fjorde magazine spring/summer 2011 issue

FASHION / CULTURE / MUSIC / DESIGN / THE ARTS / NIGHTLIFE / FOOD SPRING / SUMMER 2011

KIMBRASHANNON BENNETT

RICHARD NYLON

el amuleto

Photographer Filip KonikowskiStylist Ben Anderson

Hair Styling & Make Up Sarah DaltonModel Mia [Darkey]

Mia is wearing el amuleto

COVER

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22

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RICHARD NYLONOne of Australia’s most recognised and talented milliners.

SHANNON BENNETT Challenging modern concepts of fine dining.

PORTELLO ROSSOAn dining experience to be shared with friends.

el amuleto Inside the creative mind of el amuleto.

SPRING FEVER Make a statement this carnival season and step out in style.

KIMBRATake the emotional and aurally dynamic plunge into the mind and heart of Kimbra.

MADE IN MELBOURNEFor the latest fashion from Melbourne’s best up & coming designers.

TOGETHER FOREVERFind out why Valerie De Silva is Melbourne’s Independent Wedding Consult of 2011.

SAM HOPKINSON one of polo’s 10 hottest horsemen.

CREATIVE DESK 10

HIS / HER DESK 11

NY CORRESPONDENCE 14

UK CORRESPONDENCE 16

MELBOURNE WRAP UP 20

MSFW 2011 IN REVIEW 28

COELHO 38

STELLA BLANCHE 40

WEDDING COUTURE 58

DEGO 92

VAN HUNT 94

KIRPY 98

OWL & THE PUSSYCAT 102

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Image: LittleGracie A/W 2011

EDITORS

Alex Cybulska

Aaron Weinman

PHOTOGRAPHY

Ben Glazier

Filip Konikowski

Mark Peterson

Woodrow Wilson

ADVERTISING

Contact Jamie Li or Patrick Price

ART

Studioktober

[email protected]

STYLING

Ben Anderson

CREATIVE DIRECTORS

Jamie Li

Patrick Price

CONTRIBUTORS

Alex Cybulska

Aaron Weinman

Ben Anderson

Bianca Pizzoferrato

Emily Collie

Emma Rezel

Kristina Bond

Lauren Roberts

Regan Brantley

Sonia Khan

Steven McLachlan

Tara Strong

Vahe Koshayan

MAKE-UP & HAIR

Megan Bond

Sarah Dalton

EDITORS

Alex [email protected]

Aaron [email protected]

CREATIVE DIRECTORS

Jamie [email protected]

Patrick [email protected]

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

[email protected]

CONTACT US

SUBMISSIONS

FJORDE accepts submissions from freelance artists, photographers, designers and journalists, however, we cannot reply to every submission.

Please see www.fjordemagazine.com for submission guidelines.

Fjorde Magazine will assume no responsibility for consequences that may result in the use of, or reliance on, the published information. No responsibility is taken for the content, images or advertisements. No part of Fjorde magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Copies of this publication may not be sold. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publishing staff.

Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without the permission of the publishers. Articles received with no name, address and phone number(s) will not be published. Articles received will only be published by approval of the editorial team. Fjorde Magazine reserves the right to shorten and or edit received articles and letters. Fjorde Magazine does not accept responsibility on articles written by various columnists and writers


FJ O R D E C O N T R I B U TO R S

Winter is slowly coming to a close and the sun if finally coming out again, admittedly not as often as we’d all like! It marks a joyous transition into spring and what better way to celebrate such an occasion than Spring Fashion Week. 2011 proved to be a spectacular year for seasoned veterans and the up-and-comers alike. From the Designer Series to the Emerging Spotlights, none disappointed the Melbourne fashionistas looking for his or her latest trend for the year a head. The City Series was a relative highlight reel of young Melbourne designers breaking into the industry. Of particular note was Made In Melbourne, showcasing again the tremendous talent Melbourne designers have to offer in a runway-spectacular at Melbourne Central (Turn to Page 22 to find out more).

With all the colour and glamour of Melbourne Spring Fashion Week now over, the excitement doesn’t end there. As one burst of colour fades, another is about to begin. Spring Carnival is OFF AGAIN and it’s sure to be an exciting racing season ahead! It’s that special time of year where the hats come out and the bubbly flows freely. So throw on your pumps and grab your most extravagant hat and head down to the track to place your bets!

AND THEY’RE OFF

By Patrick Price & Jamie Li

FJ O R D E C R E AT I V E D E S K


It was recently proven what we already know, Melbourne is the most livable city in the world. Finally the average Melbournian, who might love a debate, is able to give a statistical ‘fuck you’ to Sydney. Yeah sure, we complain about the high rent in Richmond and the cost of an organic banana in Brighton, but would you live anywhere else?

If the thought of the Yarra’s brown water warms your heart, that massive cheese-stick by the freeway travelling to the airport pisses you off (why is that there? Is that art?), if in the morning you dress in an overcoat, scarf and gloves but wear a tee-shirt underneath because you know it’ll be hot later, or smiley Mr. Luna Park makes you think of summer by the water than you’re a true Melbournian.

September once again proved our little city to be a mecca of all things class and culture with Melbourne Spring Fashion Shows springing up everywhere. I was delighted watching the

Spring is here! The full bloom of colour and flowers, horses and fashion. The never-ending cycle of fashion during spring is back.

Fjorde. Fashion. Spring. huge! You would think my role is negated this season however there is a ridiculous amount of things happening outside the fashion, so I managed to sink my teeth into some passionate issues.

London riots, political revolutions, sporting hallmarks, it really is a busy time of year and one can’t help but wonder what the hell is happening in the world today!? Some may say conspiracy is

upcoming collections of Melbourne’s best designers, finding out what I’ll be wearing soon and choosing my favorite model out of a plethora of gorgeous women who were as beautiful as they were tall.

Another very exciting event was FJORDE’s involvement in MSFW with our own show in Melbourne Central. We displayed designers who have become friends of FJORDE, not just fellow victims to fashion and her constant moodiness but I won’t spoil it, as there’s more about this inside.

How about Mother Nature is heating it up for us recently? Be gone fur coat! Welcome back thongs. The times of catching pneumonia waiting 10 minutes for a cab to drive 25 meters for $5 is finally gone. We’re able to shake the icicles from our bones, if only for a moment.

Meanwhile, my cousin is heading to our gorgeous, world-renowned shores from Europe to experience Melbourne for herself. Her stay,

ringing through, others may argue that the devil is currently ruling the earth, who knows!?

Anyway, back to reality, ( I know all of the above is potentially reality ) BUT! Fjorde reality, we just finished up Made in Melbourne for another year, and all reports indicate that everything went swimmingly well, the designers were splendid and the outfits were stellar, so in short, the evening didn’t disappoint.

Now there is a load to look forward to over the coming months and with Melbourne tuning up

coinciding with the whole of summer, will probably be well documented in these letters, as will our adventures taking in Melbourne and Victoria.

FJORDE is lucky enough to have correspondence with cities all around the world, meet high end designers who are based in other Australian cities and have opportunities to speak with artists who may never have set foot in Melbourne, but one thing remains constant. The heart and soul of this little magazine will always remain in Melbourne. Regardless of how far our ambitions spread, it comes down to this one little city.

Live Love Melbourne.

for another solid spring/summer keep a look out for all new trends and ranges that are cropping up at retailers all over the place.

My advice. Jack the current trend for consumer spending and help out the economy :)

Until next time, keep smiling

Aaron

HIS DESKBy Aaron Weinman

HER DESKBy Alex Cybulska

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NYF

Having been in the same location since 1936, the shop still retains many of the original fixtures including, the shop counter with its wooden trays and the classic peg and groove chairs that people have sat in for decades – that sure says something about impeccable craftsmanship, something the Moscot family knows a thing or two about. Not only does the shop retain its original fixtures but it also retains some (almost) original staff members. Beloved optician Franky has been working for MOSCOT since the 60s, stop by, and if you’re lucky to be helped by him, be prepared for hours of fascinating tales of a bygone era. You won’t be disappointed; Franky will not only sell you a great pair of specs but will tell you the story to go with it!

Still run by the Moscot family, and now recognized as a global lifestyle brand, MOSCOT still remains, at heart, a neighborhood optical shop. However, on any given day you could be shopping along side the likes of Naomi Watts, Paul Rudd, and Anne Hathaway, who, like every customer loves the humble and no fuss service that the staff give to everyone who crosses the threshold. While I was there, I shopped beside Ben Goldwasser from MGMT, who was lovely enough to give me some frame advice!

With all of that said, and the warm weather just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to add MOSCOT to your list of must have’s and pick up a pair of sunnies from the MOSCOT

Originals Sun or MOSCOT Sun Collections. MOSCOT takes sunglass fashion down a notch and says goodbye too oversize bug eyes and overdone wayfarers, and all MOSCOT eyewear, whether it’s a pair of sunnies or a pair of specs, is a little more refined, a little more classic, and a lot more downtown New York City. Make MOSCOT a must stop spot on your next visit to NYC, you’ll walk out looking ace and have a real New York story to tell your friends when you get back home!

FOR NEARLY A CENTURY NEW YORKER’S HAVE RELIED ON MOSCOT FOR ALL THEIR EYEWEAR AND EYECARE NEEDS. BELOVED BY DOWNTOWN NEW YORKER’S, FASHIONISTA’S, AND CELEBRITIES ALIKE, THE BRAND HAS GROWN FROM A PUSHCART INTO AN INTERNATIONAL BRAND, SELLING AT OVER 500 RETAILERS WORLDWIDE. WITH TWO RETAIL SHOPS IN DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN IT’S A MUST STOP SHOPPING DESTINATION, IN PARTICULAR THE ORCHARD STREET SHOP!

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY

BY BIANCA PIZZOFERRATO & MATTHEW PARKHURST


FJ O R D E N Y C O R R E S P O N D E N C E

NYIm

ages courtesy of MASC

OT

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LONDONF

The last vestiges of summer are gradually fading away and the overcast London skies are heralding in the new looks for autumn/winter 2011-12 and it didn’t take long to spot that the silhouettes of both men and women are eerily similar. The hair, the make-up, the scents and the clothing have a unisex appeal, as the androgynous look spills over from the quirky and the avant-garde into the mainstream of culture and fashion.

Of course androgyny is by no means an original concept. David Bowie, Annie Lennox, Grace Jones and Boy George are just a handful of androgynous icons who have altered our perceptions of beauty and shunned

their gender-based stereotypes for decades. Shoulder pads, brogues and suits have been a familiar sight on the catwalk and in the high street for men and women alike over recent years, with the likes of Pierre Cardin and Calvin Klein developing unisex lines. In high fashion, delicately pretty models are being pushed aside in favour of the commanding and unique beauty of transgender, androgynous and femi-men models such as Lea T, Andrej Pejic and Agyness Deyn.

So I look down at my feminine styling and wonder - how do I disguise my girlish frame and feel the empowerment of a more masculine style? The answer is simple. It is

the epitome of men’s fashion - the suit. What goes into the design, the engineering, the craftsmanship? Could I don a suit and look fabulous? Luckily, I live in the city that is home to the Mecca for men’s fashion: Savile Row, Mayfair, London, aka, the ‘Golden Mile” of bespoke tailoring.

I attended the tenth birthday party of Richard Anderson Ltd., No. 13 Savile Row, tailor to the likes of Simon Cowell, Kiefer Sutherland and Bryan Ferry. I expected it to be a pleasant affair, perhaps I’d get a glass of champagne, speak to some big names in the industry, get a look at some expensive suits, maybe even get a peek in the tailor’s workshop. What I discovered was so much more than this. Upon entering Richard Anderson Ltd., I stepped foot into a fascinating realm, steeped in history and tradition, full of stories and culture and characters, all centred on a craft that has been honed for hundreds of years.

Richard Anderson began his career as an apprentice cutter in Huntsman, one of the longest established houses, having stood on the Row for 160 years. Bespoke tailoring is a craft that takes many years of hard graft to refine. Anderson arduously toiled for 17 years before earning his place as head cutter and at 34, it was a testament to his finely tuned skill and talent that he climbed the rungs so quickly, becoming the youngest man to have achieved the position on the Row.

AN ANDROGYNOUS AUTUMN BY EMMA REZEL

PHOTOGRAPHY BEN GLAZIER


FJ O R D E U K C O R R E S P O N D E N C E

LONDONIt was explained to me that one suit can take around six weeks to perfect, it may require three separate fittings and it will cost you in the region of £4000, depending on the fabrics and materials you choose. Here I was thinking it was women who laboured intensively over their looks.

Over the course of the night, I donned one of Ying Mei Quan’s bespoke, military inspired waistcoats. Mei, formidable ladies bespoke tailor of Welsh and Jefferies and 2011 winner of the prestigious Golden Shears contest for tailoring students and apprentices had a waistcoat displayed at the shop’s entrance. Originally made for Mei’s miniscule frame, it was a little on the small side for me. Nonetheless the richness of the fabric, the detail of the hand-stitched gold embroidery and the figure-hugging shape truly made me look and feel a million dollars. Perhaps I wasn’t convinced until that moment of the power of the tailored suit, but one look in the mirror and I was sold, and by a waistcoat that hadn’t even been custom made for me!

I had found what lies at the heart of androgyny, expressing your femininity without the limitations of displaying prettiness or vulnerability and borrowing from the timeless quality of the opposite gender’s style. I didn’t have to envelope my feminine curves to be androgynous, I could accentuate them, but with the power, confidence and refinement of a Savile Row tailored gentleman.

All I need now is £4000… One day I shall return to Savile Row and will have the tailored suit of my dreams custom made. Until then, the high street will have to do, but now I know, I won’t quite achieve perfection until I go bespoke.

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The Flemington Spring Fashion Lunch was hosted by the Victoria Racing Club (VRC), on the first day of September at Melbourne’s Flemington Racecourse, in front of more than 800 fashionable guests.

The stylish event featured the Myer fashion parade with Myer ambassadors Rebecca Judd (who made her first public appearance since having her baby boy, Oscar Dylan in July) and Kris Smith, showcasing the new Spring Racewear Collection.

Glamour couple Jess Sinclair and Chantelle Delaney, also made their first official appearance as the 2011 Myer Fashions on the Field Ambassadors. With a love of fashion and a keen interest in racing (they have just bought a share in their own racehorse), both Jess and Chantelle are extremely excited to work with Myer and the VRC as Ambassadors for the prestigious Myer Fashions on the Field Competition. “We can’t wait for the Melbourne Cup Carnival to start! We’re thrilled to be involved as Myer Fashions on the Field Ambassadors and very excited to see all the bright and colourful spring fashion on show at Flemington this year,” they said.

Myer showcased its 2011 Spring Racing Collection on the catwalk and offered guests a unique opportunity to preview the latest trends by leading designers from Australia and overseas. Designers included Arthur Galan AG, Aurelio Costarella, Catherine Malandrino, Nicola Finetti, Fleur Wood, Manning Cartell, sass & bide and Yeojin Bae – and there were plenty of monotones and brights on the catwalk. Master milliners Richard Nylon, Jane Lambert, Kerri Stanley and Philip Treacy completed the looks with this season’s millinery must haves (look out for the plate fascinator making a statement in 2011).

Hosted by Channel Seven’s Matt White from Today Tonight and Samantha Armytage from Weekend Sunrise, the Lunch featured guest interviews with Stephen Curry (the star of the upcoming movie release The Cup, which was recently filmed in Melbourne) and cast members of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies; Ben Lewis (the Phantom) and Anna O’Byrne (Christine) which is now playing at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre.

The Spring Fashion Lunch marked the official launch of the 2011 Melbourne Cup Carnival, which ignites with one of the world’s great racedays - AAMI Victoria Derby Day on October 29. Considered by most racing purists to be the best single day of thoroughbred racing in Australia, AAMI Victoria Derby Day is an all-Group raceday featuring nine races, where the fashion stakes are equally as high as the race card line up.

FLEMINGTONSPRING FASHIONLUNCH

By Emily Collie


FJ O R D E M E L B O U R N E W R A P U P

On September 1, Apparel Group owned fashion brand, SABA teamed up with Vogue Australia to re-launch their Melbourne flagship store, at 234 Collins Street, Melbourne.

SABA opened its very first store in Melbourne’s Flinders Lane (then known as the Joseph SABA shirt shop) and has remained at the forefront of Australian fashion, ever since.

The re-launched Collins St store is described as; ‘confident, contemporary and stylish; beautifully designed in line with the DNA of the brand and in the vision of modern, on trend product. With a sales area of 475sqm, the new look store is divided into ground (womens) and first floor (mens and denim) levels. A spiral staircase adjoins the two floors and online digital kiosks (which allow customers to see the collection, view the SABA catalogue and order instantly online) are located in both the male and female zones. Pared back architectural steel, glass, concrete, natural timber and linen were enhanced on the re-launch evening with high impact lighting and gorgeous fresh floral displays.

The revealing of the store’s interior design was equally as exciting as their new season collection, which encapsulates the notion of simplicity and movement through water. The bold, colourful collection was lifted off in a choreographed runway show down the spiral staircase, accompanied by a wonderful live performance by The Raah Trio.

The line up of celebrities on the night included stylist Amber Renae, as well as Channel Seven personalities Jack Pearson and Virginia Gay.

SABA’s flagship store is located at the heart of Melbourne’s CBD. Head in store and check out the Hecker Guthrie designed space for yourself.

SABARE-LAUNCH MELBOURNEFLAGSHIP STORE

By Emily Collie

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Made in Melbourne, hosted by FJORDE magazine, took over the entirety of Melbourne Central’s design precinct on Saturday the 10th of September. The stores were, of course, closed but the beautiful garments that hung in the windows complimented the fashion event perfectly.

Made in Melbourne features and is in support of local Melbourne fashion. This season, the event features ten of Melbourne’s most talented designers and helps both emerging and established labels to expose their brand and gain recognition. It also helps Melbournians see the talent thriving in their city and encourages them to support local designers.

Though one could obtain tickets at the door, most of the fashion savvy Melbournians attending the event had pre-purchased, unwilling to chance missing out on the 4th Made in Melbourne instalment. All proceeds of ticket sales went to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, with each designer donating a garment from their collection to an online auction.

Male presenters, dressed by Kings of Carnaby, were the first to emerge on stage. The presenters carried plaques that bore the name of each designer showcasing their Spring/Summer collection.

Here is what we enjoyed: Designer Lisa Taranto was the first to showcase her collection. The garments in this line feature sharp design lines, funky patterns, bright colours and are designed to evoke emotions in the wearer.

Vintage clothing inspires Melbourne label Her Pony. Her Pony’s latest line has beautiful materials, lace, feminine cuts and pastels.

Marlon Liese designs intimate apparel, which is sensual in the classiest of ways. Her latest collection exudes glamour across several colours and cuts.

Reverie takes a contemporary twist on classic clothes. The fresh, bright garments in the label’s collection are young and fun; designed with the ability to be dressed up or down.

Prussia pushed the boundaries this season. The long, flowing, dark, elegant and mostly black new collection reflect the Melbourne’s underground.

Designer Denise SL Spalk’s latest line features floor-length gowns, feminine dresses, bright bubble skirts and girlie button-up tops.

The garments in Coelho’s latest collection are timeless and classic. Bold cuts trim well-fitting skirts, silhouette dresses and blouses.

Mina and Katusha’s line reflects a Mediterranean inspiration. The collection features ladylike, one-of-a-kind garments in azure blue, peach and hand painted prints.

Silk & Ink design garments to suit any woman at any occasion. Their collection features colourful, girlie, fun, versatile pieces of a variety of prints, cuts and textures.

Violet & I showed us her liberated new line with bold cuts and vibrant colours, true to the labels reputation of simple clothes with embellished touches.

A resounding applause filled the room as the last designer’s collection slipped behind the stage. It is evident how this city is making its mark as one of the fashion capitals of the world with talented designers such as those being supported by FJORDE in Made in Melbourne.

By Lauren Roberts | Photography Mark Peterson

MADE IN MELBOURNE


FJ O R D E M A D E I N M E L B O U R N E

Coelho

Denise SL Spalk

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Her Pony

Marion Liese



Mina & Katushaa

reverie

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Violet & I

Lisa Taranto

Violet & I



Prussia

Silk & Ink

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MELBOURNE SPRING FASHION WEEK

MELBOURNE SPRING FASHION WEEK (MSFW) 2011 WENT OFF WITH A BANG … OR RATHER, A FLUTTER OF BIRD WINGS. THE ICONIC CITY SERIES DISPLAYING THROUGHOUT FASHION WEEK AT THE MELBOURNE TOWN HALL OPENED WITH BALLETLAB’S “AVIARY”,

A PRODUCTION EXPLORING THE OUTSIDER IN SOCIETY AND THE DESIRE TO ‘FLOCK’ VERSUS THE PULL OF THE INDIVIDUAL. WHICH WAS KIND OF FUNNY, GIVEN WE WERE ALL THERE TO EMULATE THE STYLE AND ULTIMATELY HAVE THE SAME LOOK

DURING SPRING AND SUMMER. ONE PERSON WHO STOOD OUT FROM THE CROWD WAS FACE OF MSFW, SOPHIE VAN DEN AKKER, A WOMAN WHOSE DEBUT CAME ONLY A YEAR AGO AT “AUSTRALIA’S NEXT TOP MODEL” AND WHO WILL NO DOUBT LAUNCH HERSELF ONTO THE WORLD STAGE (OR CATWALK?) BEFORE TOO LONG. HER PRESENCE WAS INTENSE, WHEN SHE STRUTTED DOWN THE RUNWAY, IT SEEMED LIKE

PEOPLE HELD THEIR BREATH JUST TO WATCH HER. AFTER THE FIRST SHOW, WE LEARNT DEEP ORANGES AND BLUES ARE GOING TO BE A HIT, THE BOHEMIAN LOOK IS STILL IN, WITH

SMALL TWEAKS OF COURSE AND DRESSES WITH EITHER FEATHERS OR FRILLS AT THE SKIRT WERE CONSISTENT OVER A FEW DESIGNERS. TO OUR DELIGHT, THE OVERSIZED SHIRTS AND DRESSES WE’VE BEEN WEARING CONTINUE TO BE FASHIONABLE AND

PATTERNS WITH NEUTRALS AND PALE COLOURS WILL HIT DURING THE WARMER MONTHS. GEAR UP MELBOURNE – WE’RE GOING TO HAVE A VERY GLAMOROUS SPRING AND SUMMER!

PHOTOGRAPHY WOODROW WILSON28 WW W. FJ O R D E M AG A Z I N E .CO M

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MELBOURNE SPRING FASHION WEEK

MELBOURNE SPRING FASHION WEEK (MSFW) 2011 WENT OFF WITH A BANG … OR RATHER, A FLUTTER OF BIRD WINGS. THE ICONIC CITY SERIES DISPLAYING THROUGHOUT FASHION WEEK AT THE MELBOURNE TOWN HALL OPENED WITH BALLETLAB’S “AVIARY”,

A PRODUCTION EXPLORING THE OUTSIDER IN SOCIETY AND THE DESIRE TO ‘FLOCK’ VERSUS THE PULL OF THE INDIVIDUAL. WHICH WAS KIND OF FUNNY, GIVEN WE WERE ALL THERE TO EMULATE THE STYLE AND ULTIMATELY HAVE THE SAME LOOK

DURING SPRING AND SUMMER. ONE PERSON WHO STOOD OUT FROM THE CROWD WAS FACE OF MSFW, SOPHIE VAN DEN AKKER, A WOMAN WHOSE DEBUT CAME ONLY A YEAR AGO AT “AUSTRALIA’S NEXT TOP MODEL” AND WHO WILL NO DOUBT LAUNCH HERSELF ONTO THE WORLD STAGE (OR CATWALK?) BEFORE TOO LONG. HER PRESENCE WAS INTENSE, WHEN SHE STRUTTED DOWN THE RUNWAY, IT SEEMED LIKE

PEOPLE HELD THEIR BREATH JUST TO WATCH HER. AFTER THE FIRST SHOW, WE LEARNT DEEP ORANGES AND BLUES ARE GOING TO BE A HIT, THE BOHEMIAN LOOK IS STILL IN, WITH

SMALL TWEAKS OF COURSE AND DRESSES WITH EITHER FEATHERS OR FRILLS AT THE SKIRT WERE CONSISTENT OVER A FEW DESIGNERS. TO OUR DELIGHT, THE OVERSIZED SHIRTS AND DRESSES WE’VE BEEN WEARING CONTINUE TO BE FASHIONABLE AND

PATTERNS WITH NEUTRALS AND PALE COLOURS WILL HIT DURING THE WARMER MONTHS. GEAR UP MELBOURNE – WE’RE GOING TO HAVE A VERY GLAMOROUS SPRING AND SUMMER!

PHOTOGRAPHY WOODROW WILSON29WWW. FJ O R D E M AG A Z I N E .CO M

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MELBOURNE SPRING FASHION WEEK / DAY ONE


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MELBOURNE SPRING FASHION WEEK / DAY TWO


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MELBOURNE SPRING FASHION WEEK / DAY THREE


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We sat down to talk in the studio in her newly built home. Designs and patterns fill racks lining one wall, an inspiration board was balanced against the other, fashion magazines fill a shelf by the windowsill and two small sewing machines sat on the floor. Coelho explained that she had hand sown the past two collections herself with nothing but these two small machines.

Last year, the designer describes with a laugh, very few people knew the name and fewer still could pronounce it, but now, the brand is beginning to impact the Melbourne fashion scene.

“I’ve got a lot of emails saying, ‘oh yeah, we absolutely love your label we’d love to stock you’ and just little things like that,” says Shalini. “And people coming up to me and saying ‘You know what, I wear your garments and I think they are absolutely fabulous’.”

Shalini confesses that she is a very visual person (as one can tell when admiring her pieces) and is inspired by everything she sees. The designer keeps an inspiration board with images and her own photographs of things she admires and detail she wants to incorporate into her latest designs. As an example, Coelho told me about one day when she was driving across the West Gate Bridge and saw a gorgeous sunset.

“I clicked snaps and I’ve got a little collage that I keep making, along with me,” she says. “If I flick through a magazine and love that little drapey piece or that colour or I love that jewellery I’ll

immediately take out a snap and put it in my little collage booklet thing and work from there.”

The garments in the Coelho collection are, by her own confession, not young, sexy, hot pieces, but classics. She sees the Coelho woman as both bold and elegant, someone who loves to mix pieces together and to compliment it with jewellery. The woman. Her eyes light up when she talks about the potential in her clothes.

“The Coelho woman, I personally feel, is a bold strong confident woman,” she agrees. “She loves to play around, she loves to mix pieces together, she likes a lot of jewellery. She likes to basically wear something simple but still elegant at the same time.”

Treasure Chest, her first line, drew inspiration from a trip home to India. The collection was characterised by beautiful silks and bold jewellery, so precious that it can be thought of as treasure. Illusion, Coelho’s second line, is named after the clever design lines and classic cuts that flatter the wearer enormously, giving the illusion that one has trimmer body than they do.

Shalini gave me a preview into her latest collection, called the Passages of Time. She wanted to keep with the classic styling of the previous seasons but infuse something new. This new line features careful pleating, fresh design lines and beautiful fibres and is inspired by the years that Coelho spent living in South Yarra and Toorak.

“I just thought that it would be a time for me, whatever I have done in my past two collections, to keep to it but just to infuse something a little newer to the collection but still with my inspiration of South Yarra and Toorak,” says Shalini. “So I’ve done a lot of beautiful pleating and really gorgeous design lines so it’ll be interesting.”

Her dream is to develop an empire, not just be a fashion boutique, she wants to branch out into shoes, handbags, jewellery and accessories, and as she talks, the passion that she has in her voice is unmistakeable. For now, Shalini explains, her focus is on developing a really strong customer base, to understand what people want from her brand and to expose the Coelho name to as many people as possible.

“It definitely comes down to that, you definitely need to know who’s buying your garments. I think that needs to be a really good strong foundation,” she says.

As I left the studio of Shalini Coelho, I couldn’t help but smile to myself. Her passion and enthusiasm left me with a warm glow and remembering the shine in Shalini’s eyes when she talked about her designs, I was certain that within a decade, hers would be a household name. The dream she spoke of, of owning her own empire, was completely achievable to a designer with as much talent as Shalini Coelho.

Melbourne designer Shalini Coelho is one to watch out for. Her

designs, named simply ‘Coelho’, are strong and bold, playing with a

fresh splash of colour and flattering the wearer with the perfect cut

and elegant lines. And in person, Shalini is just as delightful as her

fresh garments suggest – with impeccable style, an infectious laugh

and the remarkable confidence that comes from doing something

with your life you enjoy every second of.

COELHOWRITTEN BY LAUREN ROBERTS PHOTOGRAPHED BY WOODROW WILSON


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With three collections now firmly under their belts, the two young designers of Melbourne label Stella Blanche have big plans for their up-and-coming brand. I spoke with Jessica, one half of the label, about her inspirations and the future of Stella Blanche, a fun, fresh and overwhelmingly different brand compared to other fashions. The designers take their ability to mix and match colours to a whole new level.

Between them, Zoe Sandow and Jessica Yorston have a wealth of practical knowledge and experience in the fashion industry. Zoe graduated with a Bachelor of Design (Fashion) at RMIT, while Jessica’s hands-on experience working for Melbourne-made women’s wear label, Ammo, has also been invaluable. “I learnt a lot there, from design, to manufacture, to the shop floor!” she says of her experience.

Now running in its third season, Stella Blanche, which takes it’s name from the iconic play “A Street Car Named Desire”, is as dynamic and

intriguing as the characters it is named after. Taking a slightly different angle from their last collection, this time the girls have opted for a more vigorous and vibrant look. “It’s colourful. Inspiration was drawn from the amazing strain glass windows found in churches, with some parrot references thrown in there too!” says Jessica about the Spring/Summer 2011 range.

Preferring to use natural fibres for their designs, Jessica and Zoe have created their pieces using cotton, silk and bamboo. The outcome is delicate silhouettes and contemporary styles made for the fearless woman. Colours also play a vital part in bringing together the styles, as Jessica says, “if it goes POP then it’s working for us. Vivid brights and contrasts are highly regarded at Stella Blanche”. The colours in this season’s collection are stunning, vivid, and almost surreal.

Leaving design aside for a minute, the main focus for the label is creating styles centred on the customer, with the designers always

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sensitive to the needs of the woman who will be wearing the Stella Blanche label. “Will our customer truly love this piece? Will it fit into their life perfectly?” Jessica says. And the connection with the customer is just as important. The label uses social networking to keep in touch with their customers including their Facebook page, blog updates via their website www.stellablanch.com and most importantly in person, “I actually work in two of the stores that stock Stella Blanche - the fabulous Kids in Berlin (North Melbourne) and Lupa (Northcote). It’s great to connect with [our customers] directly and see who they really are,” says Jessica.

So what does the future hold for this young, talented duo? Recently, the girls showcased their designs at the renowned Melbourne Spring Fashion Week, which is now in its 17th year. The event attracts more than 80,000 people annually to demonstrate the talent of emerging designers. It also provides an opportunity for new labels like Stella

Blanche to reveal their collections and make an impression on the industry. “It’s nice to be sharing the experience with so many other talented designers. The feedback is valuable too”, says Jessica of their participation in the MSFW event. Friends and family have backed the talented duo also, and helped lead them onto the road to success. “They are both supportive and critical. As long as we are loving what we are doing they are happy,” says Jessica. “We are very lucky!”

The girls have also been working hard in last few months and were recently in attendance at Fashion Exposed promoting their label, while every other Saturday and Sunday they can be found at their stall at Rose Street Artists’ Market in Fitzroy selling their samples and sale stock. And if all this won’t keep them busy enough? “The fact that there is always a new collection waiting on the horizon to take form, means there’s always something exciting ahead for us!” says Jessica.

STELLA BLANCHE GOES POP! BY: KRISTINA BOND

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STEVEN MCLACHLAN INTERVIEWS ANDREA

IOANNOU FROM el amuleto

TO FIND WHAT MAKES THIS

CREATIVE MIND TICK AND HOW SHE’S TAKING

HER JEWELLERY AND CLOTHING BRAND TO NEW

HEIGHTS.PHOTOGRAPHED BY FILIP KONIKOWSKI

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F: You were recently featured in the State of Design display at Melbourne Central. What kind of reactions did you receive to your work there? What was your overall feeling about the display? A: We had such a positive response from shoppers at the State of Design pop-up stall. The location was perfect as it was right in the heart of Melbourne Central. It was a great way for el amuleto to gain exposure and we are very thankful that Fjorde supports emerging designers.”

F: Most of your pieces are inspired by Spanish Mexican culture. How did this love affair begin? A: The Mexican Spanish influence was inspired by my travels through Mexico. I fell in love with the local culture, bright colours and traditional surroundings. I found a niche that no other Australian designer had really explored, so I thought it would make for a unique concept for the label.

F: What is the market for Spanish-Mexican inspired fashion in Melbourne like? A: When designing, I like to combine current European trends with a Mexican Spanish element. I find that this combination works as it assures the label remains current to what is seen on the catwalks, while adding a point of difference and remaining true to the labels vision. Fashion in Melbourne is becoming more experimental and a lot of our customers view our label as a breath of fresh air. There is definitely a strong market for unique designer wear, and that is where el amuleto strives.”

F: el amuleto translates to ‘lucky charm’, are you a superstitious person? A: You could say I am a superstitious person… There are many old wives tales that I believe in. However the name formed when I was designing my first jewellery collection.

I designed a series of bracelets, which featured ‘lucky charms’ like acorns, clovers and coins. I thought the name would be a nice sentimental touch.

F: Can you give us a preview of your next collection? A: The Summer 2012 collection Is titled ‘Hecho Con Amor’ which translates to ‘Made with Love’. All of the fabrications are of the finest quality and we have introduced a beautiful print for the first time. Many of the garments are embellished with semi-precious gemstones and golden chains. Our swimwear is of luscious hues and feature braided details. It’s a fresh and feminine collection.

F: What are your plans for the future? A: My plans for the el amuleto label are to expand our stockists throughout Australia. Once we have a strong customer following, I hope to open an el amuleto boutique in Melbourne. “

F: Where can our readers find out more about your work?

A: The el amuleto website is constantly updated with current news, press and lookbooks. We have recently launched our online e-boutique. www.el-amuleto.com

If you haven’t seen her work yet, do yourself a favour. el amuleto features classic colours and lovely styles that suit every body and every desire. The team at FJORDE wishes Andrea all the very best in the future and we’re certain hers will be a household name before too long.

“ FASHION IN MELBOURNE IS BECOMING MORE EXPERIMENTAL AND A LOT OF OUR CUSTOMERS VIEW OUR LABEL AS A BREATH OF FRESH AIR. THERE IS DEFINITELY A STRONG MARKET FOR UNIQUE DESIGNER WEAR, AND THAT IS WHERE EL AMULETO STRIVES.”


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Photographer Filip Konikow

ski. Stylist Ben Anderson. Hair Stylist Sarah D

alton. Make U

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Richard Nylon

By Alex Cybulska

“THERE’S ALWAYS MOVEMENT. THERE’S ALWAYS SOME ELEMENT OF LIFE TO MY WORK”

By Alex CybulskaPhotography Filip Konikowski


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Richard Nylon is one of Australia’s most recognized and talented milliners. As some of his hats suggest, his imagination and creativity is defined outside the bounds of what the generally accepted notion of headpieces should be.

It’s really easy to see where Richard takes his inspiration from when walking into his studio. In fact, it’s more of a look into the man’s mind more than anything, with every item neatly organized in specific boxes, his better-known pieces standing in full view and his works-in-progress arranged around his desk. The space is overflowing with hats, materials and feathers giving an illusion of chaos but at the same time, a sense of order also.

“There’s always movement. That’s actually a characteristic of my work there’s always movement,” agrees Richard. “There’s always some element of life to them.”

Growing up in the country, Richard came to Melbourne in the 80s to pursue his love of fashion. Upon arriving, he spent much of his youth hitting the club scene every night and sleeping throughout the day.

“[The club scene] was kind of an introduction to the world of being able to dress as I wished and not have anybody say anything about it,” Richard reflects. “I grew up in a country town so it was lovely to be there because I love nature but it was suffocating, I guess.”

His love for nature is clear throughout his signature works, which feature feathers in various states and mutations. He will cut, dye, curl and even melt them with sulfuric acid to create what he calls “Frankenstein feathers,” a daring concept, which looks remarkable when completed. “I do like torturing feathers and helping nature along a bit,” agrees Richard.

“I think nature is the inspiration for everything, be it a flowing design or a sharp linear design such as in the structure of crystals,” says Richard. “There’s always something in nature that echo’s that, whether consciously or subconsciously.”

His designs have been featured in the National Gallery of Victoria, the Powerhouse Museum and he recently come in second in the accessory section of the International Love Lace Competition doing hats. Richard also works with Myer in producing hats for retail and is designing the headwear worn by ballet dancers in Aviary. Does all this bring him happiness?

“I’m very self deprecating in a way,” says Richard. “Making stuff is my life, sad as that may be. “

“My brain is like this murky pit of facts and images and stuff and things,” he explains. “Just things, constant things and thoughts running through my head.



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So I have this very visual way of thinking where I can actually see things in my mind and turn them over. It’s hard to describe but it’s all in there.”

Quite the creative artist, Richard’s future didn’t always look so bright. When he was diagnosed with severe depression, which literally and physically held him from expressing his love of millinery, he would omit his studio for weeks on end and when he did come in, he’d stare at the sewing machine for hours.

“I really suffered badly in my time. Lots of people have, lots of creative people have,” says Richard. “It’s nothing new for creative people to be depressed but I was virtually catatonic with it for a long time. And because I’m not anymore, I think now is the time to make hay while the sun shines, who knows, it might come back tomorrow. It keeps me creatively satisfied to be able to make things.”

A big part of Richard’s continued happiness is his collaboration with designer Gwendolyn Burkin. His eyes light up whenever he speaks of his fashion designer friend who he’s known since 1997. Their continued success is a mixture of feeding off each other’s ideas and complimenting the other’s designs with their own unique flavor.

“Gwendolyn opened the store downstairs and we have our studio upstairs here. She said ‘I’m sick of doing ready to wear, I’m going to do bridal and special occasion stuff now’ and I thought, ‘Great!’

And that really changed both our businesses because I have to concentrate on making a bit of money,” remembers Richard. “Now I’m making an OK living out of it. I’m not drinking champagne and going out every night as some people think I do but as I said earlier, my chief joy is to get into the studio and make stuff.”

At this point, Richard teaches at RMIT University and is planning on spreading his talents across in another physical form: Light fittings.

“A lot of hat materials lend themselves to light fittings and I’ve been saying it for years and I’ve never got around to it but if I damn well tell enough people I’ll have to do it then!” laughs Richard. “I like the idea of lighting and people are quite willing and prepared to pay $1500 for a light fitting whereas they wont pay that for a hat. Because I have a good sense of light, proportion and sense of space, I know I will design really nice light fittings.”

Whatever he decides to do, we’re sure Richard will make the most of his opportunities and come out the other end victorious. His passion for his work and his desire to reach an audience who appreciates fine detail makes him the one milliner who stands out from the rest. And with Spring Racing coming soon, I’m sure we’ll see a whole lot more of him.



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FJ O R D E W E D D I N G S E A S O N


TOGETHER FOREVER

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After a mere three years in the industry, Valerie de Silva’s company, ‘Together Forever Weddings’, was named Independent Wedding Consultant of 2011 at the 13th Annual Victorian Bridal Industry Awards.

“This was very special as the nominations for this award were made only by our bridal couples,” says Valerie.

So it comes as no surprise that the woman we interviewed for our wedding feature is ambitious, dedicated and loyal to her clients, a woman who found her way toward wedding planning from a very different angle.

While completing a Bachelor of Applied Science in Hospitality Studies at RMIT, Valerie narrowed her focus to special events. Given her experience in a number of different industries, Valerie remained unsure of which field to pursue; that is, until the planning and orchestration of her own wedding.

“After turning a blank canvas into an enchanting summer garden, I was certainly receiving a lot of compliments and this planted the initial seed in my mind,” says Valerie of the moment she realised this could be her career.

She felt the natural course of action was to combine her experience in hospitality with her newfound interest in the bridal industry. After attending a seminar, which focused on the integral steps in establishing a successful small business in 2008, ‘Together Forever Weddings’ was born.

At the Melbourne Bridal Exhibition, industry suppliers are able to advertise their services and speak directly with couples about their wants and ideas. Valerie had great success at the exhibition as she forged thorough research with her own vision of what couples required most from a wedding planner.

The perceived success of any event or experience depends on the control of expectations and seamless delivery. ‘Together Forever Weddings’ focuses on this idea, and it has no doubt contributed to the positive feedback and customer satisfaction they have received.

“Managing the various expectations of our couples and what they want out of their wedding is never difficult as all of our couples know their budget and exactly what their day will entail,” says Valerie. “We live by our company vision and mission of, ‘My Perfect Plan, Your Perfect Day’.”

One would hope that a great wedding planner would strive to deliver a kind of customization that reflects ones personality. Valerie chose to centralize that idea in her business, and believes that weddings, which truly capture the individuality of a couple, are the most successful. It is here that creativity and an eye for detail are crucial. The majority of her consultations take place at the home of the couple in order for the planner to better understand their style.

“Weddings are truly a reflection of our couples,” says Valerie. “And we know how to encapsulate this professionalism and style in a way that allows our couples’ guests to see the best of who they are.”

Another key mission of ‘Together Forever Weddings’ is to eradicate the well-known stress and chaos of planning, organizing and coordinating. They offer to attend all appointments and are present on the day itself from beginning to end. The aim of their service is to deliver the dream event on an affordable budget, and with a positive attitude.

There is a heavy focus on associated suppliers as well, only utilizing the service of those who are equally as passionate about customer service. It’s clear that through her research and personal experience, Valerie has established a company that sees many a happy bride and groom.

“Our favourite part of a wedding is at the conclusion of the evening whereby the bride and groom approach and embrace us, telling us that they couldn’t have done this without ‘Together Forever Weddings’. This is why we do what we do.”

By Regan Brantley

WWW.TOGETHERFOREVERWEDDINGS.COM.AU

WED DING COU TURE

PHOTOGRAPHY WOODROW WILSON

WED DING COU TURE


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Photographer Woodrow

Wilson. H

air Stylist Sarah Dalton. M

ake Up Artist Sarah D

alton. Model Ebony [London M

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lothes by MARIAN

A HARD

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SPRING FEVER

COELHOPHOTOGRAPHY FILIP KONIKOWSKI

SHOT ON LOCATION AT BROWN BROWN WINERY (MILAWA) & LINDEN WARRAH (MILAWA)


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Photographer Filip Konikow

ski. Stylist Ben Anderson. Hair Stylist &

Make U

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evin Murphy/Zuii O

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orina [Mark Fitzgerald].

Show on location at Brow

n Brothers Winery (M

ilawa) &

Linden Warrah (M

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Shannon Bennett’s

Vue De Monde has reached incredible heights. Located on level 55 at the Rialto Towers with Melbourne sprawled beneath it, the view is a perfect accompaniment to the cuisine. You feel as if you’re sitting on top of the world, which is very fitting since Vue De Monde translates from French to “World View”.

It’s clear from the interior of level 55 that Shannon has been busy. The passage from elevator to restaurant leads you past the Lui Bar – aptly named after Luigi Grollo, part owner of the Rialto and, as Shannon describes, a “great supporter” of Vue de Monde. After passing a narrow passageway lined with a plethora of wines, the dining area extends ahead, blending Australian outback with modern conservation technologies.

Tablecloths, a culinary necessity that always riled Shannon, have been replaced with kangaroo skin. “They’ve always annoyed the hell out of me, why we have tablecloths,” says Shannon. “We have to cull 200,000 kangaroos every year in Australia and half the skins just go in the bin. I was just like, that’s just such a waste!” One side of the restaurant features a wall with iron tubing representing the corrugated iron you see in inner Australia, while the other is the fully open kitchen, purposely built to allow every diner to appreciate the cuisines as a combined effort of a fully functioning team, not just one individual.

Vue De MondeBY ALEX CYBULSKA | PHOTOGRAPHY WOODROW WILSON


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As we entered, Tiffany and Co had set up a trial catwalk run on one side of the level, front-of-house staff were bustling around, making coffees while the Vue de Monde chefs focused solely on the job at hand occasionally glancing up to give us a curious smile.

As Shannon walked into Vue De Monde perfectly on time, we shifted outside to the decking area where we took in the views while we conversed. Dressed in his Vue De Monde uniform and shifting his trademark tousled locks away from his eyes, it was easy to see the drive and ambition, a quality that has given him quite a flattering reputation in culinary circles, whenever he spoke.

It’s this very determination to achieve his dream career that has allowed Shannon to challenge modern concepts of fine dining, from presentation to environmentally friendly cooking methods that are relatively new in the Melbourne restaurant scene. Shannon employs ‘Cold Kitchen Technologies’ at Vue de Monde meaning all meals are prepared without using gas or any type of open flame.

“The ‘Cold Kitchen Technology’ really is there because we wanted to limit the amount of power and extraction,” states Shannon. “Being where we are the solar load-up here is massive. Basically what we wanted to do was limit the heat we were generating inside the building ourselves. The best way to do that was induction. When you’ve got a gas stove on all day you only really use it 35% of the time it’s actually on. So 65% of its output is wasted.”

The conservation doesn’t end there though. Shannon’s phone is equipped with an alarm that will alert him when any fridge doors have been left open or an oven left turned on and he has acres of gardens which grown his own vegetables and truffles supplied straight to the Vue chain of restaurants, bistro and cafes. The day-to-day running of the business also includes eWater, a system whereby the Shannon makes the restaurant’s own all-natural chemicals out of salt water.

World View


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“I think [using eWater is] easier to manage,” says Shannon. “All we have to remember to do is just put salt into the machine a couple of times a week and that’s it. … Now it’s just basically integrated so well you never know it’s there. And all the chefs are very accepting of it and [we] realize we’ve had a few issues in the past with hands and rashes and things, completely gone away using the eWater!”

These measures towards sustainability merge well with the Australian Outback ambiance to Vue de Monde, which was a very important aspect for Shannon.

“The way that I developed the design was through what can I tell a story from in terms of the placing of things. So the floor, the carpet, the ceiling. The ceiling is made from recycled coke bottle tops, the fabrics on the walls are all recycled. Everything about it has got a story and I wanted it all to be local. Everything about it.”

Shannon has come a long way from country boy to acclaimed chef. His Home Economics teacher Mrs. Malcolm first recognized his talent and encouraged him to cultivate this gift, and has since dined at the previous Vue de Monde at Collins Street.

After leaving high school, Shannon pursued his career for seven years in Europe where he spent some time educating himself on the fine art of culinary theatrics and came back to find Melbourne’s restaurant scene had changed severely. A lot of chefs had retired and restaurants closed leaving a real feeling of uncertainty.

“Since then it’s been 11 years I think Melbourne has built up to a really good reputation again,” remembers Shannon. “I came back for personal reasons at the start and then decided that Melbourne was the place I really missed. I decided to get a job and really couldn’t get a job that suited the experience that I had so that’s why I decided to open my own restaurant.”


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That initial restaurant was a pasta shop located in Carlton and it was only a matter of time before his empire flourished. Now, he owns Bistro Vue on Collins St and Café Vue in St Kilda, Melbourne Airport, the Heidi Museum of Modern Art and Collins Street so is the pressure of juggling getting too much?

“No, not really. I think you put your own pressure on yourself [and] I always place a lot of pressure on myself,” says Shannon. “I think I’ve neglected the cafes and the bistro a little bit. I’m running them by remote and I’m running them with some great staff members and team members down there, at all the sites.”

Speaking of pressure, Vue de Monde’s interior fit out has been reported to have cost anywhere between 5.5 to 10 million dollars in renovations, a daunting figure proving the Rialto move might be a tremendous risk.

“Yes it was probably the biggest risk I’ve ever taken to be honest … in terms of the financial backing, I don’t think the building owners really could justify in any monetary term why it would be a good idea,” reflects Shannon. “But I always continue to forge ahead just from instinct. I think that’s where both parties end up meeting because of instinct saying ‘yes, it is a good idea’.”

“When you look around from an events space perspective, for clients such as Tiffany’s, it’s got a real glamour to it. I had a vision about the space and the fit out that I wanted and I think that that was there well before I even signed any agreement and I knew that that’s what will probably drive me to get it over the line.”

Admirably, Shannon recognizes the sacrifices and dedication shown to him by his staff. Head chef, Cory Campbell, came to Vue de Monde from Denmark’s Noma, which was awarded Restaurant Magazine’s Best Restaurant in the World for the second consecutive year and Shannon has no intention on letting Cory, and other loyal staff, go unappreciated.

“I think Cory’s shown a tremendous amount of loyalty and dedication to the Vue de Monde cause by coming from Noma to here. I think was a big step for Cory,” agrees Shannon. “…Just building [the chef’s] names I think is key. A lot of them have been with me 4 and 5 years. Same as the front of house, we have a really strong following with the team. You just have to listen to their goals, their needs and make sure the business helps with those goals that they want to achieve.”

And the key to his success?

“It’s just a matter of us actually putting the food down, and all of a sudden [the diner] understands a little bit more about the philosophy behind the dish. I think a lot of that has helped so that’s why we’ve probably received such flattering feedback, I think.”

Shannon Bennett’s modest and inviting attitude is reflected in a restaurant that has grown from strength to strength and finally made it to the top of the world. Vue de Monde is a three hat dining experience, and has won The Gourmet Traveller restaurant of the year twice and The Age Good Food Guide Restaurant of the Year Award three times. And when making a reservation, try to remember this is one experience that will take about 4 or 5 hours to absorb.

“I think the first time you come here, you shouldn’t worry about time. It’s something that you should forget about occasionally. Stuff the mobile phone, just come and relax,” he says with a smile.

“It’s just a matter of us actually putting the food down, and all of a sudden [the diner] understands a little bit more about the philosophy behind the dish.

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MIXING WITH ROYALTY, FALLING OFF HORSES AND STANDING IN AS A STUNT MAN FOR VIGGO MORTENSEN MAY SEEM A SURREAL COMBINATION TO MANY OF US HOWEVER IT’S EARNED SAM HOPKINSON THE TITLE OF ONE OF POLO’S 10 HOTTEST HORSEMEN.

HE HANDLES IT ALL WITH A NATURAL, EASY CHARM, WHICH COULD BE PUT DOWN TO HIS COUNTRYSIDE UPBRINGING. BUT WHEN HE SPEAKS ABOUT THE GAME OF POLO IT IS SOON APPARENT SAM WORKS VERY AND HAS COME A LONG WAY FROM RAKAIA GORGE, NEW ZEALAND.

FJORDE interviews Sam Hopkinson to get the low down on racing.

FJORDE: You originally started playing rugby and then got into polo. How did that transition occur?

Sam Hopkinson: I grew up in the Canterbury high country, so was always going to play rugby. I had great fun doing it and although was relatively successful, I never really thought it was something I would do as a career. I had also grown up with horses and with two sisters who rode competitively I spent my fair share of time at pony club. So rather than just watching every weekend I joined in, this caused no end of amusement to my mates at rugby when I had to miss a game or training because I was competing on my horse somewhere!

The transition didn’t happen though, until a great friend of mine Dean Geddes, and at the time my club rugby coach, got me down to his farm in Christchurch to work and I started helping him ride his polo ponies. I had just finished school and was spending the summer working with Dean on the farm and with his horses and he got me hooked. He lent me horses and gear and I played my first few games with him. It was at the end of

that summer I was offered a job in the UK with polo and decided to take a look. I had suffered a few bad injuries that year in my rugby, so took the opportunity to travel and I am still doing it.

F: What do you love about polo?

SH: Polo is often referred to as a drug. It’s a sport which takes you all over the world following the sun and motney. It is a sport which doesn’t involve just turning up with your boots or tennis racket and competing. You need to have horses, grooms trucks and patrons, as well as your own ability in order to succeed... I think this is why it becomes addictive. It’s a very challenging sport.

Personally, I love the competitive outdoor lifestyle and working with the horses, training them to help me peform to my best and developing the young horses to keep improving my string of ponies in NZ and the UK.

F: Polo is an elegant sport, what are the downsides? Are injuries common?

SH: Polo is perhaps elegant when you are in the Paspaley marquee drinking Pimms on the sideline, but out on the field it is much more of an extreme sport. The rules of polo are designed to keep the ponies and players as safe as possible but there are always injuries, and when an accident happens it’s generally not good. It either involves falling at high speed with, or without your horse, or being struck by a stick or ball. I have personally had a very unlucky run in the past 6 months; I have compressed a disc, broken my right thumb and fractured my eye socket. I am hoping that those are my 3 injuries done for a while!

F: What differences do you find playing in different countries?

SH: The differences are really determined by the level of polo you are competing in. I spend my time in New Zealand, Australia and the UK where polo playing is all similar. There is just a lot more money involved when playing in the UK! Other countries are getting stronger and trying to improve their horses and fields to be able to host higher levels of polo. There is more money being put into the sport worldwide and with countries like China and Thailand building new clubs and spending a fortune on their set ups, it’s also pumping money into the sport through pros fees and buying of horses .

F: Do you enjoy the travelling element?

SH: Traveling is the best and worst part of the sport. It’s great to be able to experience different countries and cultures and I love the short trips I do to countries like India and South Africa. You are always looked after incredibly well and see the best the cultures have to offer. I went to India a few years ago and was hosted by the Majaraja of Jaipur in his palace, which was a surreal experience. I have been traveling from northern to southern hemisphere now for ten years and although it’s great never having a winter and always having new and fresh places to go, I am looking forward to settling in one place. It has however taken me places a boy from the Rakaia Gorge would never expect to go!

HE’S GOT GAME


FJ O R D E S A M H O P K I N S O N

F: How do the different cultures affect your polo playing experience?

SH: For me the cultures play a small part. When I am traveling for polo I am concentrated on what I am there for and although I do take in the sights and enjoy being in a new and different place, I definitely don’t absorb the culture like I could. I’m very competitive and want to win the polo before I spend any time lying on the beach or riding elephants.

F: Having played for royalty and non-royalty, would you say it is still the ‘Sport of Kings’, or is it becoming more for day to day people than ever?

SH: People worldwide have a fascination with the royal family and we are lucky that polo is a sport they support! It brings huge crowds to any game they are at, or playing in, and brings in huge dollars with people just wanting to be involved in something they do. I played at the same club in the UK as the princes for my first 4-5 years in England and you could tell as soon as you drove in the gates of the club if Harry or William were playing that day. There would be ten times more people than normal and black Range Rovers subtly keeping on eye on them. This doesn’t mean that it is only a sport for the rich and famous and I think it is definitely getting more accessible for people to start, especially in Australia and New Zealand. There are clubs and coaching courses set up in most cities now and with the Paspaley Polo in the City raising the awareness, I hope more people get involved.

F: Describe the experience of working on set when you stood in for ‘Lord of the Rings’ Viggo Mortensen.

SH: The Lord of the Rings gig was great, I was 20 years old and just back home from a season in England when I got a call from a mate who was working with the stunt riders. They were shooting on a high country station a few hours from us and needed another rider urgently. That’s how I got into it! Just being in the right place at the right time. Having never done anything like it before I was enthralled by the way it all worked and seeing it all first hand was a great experience. I ended up staying on and spending a few months filming in some amazing country in the south island of New Zealand, it was when they were doing all the horse scenes which needed to be authentic and couldn’t be done in the studios! We were used for any shots where the actors had to gallop or fall and most of the battle scenes, it was great fun.

F: Did you have to learn new horse riding skills to adapt to filming?

SH: Not really, it involved a lot of stuff I had done while growing up either on the farm or hunting or competing, I had done my share of falling off, vaulting on and ridden bucking and rearing horses before. I hadn’t however asked them to rear on purpose, or throw themselves on the ground at speed, so that was a new skill. It felt like we spent a lot more time waiting around and in makeup and wardrobe than actual riding. But that was all part of the fun. One thing is for certain about making movies, they take a long time!

F: Is that something you would like to do more of?

SH: I loved the time on the movie and it was an incredible experience but I don’t think it’s something I would pursue, I spend enough time risking my life on horses to go looking for other ways of doing it!

F: What is it like having earned the status of one of the 10 hottest players in the world? Does it get you a lot of milage with the ladies?

SH: Funnily enough that only ever comes up in interviews like this! I don’t really spend any time thinking about it or get any milage out of it. If it would lead to a deal with Ralph Lauren worth millions of dollars like Nacho Figueras then I might put some thought into it but then he was the number 1 on the list, so I’m out of luck.

F: Polo is a very social game, with easy access by the people watching. Do you enjoy that side?

SH: Yes, it’s a very social game and that’s one of the great things about it, there will always be events on during tournaments whether it’s a BBQ and beers after a game or a black tie cocktail party. It’s great socialising with the people you are competing against and with and it helps develop friends and contacts from all over the world. The bigger the crowd at the game, the higher the intensity of the match and the larger the after party..

F: How do you find playing the sport in Australia?

SH: I really enjoy polo in Australia, the fields are great and the quality of horses are nearly as good as the horses in New Zealand. It is my second most favorite place to play in the world.

F: Do you travel with your horses when you play? Are they seasoned travellers?

SH: The horses travel around the country they are in, but I keep different strings of horses in NZ, Australia and the UK. I flew the horses to the UK over the past ten years but they will stay there! It’s expensive enough flying myself around let alone ten horses.

HE’S GOT GAMEBY TARA STRONG

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FJ O R D E K I M B R A

At just 21, Kimbra Johnson, better known as Kimbra, can already be considered a seasoned veteran in the art of singing and songwriting. Starting her career in her early teens winning national competitions and performing in front of capacity crowds at sporting events she has released her debut album “vows” on september 2nd this year. After some stellar singles (“settle down”, “cameo lover”, “good intent”) we’re ready to take the emotional and aurally dynamic plunge into the mind and heart of Kimbra.

KIMBRABy Vahe Koshayan

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F: Hi! How’s it going?

K: Great, thanks! I just got back from New Zealand, we were playing a gig which was a lot of fun.

F: I’ve never encountered a ‘Kimbra’, I was wondering what the history or meaning behind the name was?

K: I think the meaning is ‘Royal Meadow’!! Hmm. I’ve heard it’s quite popular in Turkey too? But there’s no big story behind the name that I know of – my parents simply heard of an author with the name back in New Zealand and loved it!

F: I like to describe your music as ‘genreless’. That is, you place no borders on the creative process. I’m curious to know what has influenced you over the course of your career, including back to your early teens when you were winning national music comps, to arrive at this unique result? Was it all musical or do you draw influence from other forms of art as well?

K: I love films and books. I watch a lot of animation and Disney, and I also like books on philosophy or religion. But the main influences definitely come from artists I’ve listened to. They range from Rufus Wainwright to NIN or The Mars Volta all the way to Minnie Ripperton. I try to listen to as much music as possible, provided it challenges me or makes me respond in an emotional way, so that I can draw from a wide range of styles when I go to write my own music. I like to think of songs in a very visual way so it’s important to be inspired by different art-forms as well because they all help in creating a ‘world’.

F: Is any of your work based on or inspired by real-life events, either in your own personal life or in others?

K: Every song is triggered by a personal experience in some way. Even if it’s just a thought I’ve had or an observation. Often an emotion is exaggerated when I’m writing the song but it’s still always from a personal place in some way.

I LIKE TO THINK OF SONGS IN A VERY VISUAL WAY


FJ O R D E K I M B R A

F: Who comes up with the ideas for the music videos? The wardrobes in particular are eye-catching especially in “Cameo Lover”. Is anything specially designed for a video or do you source the fashion from elsewhere?

K: I have a stylist on board for the clips but it’s always very collaborative as I like the outfits to be true to my own style and what I would wear on stage. Mrs. Press made the dress for “Cameo Lover” especially for the clip and I also had dresses made for the most recent clip, “Good Intent”. The ideas for the film clips are a collaboration between me and the director Guy Franklin. I usually have an initial idea and then he’ll take the vision and place it in a more provoking, cinematic context.

F: You appear to be the one and only featured artist on Gotye’s latest album (other than Gotye himself). How did the collaboration come about? And how cold did it get on the “Somebody That I Used To Know” video set?

K: It was a grueling video shoot. Mainly because of how long we were required to stand when the painting was being done. Stop motion animation takes a really long time but although it was physically challenging we all knew it was going to be something special so you just have to push on! I met Gotye through the producer Francois Tetaz who we have both worked with on our records. I believe he suggested me for the song and I’m glad he did!

F: When you first appeared on our radars last year I’m sure others like me automatically assumed you were still a brand new artist, but technically you’ve been doing your own music thing for a decade now. And now at age 21 you come off as a pretty ‘complete’ artist. How did that early experience help shape the person and artist you are now?

K: I think it was a real blessing that I started gigging and pursuing music at a young age. It just meant that I did the groundwork and became confident at my instruments and writing songs early on. Of course I learnt

most when I moved to Melbourne but the early years were a crucial part of my growth and progression towards the sound that I’ve come to now.

F: Have you been approached by any other artists for songwriting work or guest vocals? And who would you love to work with in 2011 and beyond?

K: I’m a big fan of Daniel Johns and now that Silverchair are on hiatus maybe I have a shot at working with him Ha! There are many artists I’d love to work with, perhaps Rufus Wainwright?

F: Your debut album “Vows” is out September 2nd, and along with songs like “Plain Gold Ring” and “Settle Down”, I get the feeling the album will largely have a ‘marriage/commitment’ theme to it?

K: The album is called “Vows” because I quickly realized that a lot of the songs touched on the idea of either making or breaking promises and further, the idea of attachment. The word vow is broader than just a romantic context for me, it can be spiritual or personal – the things we vow to in our lives say a lot about who we are so I felt it was an appropriate title to sum up the theme of the album.

F: Have you been living and recording solely in Melbourne since you moved in 2007? And how did the change of scenery affect your music and the creative process?

K: Yes, I haven’t had another job. This has been my focus. The change of scenery was crucial because it challenged me and threw me out of my comfort zone, which is always a great recipe for creativity, I find. I also spent time in America when I needed a new dose of inspiration, as there were times when I became stagnant working on the album in Melbourne. I had to constantly keep challenging myself in order to complete the album.

F: Thanks for your time, the FJORDE family wish you well on the album and upcoming tour.

K: Cheers!

THE ALBUM IS CALLED

“VOWS” BECAUSE I QUICKLY REALIZED THAT LOT

OF THE SONGS

TOUCHED ON THE IDEA

OF EITHER MAKING OR

BREAKING PROMISES

KIMBRA UPCOMING EVENTS • Parklife Festival in every major city, • Queenscliff Music Festival in VIC November 27-29 • The Falls Festivals in VIC and TAS in December.

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FJ O R D E D E G O

FJORDE: Howdy, Fjorde Magazine all the way from Melbourne, Australia. And just to adhere to the stereotype: how’s it goin’, bloke?

DENNIS MCFARLANE: Everything is fine apart from the disenfranchised youth, recession, media hypocrisy and bankers bonuses.

F: Ok so I’d like to jump straight into A Wha’ Him Deh Pon? I’ve been listening to it non-stop for the past week. Was the album planned long in advance or was it just a recent development? And what exactly inspired you to release now what some would say is a “long-awaited” solo?

D: The album was planned two years ago. I prefer producing for other artists but I have so many ideas and excess tracks that I thought, what the hell.

F: You’ve done so much varied work over your career, it feels almost lame mentioning the comparative artists some of these tracks evoke. But I can’t help but feel the ghost of Jay Dee/J. Dilla creep in on the second half of Whatever (Instrumental). Did you ever consider him a peer or an influence?

D: Dilla influenced everyone with an ounce of soul in them. I remember having Fantastic Vol. 1 on tape and losing my mind. He is a true legend and will live on through his beats.

F: Love & Hate You, featuring West London songstress Obenewa, blows almost every poxy soulless electro-house track I’ve heard

in recent memory out of the freaking water. You approach that minimal sound with all the Dego/2000black/Silhouette Brown touches and it works a treat. Has a single been released yet from the album? And would you ever consider releasing this to an unassuming teeny-bopper public?

D: Hahahaha, this is funny. A lot of people want this to be a single with a hard push. 2000black has no interest in forcing music down people’s throats. If it was to ‘blow up’ that would be great, but the nonsense an independent would have to go through is not worth it. Besides it would only ‘do the biz’ if Katy Perry was on lead vocals, in all honesty.

F: A lot of artists cite their childhood environment as having deep influences, like parents tastes in music for example. And some also explain there’s a spiritual side that gets accessed or is conjured when one is “in the zone”, so to speak. Considering the breadth of your musical accomplishments, do you feel this innate musicianship is something you were born with? Or if it was gradually developed, how so?

D: I know one thing: from the start I had marvelous taste in music as a child. I am, and confess to, being a music snob. When I started making music it was by chance and not an ambition of mine. The early productions were horrible and out of tune and were only bearable by way of the youthful enthusiasm in the programming. This was because I never went to music school and understood no

theory. It took ten years, I feel, before I got to a half-decent level. So I feel my taste and dedication to improve is what has got me to where I am. I’ve been taught loads of stuff from my crew: Kaidi Tatham, Matt Lord and Mr. Mensah, who are accomplished musicians unlike my charlatan self.

F: Can you describe your working relationship with Kaidi Tatham? How do you guys prefer going about creating music? Do you guys jam it out and come up with stuff or is there more of a structure involved? I understand he did a bit of work on this album aside from We Are Virgo? which is bangin’, by the way.

D: Kaidi and I share many things culturally. We are both born from Jamaican parents and raised in England. We share many influences and like to push each other in regards to creating music. We do not have one particular way of working but on a lot of tracks we often swap responsibilities half way through the song.

F: To finish off, is there any uncharted musical direction you’d like to one day go in?

D: I would love to produce a guitar LP and an orchestra.

F: Thanks a lot for your time! FJORDE wishes you continued success, and may I just say, for the second time, if it wasn’t for you all, music would be boring as shit. Cheers!

D: Nice one and thank you.

DEGODego may not be the most familiar name when it comes to music heroes, especially to an Australian audience, however Dennis McFarlane has been recording and producing classic tunes for nearly two decades under many different aliases. He is prolific, genreless, groove-centric and continues to create some of the most forward-thinking music anywhere on the planet. In June 2011 he released his first official solo album, A Wha’ Him Deh Pon?, an effortless testament to years of honest, fluid musical growth and expression. Music this good doesn’t need to be smothering the masses: we tend to find it eventually on our own.

BY VAHE KOSHAYAN

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VANHUNT


FJ O R D E VA N H U N T

VANHUNT

TO CREATE WHEN YOU FEEL THE NEED TO, NOT FOR THE SAKE OF AN END-GOAL INVOLVING RICHES OR DEADLINES, BUT FOR THE CONCEPT OF CREATING AS A RESULT OF INTANGIBLE FORCES COMPELLING YOU TO, IS A VALUED NATURAL AND GUTTURAL CREATIVE PROCESS. IT’S AT THIS JUNCTURE IN TIME WE FIND VAN HUNT, ONE OF MANY ARTISTS TAKING THE INDIE ROUTE & PROCEEDING TO CREATIVEWLY FLOURISH BEYOND EXPECTATION.


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F: I was out in L.A. for the first time ever last year. Reminded me of home a lot.

VH: My son jus asked me recently if we could move to Australia, actually. I hear it’s a really beautiful place, though I’m a little frightened by the bush.

F: We do seem to have the world’s most dangerous ‘everything’ here, but it’s not as bad as you’d think so you are most welcome to come down any time.

VH: I am definitely trying to come there, if enough people ask for it online.

F: Before I get to the new album, I just wanted to ask about your earlier stuff and some of your collaborations and work with other artists. There was Half The Fun with Count Bass D, which was notable for its chorus talking about “living on the edge of an orgasm”. How did the collab come about?

VH: I met Count when his manager was shopping a record deal for me in 2000. His manager became my manager. Actually he was the one who heard my music and told the manager about me. We met in 2000, Count would come to some sessions but he wasn’t a part of the first record, and I never featured on any of his records either. When it was time to do the second record (On The Jungle Floor), I already had done the chorus and music for Half The Fun when he came in and asked if he could have a shot at the verses. He may have gone home in two hours and wrote something, then came back and did what you hear on the record.

F: You’ve also written and produced for Rahsaan Patterson. Of the tracks you did together, Sure Boy and Humor always stuck out as favourites. You guys have similar ears for good, strong, funky music and it seemed like a pretty good fit. Have you ever thought about working together again?

VH: Yeah y’know, I don’t talk to him as much as I used to, but I know he’s got a new project out too. I’ve always wanted to do something really outside of the norm with Rahsaan and I just don’t know if the time is right yet, hopefully it will be in the future. He has an incredible vocal range and that’s what I’d like to exploit. He and I have always been close but like most artists we stay busy doing our

own thing, but I’m sure if we worked together again we’d start talking and laughing like usual.

F: I hate to ask because it’s probably a sore point, but were you just as shocked at Blue Note not going ahead with Popular as the rest of us were?

VH: Well sure, there was definitely some surprise and shock there. I was more shocked because I was promised some things and those promises were broken. That was really it. Once you get over the emotional shock, you move on. And I think I moved on pretty well.

F: Definitely. Speaking of, I’d like to talk about the new album (What Were You Hoping For?). Objectively speaking, Plum is probably the frontrunner for being the greatest song on the album, followed closely by Falls (Violet). But subjectively speaking, I am going absolutely bananas about Watching You Go Crazy Is Driving Me Insane, especially that line about “baby foxes” that I can’t help but smile when I get to.

VH: I think that people have their favourites on each album, like you do. But I never assumed someone can’t eventually give in to what I’m doing on the records. You hear this said by many people, that ‘one of my favourite records was something.’ I had to play 5-10 times before I understood what was happening. I was hoping the new album became just that.

F: We really didn’t get a taste of your rock leanings until On The Jungle Floor and over the years I found myself constantly going back to songs like Ride, Ride, Ride, At The End Of

A Slow Dance and The Thrill Of This Love. Then you got even heavier with it on Popular with The Lowest 1 Of My Desires. There was also ATTENTION! and Man Of The Year from Use In Case Of Emergency. So to me you were really building up a lot of cred as a rock musician. At this point I was secretly hoping you’d take it even further, and you completely flipped my wig when I realised about 70% of the new album was grungey and punky. Was this just a natural expression of a sound that was in on-going development for you? Or did you sit and plot out the soundscape of this album and decide for it to have that punk/grunge/surf rock sound? And how much did the L.A. setting play a factor?

VH: That’s funny. If I had recorded the band I had before I did my first album, it probably would’ve sounded a lot like this record. ATTENTION! was that same band. We recorded that in like 2001 just before I started making the debut record, which didn’t come out until 2004, though I had had the record deal for 3yrs. Many things turned out like that, but I’d say ATTENTION! was more early Prince, except a little bit harder. As for the album’s sound, all you hear in modern punk are the rhythms of those old negro spirituals and quartet songs. That’s how the band played. There would be bass & drums & I would play guitar, and I would put my influence in with their influences, which all came out sounding more like early Prince or 80s music and very old gospel music, nothing like southern gospel nowadays. It was almost tribal. There were a lot of percussive rhythms, and so that’s really where this all started. I loved the rhythm they (the band) brought. They sped everything


FJ O R D E VA N H U N T

up. For example, Seconds Of Pleasure was originally a punk song. We just cut it in half. I love Al Green, Marvin, Sam Cooke, Curtis Mayfield. All of that was beautiful, but I grew up in Dayton with Prince & 80s funk and R&B, I was never really into old soul. That developed into more of a love for 80s pop music. And then I got into a little bit of The Clash, Bad Brains and some post-punk. With this record, sonically, there was just no way to escape that sound, if I was going to be honest with myself.

F: I really love the story you tell on Cross Dresser, mostly because it ends up getting to the possible root for why someone might cross dress in the first place. Or does the song speak on more issues?

VH: That was one of them songs you write in 20mins. It really was me trying to follow this idea that came quick and I had the music and it all just came together like, “Oh wow, this could be a story: a guy misses his girl, so he starts wearing her clothes in memory of her, and develops a counter-culture as a result”.

F: Speaking of issues, this album marks your first real foray into a wider variety of topics. On Popular, you talked about popularity and an internet-obsessed TV culture. On the

new album I kept catching lines that were speaking on social ills. Is it a case of, you now feel comfortable enough to talk about these things through your music?

VH: When I moved to L.A., I found myself without any obligation to a record label, essentially without a job. And I’d love getting in my car & driving around to clear my head, or going for walks. I started seeing these abandoned couches on the street and I would imagine the stories behind them. Were they from evictions? Or, a result of people moving to a smaller place? It started with my photography and taking pictures of the couches and then of the homeless. What really excited me was the convergence of all these unaddressed issues in America from poverty, to racism, to the economy and the games politicians play pretending to be something for you and how uniform the public is. Being in L.A., you experience these issues, including immigration, first. L.A. and New York, probably more than the rest of the country, experience these social changes first. Sitting in the heart of it, it’s become a part of me.

F: As a pretty vivid and highly interesting lyricist, where do you draw your inspiration from? And I don’t mean songwriters

themselves but as in, from everyday experience or from other pieces of art or elsewhere?

VH: I write all the time but not about anything in particular, a lot of them are lines I’ll say when I’m having a conversation and I’ll say “I like that” so I lay it down. Maybe I’ll use it in a year or two on something that has nothing to do with the original conversation I had. So when I need a line, I’ll have a whole host of them pooled together. It’s the same writing standards people like Oscar Wilde, Tennessee Williams or Ayn Rand used. They’re people who I feel write really well, but also have a philosophical bend to their writing. David Bowie’s another one with a vivid writing style.

“What Were You Hoping For?” is released on September 27 via Nashville-based “Thirty Tigers” & Van Hunt’s own “godless-hotspot” label. Fore more info on the man, the artist & his upcoming tour schedule hit up: www.vanhunt.com or www.facebook.com/vanhunt.

Vahe Koshayan

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MELBOURNE STENCIL MADMAN KIRPY HAS BEGUN TO GARNER A LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL FOLLOWING AFTER ALMOST 6 YEARS AS AN UNDERGROUND STREET ARTIST,. HIS PHOTOREALISTIC BLACK AND WHITE STENCILS ARE AN

EXTENSION OF HIS PRIVATE PHOTOGRAPHIC WORK. THEY ARE HOLISTIC STREET ART; INSPIRED BY MELBOURNE CITY SCAPES AND CAPTURING THE MORE EVERYDAY/SCUMMY SIDE OF THE WORLD’S “MOST LIVEABLE CITY”.

BY SONIA KHAN


FJ O R D E K I R P Y

Interview by Sonia Miles KhanMELBOURNE STENCIL MADMAN KIRPY HAS BEGUN TO GARNER A LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL FOLLOWING AFTER ALMOST 6 YEARS AS AN UNDERGROUND STREET ARTIST,. HIS PHOTOREALISTIC BLACK AND WHITE STENCILS ARE AN

EXTENSION OF HIS PRIVATE PHOTOGRAPHIC WORK. THEY ARE HOLISTIC STREET ART; INSPIRED BY MELBOURNE CITY SCAPES AND CAPTURING THE MORE EVERYDAY/SCUMMY SIDE OF THE WORLD’S “MOST LIVEABLE CITY”.


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FJ O R D E K I R P Y

After almost 6 years as an underground street artist, Melbourne stencil madman Kirpy has begun to garner a local and international following. His photorealistic black and white stencils are an extension of his private photographic work. They are holistic street art; inspired by Melbourne city scapes and capturing the more everyday/scummy side of the world’s “most liveable city”.

With bare talent, raw subject matter and high attention to detail, Kirpy’s stencil canvases and large scale graff’s are also admired by critics.

Kirpy is back in Melbourne for a final show at Thousand Pound Bend in September, after a successful string of exhibitions in Europe and Japan. We were lucky enough to interview Kirpy about his art and upcoming show.

F: Your city scape stencils are signature to your style, what made you chose Melbourne as your subject matter? K: “I spend a lot of time in the city [CBD], it’s something I enjoy and understand. It’s everything I know...I started my stencil work as street art, in streets and in the city. Because a lot of my artwork began there, it’s always made sense to me.”

F: Stencil work isn’t the average medium, what made you interested in art and stencil work?

K: “I started painting in high school, about the end of ’04. Just painting at first, then over time I became interested in stencils. Street stencils had grabbed my eye and I wanted to give it a go. It was a natural progression.”

F: How did you perfect your technique? Were you ever trained by other stencil or street artists? K: “No, I taught myself. Stencils may look pretty simple, but perfecting them is hard. You learn through your own process. That was how I learned – through mistakes. It’s all self-taught.”

F: You were originally captivated by street art, so where do your aesthetic and creative influences come from these days? K: “Everywhere. I seem to take creative influences from all over. My biggest influence is the Melbourne. I love watching how it operates, the architecture that no one notices and other graffiti. In terms of street artists that inspire me; I really like Kenji Nakayama’s work (Japan) and Evol Pisa73 (Berlin).”

F: You must have been exposed to so many new artists when you travelled overseas for your recent exhibitions. What were the highlights of your trip?

K: “My last exhibition took me to Europe for 6 weeks. When I wasn’t at the exhibitions or setting up my work I was mainly running around and doing a bit of graffiti. It was pretty cool graffing in another city and meeting other artists around there. No two cities are the same and the graffiti can be really different too. When I got back I found out that some stuff I did in Tokyo got on MTV Australia in a special they did on Japan! Another friend told me that a piece I did in Berlin ended up on a news program in the background!”

F: Has travel inspired you or changed the work you’re producing? K: “Travel has an influence on every aspect of your life. I do a lot of photography as well as graffing and stencils. So I got some really good pictures when I was overseas. One of the best things about being in another city, or over here, is that graffiti opens your eyes a bit more. You start to notice things that other people might not see and just walk past.”

Kirpy is represented by Just Another Agency, seewww.justanotheragency.com.au/_kirpy for his work and for information on his upcoming September show at Thousand Pound Bend. For more of his work visit www.kirpy.tumblr.com

“ ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT BEING IN ANOTHER CITY, OR OVER HERE, IS THAT GRAFFITI OPENS YOUR EYES A BIT MORE. YOU START TO NOTICE THINGS THAT OTHER PEOPLE MIGHT NOT SEE AND JUST WALK PAST.”

Images courtesy of Just Another Agency


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FJ O R D E C U LT U R E


ome short months ago, a mate of mine was looking for a place to live, much like so many friends before. His demands were minimal and reasonable:

functioning toilet, affordable rent, friendly housemates and maybe a bit of natural light. An advertisement for a spot in Richmond caught his eye, and it puzzled me when one day over coffees, he described the inspection he’d just attended.

‘It’s above a gallery called The Owl and The Pussycat,’ he said. ‘But the living space and the gallery space are combined.’

My initial reaction was that this was a horrible plan for my optimistic friend. I imagined a variety of scenes where sordid young things who had drunk themselves sideways on free booze would haphazardly stroll into the gallery bar, also known as the kitchen. Soon they’d find themselves, quite secretively and naughtily, climbing up the stairs to my unsuspecting friend’s room. And there, uninhibited of course, they could gaze at his photos or books, and perhaps even have

a sneaky look through his Internet search history. It was a bad idea.

‘Do you really think that’s a good idea?’ I responded.

In retrospect, I may have jumped to conclusions.

The Owl and the Pussycat, having yet to celebrate its second birthday, proves itself a wonderful space. It has flourished over the past few months and continues to define and influence art, performance and what it means to experience art collectively. We are lucky in Melbourne with the ever-present hum of fine

artists, dedicated curators, and new exhibition spaces. This kind of artistic immersion, this seamless overlap between disciplines has been developing over the last decades and has birthed a new kind of gallery.

The Owl and the Pussycat rotates exhibitions every two weeks. The viewing space is accessible from Swan Street, directly across from Richmond station and like many other contemporary galleries, they showcase a variety of media ranging from photography to graphic design to illustration. After strolling around the exhibition room, you are welcome to indulge in a wine or beer from the kitchen,

which doubles as the gallery bar. The space is comfortable and warm, lined with luminescent aquariums.

On any given opening night, the fairy-lit room is filled with a variety of people. A sizable blackboard lines on one wall, which asks a new ‘top five’ question pertaining to film; last week it was name the top five films where an idea gets stolen and anyone is welcome to write their response in chalk or debate with a fellow patron on the legitimacy of the existing five answers. Which happens a lot.

If you travel up the stairs, which are lined with green AstroTurf, you’ll find a second space which functions as a fifty-seat theatrette known as The Runcible Spoon. Resident ensemble group 5Pound Theatre has performed a number of original and adapted plays here over the last few months, all met with great success. In February and March of this year, The Spoon hosted tri-weekly reinterpretations of classic plays ranging from Virginia Woolf to Chekhov to Harold Pinter.

To the left of The Rucible Spoon you’ll find a second exhibition space, and to the right there is another flight of stairs, which leads to a small rooftop. The view is pretty spectacular and one can look to the city skyline, the Punt Road traffic standstill or the skeletal framework of the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

With an impending Fringe Festival show, its second birthday bash on October 15th, and lack of a stovetop due to ongoing renovations, The Owl and the Pussycat is no longer suitable for multiple tenants but we are all enthusiastic about the continued successes of the space. Two years young in October, it is with hard-earned optimism that I endorse The Owl and the Pussycat as a gallery with great versatility and promise.

By Regan Brantley

Images courtesy of The O

wl &

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SPRING/SUMMER 2011

WWW.FJORDEMAGAZINE.COM

NESTLED IN WARBURTON LANE,

BEHIND ITS NOW INFAMOUS RED DOOR,

THERE IS A HIDDEN TREASURE WORTH

FINDING. PORTELLO ROSSO. REVIEWED BY

BEN ANDERSON


FJ O R D E F O O D

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FJ O R D E F O O D

Portello Rosso is a small boutique restaurant inspired by the traditional Spanish tapas. It is a great place to share a plate or two with friends or someone special. The interior is beautiful, pulling you into their world with its wooden veneer, candlelight and the subtle Spanish flair adorning the room.

Our waitress was friendly, cheerful and well versed in all things wine. Amongst their wide selection of local and international bottles, is their notable selection of Spanish wines. And while the menu is extensive, the Jamón Bar offers a traditional tasting banquet of signature plates, which is what this food critic ordered and waited eagerly to arrive.

The tasting journey of traditional Spanish cuisine began with bread and warm olives followed by Jamón Serrano de Aragon & Manchego and Harvey bay scallops, herbed lamb cutlets and garlic prawns, which complimented one another in flavours and balance.

This was followed by crispy pork belly, a paradox of taste both crispy and tender, served with an almond and garlic puree. For what seems like a simple dish, the taste was extraordinary.

With the journey coming to an end, its final chapter was not willing to go unnoticed. With the tabled cleared a plate of churros con chocolate was placed upon it. To put it simply there is no better way to finish off a shared meal at Portello Rosso than breaking crispy warm churros and dipping them into velvety white and milk chocolate. Overall a rainbow of flavours and textures that leads you on a journey of Spanish delicacies that will have you wanting to come back for more. An experience to be shared with friends or that someone special!

PORTELLO ROSSO JAMÓN BAR15 WARBURTON LANE, MELBOURNE VIC 3000(03) 9602 2273 [email protected]

Images courtesy of Portello Rosso


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FJ O R D E S TO C K I S T

fjorde magazine spring/summer 2011 issue

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