the
to become instant digital fashion fodder for and even design input in the form of capsule magazines to feed on their editorials, inspiring
fawning over ; “ Givenchy announced this an collections. It’s not a stretch to imagine that this articles and general fabulosity. Why can’t we
hour ago, it’s common knowledge ! ” or “ Surely hasn’t gone down well with most pros: lacking have a healthy symbiosis of industry insiders
that jumper can double as a skort ? ” ‘proper’ education or work experience, bloggers and outsiders; a dialogue between those with a
Always on the look-out for the latest are a big – albeit well-dressed – thorn in their passion for fashion, instead of a soliloquy ? (IA)
trends and popular it-people, designers have side. Why the fear ? For the speed that bloggers
given some famous bloggers ( like Bryanboy or process information or the fact that some have
13 year-old Tavi from Style Rookie ) the same escaped from behind their bedroom desks and Visit thewordmagazine.be/dribbles/
privileges as professional journalists, stylists mouse-clicked their way into the limelight ? ctrlaltdelthefrontrow for prime seat shots.
ˆ
Constantly renewing the
space, Dover Street Market
undergoes a biannual
makeover named
Tachiagari, meaning ‘start’
or ‘beginning’ in Japanese
ˇ
Constantly renewing the space, Dover
Street Market undergoes a biannual makeover
named Tachiagari, meaning ‘start’ or ‘begin-
ning’ in Japanese. The store is closed for a few
days during which all the installations are
revamped and new designers introduced. This
spirit of perpetual evolution creates excitement
among its loyal customer base and it’s now tra-
ditional to fi nd an army of fashion cognoscenti
queuing outside before each re-opening.
If we were to play one of our favourite
games and imagine we were obscenely rich
for the day, a pair of Cutler and Gross vintage
shades, Bibi’s rings made of prehistoric
mammoth ivory, a lifetime guaranteed leather
bag courtesy of Bedouin, and a whole lot of
Rodarte, Pierre Hardy, Hussein Chalayan,
Comme des Garçons, Givenchy, Giles, Ann
Demeulemeester, Behnaz Kanani, Giambattista
Valli, Bess jeans and Proenza Schouler could
all easily fi nd their way into our shopping
basket. For now we will just indulge in a veggie
pie by Rose Bakery’s organic open kitchen on
the top floor and a Comme Des Garçons Play
striped knit.
Thankfully the visual treat is free. One of
the most intriguing areas is the World Archive ;
pieces collected by Michael Costiff from
around the globe, from African masks and on the part of everyone involved seems to be a Dover Street Market
tribal jewellery, to communist memorabilia. kind of key to Dover Street Market Dover Street 17-18
Magazine geeks will thrill to the Idea Books Adding to the mix is the aura of mystery London W1S 4LT
corner, a simple table and chair surrounded around the place, sacredly guarded by every- United Kingdom
by Angela Hill’s jaw dropping collection of one involved. There is no advertising, buyers doverstreetmarket.com
vintage magazines, vanished cult fanzines and refuse to comment on their modus operandi,
old art books. The basement stocks enough Kawakubo is notoriously media shy and when
gems to make any street wear junkie or sneaker she or her husband grants an interview, they
fetishist’s head spin in a fraction of a second. remain carefully elusive, reluctant to defi ne
We were lucky enough to be allowed a the Dover Street Market philosophy. The stub-
guided tour before opening hours in order to born secrecy and vagueness could be perceived
take shots, and caught a designer presenting his as presumptuous and almost become annoying,
new collection of handmade denim, limited to if not for its irreproachable result. The idea is
one hundred pieces, to the team of sales assist- that each individual that comes to the store is
ants. Sessions of this kind were frequent, we meant to make up his or her own answers and
were told, and essential for the creator to pass interpretation of what it’s meant to be. Dover Visit thewordmagazine.be/dribbles/
along the knowledge and love invested in the Street Market is different to everyone. Kind of currentlyavailableat for more insider shots
product. This passion and attention to detail like a David Lynch fi lm. of Dover Street Market.
66 The look
Classic We love Watercooler
Minority report
—
Try matching a worn-out, baggy pair of corduroy trousers
( and beige at that ! ) with a shiny new Prada baseball cap and
you’ll quickly understand that these cats are geniuses at the
art of mix-and-match street fashion. Having observed the
style’s many evolutions over the years, we thought it high time
to immortalize it once and for all. With nothing, nothing but
love, respect and admiration.
Photography Sébastien Bonin Assistant Ludo Hanton
the Fashion
g 67
Occupation:
Sous-chef
Favourite brand:
Adidas
Signature accessory:
Barcelona football shirt
Wearing:
Barcelona football shirt, leather jacket,
Adidas tracksuit bottoms and Nike Air Max
Style tip:
Watch La Haine
Style icon:
Pepe Guardiola
Occupation:
Tram driver and
founder of independent label Give me 5
Favourite brand:
Giorgio Armani
Signature accessory:
Baseball cap
Wearing:
Burberry shirt, Louis Vuitton belt,
Lee Cooper Casuals corduroy trousers,
Sebago shoes, Prada baseball cap, Prada man
bag and Breitling watch
Style tip:
Take a trip down Francis Ferent
(on Avenue Louise 60 Louizalaan,
1050 Brussels)
Style icon:
George Clooney
Occupation:
Tram driver
Favourite brand:
Lacoste
Signature accessory:
iPod
Wearing:
Lacoste jacket, Adidas tracksuit bottoms,
Sebago shoes, Fossil watch, Yashmag scarf
Style tip:
RM Sport and M&M Sport,
both in Brussels
Style icon:
“My cousin Wajid, who works at Francis
Ferent”
—
We went through all kinds of torment working out what could
possibly be fashiony enough to cut it as our Fashion Special
showstoppers. There could have been books and bags and
accessories and all kinds of bits and pieces, but none of them really
got our juices going. That’s because what gets our juices going
always tends to come inside a sturdy oblong box, wrapped lovingly
in tissue paper. So since nothing else was doing it for us, we ditched
the other ideas and followed our raw, instinctive passion for shoes.
And at base, that pretty much defines fashion for us. You can wear
what the hell you want : so long as your shoes are fabulous, then,
well, so are you.
Photography carmendevos
the Fashion
g 71
01.
—
Austin derbies
by Hermes ( ¤ 620 )
02.
—
03.
—
04.
—
05.
—
06.
—
Boat shoe
by N.D.C ( ¤ 200 )
Walking through the Meat Packing district one aim is to have a team that could be capable of
January afternoon I crossed paths with a young playing in the human World Cup by 2050. It
guy, wide eyed and stripped to the waist, who seems a long way off: current hurdles faced by
was waving his arms and shouting at people with team members include basic issues like stand-
terrified desperation: “The Cyborgs are already ing up, walking and kicking the ball.
among us! They’re here, right here in New York
City!” Everyone ignored him but he kept going
for hours, walking a tight grid of streets, warning ˆ
us all over and again. It was hard to tell if he was
mad, performing, or just communicating with us Most of them are involved
from his own private place, but you have to hand
it to the guy: he had a point.
in industries where they can
The word robot appeared in fiction long be kept separated off from
before it was adopted by science; it comes from
the Czech, originally meaning slave or serf.
their human co-workers,
Much of the fear and confusion surrounding and perform repetitive,
the modern robotics industry springs from the 01
difficulty we still find in drawing a fi rm line
often dangerous tasks
between the real and the fictional. Robots are all without needing to stop for
around us; they have been for years; but they’re “If you look at the anatomy of biological species
more likely to be hanging out in Detroit than
meals or sue for repetitive we see different biomechanical solutions that are
New York City. Most of them are involved in strain injury applicable in robotics,” he explains. “Human
industries where they can be kept separate from arms have seven fields of freedom from shoulder
their human co-workers, and perform repetitive, to wrist – it allows us to execute the same motion
often dangerous tasks without needing to stop for ˇ with many different postures of the arm itself.
meals or sue for repetitive strain injury. We equip robot arms with human-like dexterity
The classic science-fiction robot – a bi- TUlip, a bi-pedal robot being developed so they too can execute motions with different
pedal autonomous humanoid rippling with by the University of Eindhoven, will be on his postures, allowing them to avoid obstacles and
whizz-bang functions – is still a long way in the way to RoboCup 2010 in Singapore this June. undue pressures.”
future. The annual robot and artificial intel- Dr Dragan Kosti who is leading the design team Dragan draws an important distinction
ligence research jamboree RoboCup, centres behind TUlip, admits that making robots bi- between the manufacture robots currently
around the creation of a robot football team pedal to give them a human aspect brings with flexing away on car plants and production lines,
composed of bipedal players who will commu- it a particular series of stability problems, but and the service robots that will be designed
nicate with one another on the pitch. RoboCup notes that studying the mobility of human limbs for close interaction with humans. The robots
has been on the go since 1997, and the current has been very useful in successful robotic design. designed to conduct a repetitive precision task
Design 75
do so in isolation – they have a very limited suggests that they could specifically benefit from The philosopher Richard Sennett draws
field of response: certainly far too limited to robot assistance. a useful distinction between robots and repli-
deal with human behaviour. These robots are “It was observed that autistic children have cants. The replicant is something that mimics
dangerous not because they have intelligence a problem mimicking other people,” explains human form without exceeding human capa-
but because they lack it. For robots to operate Dragan. “But suprisingly they are not reluctant bility: the robot takes human capability and
safely in a space shared with humans they need to imitate the behaviour of a toy. If a car moves exceeds it, it is the more-than-human, able to
to be able to adapt and respond independently in a circle, autistic children start walking along survive where humans are not, in toxic envi-
to their immediate surroundings. the circle. That led to a hypothesis that we could ronments or extremes of temperature, to work
The Eindhoven facility’s robotics research create a robot that could help autistic children without rest, to be predictable, to be spared the
of course goes beyond the playful TUlip to look to start getting involved and react to this behav- weaknesses of bone and sinew.
at both manufacture and service robots. Perhaps iour.” Currently the research in this field is While the dream of fully automated robots
the most extreme end of the human interaction focused around response – developing a robot waits for science fact to catch up with science
research is going into the development of robots that responds to human body language and emo- fiction, there is a middle ground – teleoperated
for the therapy of autistic children. Although the tions in a meaningful way; a happy interaction robots– that allows us to take advantage of the
research is currently in its infancy, it is based on will elicit a happy response, an angry one will robot’s super-human physical capabilities (in
an observed behaviour of autistic children that be met with something more nuanced. a dangerous environment such as a nuclear
76 The advance
02
power plant, for example) by coupling it to the age of 55, 40 percent of tile-layers become Technology department is working on robot
cognitive abilities of an actual human. invalids because of the un-ergonomic posture devices designed to respond to and assist the
Super-human capabilities is perhaps a mis- these people take. They work on their knees elderly, rather than bolster the ranks of the young.
leading term, for the everyday robot’s useful- and get back trouble – there is a significant cost “An aging population has more need for care than
ness comes in to play in those arenas for which to society for the treatment of people after they there are people who can give care,” explains
the human’s attention-span and tendency to get disabled.” senior scientist Dr Georgo Angelis. “Funding
get damaged by repetitive tasks puts it at a In fact the biggest social force propelling will be a problem since there are less people
disadvantage. “We see interest in application robot research currently seems to be the ageing working to raise the funds to support people who
for robots in the field of civil engineering, par- population. In Japan, in particular, robots are need care. Technology will play a role.”
ticularly in setting tiles on big factory floors, sought as a solution to fill the imminent gaps in Among other things, the Applied
or swimming pools,” explains Dragan. “Laying the employment market created by the ageing Technology department is currently designing a
tiles is a tedious job; it requires skills, but by workforce. In Eindhoven, Philip’s Applied robot arm specifically intended for use by people
Design 77
ˆ
In Japan, in particular,
robots are sought as a
solution to fill the imminent
gaps in the employment
market created by the
ageing workforce
ˆ ˇ
While the merit of allowing the house-
There is a danger bound to care for themselves independently via
a robot slave is evident on a certain level, it’s
that people not hard not to feel uncomfortable at the prospect
using money of a future in which the elderly and disabled
are relegated to the care of machines. Georgo
creates a ghetto is upbeat, pointing out that the optimal use
of its own of such machines will be to relieve the physi-
cal strain on the human caregiver, making the
task less of a burden. “Of course people would
ˇ be scared that they won’t see their caregiver
any more. You have to think of keeping the
quality time a caregiver has with the receiver,
and be supportive. But if you can relieve the
heavy workload of the care provider, there
is less chance of them getting sick or needing
to step out of the care process – if a care pro-
vider needs to get up a few times at night to
turn someone over, it’s a heavy task and a big
burden, if we can help to do that with technol-
ogy its already a big step forward for people
who are taking care.”
Georgo considers these more controlled
robots to be not simply a technological inter-
mediary point on the way to fully automated
robots, but also an important step psychologi-
cally. “A fully automated humanoid robot is in
control of a situation, whether he’s completely
self directing, programmed or knows what to
do, he’s in the lead. We try to keep people in
the lead and let the robot technology be sup-
portive to people not the other way round.
We don’t believe people are willing to get help
from a robot that is replacing a person.”
with limited mobility. The arm can be mounted thought that a functioning saleable model will 01. Robot-arm, Philips Applied Technologies,
High Tech Campus 5, Eindhoven,
on a wheelchair, help the user to get in and out of be available within five years. Already working The Netherlands, February 2010
bed, and is already capable of performing simple models are in certain university departments
tasks such as wiping a table of pouring a glass of researching new potential fields for this human- 02. Humanoid robot TUlip
water. It is sensitive enough to feel its environ- compatible design. at the Eindhoven University,
The Netherlands, February 2010
ment and respond to it – if it senses someone As currently conceived, the arm would be
coming close it will cease its movement and teleoperated to a certain extent either by the
prepare to move with and absorb impact, so as user or a remote operator – the arm is in effect
to avoid causing harm if it is bumped into. a robot in the true sense; a slave of the user;
Philips is developing the technology to that provides the human operator with sur-
sell on to other clients – they do not intend to rogate dexterity and mobility. Currently the
commercialise the arm themselves – and it is arm is operating either from a stable platform
78 The advertorial
Design Lifestyle We love
Design in Motion
From 11th April until 28th June 2010
Assab One, Milan
assab-one.org
01
Design 79
02 03
¤
From top to bottom
Polarized ( Ludion ), Proud Flesh ( Aperture ),
Kamaitachi ( Aperture ), Destroy / Rankin( Gestalten ),
Glen Luchford ( Steidl ), Skin Two,
The New Topographics ( Steidl ),
Less and more ( Gestalten )
Visit thewordmagazine.be/dribbles/theshelf for more photographs of the books as well as Amazon links.
82 The pencil
Arts Play Exclusive Talent
Visit thewordmagazine.be/dribbles/the-unprintables-the-pencil
for a user-friendly, A3 version of the game as well as a demo by Félicie.
84 The portfolio
Exclusive We love Photography
01
Culture 85
02
03
86 The portfolio
04
Culture 87
05
03
06
88 The portfolio
07
Louise Medical Centre Burns & injuries centre, Queen Astrid Military Hospital
Brussels Neder-Over-Heembeek
01. Private clinic Louise Medical Centre has an 04. Hand of a man who had been victim of
'aesthetic clinic' where they offer plastic and a gas-explosion in 2002. After the wound
reconstructive surgery and anti-aging medicine. heals, the patient needs intensive
Photographs shows a mammography before kinetherapeutic sessions and scar massages
breast enlargement. due to contractures of the recovering skin that
decreases movement.
02. Operating room on the 7th floor of the
Louise Medical Centre, where aesthetic 05. Hands of a man who was victim of
surgery takes place. a gas-explosion. The skin of his hands has
been reconstructed with the aid of artificial
03. Table where surgical instruments (surgical skin transplantation.
scissors, scalpels, tweezers, sterile gauze, etc.)
are prepared prior to an operation. 06. Hands of a little girl who was victim of an
electric burn six months ago. The skin of her
louise-medicalcenter.be thumb has been reconstructed : skin taken from
an unburned area of her arm and placed on
the burned thumb.
—
When we asked makeup artist Ciara O’Shea to
create a fantasy of future skin, we had to decide
between a world of fire and a world of ice. After
months of slumming it in sub zero temperatures,
we were intrigued by her proposal of how
beautiful we could be if we all evolved a more
protective epidermis and silky arctic fur.
Makeup, concept and styling Ciara O’Shea Photography Michelle Beatty
Culture 91
92 The eye
Culture 93
94 The stockists
Consume We love
Delvaux Essentiel
delvaux.com essentiel.be
www.levis.info
Contrastes:
Messiaen, Schumann, Schubert & Ravel
conductor Michel Tabachnik, with Marie Hallynck, cello
28/04/10: OOSTENDE – 29/04/10: HASSELT – 30/04/10: FLAGEY – 1/05/10: ROESELARE
Brussels.
Palais des Beaux-Arts
BEETHOVEN 9
Saturday. 24.04.2010. 20:00
A. Schönberg. A Survivor from Warsaw
L. van Beethoven. Symphony n° 9
Alexeï Ogrintchouk. © Marco Borggreve
Octopus choir
Soloists.
Sarah Wegener. soprano
Marianne Beate Kielland. mezzo-soprano
Yves Saelens. tenor
Damian Thantrey. bass
www.brusselsphilharmonic.be
Met steun van
de Vlaamse
gemeenschap
reservation & tickets Brussels Philharmonic – het Vlaams Radio Orkest is een instelling van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap.
www.symfonieorkest.be Vlaams Omroeporkest en Kamerkoor vzw | Eugène Flageyplein 18 B-1050 Brussel | T +32 2 627 11 60 | info@brusselsphilharmonic.be
page 27 page 49
1 SUB- 1 — issue 02
volume 01
Ç;G::
0
SCRIBE
Neighbourhood Life + Global Style
01 — issue 03
volume 01 3
Ç;G::
2 GET
volume 01 — issue 05
volume 01 — issue 04
BACK
belgium lifestyle fashion design culture
Gate Crashing Baggage Check Macadam Boulevard Handle with Care Bubble Superstar
volume 01 — issue 06
volume 02 — issue 01
Belgium Living at Mum’s Lifestyle Asleep on the Job Fashion Wasted Days
Design Sleep Keepers Culture Motel Coma + The Car Special
volume 02 — issue 02
Belgium Behind the Curtains Lifestyle Feeding Power Fashion Manicured Mysteries
Design Moving Horizons Culture Cinematic Mystery + The Fashion Special
3 READ
THE
Neighbourhood Life + Global Style An Original Screenplay
by
The Word Magazine
Belgium Me, Myself & I Lifestyle Lonesome Cowboys Fashion Mole Men
Design When Right Met Left Culture Micro Mad + The Design Special
Belgium Pocket Moves Lifestyle Tokyo Entourage Fashion Yamamoto & Daughter
Design My Robot Fridge Culture Rope Burns + The Beauty Special
I N T
S I H
S P E
BLOG
U P
Belgium Big Consoles Lifestyle Techno Techno Techno Fashion Mason’s Apprentice
Design Studio Job Are Older Than Jesus Culture Boy Guards + The Bling Special
Musicians bring out Best Of compilations What one might call a responsible designer
whilst sportsmen get inducted into Halls of with a strong work ethic, Kaisin is an unrepent-
Fame. Designers and artists – never ones to get
outdone – get given retrospectives however.
After 10 years of painstaking research, countless
ant advocate of what many refer to as ‘cleaner’,
more socially-responsible design. This,
however, doesn’t stop his work from giving food
BUROFORM
product launches and numerous exhibitions, for thought – whether it be his now-infamous P R I N T I N G
Charles Kaisin wraps it all up in the shape of K-Bench ( a beehive-like extendable and flex-
Design in Motion, a mid-career retrospective. ible seating system ) or his collection of bags
Taking as starting point his customary interest created together with Delvaux ( flat packed-like,
in movement and recycling, Design in Motion organic bags which defi ne themselves by the
traces the turning points of Kaisin’s career shape of things they carry ). With a followed-
through sketches, research papers, models and through lightheartedness to it, Kaisin’s work
never-before-seen designs (a limited-edition never fails to dazzle, amaze and intrigue.
watch for Swatch for example, or even a pixi- 04
lated wool pompom chair). With room upon charleskaisin.com
room fi lled with Kaisin creations, the show’s delvaux.be
attracting treat – the cherry-on-the-cake if you val-saint-lambert.com
will – most surely will be the world-premiere
of his crystal collection for venerable Belgian Pixel Wine Bar
house Val Saint Lambert. All brought under- Rue Ernest Allard 39-41 Allardstraat
neath the same roof (Assab One, in Milan’s 1000 Brussels
lively Cimiano district) and paired together
with an insane installation by Spanish artist
Terre Recarens (moving floors, crumbling
shelves, smashing glass and all), Kaisin hereby
reinforces his ‘stalwart of Belgian design’ status
– if ever there was a need to.
Design in Motion
From 11th April until 28th June 2010
Assab One, Milan
assab-one.org
01. Kasin and Terre Recarens' installation
for this year's Salone.
03.
04.
Kaisin's celebrated K-Bench.
Dining in style
stuart shave - modern art / maureen paley / seventeen / United States of America / miguel
abreu / conner / lisa cooley / crg / gladstone / hauser & wirth / lelong / luxe / marlborough /
emmanuel perrotin / salon 94 / michel soskine / Venezuela / faria fabregas
© Maren Spriewald
Dining in style