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CONTENTSIssue 17

October 2013

Cover Story“The Art of Daryl Feril”

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OH SO SUNNY, P. 92Arists Sunny Gu talks about her art and her early decision to pursue it.

ON ROUTINE, P. 28“Routine gives me a sense of productivity, real or imagined. It helps against procrastination, keeps my impulse a meandering at bay.”

WHAT’S AT STAKE, P. 24“The clock is ticking, and as the US floats closer to its debt ceiling, the pressure compromise is becoming more.”

WEDNESDAYS WE WEAR PINK, P. 20“But what I think is real, however, is the fact that in man ways, the way we dress really is the extension of how we see ourselves.

CONTENTSIssue 17October 2013

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KARL X JOHAN, P. 108This Award-winning Swedish duo talk records, inspi-rations and the future of Karl X Johan

PURE HEROINE REVIEW, P. 106“Lorde seems to be strongest when chanelling that kid scared of being pushed over to the opulent lifestyle.”

AM REVIEW, P. 107“It’s also about what it’s like to stumble into a seedy alley and drunkenly lean against a wall by the end of the night, fumbling fingers while trying to text and old flame.

BEHIND THE FLANNEL, P. 128In each era, fashion serves as a cultural standard that everybody wants to embody. May it symbolize courage or flirtation, fashion transcends time.

SHY, QUIET SEAMS, P. 138“To be part of a fast-growing industry, it takes courage to never follow the rules and construct with no restrictions so other people get a great sense of what your vision is.”

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CONTENTSIssue 17October 2013

BELOVED, PART ONE, P. 58A photo series

POSTCARDS FROM OSLO, P. 48“We’re said to be born with skis on our feet. Although it’s a bit overstated, it is quite true for me. A lot of Norwe-gians have cabins in the mountains, often shared with the extended family.”

ODE TO EDINBURGH, P.36“I just knew it would be the type of place I would lovel the feeling of second home and somewhere you would always want to come back to, visit over and over again and just discover as much as possible of it.”

INTROSPECTIVE TRAVELLING, P. 68“Arriane Serafico talks of travelling alone through Prague and Korea---and how it becomes an act of letting go.

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EDITOR’S LETTER

STACHE 3.0“Why the name Stache?” 

Whenever someone asks that questions, I always find myself torn between the truth and the embellished white lie. I tell people some complicated reason I made up six months after our first magazine release but as I leave my editor-in-chief post behind (more on this later), I want to disclose the real reason why I picked the name Stache; it was because I couldn’t think of anything else and it just felt right.

Call it a moment of clarity or divine intervention, but the name just jumped in front of me as soon as I decided that I wanted to start something for my own creative sanity. That one impulsive decision changed my life and, as some of you told me, other people’s lives too. It has been an amazing three years and all of us grew in more ways than we can imagine. 

I just want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for being so supportive of us and our mission to spread the culture of creativity in the country and the world. We wouldn’t be where we are without you and because of that, we decided that we will take things to the next level. With Jared Millan, our previous Creative Director extraordinaire, taking over the Editor-in-Chief post, expect bigger and better things for Stache. I guarantee you that. I will still be here lurking in the shadows of corporate slavery (I’m kidding) as the new Sales-Manager-slash-Art-Editor.

We officially close our Stache year and my term as EIC with one of the best illustrators in the country, Daryl Feril. We’re so excited for you to learn more about his story and get inspired with his work. We also have articles on introspective travelling, evolution of music artists and columns on the US shutdown and routines.

We hope you enjoy reading our 17th issue as much as we did making it.

Best,Maine Manalansan

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No. 17

STACHEEditor in Chief M A I N E M A N A L A N S A N

Creative Director J A R E D C A R L M I L L A N

Associate Editor C I N D Y H E R N A N D E Z

Assistant Editor N I N A P I N E D A

Music Editor E L L I E C E N T E N O

Fashion Editor E C K S A B I T O N A

Travel Editor N E S S A S A N T O S

Marketing Associate C O C O M A C E R E N

Web Developer M A R Y N Y R I E N E S I LV E S T R E

W R I T E R S Alfonso Bassig, Karla Bernardo, Regine Cabato, Elvina de la Cruz, Alvin Greg Molina, Tonie Moreno

P H O T O G R A P H E R S Jashen Manuel, Mariah Reodica

I L L U S T R A T O R S Mica Agregado, Mika Bacani, James Bernabe, Tzaddi Esguerra, Ches Gatpayat, Daniela Go, Trisha Katipunan, Patricia Mapili, Vince Puerto

C O N T R I B U T I N G W R I T E R S Mina Deocareza, Matt Esteves Hemmerich, Isa Rodrigo, Arriane Serafico

C O N T R I B U T I N G A R T I S T S Kornelia Debosz, Daryl Feril, Sunny Gu, Evan Reinhardt, Kristina Petrosiute, Lisa Smit, Shutterpanda Photography, Mikki Castro, Rob Cham, Josel Nicolas, Helene Ryden, Emil Aftret

S P E C I A L T H A N K S T O Johan Tuvesson, Kalle Jönsson. This issue would not have ben possible without their help.

S U B M I S S I O N S getcreative@stachemagazine.comI N Q U I R I E S info@stachemagazine.comA D V E R T I S I N G advertising@stachemagazine.com

F A C E B O O K www.facebook.com/stachemagazineT W I T T E R @stachemagazineI N S T A G R A M @stachemagazine.com

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I S S UE 17

CONTRIBUTORSOC T OB E R 2 013

Mikki Castro is an animation student, midnight music lurker,

movie marathoner, bad joker, resi-dent of the Internet and harasser

of small dogs. She will one day grow up and introduce herself to people as a real-deal illustrator/animator. If you have the time, do feel free to tweet @oopsmikki

“SUP GIRL”

Emil Aftret is 27 years old and lives in Oslo, Norway. He studied

history, social science and pedagog-ics at the University of Oslo. On

his spare time he enjoys doing pho-tography, snowboarding, skiing and spending time with nature.

Kristina Petrošiutė is better known as Lighthouse Keeperess

on the internet. For the past seven years, she has been living,

working and studying in Reykja-vik, Iceland. I breathe in, focus

and press a shutter-release button,

Lisa Smit is a self-taught Dutch photographer, living

in Melbourne, Australia. She prefers shooting with film above digital photography and draws inspiration from everything she

Josel Nicolas is a games graphics artist and designer working for

komikasi enterprises. He also does pixel art. He also makes comics

about his life among other things in his autobiographical comic series

Windmills.

Rob Cham is a freelance illustra-tor, designer, comics artist, and

friend. You can find him at @robcham amd http://robcham.

me doing things.

is surrounded with, in particular natural light. Her work has been featured in a wide range of pho-tography magazines worldwide,

including Voight Kampff and Magpie Magazine.

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Helene “ hille” Rydén, an artist and photographer (preferably ana-

logue) from Sweden who’s lived in Edinburgh and London and

now resides in Gothenburg. Enjoys traveling and finding new ways to express herself. Blogging over at:

heleneryden.blogspot.se

Matt Hemmerich is a Filipino writer and musician based in

Oakland, CA. His poetry chap-book White Moon was published

earlier this year.

Bernard Patacsil is a 19 year old photography student at Emily

Carr University of Arts and De-sign in Vancouver, Canada. His

aesthetic mainly focuses on art and fashion.

Evan Reinhardt is a nineteen year old moonlighter: He is a part time fanboy, part time geek,part time musician, part time illustrator,

and a full time university student from University of California

Berkeley.

Having done TED talks and mul-tiple blogging workshops, Arriane

Serafico is a 23-year-old multi-hyphenated creative powerhouse

from Manila.

Mina Deocareza is a creative writing student at the University

of the Philippines Diliman. She fi-nances her own education through working as a freelance writer and academic tutor. She is so in love

with trains; train rides excite her as they inspire her to write most of

the time.

then she breathes out. Her favorite part of breathing is the one in the

middle.

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A P PE T IZ E RFrom “pork“ to “twerk,“ you’ ll find that the past ninety days have been eventful, to say the least.

E D I T E D B Y N I N A P I N E D A

IPHONE 5C

The iPhone 5c doesn’t set the benchmark for smartphones-- but that’s not what Apple was aiming for. Boasting of its bold, bright colors, and a notably cheaper price, the iPhone 5c is basically an iPhone 5 with a plastic back and an improved front-facing camera. It’s obviously not as cheap as some people were expecting, but frankly, we’re not surprised—it’s an Ap-ple product, after all. The iPhone 5C is compact, sturdy and is available in a palette of colors, successfully making plastic phones look ‘cool’. It serves as an entry model for consumers who are looking to get into the iOS club without having to sacrifice a month’s pay. In that sense, the iPhone 5c proves to be one of the trailblazers to keep the heat turned up against the competition.

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BIRDY’S SOPHOMORE ALBUM

The girl christened Jasmine van den Bogaerde (who is now better off known by her stage name Birdy) is a seventeen-year-old songstress hailing from Lymington, in the New Forest District of Hampshire, England. While her eponymous début mostly had covers, her sophomore album named ‘Fire Within’ released last 16th of September 2013, boasts of tracks that she had either written herself or co-written with other famous songwriters such as Sia Furler and Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic. With her trade-mark gloomy ballads mixed in with happier pop songs, bold choruses, and a strong feminine voice to match, Fire Within is just the world’s first peek into what Birdy is capable of doing in the music industry.

BATFLECK

When it was announced at the San Diego Comic Con that Zack Snyder would be directing the sequel to the 2012 film Man of Steel, it was unanimously decided that it was a great move. What was unanimously decided was not a great move, however, was Ben Affleck being cast into the role of Bruce Wayne. In fact, he has gotten so much flak for it that he avoid-ed the Internet following the announcement of his tenure as the Dark Knight altogether. It is difficult to imagine someone who is not Christian Bale filling the shoes of such an iconic role; he portrayed Bruce Wayne so brilliantly, that in turn became Batman himself—at least in most people’s eyes.

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CROWD-FUNDED TRAVELS

The Kickstarter for wanderlusts, Trevolta is a newly launched website that aims to make a traveller’s extraordinary ideas for expeditions to come true. How, you ask? Well, Trevolta pro-jects can be backed up by other people (like you and I) who are inspired by the proposal, or sponsors that are looking for marketing opportunities and/or brand awareness. According to their website, ‘all trips will be covered in Trevolta blogs, where the travelling team will be posting photos, notes and videos on the go, preserving the attention of the crowd and allowing sponsors to leverage from that attention.’ So if any of our readers have been itching to go on one of the trips on their bucket lists or are looking for something new and excit-ing to follow – Trevolta is for you!

MILEY CYRUS

The road Miley Cyrus’s life had recently taken makes us ques-tion if there is a fixed path for young women in Hollywood to take. It started with her video for “We Can’t Stop,” where we saw a more mature, more provocative Miley. She pushed the envelope even further during her performance at the VMAs where she twerked her way through. But when one thinks about it, before there was Miley, there was Amanda. Before Amanda, there was Lindsay, and even before that was Britney. This turn of events shouldn’t be that surprising if you’re well acquainted with the machi-nations of young Hollywood. However, it still is uncomfort-able to see someone we practically grew up watching and was shoved into our faces as a role model become someone we don’t want to see.

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JANET NAPOLES

When pork barrel queen Janet Napoles surrendered, everyone was relieved. Everyone wanted her at the stake, and as far as everyone is concerned, she was on her way there. But weeks and months have already passed, and nothing is yet to be done on the matter. She was first put under public scrutiny when her daugh-ter, 21-year-old Jeane, regularly blogged about her lavish life-style in the US. So when Janet’s photos with Philippine sena-tors made its rounds online, they were immediately involved in what seems to be the biggest political scam the country has ever seen since GMA’s sensationalized “Hello Garci” scandal. Napoles is currently under medical treatment for health is-sues, using a technique popular amongst Filipino politicians to escape certain national issues they’re faced with.

GTA V

Rockstar has released, quite possibly, the most anticipated game of the year: Grand Theft Auto V. Earning a whopping $1 billion in its first three days, the game earned generally positive reviews from gamers and critics alike. Grand Theft Auto V continues the franchise’s reputa-tion of providing reckless fun and sinful freedom. Introduc-ing three new characters to vicariously live your life through, you can take part in elaborate heists and run over as many innocent bystanders as you like. A tried-and-tested formula, Rockstar has yet again succeeded in building a world that is a joy to explore. If you’re looking for a virtual cops-and-robbers game, GTA V will give you more than your money’s worth.

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C O L U M N SE D I T E D B Y J A R E D C A R L M I L L A N

W E D N E S DAY W E W E A R P I N KB Y K A R L A B E R N A R D O

“But what I think is real, however, is the fact that in many ways, the way we dress really is an extension of how we see ourselves.”

W H AT ’ S AT S TA K EB Y R E G I N A C A B A T O

“The clock is ticking, and as the US floats closer and closer to its debt ceil-ing, the pressure to compromise is becoming more.”

O N R O U T I N EB Y J A R E D C A R L M I L L A N

“Routine gives me a sense of productivity, real or imagined. It helps against procrastination, keeps my impulse for meandering at bay.”

WEDNESDAYS WE WEAR PINK

An opinion piece which talks about how fashion can dictate someone’s style, but how style can break the rules of fashion.

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Victim. Police. Emergency. Three words that hardly evoke feelings delight, creativity, or ingenuity. They conjure images of a tragedy, of a great disaster. It’s a frantic 911 call in the mid-dle of the night, it’s a car chase with gunshots and sirens in the background, it’s a mysterious body found in a dark alley at 2:13 in the morning. Grim and bleak and depressing. And yet these are the very words we affix to the word “fashion”—absolutely nothing like any of the words above and belonging almost entirely to a different domain. Put them together: “fashion victim,” “fashion police,” “fash-ion emergency,” and almost instantly they become extra color-ful, less threatening. They turn into slightly watered down ver-sions of their original selves, that seem to also be several shades louder. It’s interesting to note how society has coined these terms by anchoring ideas of polar opposites to the concept of law and order – but what’s even more interesting is how it just all seems to make sense. How else do we perfectly describe a woman dressed from head-to-toe in the same outrageous pat-tern? What else do we call Joan Rivers and the kind of ‘public

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service’ she and her team does? By what other name do we call the mess that was the Justin and Britney denim ensemble? Or that seatmate of yours with the unkempt hair, just-rolled-out-of-bed look? A victim. The police. An emergency. Like fash-ion is the law, and anyone is capable of being a criminal. As in most things, it is perhaps the gospel of Mean Girls that best illustrates how the commandments on fashion come into play, especially when it comes to our everyday life. Girl world says this, Girl world says that. You can’t wear tank tops two days in a row. You can only wear your hair in a pony-tail once a week. And if you break any of the rules, you can’t sit with us. Which is probably the present-day equivalent of medieval stoning. Oh, the horrors. Think about it: we have all these magazines and TV shows screaming, “Buy This!” and “Must Have!” and we have these celebrities telling us that “This is the best!”— imposing upon shoes to have, clothes to buy, things to need. These are things that will make us feel good about ourselves; these are things that will improve how we look and how others look

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skirt? Fashion, fashion, 1950’s fashion. We place so much of our identities, whether we like it or not, on how we put ourselves together. The notion of “first impressions matter” weigh so much heavier when we consider that a lot of how we let others perceive ourselves dic-tate how we let us see ourselves. We are concerned with how we look, because for most of the time, our style makes us feel that how we look is indicative of what we are. And who we are. So much so that we try so hard to work our lives around the dictates of the trends, whether or not we choose to abide by them. What now, then? Complete disregard for the rules make you a disaster. But an avowed devotion also leads to a certain visual debacle. And even indifference to it is a sign of an acknowledgment of its presence. This begs the question: Are the rules of fashion really binding on all of us, and can we ever truly escape it? The wise Regina George perhaps answers this ques-tion best: “Whatever, those rules aren’t real.”The idea of fashion and all the fads that come along with it is essentially a social construct. It is something that is dictated to

at us. Words like “beauty” and “lovely” are thrown around like silly messages passed around in class; we all got a vague sense of it, but it got lost in translation. These rules become so loud and inescapable, we think it means wearing this dress or donning this pattern aligns us to the standards, and places our sense of selves as part of the order—of what’s normal and what’s current. So we buy this, and we get that, all under the holy name of Fashion. But then, the very same obedience to the rules is also what christens one a casualty. We see a person dressing a little bit too much like those in the magazine spreads, and we deem them too bizarre for our tastes. A girl cuts her hair the same way as a particular pop star, and we think her a madcap. And we think we are doing them a favor by chastising them, because of course, it’s all in the name of Fashion. And the funny thing is, even the most uncaring and indifferent to the trends still have these rules so embed-ded in their system. Your dad’s disapproval of your boyfriend’s tie? Your classmate’s judging look at your Chucks and dress combo? Your lola’s reservation on the unflattering cut of your

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society by the media, who likewise take their cue from culture and society. How many times have we seen fashion design-ers find inspiration for their collections in the most ordinary things found in our normal, everyday consciousness? And how many times have we seen shows, and songs, and movies inspired by these very creations? It’s a vicious cycle. It’s a dog running after its own tail. The catwalk thinks this is trendy, because the sidewalks think this is trendy, because the catwalk thinks this is trendy. It’s a myth. But what I think is real, however, is the fact that in many ways, the way we dress really is an extension of how we see ourselves. And this is where style comes in. Fashion is ren-dered useless without the individual’s application—and this is hugely dependent on the one’s own flair, and taste. Style is an expression, a medium. Fashion is the pen, style is the calligra-phy. Whereas the rules and the trends seem like the law, style is the jurisprudence—it is the careful study of what the mate-rial is out there, and understanding what it means to accept or reject them. However, style doesn’t necessarily preclude follow-ing the trends. It can mean recognizing them or not, it can

be used sparingly or otherwise. But what’s important about style is that the voice that says “Get this!” and “Wear that!” doesn’t have to come from the shiny magazine spreads; it can come from what you have in your closet and what your mir-ror thinks is good for you, even if the rest of the house thinks otherwise. And you’re perfectly alright with that. Being styl-ish is more a recognition of your own criteria, rather than the world’s. And isn’t that we all want? To become our own icon of style? To shatter the illusion of rules and commit our own “crimes,” all in the name of Style? Because fashion con-demns an offender, but style breaks the rules and embraces the felony. Accepting the trends is not a necessity, but accept-ing your own style is probably indispensable. It is in recogniz-ing your personal preferences when it comes to your sense of style that helps you break the rules—to actually make your own.

Because fashion condemns an offender, but style breaks the rules and embraces the felony.

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WHAT’S AT STAKEThe US government shutdown in a nutshell

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Ten minutes before midnight — As September 30, 2013 came to a close, the heated legislative ping pong between the Republican-dominated Congress and the Democrat-held Senate of the United States of America did not.

Both bodies could not agree on a spending bill allotting gov-ernment expenses for the new financial year, which begins annually on October 1st. At a stalemate and way past their deadline, funds could not be released — forcing government offices to close, thousands of workers to stay home, and a shut-down of the state.

This came to an end on October 16, a day before the deadline to raise the debt ceiling, when the Congress agreed to a Sen-ate deal at a 285-144 vote. But why couldn’t the government agree on something before, and what happened during the sixteen day in-between?

Costs and lossesThe dispute traces back to Obamacare, President Barack

Obama’s health care plan which requires health insurance for all citizens. Opponents have slammed the plan as harmful for employers, while Democrats argue that it would save a lot of health care trouble and expenses.

Today’s holdup closed down government agencies and some public services. The military, security personnel, and other workers deemed “essential” by the state stayed on the job; officials in the House and Senate continued to receive their wages as well. Among the 800 000 Americans who woke up to an unpaid and indefinite leave from work were a projected 400 000 Pentagon workers, 18 000 NASA employees, and the managers, rangers, and workers of museums, parks, and libraries.

The shutdown cost the government $24 billion, said financial hunting company Standard and Poor’s. TIME reported $152 million and $76 million lost daily in travel spending and the shutting down of National Parks respectively.

“We fought the good fight, we just didn’t win,” said Boehner. But he also promised,

“Our drive to stop the train wreck that is Obama’s health care law will continue.”

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won’t pay a ransom in exchange for raising the debt ceiling.”

He called on Congress to “stop this farce,” saying that the Sen-ate had already approved a budget with enough votes from both Republicans and Democrats. All that is needed is the go signal from the House to end the shutdown.

The Republican Party itself is also split. The Guardian re-ported on October 9 that “fully 48% [of them] say their party should be doing more with Obama to find a solution,” adding that “only 15% of tea-party Republicans want that outreach.”

Who do the people blame? Results from the same Associated Press-GfK survey that The Guardian used as basis for the re-port said that 62% blamed the Republicans, but around half thought the Democrats were just as liable. Similarly, it esti-mated that 52% thought Obama wasn’t “doing enough to co-operate with Republicans,” while 63% said that “Republicans aren’t doing enough to cooperate with him.”

Temporary resolutionBut while both the Congress and the Senate have finally come to an agreement, it’s only a temporary resolution that funds the government until January next year.

“We fought the good fight, we just didn’t win,” said Boehner. But he also promised, “Our drive to stop the train wreck that is Obama’s health care law will continue.”

Though Americans are back to work and operations are no longer on a standstill, the US government has just flipped the hourglass. A deadline still looms ahead of them, and both the Republicans and the Democrats will have to decide what to do with the budget and with Obamacare.

Another shutdown could take place again all too soon if an agreement will not be reached by then. The pressure to com-promise remains apparent.

Blame game“Our goal here wasn’t to shut down the government,” House Speaker John Boehner told the press on the fourth day of the shutdown. “Our goal here was to bring fairness to the Ameri-can people under Obamacare.”

Republicans in the House of Representatives have been staunchly against the program, particularly its Patient Protec-tion and Affordable Care Act, which guarantees all citizens health insurance. Some have also been critical of the medical device tax, which they moved to repeal in one amendment. The Senate rejected that. They also presented an amendment that would delay Obamacare for a year. The Senate rejected that too. Finally, the House proposed the removal of the Oba-macare mandate, to which the Senate also said no.

“This isn’t some damn game. The American people don’t want their government shut down and neither do I,” Boehner fumed.

Democrats, however, actively pin the blame on the Republi-cans’ efforts to derail Obamacare.“[It is] embarrassing that these people who are elected to rep-resent the country are representing the tea party, the anar-chists,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said, calling the shutdown an “unnecessary blow” to the country.

Republican leader Ted Cruz has slammed Reid as well, accus-ing the Democrats of being the reason behind the shutdown. In late September he said in an NBC broadcast, “Twice Harry Reid has said, ‘We won’t even have a conversation. I refuse to compromise. We want to fund it all...’ That’s not a reasonable position. And if we have a shutdown, it will be because Harry Reid holds that absolutist position, and essentially, holds the American people hostage.”

But the President’s comment on his weekly address points the hostage takers in the opposite direction. “I won’t pay a ran-som in exchange for opening the government. And I certainly

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ON ROUTINEWe all have routines, but what is it really about?

W O R D S B Y J A R E D C A R L M I L L A N , I L L U S T R A T I O N B Y T R I S H A K A T I P U N A N

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proverbial list—the breakfast, the emails, the lunch. Because this piece is running behind schedule, and I am loath to disap-point my editors, I have incorporated the writing of this piece on today’s routine, one which more or less guarantees me that I will be able to finish it before the day ends. You see I have these routines by which I swear. They work. They are efficient, familiar. On days when I find it hard to think, days on which I find myself inexplicably unable to perform the tasks which are assigned me, I turn to routine for guidance. Routine gives me a sense of productivity, real or imagined. It helps against procrastination, keeps my impulse for meandering at bay. When I first began to realize, six or seven or eight years ago, what they were, realize the repeti-tive way with which I started doing even the most mundane of tasks, I fancied myself a special kind of neurotic. In fact I

Every Sunday morning I get out of bed, brew a cup of coffee, prepare breakfast and eat in front of the computer as I watch Mad Men. For some years now without fail this has been how Sundays begin for me. Often minute details change (some Sundays I have coffee in my pantry, some Sundays I do not; sometimes I have oatmeal, sometimes bacon and eggs, some-times granola) but the general flow remains unchanged. After an episode—sometimes two—when my body has had its caf-feine fix I check my mails, then Facebook, then Twitter, then Tumblr, in that specific order. By the time lunchtime arrives there is a huge chance that my family, having finished Sunday service, would arrive with it bearing lunch. I take a bath after the particular, and then attend to the things that need attend-ing. As it happens I am writing this piece now on a Sun-day, having crossed off all the aforementioned items on my

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Life without routine is spontaneous, and because I am not the kind of person who gets off on the unknown, the kind of person who is thrilled with the prospect of improvisation, routine has become more or less my comfort zone. In it I feel secure. In it I know what is needed of me, what I need to do. “Water is important to people who do not have it,” Joan Didion once said, “the same is true of control.” And I suppose it applies to order—the arrangement of things ac-cording to a particular sequence or pattern or method—all the same. One of the reasons why I had begun writing in the first place was simply because I wanted to arrange words and create beautiful sentences; I began writing not because I had wanted to write a novel nor because I felt compelled to put my thoughts on paper by way of catharsis. (I did, some time later, try that, but it didn’t have the effect I had been led to be-lieve it yielded.) I began writing because I am inarticulate and wanted to command words the only way I knew how. Writ-ing is my way of forcing my disorganized mind to think more clearly. And writing is, in one way or another, a manifesta-tion of routine. You sit down at your computer, you force yourself to come up with material that makes sense, you polish it. It’s a process. Perhaps you’re one of the many writers who are un-able to write without first having a cup of coffee or a glass of bourbon or a few sticks of menthol cigarettes. That’s a system. Do it ten hours a day, five times a week, then you’ll have a rou-tine. I’d like to think that routine—the insistent se-quence of doing things a certain way—is where order comes from, or at least a semblance of it. I suspect that if you have most aspects of your life order, sooner or later the rest will fol-low suit. I have yet to prove whether or not this is true, but I am not exactly in a hurry to find out. You see, I have yet to put it in any of my routines.

had so deluded myself into thinking I had a disorder that the thought of consulting persons, any persons, normal persons, if they shared it so scared me that I kept my mouth shut, kept the knowledge of the disorder to myself the way humiliated cancer patients keep theirs. Here are a few other examples of how my routines manifest: There is for example the systematic way with which I take a bath, and it goes something like this: I stand beneath the spray for a good minute or two, wash my hair, condition my hair, soap my body, scrub my body, wash my face, towel off. Each time I shower that is exactly how it goes. There is for example the systematic way with which I brush my teeth: I start across my front teeth, then clockwise, then brush the in-side of my cheeks, then the roof, then scrape my tongue, then scrub my lips, and then finally gargle mouthwash for exactly thirty seconds. There is for example the systematic way with which I eat my food, go to bed, write. I can’t exactly remember when these routines began for me, or whether or not they had been erected about my life even before I become aware of my following them, but I can see the appeal, understand why they have lasted. Of course it does not always work. Things do not always go according to plan: some mornings there would be no coffee, no tea, not even hot chocolate; and some Sundays I would skip lunch and would not take a bath at all. But I think that is one of the reasons why routines exist in the first place, at least for me: Whether or not I chose to follow it is irrelevant; the purpose it serves for me is to have a general narrative of my daily life. The idea is to have again the script I had mislaid, to have in my mind the idea that certain things are not part of the plan, so when I am finally forced to follow the script I know where to pick up where I last left off.Without routine I would sit in front of the television play-ing video games for hours on end. Without routine I forget that my body needs feeding, washing. Without routine I go to bed at night mad at myself for not having done anything.

I’ d like to think that routine—the insistent sequence of doing things a certain way—is where order comes from, or

at least a semblance of it.

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I S S U E 1 7

T R A V E LE D I T E D B Y N E S S A S A N T O S

O D E TO E D I N B U R G HB Y H E L E N E R Y D E N

“I just knew it would be the type of place I would love; the feeling of a second home and somewhere you would always want to come back to, visit over and

over again and just discover as much as possible of it.”

P O S TC A R D S FR O M O S LO

B Y E M I L A F T R E T

We’re said to be born with skis on our feet. Although it’s a bit overstated, it is quite true for me. A lot of Norwegians have cabins in the mountains, often

shared with the extended family.

B E LOV E D PA R T O N E

B Y K R I S T I N A P E T R O S I U T E

“This photography series is called “Beloved,” and it is dedicated to both my hus band and Iceland.”

I N T R O S P EC T I V E T R AV E L L I N GB Y A R R I A N E S E R A F I C O

“The magic of traveling alone is not in making the perfect itinerary - on the contrary, it is an act of letting go. You have to let the experience take you by the

hand, let your feet take you where they may. ”

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ODE to EDINBURGHHelene Ryden talks about must-visit places in Edinburgh.

S T OR Y A ND P HO T O G R A P H S B Y HE L E NE R Y D É N

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“In 2011 I studied one trimester in Edinburgh and even before I went there I just knew it would be the type of place I would love; the feeling of a second home and somewhere you would always want to come back to, visit over and over again and just discover as much as possible of it! And I was right. Edinburgh is just as mag-ical as you might imagine, with all the old buildings and hidden alleys and the constant presence of the sound of bagpipes (and somehow, always the scent of popcorn in the air). You can clearly see where the inspiration for the Harry Potter books came from - it’s like being in one of them. The surrounding mountains (and extinct volcanoes), always visible in the horizon, is probably a contributor to the overall magical feeling of the city too. Not to mention the castle, high up on it’s old volcano in the middle of the city.”

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“When I’m writing this, I’m actually going there tomorrow. I’ll be going on my third trip to the incredibly beautiful high-lands as well. I’ve been to Loch Ness, Glencoe, Eilean Donan castle, Isle of Skye and many more great places, and I have to say; it’s just something you HAVE to experience. It’s hard to explain the beauty and feeling of these places.

“This time I’m going on a ride with the Jacobite Steam train, traveling through the highlands like in the Har-ry Potter films. I’m so incredibly excited and I’m sure it will be just as wonderful this time around. I just hope I’ll be able to capture it the way I want to, to convey the feeling of it all. That, and that I have enough film-rolls with me.”

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POSTCARDSfrom OSLOPhotographer Emil Aftret takes us to Norway.

S T OR Y A ND P HO T O G R A P H S B Y E MIL A F T R E T

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Norway is a small Scandinavian country situated in Northern Europe. To live in Norway, you have to accept that we’ve only got 3 months of summer, and the seasonal changes carry with it a temperature varying from -30 degrees celcius in the winter to +30 degrees celcius in the summer. This leads to Norwe-gians being obsessed with the weather forecast. Looking at the front pages of our newspapers can be a strange experience for foreigners, as the main tabloids have whole front pages covered with things like, “Here comes the sun!” or “These are the swimming temperatures!”. When we have nothing to talk

about, we talk about the weather. It is good to note that Nor-wegians do not normally talk to strangers, though. Foreigners may see us as being cold or rejective, but the usual case is we may just be too shy to say “Hi”. It may be a side effect of having to stay inside trying to keep warm for most part of the year. On the other hand, once we become a little inebri-ated, we will talk to almost anyone, anywhere. However, since buying alcohol in Norway is far more expensive and restricted than most places in the world, going out on a Saturday night is a different experience. A typical night out starts by going to

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a “vorspiel” (a party before the party), then you head out to a club or a bar which closes at 3 in the morning, which leads to a lot of people going to a so-called “nachspiel”, or an afterparty. We’re said to be born with skis on our feet. Al-though it’s a bit overstated, it is quite true for me. A lot of Nor-wegians have cabins in the mountains, often shared with the extended family. My family’s cabin is situated in Middle Nor-way, far up in the mountains, a nine-hour drive north from Oslo followed by two hours of skiing up hill. The cabin has no power, and drinking water has to be retrieved by drilling

a whole through the ice on a lake. Although this is the stereo-type of Norwegian cabin life, most people now enjoy all the luxuries they’ve got at home in their cabins. Additionally, we share many similarities with our neighbours in Denmark and Sweden, as we can understand their language. A Swede once characterized us as being “the last soviet state”, while most Americans would surely char-acterize Norway as communistic. Although we are a social-ist country, we are greatly influenced by American culture as well.

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Probably the most valued aspect of living here is having freedom of speech which is highly manifested in the metal music genre. Although Norway is quite invisible to the outside world, in the underground metal society it’s greatly known for producing great music from the late 80s and the early 90s, leading to most of the youth having some sort of re-lationship to the metal genre. To sum up a country in just a few words is close to impossible. Norway is as diverse as any other country, with its own culture, climate and nature. Being a citizen of this country consists of being closely knit to other parts of Europe, having our own bond with the other Scandinavian countries, while ultimately being exclusively Norwegians and proud of it.

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BELOVEDpart ONE

P HO T O G R A P H S B Y K R I S T IN A P E T R O S IU T E

One woman’s tribute to her husband and homeland.

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“THIS PHOTOGRAPHY SERIES is called “Beloved,” and it is dedicated to both my hus-band and Iceland. All the photos in this series was taken between 2012 and 2013.”

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INTROSPECTIVETRAVELLINGAr riane Se raf i co ta lks o f t ravel l ing a lone through Prag ue and Korea—and how it becomes an act o f l e t t ing go .

W OR D S A ND P HO T O S B Y A R R I A NE S E R A F IC O

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Layover in Frankfurt en route to Prague, my first ever trip abroad, 2008

5:00 PM.

“Is the 5:10 plane to Prague still accepting passengers?” I asked, panting, terrified, panicked, disheveled, my ticket clutched in my clammy, shaking hands. If the airport officer at the desk tried to conceal her alarm, she failed. She hurriedly checked her computer, looked me straight in the eye and said, “Well… If you run - if you reeeally run - you MIGHT just make it.”

Then she paused.“And by the way, your boarding gate is all the way on the other side of this airport.”

With a terrified ‘thank you,’ I slung my bags over my shoul-der, steeled my nerves (and calf muscles) and started sprinting through the crowded corridors of oh, just the eighth largest

airport in the world.

Prague, Czech Republic, 2008

Talk about a baptism of fire: It was my first ever trip abroad, to Europe, no less, and it was also my first time to travel alone. Those are my version of baby steps. And by “baby” I mean if Hagrid married and had a baby. I made it to Prague, eventually, where I attended an international leadership conference. On Day 3, I woke up from an unintentional post-lunch micronap-turned-siesta to find that the official bus had left to bring the delegation to our Parliament field trip. My palpitating heart shot up to my eyeballs, my mind was spinning, and I generally felt like my skull wanted to explode and implode at the same time. I was literally shaking, muttering expletives in English and Filipino, trying to figure out what the hell I was going to do.

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was literally shaking, muttering expletives in English and Fili-pino, trying to figure out what the hell I was going to do. Now I could have stayed in the hotel, you know. But I was an untraveled girl from a third-world country who was in the Czech freaking Republic, and I wasn’t going to waste any second lounging around in a hotel. So, YOLO, I asked the concierge the directions to the place where the group went. I ran all the way to the metro station, where I ran straight into my nth newbie problem: the ticket vending ma-chine was all in Czech. Especially with my panic-addled brain, I could understand calculus better than what was in front of me. I don’t know for how long I stood there slack-jawed, or how distraught I might’ve looked, but it must’ve been pretty bad because a young local guy came up to me and offered to help. In halting, basic English, he managed to get me a ticket to my destination, even paid for it, and saw me off at the platform. I thanked him profusely, and I could swear he was glowing with heavenly light. He might have been cute, too, but it’s all blurry now. He might have also been a hallucina-tion. We will never know.

I stayed in Prague for a couple of more days after the confer-ence ended. I’m afraid I didn’t explore the city with as much adventurousness or thoroughness that I would have wanted. Back then, I was very much the wide-eyed girl from the sub-urbs, who just couldn’t believe and get over the fact that she was there. But I explored castles and churches, got lost in cob-blestoned sidestreets that looked like they came right out of pages of medieval storybooks, watched a puppet show in a tiny dubious theatre, calculated and converted every little cent in my head, overanalyzed my budget and my choice of pasalubongs, sat on street curbs, where I usually hung out and people-watched.

I remember, in that moment, sitting cross-legged on the curb near the astronomical clock tower, looking at every-thing and soaking it all in, trying my hardest to freeze that image and that amazing feeling in my mind, for I was afraid that my 20-hour flight home would just wipe it all away. It felt poetic at that time. But you know what I realize now? That picture in my head has a lot of other tourists’ butts in it. I was, after all, sitting down on the street. (Poetic, in all ways.)

Seoul, South Korea, 2011

The tinkle of the bell sounded as the door closed behind the second to the last customer leaving the cafe. The last customer being me. I sat cross-legged on my chair, writing on my jour-nal, as all four of the resident cats (it was a cat cafe) swarmed around their only remaining target: they started making toys out of my colored pens, my coffee stirrer, my jacket’s zipper, my shoelaces. I checked my watch: 8:00PM. The door sign said this cafe closes at 11:00, but I glanced up at the elderly man behind the counter to check if he was sending some go-away vibes. He smiled kindly at me, so I continued writing.

Thirty minutes of silence and a lot of cat-shredded tissue later, the cafe owner - the old man behind the counter - spoke and asked me:

Korean Cafe Man: “학생이야?” (Are you a student?)Me: “아니요, 여행 해요…? 난 필리핀 사람이여요.” (No, traveling…? I’m a Filipino.”)KCM: “여행? 혼자서?” (“Traveling? By yourself?”)Me: “예…?” (Yes…?)KCM: “너무 멋있어!” (Wow, you’re so cool!)Me: “He he he” (Awkward laugh)

This i s the close st thing I have to an addict ion: I get a high f rom that fee l ing of being st r ipped of al l that i s safe and familiar.

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Korean Cafe Man: “학생이야?” (Are you a student?)Me: “아니요, 여행 해요…? 난 필리핀 사람이여요.” (No, traveling…? I’m a Filipino.”)KCM: “여행? 혼자서?” (“Traveling? By yourself?”)Me: “예…?” (Yes…?)KCM: “너무 멋있어!” (Wow, you’re so cool!)Me: “He he he” (Awkward laugh)

He ended up treating me to free cake and beer, and we talked and talked and talked all the way until 1 in the morning. We talked about work, business, coffee, dreams, perspectives on life - like we were old friends who haven’t seen each other in a while.

It just might be the most surreal conversation I’ve ever had in my life. Two reasons: One, the man only spoke two words of English: ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ And two, I could only converse in kin-dergarten-level conversational Korean (and my uncertainty made everything sound like questions). How then, you ask, could we have shared stories for almost four hours? All we needed were three universal terms: Google Translate App.

I helped him close his shop at 1AM, then we wished each other well, and wistfully parted ways. I came back to the cafe one year later and found out that it had closed down. I genuinely felt my heart break a little.

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found out that it had closed down. I genuinely felt my heart break a little. Because, four hours may seem like a nanosecond in the realm of the universe - but wouldn’t you rather spend one fleeting nanosecond creating a meaningful connection and memory with one human being, than have one hundred nanoseconds with people who won’t even make an impact on your life?

My cosmic connection and movie moments in Seoul will take a separate book altogether, especially since I escape to that city once a year.

I’ve gotten lost on a mountain hike where I’ve befriended grandpas and grandmas (who would embarrassingly overtake me on the trail), gone clubbing with a rag-tag Benetton team of a Korean guy, a Norwegian girl, an African-American French girl and myself, waited on the streets for the subway to open for its first morning train (because of said clubbing night), got picked from the audience to participate in a standup comedy street performance, and unexpectedly bumped into Korean pop stars while walking around deserted streets by myself. I found myself having conversations with random strangers, locals and tourists alike, on the subway, by the sidewalk, in cafes, in parks… I’m not kidding. Traveling alone, especially in but not just in Seoul, has made me quite the open target for new, strange, accidental, or maybe fated encounters and (mis)adventures that seem like scenes straight out of a coming-of-age John Green or Stephen Chbosky book. Or a Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants sequel.

Or - a romantic Korean movie. Oh, believe me.

2013, Manila, Home.

Many people find my hobby of traveling alone to be a weird quirk, but I see it as a necessity. Part of it is because this is how I recharge, both creatively and emotionally — and the other part is because the freedom it gives me makes me grow at a faster rate than if had I stayed on the same shores. I always get asked: But don’t you get scared? I do. I get absolutely terrified. Aside from Czech Republic and South Korea, I’ve also explored Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and domestically, some places

in Visayas and Mindanao. Yet my heartbeat doesn’t get any slower or quieter every single time I step out of the airport alone. But the tradeoff? Braving a foreign country alone is the closest you can get to ultimate freedom. No parents to tell you what to do, no friends to take forever to decide where you want to eat, no tour guide rushing you through places that all turn out to be a blur and just a bunch of photos on Facebook that don’t even trigger any memories. You can be anyone you want, wear whatever you feel like, go anywhere you desire, walk however slow you must, take however long you need. Absolutely no judgment.

The magic of traveling alone is not in making the perfect itinerary - on the contrary, it is an act of letting go. You have to let the experience take you by the hand, let your feet take you where they may. Revel in the thrill of uncertainty, the looming sense of adventure, the guts needed to make friends with strangers, the possibility of many firsts. Open your eyes, look at everything, refrain from using your earphones, take your time, don’t get too caught up in taking photos, and push yourself to seek adventure. One of my personal challenges is to initiate conversation with a stranger at least once on every trip - the adrenaline rush it gives me is immediate and long-lasting. This is the closest thing I have to an addiction: I get a high from that feeling of being stripped of all that is safe and familiar. Because what that means, is that the whole experience is what you make of it. Literally. Maybe all I’m saying is, traveling alone can make you feelstrong and vulnerable,small and big,scared and fearless,and nothing and everything,all at once.

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INSTADIARY: DOWN UNDER EDITIONStache’ s new a ss i stant editor ta kes you through he r t r ip in Aust ral ia and meeting O ne Direction .

W OR D S A ND P HO T O S B Y N IN A P INE D A

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Melbourne–a city known for having “four seasons in one day” due to its erratic weather–holds many wonders and little treas-ures in its nooks and crannies. From a quirky prints store in De-graves Street, to the graffitied walls of Hosier Lane, Melbourne has quickly made its way to the top of my list of favorite places in the world. My most recent trip to Melbourne spanned from the 2nd of October to the 18th, but it wasn’t my first time there. It was my third. My first trip to Melbourne and Australia in gen-eral was a family vacation; we went to Gold Coast, Sydney, and then ultimately, Melbourne. By the time we got to the final leg of our trip, we were far too tired to go around the city and stayed within the area of our hotel. My second time, we went for one sole reason–to see Birdy live. I went with my mother, my best friend, and my sister-in-law, and this time, we were determined to explore the city. We stayed with my s their beautiful home, and we went out of town to Dalesford and the picturesque Lavandula farm for a picnic. Finally, on my third and most recent visit, I actually got to truly explore the city. My mother and I spent the first few days hotel-hopping on our feet, save for the occasional tram and City Circle rides. Getting lost in a city unknown to me has al-

ways been one of my greatest fears, but if the said city would be Melbourne, then I honestly don’t mind. Every street, alleyway, and corner held a hidden gem, may it be a quaint café or a brick wall with a peculiar artwork painted over it. The city’s noise–the bustling streets, the honk-ing of cars, the chatter of people–is the heartbeat of the city. It is proof that it is alive, and to be a part of all of that was such a thrill; it was all too refreshing. This trip had actually been planned for over a year, when my mom purchased tickets to the October 3rd concert of One Direction at the Rod Laver Arena early on in 2012. Im-mediately after the concert, I was gifted with a sound check package ticket to the concert on the 17th, by the same uncles I stayed with the last time. To say that I was excited would be an understatement. In the middle of my entire trip, between the first concert and the second, we drove to Mt. Olinda and stayed in a bed and breakfast for four days. We visited a tulip farm, a dairy farm, and two different wineries, all of which are pictured in the following pages. Calling the view my eyes beheld simply as ‘beautiful’ would do it no justice. It was a sight I never wanted to forget, and it honestly filled up my inspiration meter.

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A R TE D I T E D B Y M A I N E M A N A L A N S A N

KO R N E L I A D E B O S ZB Y J A R E D C A R L M I L L A N

“As a child I loved all things about the fashion industry, and I just had to incorporate it with art.”

O H S O S U N N YS T O R Y B Y E C K S A B I T O N A

“Arists Sunny Gu talks about her art and her early decision to pursue it.”

D O C U M E N TA RY O F L I S A

I N T E R V I E W B Y J A R E D C A R L M I L L A N

“Surround yourself with inspiring people and environment. That’s all you need.”

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Twenty-three-year-old fashion illustrator Kornia Debosz tells us what being a fashion illustrator is like.

S T O R Y B Y J A R E D C A R L M I L L A N

At first glance one would probably see the intricate details with which each of her artworks are highlighted, the elaborate details which fills the paper. On closer inspection one would prob-ably take notice of the broad, bold strokes with which the details are framed. As a result, her artworks, although inherently minimalistic, pop out of the page. Kornelia Debosz is a twenty-three-year-old Polish fashion illustrator, and despite that title, we found out, being in fashion isn’t synonymous to fast-paced and glamorous and hustle and bustle like we have been lead by the media to believe.

Hi, Kornelia! How are you?Hi! I am really good. Thank you! Just finding [a way to exprerss] myself. I hope I do it well.

Where are you right now, and what were you doing?Waiting for you to bother me.

Who is Kornelia Debosz?I am a polish fashion illustrator. I live in a pretty place called Kraków in the south of Poland. I am turning 24 soon, and I am passionate about art and fashion together.

IN BROAD STROKES

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As a child I loved all things about the fashion industry, and I just had to incorporate it with art.

How did you get into the arts?I did not get into art, art got into me! I was always a good art student. I was drawing and painting at home in my free time. It was my hobby, and it has become my life and my work. I still have every piece I have created since my elementary school years. It feels like yesterday when I [see them.]

Why fashion illustration?Sometimes things come accidentally to your life, and then you realize “this is it.” But fashion is [different for me]. As a child I loved all things about [the] fashion industry, and I just had to [incorporate it with] art. This is what really interest me and lets me stay original: Fashion as an art subject works fantastic for me.

Can you tell about your inspiration as an artist?Many things inspire me, many artists, many techniques and fashion decades. I can talk for hours about it. Most of my in-spiration comes from René Gruau and David Downton. They create an art I deeply love and admire. I [also] take a lot of my inspiration from the 50s, 60s, 70s. Modern fashion inspires me as well; there’s always something new to introduce and improve, and I love it el-egance! I really like pictures of an old Italian and French and Hollywood style; they’re glamorous and timeless. I often search for inspiration from [my emotions.] Art then becomes dynamic, and it [comes] back to the artists I like. Pablo Picasso’s cubism always attracted me. Andy Warhol’s pop art [I find] interesting too: All that colors together make a perfect match; it pops. I’m also a big fan of Art Deco and Moroccan and Indian Architecture; for me they look totally spectacular and marvelous.

Tell us about your creative process.I start from looking for an inspiration, potential colors I may use, etc. I play some music and [then] I start creating. There are no special rituals or routines. Everything depends on my mood. The moment gives me the right idea, but before start-ing I always have a plan in my mind, how I see it and how it is going to look at the [end.] Sometimes [my] expectations fail so I try different photo or technique. I can’t paint/draw without music. It’s a must have. No music for me means no art, and [I listen to anything], from Latin to classical.

How would you describe your style?I think it is simple but impressive at the same time. Lots of black, grey, beige with a splash of color. My style has evolved since a year or so. I used to create photorealism, but figured it does not make a sense for me, so I started to create [artworks] with a different technique and medium. Right now it is all about watercolor and ink. Free hand style becomes my basic [technique], and I kinda love it.

Where do you usually make your artworks, and what does this place look like?The desk in my room is the only one place where I always cre-ate my artwork. It is my comfort zone. When you create with mediums such as watercolor, it is hard to take it with you to any other place. I need [to have with me] many items: colors, brushes and papers.

What do you do on days when you get creative blocks and couldn’t work?I try not to give up fast. There are moments when I make a specific [artwork] up to 10 times. I tell myself I had to do it

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anyway. But there are also moments when I don’t have enough idea and passion and I just give up. Then I become disappoint-ed and annoyed [at myself] then. I try to do other stuff I like. [Sometimes] art needs time, and you just cannot help it when it doesn’t want to work for you.

Where do you see yourself five, ten years from now?I am not a person who has a planned future. I [don’t even] know what I am going to do next year. I am open [to] start something new or just simply move to other side of the world. But I guess I will stay as a fashion illustrator with a beautiful portfolio and memories.

If you could work with anyone in the fashion industry, who would it be and why?It is kind of a hard question. There’s no specific person I would like to work with. I like many personalities and every of them bring me some inspiration and admiration.

When you’re not doing art, what is Kornelia Dębosz doing? Walk us through a typical day in your life.

When I am not working on new projects, I meet up with friends, search for an inspiration, study something new or do some sports. I also like to have some fun when possible. Life is supposed to be fun and creative, I hope. Sometimes I like to stay lazy too and just wait for the perfect moment to create again.

Tell us about your dream job/dream collaboration/dream artwork.It would be strange to not to put VOGUE magazine in this part of the interview. And of course I dream about an exhibi-tion, [just like] every artist out there. And why not? Never say never, as they say.

What’s in store for you in the immediate future? Do you have any projects you’re currently working on?There are always for me new projects that I am currently working on: Some personal commissions and some for my own portfolio. I feel unstoppable with my art at this moment and it passionates me.

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THE DOCUMENTARY OF LISA Through her photographs, Lisa Smit wants to capture her life by way of a

documentary.

I N T E R V I E W B Y J A R E D C A R L M I L L A N

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Who is Lisa Smit?Another one of those 7.1 billion wandering souls on planet earth.

When did you start with photography?There is not really a specific time I “started photography”, ac-tually. But if I have to make an estimation I would say about two-and-a-half years or so ago.

How would you describe your photography?Documentary. What I like best is taking photos of my friends and surroundings.

Can you tell us about your creative process?Surround yourself with inspiring people and environments. That’s all you need.

What do you do on your spare time?Discovering new places, daydreaming, reading, watching films and drinking lots of tea and coffee.

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Artist Sunny Gu talks about her art and her early decision to pursue it.

I N T E R V I E W E D B Y J A R E D C A R L M I L L A N , S T O R Y B Y E C K S A B I T O N A

Fluidity, mastery of medium—encapsulating a sense of moment, layout and use of space; Sunny Gu is an artist who embodies her craft. In each specimen of Sunny’s work, she conveys movements from the garments that give the impression that we are all watching from the run-way. What easily attracts me to her and perhaps everyone who has encountered her works is that she ignites every illustration with color and delight in rich detail capturing the grandeur and kindness of the element being portrayed. For someone who takes an interest in fashion, it wasn’t difficult for me to be fasci-nated by her portfolio. We share a fact of discovering great passion for fashion after a few trials and many errors. Sunny shares, “In the beginning, I was planning to create designs and illus-trations for greeting cards, children’s books, stationaries, home decor products, etc. I painted some illustrations that would possibly work on those applications. I enjoyed drawing them, but it did not feel very satisfying or exciting.” Then upon discovering fashion illustrations books at her school library, she finally realized her stride. For Sunny, great fashion subjects have “fascinating craftsmanship, unique vision, elegant silhouettes, creative theme, interesting textures, fun color combinations and floral prints.” With that, she takes pleasure in creating illustrations inspired by her favorite designers: Alexander McQueen, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Chanel and Christian Dior. “Their designs are so carefully thought-out, beautifully designed and meticulously crafted,” she explains. Her most stimulating project was the illustration triptych she crafted for Dolce and Gabbana’s Swide magazine. “The goal was to make everything look harmonious, make all the

OH, SO SUNNY!

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elements in the composition complement each other.” She says. “The project was very time consuming, but all the effort was worth it, it was so satisfying when I completed the pro-ject.” Despite the intricate details on each of her work, Sunny is someone who cherishes flexibility—“sometimes I spend 12 hours painting in a day, sometimes I only spend 2 hours actually painting; sometimes I work from home, some-times I work on site with a design team”—and still make time to find inspiration around her. Ever since she was of a young age, Sunny has already decided on her future career—an artist. With the help and support of mentors and her family who were always mindful of her skills in painting and drawing, she was strong-willed on enrolling at an art school. During her stay in Otis College where she majored in Communication Arts, Illustration, she gained basic illustration knowledge and built her foundation during her stay. It was during her 3rd year in college when she began freelance work on illustration and graphic design. When asked of her creative process, she says: “I have a habit to always write down or quick sketch ideas whenever they pop up, take pictures and save images that inspire me, these notes and visuals become extremely helpful when I try to come up with interesting ideas and composi-tions.” “For most of my illustrations, I paint them in wa-tercolor. I love the vibrancy and unpredictable nature of wa-

tercolor. Occasionally I use graphite or acrylic paint to render some special textures.” “When I work, I’ll need to have music playing in the background, it needs to go well with the theme of the pro-ject that I’m working on. I’ll get into my zone after I have a 20 minutes uninterrupted focus time.” The path to Sunny’s fruitful career wasn’t always uncomplicated. “I wasn’t sure if it is possible to make a com-fortable living by doing what I love to do,” she recalls the time when she lacked focus, motivation to hone her skills and push herself to become an illustrator. “That illustrator path seemed hard, so I kept myself busy by going to different job interviews, even most interviewers were so kind and welcoming, I just didn’t feel the job would be a good fit.” After consulting her parents about her concerns, she learned that it will always be hard at first and was encouraged to keep chasing her dreams. “I learned to aim for the best and never settle for just com-fort.” The most treasured lesson she absorbed from the experi-ence is, “sometimes, when you forget about all the alternative choices and only leave yourself that one choice, you will put in as much effort as needed to make that choice work.” Having commissioned by the likes of Conde Nast, Vogue Magazine, Bloomingdales, Versace, South Coast Plaza and Neutrogena among others; to prosper, Sunny believes that is important that “you believe in your skill and yourself and create your own opportunities. Work with people who inspire and appreciate you.”

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You can see the rest of Sunny’s work on her website: www.sunnygu.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/sun-nysgy

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C U L T U R EE D I T E D B Y C I N D Y H E R N A N D E Z

M O N DAY S A R E T H E B E S TB Y K A R L A B E R N A R D O

“This is where comics are shared, secrets are told, hands are held. This is where they find that in the face of the havoc that a first love can wreak to the uninitiated, is also a kind of calmness and stillness that it can give to

the truly wanting.”

R O M EO A N D J U L I E TB Y C I N D Y H E R N A N D E Z

“If you want to watch a film that doesn’t take into account Shakespeare’s

poetic honor, then this is definitely the one to watch. ”

MONDAYS ARE THE BESTRainbow Rowell’s “Eleanor & Park” shows us that young love doesn’t

have to be chaotic – sometimes, it’s the silence and stillness it brings that makes it resonate the loudest.

R E V I E W B Y K A R L A B E R N A R D O

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On the surface, it looks like just another young adult love sto-ry, about a girl and a boy who fall in love for the first time and the kind of hits they have to take for the feelings that cement their connection. It’s a story that has been told before, it’s a story that we already know. But the biggest triumph of “Elea-nor & Park” is that despite the likelihood of predictability, it never feels unsurprising. With the weight of all the other first love novels behind it, you would think that this story would offer nothing new to the genre. Yet, Rowell manages to make it both familiar and unusual – it makes you remember your own firsts, while turning out to be nothing like yours. Eleanor and Park are both misfits, in every sense of the word. One is a skinny half-Korean comic book geek, the other a chubby, redheaded girl with a troubled past. They

are thrown in the one place that rarely shows mercy to such outsiders: the school bus. And yet, this is where they find each other. This is where comics are shared, secrets are told, hands are held. This is where they find that in the face of the havoc that a first love can wreak to the uninitiated, is also a kind of calmness and stillness that it can give to the truly wanting. Sometimes love is chaotic, but sometimes it’s simple, too. And it’s beautiful in the way it can drown out the noise outside, enough for everything else to not matter, even for only a bus ride.

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ROMEO AND JULIETYet another adaptation of the Shakespearean classic hit the silver screens

but did it give the most tragic love story ever told justice?

R E V I E W B Y C I N D Y H E R N A N D E Z

It’s been years since I last read this tragedy; a couple of years since I watched the latest cartoon version; yet I can confide in you that there are better, more poetic interpretations of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” than Carlo Car-lei’s film. Unfortunately, the writer for “Downtown Abbey,” Julian Fellowes, also conspired against the bard’s well-known play, by writing this dull, poetry-killing script.

Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” is a tragedy written over four hundred years ago. The play follows: Romeo, the young lad who falls in love, to a fault, with anything that is beauti-ful and moving; Juliet, his future love, and the daughter of his family’s sworn enemy; and a cast of supporting characters who relieve the serious moments with their comical tendencies.

Carlei’s film begins with Tybalt and Mercutio entering the stage on horseback during a jousting competition. In the background we hear the chorus reciting word for word what we’ve all read as the beginning of this drama. From that point on, everything rushes to set the stage, and introduce viewers to the overindulgent strife between the Capulets and Mon-tagues. Fellowes has Mercutio win the joust, which further emphasizes the hate between these two families--to make matters simpler, he writes Mercutio as a Montague, and thus the rewriting of one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays be-gins.

Soon afterwards, Fellowes dares to scratch complete acts from the play in the film, rushing Romeo’s infatuation with Ro-salind, and quickly thrusting him upon Juliet with minimal delay--Romeo quickly approaches Juliet at her house’s party and they start dancing. As they dance, we see Tybalt’s growing anger, an anger that later appears to be a mere act of bravado, turning this brute of a villain into a coward, but more of that later on.

Eventually, Romeo and Juliet find themselves alone, and they recite word for word their dialogue, the original verse that Shakespeare deemed appropriate upon their first meeting. Soon thereafter, we realize this conversation is one of the few aspects of the original play that are not slaughtered by Fel-lowes. It is understandable that Carlei and Fellowes are trying to introduce a new generation to an old tale, whose dialogue does not follow contemporary phrases, but do they really need to change beautiful verse and muddle it by destroying meta-phors, by omitting certain facts, and by mixing Shakespeare’s English with contemporary phrases? What right does Fellow-es have to change Juliet’s line, “Thy lips are warm” (on Romeo’s deathbed) to, “Your mouth is warm”?

Apart from the change of dialogue, Fellowes wants to change the storyline so much that he makes Tybalt a coward. Instead of Tybalt daring Romeo to attack him--moments after he’s

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killed Mercutio--Fellowes has Romeo declare war, Tybalt run away from Romeo to hide in abandoned quarters, only to find himself stabbed from behind by Romeo. And moments before Mercutio’s death, why did Fellowes shorten Mercutio’s long-winded, beautiful trance about Queen Maab? Why is there a fighting scene between Tybalt’s men and Mercutio’s friends? In the original piece, there is no such thing; it’s a clean fight between Tybalt and Mercutio. The only accurate part of these fighting scenes is when Romeo tries to stop the fight be-tween Tybalt and Mercutio--Fellowes faithfully designed the scene for us to see that Tybalt stabs Mercutio from right under Romeo’s arms, as he was trying to step between the two. Both the play and film rob us of Mercutio, but Fellowes’s crime is only apparent due to his lack of interest in developing what makes Mercutio such a crucial character. Instead, we see Ro-meo’s made-up kin die, and are left empty because we couldn’t root for the most jovial character, who on his deathbed makes cheeky comments about how he’s not dying yet.

Not everything has gone wrong in this film, though. For in-stance, there was Romeo, played by Douglas Booth. Booth

embraces Romeo’s impulsiveness; he portrays a Romeo whose histrionics are heartfelt, his nuances of the Shakespearean lines are spot-on, and completely overshadows Juliet’s perfor-mance. Hailee Steinfeld, Juliet, unfortunately plays a mellow, overtly cold Juliet--this is true during the scene where her fa-mous soliloquy takes place at the balcony. Steinfeld’s inability to display a naive, confused, and absurdly deep-in-love Juliet is felt throughout the film. Although Steinfeld falls short in her performance, such characters as her father, played by Dami-an Lewis, glow with gravity at what is unraveling. The scene where he tells her that if she doesn’t marry Paris, he will dis-own her is impassioned with fury--it leaves you wanting more facetime with this particular Capulet.

If you want to watch a film that doesn’t take into account Shakespeare’s poetic honor, then this is definitely the one to watch. But, don’t come back and tell me that it was disap-pointing. Even the overrated balcony scene, which is what most of us remember from reading the play dozens of times, is a letdown.

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M U S I CE D I T E D B Y E L L I E C E N T E N O

A L M I G H T Y: A LO R D E A L B U M R E V I E WB Y A L F O N S O M I G U E L B A S S I G

“Lorde deems to be strongest when channelling that kid scared of being pushed over to the opulent lifestyle.”

T H E L I FE O F T H E PA R T YB Y M A R I A H R E D I O C A

“It’s also about what it’s like to stumble into a seedy alley and drunkenly lean against a wall by the end of night, fumbling fingers while trying to

text an old flame.”

I N CO N V E R S AT I O N W I T H K A R L X J O H A N

B Y J A R E D C A R L M I L L A N

”We set out to make classics every single time with every single song. That is what we want to do. When you think of it that way time is not

important. “

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ALMIGHTY

A Lorde album reviewB Y A L F ON S O MIGUE L B A S S IG

Being taken under the wing of A&R people at the age of 12 may sound like having yourself trapped in the pitfalls of be-ing just another “give-the-people-what-they-want” artist, but Ella Yellich-O’Connor defied the orthodox and became what is now New Zealand’s hottest import, Lorde. Whether she fought hard for the creative rights or it was the label’s plan all along to catapult new blood to the industry, this sixteen-year old is one hell of a gamechanger. As to saying what she wants to say, Lorde doesn’t beat around the bush. “Don’t you think it’s boring how people talk?” she opens Pure Heroine with the track Tennis Court, the record’s centerpiece and narrative kickstarter that displays the record’s dichotomy: Lorde and Yellich-O’Connor. The former maintains a tough stance as she delivers blows to soci-etal shortcomings, while the latter is seemingly afraid of losing herself in her imminent uprising. With this debut studio album, it’s like Lorde just moved in town and transferred to a new high school; the teacher asks her to introduce herself to the class, and starts cursing the shit out of everyone. She’s basically done, as rein-forced on Team’s post-chorus: “I’m kind of over gettin’ told to throw my hands up in the air / So there.” It’s a pop record that borders on dissing pop culture—a well-crafted satire that is way beyond her years. When third track and debut single Royals came out early this year, it sparked the beginning of what would be 2013’s biggest success story. The newbie foreigner’s catchy trash pop instantly penetrated American airwaves, even knocking Miley Cyrus (and her wrecking ball) off the num-ber one spot on the charts, generating the hype much needed for Lorde’s full-length release. Lyrically, Royals is subversive to pop excess; almost a bitch slap for Lana Del Rey, to which, ironically, Lorde’s low-key vocals have been compared to. Think Coney Island Queen, Chateau Marmont, and Born to Die tigers. “Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash / We don’t care, we aren’t caught up in your love affair”.How the production doesn’t stray far from the bass-snap pat-

tern makes the album less of a banger that it could have been but provides Pure Heroine with a cohesive running sound. Aside from doing much of the songwriting, Lorde worked with producer Joel Little who put the pieces together with a rather minimalist approach—pushing Lorde’s words to the frontlines, giving her a canvas clear enough to paint the gen-eral picture: that Auckland teenager keeping up with society’s excessive opulence, struggling to not be one of the dolls and have life course through her bloodstream; tied up in a smoky torch contralto. While Royals was designed to spearhead the re-cord to mainstream success, one should know that Lorde is far from being a one-hit wonder. Most of the tracks in Pure Heroine contemplate on worldly matters, essentially making it more of a socio-political eye-opener. However, Lorde deems to be strongest when channelling that kid scared of being pushed over to the opulent lifestyle. She is most vulnerable un-der the dreamy synthesizers of Ribs (“And I’ve never felt more alone / It feels so scary getting old”) and the nothingness of 400 Lux (“We might be hollow, but we’re brave”). The people behind the whole Lorde gameplan are planning a pop revolution. Although Pure Heroine is too re-strained and effortless to be an opus, it remains to be a debut executed with the utmost grace. And while it seems much controversy revolves on how mysteriously intricate Lorde is packaged as an artist, her strength lies mostly in what Ella Yellich-O’Connor makes of the world. Now that Lorde is on a worldwide pedestal, it will sure be interesting to witness her art’s transition in the next records to come. That is, if she does not burn out this early in the fast lane.

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THE LIFE OF THE PARTY

An Arctic Monkeys album review

B Y M A R I A H R E OD IC A

“Baby, we both know that the nights were mainly made for saying things that you can’t say tomorrow day,” sings vocalist Alex Turner on the opening track Do I Wanna Know?, which gives way to R U Mine? which is as sultry as the femme fa-tales that AM’s tracks are about. The album is best listened to at night, after a few drinks. It’s an album about striding into clubs and running its fingers through its slicked back hair, with effortless cool. It’s also about what it’s like to stumble into a seedy alley and drunkenly lean against a wall by the end of night, fumbling fingers while trying to text an old flame. Jamie Cook’s killer riffs and the tight rhythm sec-tion of Nick O’Malley and Matt Helders are as solid as ever. R U Mine? and Do I Wanna Know? were made to be played in sold-out stadiums to crowds of fans. None of the songs on AM are as frantic as Brianstorm or I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor, but instead, they’ve taken a more suave, heavy ap-proach, similar to 2009’s Humbug. At other times, they take cues from forties doo-wop on Snap Out of It and the ooh la la’s of Mad Sounds. The influence of hip-hop on Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High is a welcome direction that this band is headed to— And it doesn’t sound like selling out at all, despite Arctic Monkeys being one of the biggest bands in Britain. Alex Turner still has a penchant for tongue-twist-ers, but as his more recent releases have shown, he has learned to pace himself, too. He holds back, letting his words flow in his British drawl before going rapid fire. Turner’s knack for pointing out small details with lines like “As I arrived, I thought I saw you leavin’, carrying your shoes” and “Lights in the floors and sweat on the walls / Cages and poles” show

the less glamorous side of parties that top 40 hits don’t usually talk about. Yet for all of Turner’s spot-on observations that show that he’s been there a lot, he still sings, “Here isn’t where I wanna be.” No. 1 Party Anthem, one of the highlights of AM, is also more proof of Turner’s songwriting skills, as proven by the lines “The look of love / The rush of blood / The “she’s with me” / The Gallic shrug”, a montage of the beginnings of a one-night stand. For a song that calls itself an anthem, it’s a slow, lovelorn song with a painfully earnest call to “Come on / Before the moment’s gone”. Its irony isn’t smug like their earlier albums; instead, it shows just how lonely it is to be in a crowded room, longing for someone who isn’t there. It’s the kind of ballad that Arctic Monkeys are capable of that were hinted at in songs like “When the Sun Comes Down”, “Only Ones Who Know”, and even the languid, doe-eyed solo EP that Turner released as part of the soundtrack to the 2010 film Submarine. The album cycles through the indecision between choosing to get with someone or be with someone, and how alcohol can make people stumble back and forth between the two. It throws in the wildcard that alcohol can be, which can also lead someone into a maze of bad decisions, with a regret that emerges only the morning after. Despite that, beneath its hazed, drunken exterior is a sobering romanticism that can’t be easily shaken off: That love might still be found in the un-likeliest of places in the future, and even if you can’t see how to get to that point, especially when you’re at you’re loneliest on a Saturday evening, there’s still a chance.

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IN CONVERSATION WITH KARL X JOHAN

This Award-winning Swedish duo talk records, inspirations, and the future of Karl X Johan

I N T E R V I E W B Y J A R E D C A R L M I L L A N , W O R D S B Y E L L I E C E N T E N O

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Hailing from the city that prides itself of the birthplace of the likes of Lykke Li, Lo-Fi-Fnk and The Royal Concept, Stock-holm proudly dishes out the duo of Johan Tuvesson and Karl Jönsson, collectively calling themselves as Karl X Johan. En-tering the scene with a track called “Flames,” sampling the theme song from 1987 film The Untouchables, which eventu-ally paved the way for their well-deserved Swedish Grammy in 2010 for best video. Their succeeding singles, “Fantasies” released in 2011 and “Never Leave Me” this year, show their gradual movement towards musical perfection, achieving au-ral sleekness and refinement with each song. “Never Leave Me is available on iTunes under Emotion, a label Tuvesson helps manage.

Pinpointing hip-hop and pop dancehall as their main musical influences, it shows heavily in their music. In an interview with Fader magazine, they said “Nobody is influ-enced by this in Stockholm, so it’s a good feeling. We really like that raw emotion [of pop dancehall]. We don’t always agree with the lyrics, but it doesn’t matter because the feeling is so pure.”

In this issue, STACHE gets to know Karl and Johan in a level of online intimacy only the internet can provide and ask them a few questions about Karl X Johan, Sweden and everything in between.

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Fashion and music have always gone hand in hand, and in more ways than one, the music evolution has given birth to the style revolution, or the other way around.

STYLISTIC EVOLUTION OF MUSIC ARTISTS

WORDS BY ECKS ABITONA , ILLUS TRATIONS BY TZADDI E SGUERRA , V INCE PUERTO AND PAT MAPIL I

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JT is fondly remembered as someone with bleached ramen noodle hair mix and clothing textures of velour, corduroy and leather combo – not a look people were very excited about.

At the start of No Strings Attached era of NSync, we find an impressionable JT which meant finally losing the hoop earrings. He says goodbye to the 90’s along with his signature curls.

Learning from follies of the past, JT began embodying a bit of Frank Sinatra with hints of mini-sharp lapels and bizarre pant cuffs. He finishes his ensembles with his recognized dapper attitude.

Learning from follies of the past, JT began embodying a bit of Frank Sinatra with hints of mini-sharp lapels and bizarre pant cuffs. He finishes his ensembles with his recognized dapper attitude.

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At the start of The Killer’s career, Brandon Flowers was known for his excessive use of eyeliner and jewel toned blazers. He experimented throughout the years wearing jackets from the runway of Dior Homme when it was still under Hedi Slimane.

With the utilization of more bling in his wardrobe and more Sgt. Pepper blazers, Flowers’ style was said to be a result of a subconscious need to make an extra effort to never go unnoticed.

Upon releasing Flamingo, he exposed a simple, honest side to his fashion. Sporting a bit more scruff, simple button-downs and suspenders; almost a boy-next-door look but still keeping that standard Flowers-glam.

After the release of Battle Born, The Killers’ new album, Brandon Flowers kept the flair of simplicity adding minimal pieces of bold-colored blazers and corduroy jeans finishing it with bootlace ties.

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Before taking a break, 18-year old Robyn embodies a tamed down “grunge” taking the messy button downs tied around the waist to a modern look but still looking effortlessly cool.

Upon the release of a new album and a label she founded, Konichiwa, Robyn keeps a cozy wardrobe featuring neutral palettes and relaxed pieces. 2008 serves as the “bridge” before her risk taking adventures.

By 2010, Robyn’s style recalls the fashion of the late 1980’s to 1990’s that features cropped bomber jackets, Doc Martens and graphic t-shirts. Capturing inspiration from her personal style hero—Neneh Cherry—she starts lifting inspiration from old school rave culture and vintage London street wear.

With the revival of 90’s style, Robyn remains loyal to her original flair but keeps the balance by adding feminine delicate pieces to her everyday wardrobe.

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First of all, hello! How are you guys doing?We’re doing fine, thank you.

Before we begin, I, and the rest of the team, want to know: what do they feed you in Sweden? There are so many great musical acts from Sweden that we are beginning to wonder.We usually drink a lot of white wine and eat avocados with cottage cheese and do pushups. It works very well for us.

Okay, so tell us who Karl X Johan is, and what “Karl X Johan” means exactly?Karl X Johan is just a fancy way of saying Karl Jönsson and Johan Tuvesson.

How did the duo come to be, and what were you guys doing before making music more or less profession-ally?We bumped into each other in 2006 while touring with [mu-sic] other projects. Over the years we slowly started hanging out and decided to form the in 2010. By then we’d already worked on Flames for over a year. The rest is history.

Your music has a very distinct hip-hop feel to it, and yet it is still an altogether different sound. How would you guys describe your music? Well, of the modern contemporary music out there, we most-ly get inspired by hiphop and RnB. But we also have a deep knowledge of pop music history, from which we also draw inspiration. Who are you guys’ biggest musical influences?We aren’t aware of who we’re trying to imitate anymore. We just ride along with spirit of music.

Did you guys always want to be musicians, even when you were younger?Yes.

Tell us about your creative process. Do you have any rituals or routines to get you “into the zone,” or is it a spontaneous thing?It’s a slow process of spontaneous moments in which we grad-ually build the songs.

What’s the experience like being under “Emotion?”Everyone at the label is an old friend of ours, from before Karl X Johan and Emotion, so it’s all very natural.

There is a gap of more or less a year between singles. What is the reason behind this?We set out to make classics every single time with every single song. That is what we want to do. When you think of it that way time is not important.

You guys won a Swedish Grammy for the music video of “Flames” in 2012. Can you tell us the story behind it? Did you guys have a hand in the process of mak-ing it?The director, Gustav, heard the song at a night club here in Stockholm. He contacted us the same night and said that he just had to make a video for the song and that he didn’t care about money. It’s his idea and we didn’t have a hand in making it. We’re just glad he did.

What do you guys do on your spare time?The music always finds a way into all aspects of our daily lives, so we don’t really see it as work and spare time.

Anything you can share with us about Karl X Johan’s future? New music videos? Tours? A full-length al-bum?We’re currently working on our debut album, so that is our main focus. But we will release other things beside that pro-ject. We’ve got exciting times ahead!

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F A S H I O NE D I T E D B Y E C K S A B I T O N A

CO M I N G O F AG EP H O T O G R A P H Y B Y B E R N A R D P A T A C S I L

A S T U DY I N N O N- C H A L A N C E

P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y J A S H M A N U E L

B E H I N D T H E FL A N N E L

B Y C I N D Y H E R N A N D E Z

“At the turn of the twentieth century, the clothing industry achieved a universal status, setting trends that still survive today.”

S H Y, Q U I E T S E A M SB Y T R I S H A K A T I P U N A N

“I guess I work more around the practicality of the garment and also with the

way I treat the fabric.”

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Balance

EMPHASIS

UNITY

RhYTHM

proportion

The relation between parts, proportion gives the sense of unity when an element relates well with the entirety of the

object. 

TIP: Play with lengths and fits.

The repetitive use of one or more elementsto create a sense of

movement and flow.

TIP: Choose uniquely patterned fabrics for statement for certain outfit pieces.

central point of a design that intends to attract the viewer, usually achieved by using a distinct quality or appearance.

TIP: collect items that will pop when wearing basic or neutral schemes.

The equal distribution of an object's qualities: symmetrically (equal) asymmetri-

cally (nonidentical with equal visual weight), radially (equally around

central point).

TIP: Cuts and slits in flattering places can balance out shape and size.

Unity occurs when all parts of an art is in harmony with each other, making

an artwork look "complete."

TIP: Accessorize with items that will unify your intended “theme” whether it’s retro, girly or punk.

KNOWYOUR

FRAME

HEIGHT:

SmallMediumLarge

BUILD:

SlimAthleticRobust

FASHION Words Jared Millan| Illustrations: Dani GoDESIGN

Lessons on the Principles of

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Balance

EMPHASIS

UNITY

RhYTHM

proportion

The relation between parts, proportion gives the sense of unity when an element relates well with the entirety of the

object. 

TIP: Play with lengths and fits.

The repetitive use of one or more elementsto create a sense of

movement and flow.

TIP: Choose uniquely patterned fabrics for statement for certain outfit pieces.

central point of a design that intends to attract the viewer, usually achieved by using a distinct quality or appearance.

TIP: collect items that will pop when wearing basic or neutral schemes.

The equal distribution of an object's qualities: symmetrically (equal) asymmetri-

cally (nonidentical with equal visual weight), radially (equally around

central point).

TIP: Cuts and slits in flattering places can balance out shape and size.

Unity occurs when all parts of an art is in harmony with each other, making

an artwork look "complete."

TIP: Accessorize with items that will unify your intended “theme” whether it’s retro, girly or punk.

KNOWYOUR

FRAME

HEIGHT:

SmallMediumLarge

BUILD:

SlimAthleticRobust

FASHION Words Jared Millan| Illustrations: Dani GoDESIGN

Lessons on the Principles of

Illustration by Daniela Go

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Illustration by James Bernabe

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A STUDY IN NON-CHALANCEPhotography: Jash Manuel

Model: Sue Suanco

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In each era, fashion serves as a cultural standard that everybody want to embody. May it symbolize courage or flirtation, fashion transcends time.

BEHIND THE FLANNEL

WORDS BY CINDY HERNANDE Z, ILLUS TRATIONS BY MICA AGREGADO & MIK A BACANI.

In a sense, fashion has evolved from being a signifier of class to what it is now due to the industrial revolution. Our current generation can afford to constantly change the scenery of fashion just as we quickly dispose of electronics—all due to the introduction of factories, the conveyor belt and the mass production of goods.

Throughout the centuries, fashion has played different roles in society. Since before England’s break with the Roman Catholic Church to the early twentieth century, fashion’s ostentatiousness was reserved for the wealthy to boast their rank in society. The noble classes defined what was in trend at any given time, leaving the leftovers to the less fortunate. To a certain degree, social rank as well as gender defined what was to be worn by each individual. The women’s movement, two world wars, and the introduction of mass production changed

fashion’s influencers, its portrayal of rank, and in turn it has served as a way for subcultures to define their generation and political movements—not to mention that it serves as a signifier of self-expression and creativity.

At the turn of the twentieth century, the clothing industry achieved a universal status, setting trends that still survive today. Who do you think was the inspiration behind those bomber jackets? If it weren’t for the introduction of the brassiere, Victoria’s Secret would have never existed, and no one would be searching for the perfect “push-up” bra.

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1900sHistorians refer to the first decade of the twentieth century as the Edwardian period—King Edward VII, son of Queen Victoria, ruled during this period in England. Gowns worn two hundred years prior still influenced the clothing; women’s clothes’ were purposefully tailored to show their tightly corseted torso. Wealthy women had attire for every occasion: morning dresses, afternoon dresses, evening gowns, casual wear, and sporting events.

Men’s clothing has changed little since the turn of the last century, with a few exceptions. The three-piece suit (coat, vest and pants) was introduced at this time. Men wore short overcoats usually at knee length; shirts were accented with high collars and bow ties. They accessorized their garments with sterling-silvered-handled canes and bowler hats. Men also had the option to choose the style of their collars, being able to choose from dozens of designs; these days, those

options are obsolete.

What men thought was reserved for the “stronger” sex, has now influenced what the “fairer” sex wears—Monk Strap dress shoes previously worn solely by men are slowly seeping into women’s current shoe trends. The late eighteen hundreds saw the introduction of pants in females’ attire. Few women wore pants, usually within the constraints of their houses. Although men still believed suits’ display of power should be reserved for men only, this period saw the introduction of tailored suits (jacket and skirt) for women. As the women’s feminism movement garnered more momentum, they earned the right to ban corsets from their wardrobe, thus introducing a looser form of dress and a shorter hemline capable of reaching the ankle—women’s clothes now conformed to their body rather than the other way around.

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and a shorter hemline capable of reaching the ankle—women’s clothes now conformed to their body rather than the other way around.

When the car was introduced, driving clothes were developed for the traveling masses: dustcoats, windshield hats, and glasses. In later decades, similar trends surfaced, where countercultures’ (hippies, punks) preferred clothes are produced for the masses, as capitalism commodifies and profits from social movements.

When World War I changed the landscape of the wealthy, and every man—men were the prominent fashion designers

then—was called to fight, couture dwindled and clothes no longer served the purpose to establish social hierarchies. When the war ended, and freedom was again part of every day life, fashion trended towards simplicity. Skirt hems were raised above the ankle; necklines were simple scoops or a “v,” and the introduction of the flapper era by the mid-twenties allowed for women to wear skirts up to the knee.

When the Great Depression hit the U.S. in 1929, fashion gave way to a more conservative look, with longer hemlines, but following the previously established relaxed fit. By this time synthetic fabrics like rayon and nylon were commonly used. By the mid-thirties, zippers overtook the clothing industry,

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with longer hemlines, but following the previously established relaxed fit. By this time synthetic fabrics like rayon and nylon were commonly used. By the mid-thirties, zippers overtook the clothing industry, making hook-and-eye closures almost obsolete. Although the times were in flux, Haute Couture was popular, but ultimately the biggest influencer of fashion at this time was the film industry. Women yearned to look like the Hollywood actresses on film—thanks to Katharine Hepburn trousers became part of the mainstream fashion.

Fashion in the U.S. from the Depression onwards was austere and limited, especially on the onset of the Second World War. Soon after the war ended, mass production took over

the fashion industry and introduced off-the-rack garments to America. A sense of conformity was offered to the masses; women who had worked in factories, taking over men’s roles during the war went back home and tended to their family. If it weren’t for this need to have the masses go back quietly to their lives to focus on rearing children, and to play by the rules, the countercultures that followed would not have been capable of influencing the world we now know. We would have never known that in order for change to happen, we have to fight the Man.

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HippiesThe sixties saw a countercultural movement made up of hippies questioning mainstream life in the United States. It began with university students who opposed what was then happening in the U.S. Hippies were activists fighting for civil rights. They opposed the country’s involvement in the Vietnam War, choosing to “make love, not war.” They disliked the constant materialistic ways of their contemporaries, and sought to fight for more justice in the world. The movement sprung from the Beat Generation, from the 1950s, after the term “hipster,” which the Beats had previously coined to describe themselves.

Apart from their ideologies, clothing was also an essential part of what defined a hippie. Their nonconformist identity consisted of: long hair, facial hair, casual and oftentimes unconventional attire, beads as accessories, sandals, and the infamous psychedelic colors, or tie dye effect. If it weren’t for the hippies, rimless granny glasses and granny dresses would never have become popular. The movement not only inspired fashion, but film, literature and music.

Although their dress was a big part of what defined their counterculture movement, hippies also modified their living rituals to accommodate how they felt. They chose to live in communes or in coop arrangements, oftentimes growing their own food, and choosing organic, vegetarian diets. While the coops allowed for healthy diets, it also gave hippies a freedom to do as they pleased, isolated from society.

The movement didn’t merely revolve around fashion, and

coops. Hippies made their mark in the world through their protests. They would march in anti-war rallies to hand out flowers to the public and soldiers; they would even place flowers in the barrels of soldiers’ guns. Their most memorable march was on October 21, 1967, when one hundred thousand activists marched to the Pentagon, and attempted to levitate it. They didn’t reach the Pentagon since 2,500 soldiers blocked their path. The infamous march had a rough turn when radical protestors turned violent against US Marshals; it almost lasted three days.

The hippie movement also had a big impact on the music scene. It influenced rock to a whole new level; it introduced psychedelic rock and folk, both genres that veered from the humdrum rockabilly sounds people were used to then. The hippie movement saw acts such as Bob Dylan and Patti Smith—folk created songs that were anthems against the war, and asked for a more loving society. If it weren’t for the hippie movement, Woodstock wouldn’t have taken place, and music festivals wouldn’t be as appealing as they now are.

For the most part, the hippie movement was a positive reaction to the inadequate times of the sixties.

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PunkPunk spawned from the 1970s as a subculture led by the youth—kids who were angry with the Establishment. The English strain of the movement was led by working-class youth sick of the mediocre economy and constant rise in unemployment; they couldn’t stand the wealthy people’s hypocrisy and notion of reform. Punks were enraged —they displayed their social dissent by their mannerisms, musical genre, and their outrageous attire. This was the beginning of the movement in England, a movement that later forced itself into the American lifestyle, and eventually gained notoriety for its scene.

Punks sought to threaten what the rich and affluent supported most: class hierarchy, mainstream culture, patriotism, morals, and the royalty. These ideas are heard loud and jarringly in the Sex Pistols. In general, punks were apolitical, but bands like The Clash embraced the discordant and damning sides of politics through their music. The apocalyptic themes ring through “London Calling,” informing listeners of what was happening to the English working class.

The social movement soon dwindled as the capitalists they despised learned how easy it was to make their message profitable—the media made punk a social commodity, with the mass distribution of the faux-hawk, and studded leather jackets. Today we forget what punk stood for: a subculture movement led by working-class youth fighting against powers that further fueled their anger and poverty in England. Today we listen to The Clash, but forget to pay attention to the underlying tones, the message, the description of scenes we are

fortunate enough to not have lived through.

Most of us, myself included, merely think punk was a dissonant, three-chord genre created by musicians for the sake of making simple, oftentimes upbeat music to mosh to. We enter any store and find traces of the movement whose origin we’ve forgotten: a studded belt, combat boots, jeans with stylized tears. We listen to pop-punk (ex. Green Day), but forget that there were the founding punk fathers who sang their hearts out to illuminate the youth about the dangers of following the Establishment. Oftentimes we feel compelled to dress like the subculture because of the 80s films we’ve watched, or we think it would look cool to change our preppy look and opt for wearing “punk clothes.” Maybe we just want to hang out with the cool kids because we’re at that age where we cycle through different phases.

These days, we see established fashion designers taking inspiration from punk—punk was first introduced to Chanel in 2011. The recent Met Gala’s theme was “punk.” The musical genre is still intact with a variety of subgenres under its belt. Yet we forget that the style we now seek, during its inception, meant something more than we’ve given it credit to.

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HipstersThe turn of the century has seen the term “hipster” come back into the mainstream, to define a subculturew “movement” led by Generation-Y, or as others prefer to call us, Millennials. Hipsters get a lot of flak because for being a counterculture movement, they tend to be apathetic about their surroundings, tending towards living a hedonistic lifestyle. There is no moral anchor that glues hipsters, no ideals other than the knack of getting kicks from wearing clothes ironically, or being able to find indie bands no one has heard of.

The irony in being a hipster is the fact that hipsters enjoy taking inspiration from such impactful, aforementioned countercultures, without themselves caring too much to make an impact in the world, or to inform the mainstream that it’s not only proper to criticize the government, but to also do something about it—this of course does not include in any form hipsters from Portland, Oregon. The hipster subculture is significantly defined by what they wear, and how they wear

it. You will see plenty of hipsters wearing non-prescription Buddy Holly-looking reading glasses, many wearing a plethora of tattoos, some evoking that hobo-look the hippies became famous for, and of course, you can’t forget the classic V-neck, plaid shirt, or the ironic mustache.

If it weren’t for the women’s movement, two world wars, the invention of the conveyor belt, and the creativity of people, fashion’s ability to define one’s social class would still be intact. Of course, you can always tell if a person is part of the 1%--there are still brands that only the wealthy can still afford—but it’s not as definitive as it once was, and for that, let’s thank the industrial revolution.

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To be part of a fast-growing industry, it takes courage to never follow the rules and construct with no restrictions so other people get a great sense of what your vision is.

SHY, QUIET SEAMS

WORDS BY TRISHA K AT IPUNAN, PHOTO BY JASH MANUEL

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Situated at the far end of subculture hub, Cubao Expo, is UVLA—the garment trove and workspace of budding fashion designer Tin Yu. Upholstered on her roughly painted walls is an installation of sorts: from an eerie array of animal skulls and tree barks to her collection of ethereal paintings, posters, fabric scraps and countless art pieces. Peeking through this artist-turned-fashion designer’s loosely hinged doors and glass windows, you’ll see her charmingly curated art nook, neatly cluttered with furniture and design elements.

Stepping out of her familiar media, painting and art, she decides to make the big leap to creating clothes when she took up fashion design at the College of St. Benilde. A recent graduate, Yu has ventured into fashion; the very idea and process of making garments intrigued her. Growing up, her surrounding environment consisted of women with a knack for making clothes: her grandmother, a seamstress; house helpers fond of sewing; and friends with the same passion. Yu’s eclectic likes, from experimental to high-end—Rei Kawakobo, the local art scene (MM YU’s work), and her recurring aesthetic inspirations composed of science books, architecture and organic patterns—influence her on a daily basis. She makes sure her body of work is not only aesthetically pleasing and form fitting, but above all functional. She wants her clients to be anything but self-conscious about wearing her clothes more than once, on consecutive days. Yu creates pieces that depict fresh, youthful women adorned in delicate textures and oddly placed patterns gelled together and outlined with feminine silhouettes.

STACHE: When did you start making clothes? Tin Yu: I used to make clothes for cats back in grade school and I suppose my interest all started there plus the fact that

my grandmother is a seamstress and we have maids who also knew how to sew.

STACHE: What are your influences in design? I don’t really have a fashion icon; I refrain from following trends because I know that as a newbie in this industry I can’t really keep up with trends for now. I guess I work more around the practicality of the garment and also with the way I treat the fabric.

STACHE: Can you describe your personal style?Very minimalist. I like comfy fabric such as chambray, eyelets, and cotton; I also like breezy, flow-y garments and long dresses. My style is highly driven by the climate too.

STACHE: Can you describe your aesthetic in fashion design?I somehow project my personal style to the clothes I create. I really prioritize form and function and I work around well-chosen fabric. Basta, I want my clients to be able to wear my clothes more than once and feel good in them.

STACHE: Do you have a client base? How do you promote your line through different media?I cater to women of all ages; I don’t really want to focus on a certain age group because that would be constricting. Right now, I’m working on some dresses for a wedding. And I usually cater to women. I do mostly casual dresses, but it gets seasonal too when it comes to the demand of my customers. My most busy days are prom season and weddings. As for promotion, hindi ako masyadong aggressive because as a new designer, I’m still scared to market myself because I’m not sure if I can really keep up with the trends and the demands as they arise. For now I rely on word of mouth, previous clients,

I work more around the practicality of the garment and also with the way I treat the fabric.

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friends and relatives, and walk-ins.

STACHE: What has been your most complicated project to date?Wedding dresses! With runway and casual dresses that are not made to order kasi you can sort of “cheat” pa with the fitting kasi you don’t really have specific clients yet. But with wedding dresses, you cater to a large group and you have to make sure everything fits well because you go under two fittings for this one.

STACHE: How long does it take for you to finish a project?For casual dresses, I can finish up a piece in one day. As for my formal and bridal dresses, maybe a month because I have to work around the schedule of the clients and it takes longer because we go through two fittings.

STACHE: Do you have certain rituals before and during working? Cleaning the place, I really can’t work with clutter. Every morning when I come here I sweep and wax the floor and burn some citronella to get rid of the mosquitoes.

STACHE: Let’s talk about favourites; what colors do you love and hate?I love white! I also like neutrals and colors. I hate orange, red, purple and pink. Haha.

STACHE: What is your favourite material?Cotton!

STACHE: Your favourite work music?I don’t really listen to music kasi maingay na sa labas ng expo and every day the two establishments next to the studio play the FM radio, so I’d rather not add up to the noise.

STACHE: What is your favourite item in your closet?My dresses and long skirts.

STACHE: What is your favourite brand?I don’t really shop and I’m not brand conscious, but I think Muji is a nice brand because the material used are of really good quality. It’s my mom who does the shopping for me sometimes because I don’t really enjoy shopping so much. Haha! But I love ukay-ukay though, and I like layering pieces I find there such as long skirts that I wear on top of each other.

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STACHE: What is your favourite time of day?Early morning or late at night. I hate it at 3 to 5 p.m. because the sky is too orange and yellow between those times.

STACHE: Which celebrity do you wish you could dress up?I don’t really have a certain celebrity in mind, but I suppose ordinary people are my favourite ones to dress up because you see them walking around in your clothes and they look like they feel good and it makes me feel good.

STACHE: What is fashionable for you?Someone who can maintain style for a long time.

STACHE: For you, who is the most fashionable person?Steve Jobs, and cartoon characters that don’t really change clothes but look good, and Rei Kawakubo.

STACHE: What is your fashion philosophy? Fashion is continually evolving and as for me, I don’t really

follow trends because I can’t keep up, but at the same time I try not to stick to a certain style.

STACHE: What is the best thing about what you do?Doing something I love and seeing people happy wearing my work. My favourite thing to do is pattern making, but I absolutely hate beadwork and working with silk because it’s so tedious!

STACHE: Do you have any dream projects? I want to exhibit art and clothes in a gallery or a museum!

STACHE: What advice can you give to aspiring artists who want to dabble in fashion too? Always keep art intact because it’s difficult when you burn out and have no foundation to hold on and fall back to. Take it slowly, learn the craft and take time to really master the basics because it will help you upgrade in your skills. Just enjoy what you love doing!

Fashion is continually evolving and as for me, I don’t really follow trends because I can’t keep up, but at the

same time I try not to stick to a certain style.

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DARYL FERILTHE Art OF

Ever since hi s ser ie s “Brands in Full Bloom” made it s rounds online, he has s tunned with hi s with hi s ar tworks . Daryl Feril sit s down with Stache

Magazine to talk about g rowing up, fa shion , and his craf t .

W R I T E E N B Y J A R E D C A R L MIL A N

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II consider myself now a deportee, but I once had a tempo-rary visa into the world of arts. My father is an artist and my brother is an artist so of course I fancied myself an artist, and I even have talent with which to back it up. But when I had not been accepted to the Fine Arts program at the University of the Philippines – Diliman, I cut my loses and never once looked back. I consider the arts now as a friend I once knew, but one with which I do not want to catch up or trade stories. There are things that are best kept at a remove, and the arts for me is one of those. These days when I look at art, traditional art, digital art, visual art, art I could have been making but do not, I could appreciate its beauty as much as the next person but I do not anymore try to figure out why I do.

IIWhen I found out that I would be writing this month’s cover story on Daryl Feril I found myself trying with the kind of defeated resolve to make for myself forged papers; if I want to be able to write this piece I would need those documents to cross borders and conduct reconnaissance. Because I wanted to write a good piece, I thought I should do my homework, know my stuff, acquaint myself with something I resolutely so avoided. In brief I wanted this piece to be as technical as possible. I wanted you, and perhaps myself, to read this two thousand word some piece with a sense that the author knows what he’s talking about. But it became apparent at the beginning of my in-

terview with Daryl that the person with which I was talking isn’t the kind who busies himself with the technicalities of his craft. As it happens, if there is one thing Daryl Feril isn’t, it is technical. For one thing, not once did the word “line” or “bal-ance” or “rhythm” or “unity” or “depth” or “tone” or “space” ever come up, or at least in the sense that I am talking about here. For another, there is something about his artworks that scream “unstructured,” something arbitrary, something that don’t quite comply with the rules of composition.

IIIFilled with overflowing foliage, splashes of color, and organic shapes, Daryl’s artworks are at once elegant and messy, mor-bid and lively. And I suppose this polarity in his style which work harmoniously well together was what grabbed my atten-tion in the first place. The first artworks I saw of his were those in “Brands in Bloom,” and I was immediately stunned. I ask him what was the inspiration behind the artworks, and why luxury brands in general. “It wasn’t planned actually,” Daryl told me. “I’m a fan of [Alexander] McQueen and his over-the-top design and productions, and I wanted to make a tribute by creating that work. “[The] McQueen [artwork] was the first illustra-tion that I did from that series. It received good feedback when I uploaded it on Facebook so I decided, ‘why not create

I’m not the fashionable type of person, yet I’m fascinated by it. The chaos, the glamour, the lifestyle, as well the art itself:

The elaborate clothes, colors, structure and patterns.

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a few more brands?’ I never really thought it would gain much attention.” But it was attention his artworks received—the right kind and in abundance. Eventually one thing led to an-other. His artworks made their rounds online, his following grew, clients came calling, companies wanted his artworks featured alongside their products. Of course there had to be compromise, being an artist. Working for people whose sensibilities you do not share or are not familiar with, there are bound to be some matter of one meeting the other halfway. But so far Daryl’s clients have a good sense of his style as an artist. “I haven’t done projects that compromised my style, which is great.” He said. “Most of them hires me for a project because they want me to translate my style on their products or brand.” It all comes back to that distinct style. A structured disorder. A juxtaposition of polar opposites. A paradox. Foliage and nature in general suggest serenity and purity, and yet his blooms are aggressive, his colors shocking. The way with which his artworks command one’s eye for at-tention is hostile, it is in your face, and yet there is no shock value in play. What you’re getting is the sensibilities of an artist reflected into his art, sensibilities which embodies that juxta-position. “When I’m not my happiest I try to surround myself with good vibes, and it reflects in my work.” He said. “That’s why most of it is nature-related, and consists of foliage and blooming florals. Some [of my works] have vibrant colors just to counteract with [my] negativity.” His personal series called “Animalia” is another

manifestation of this. The artworks in the series comprises of a tiger, a deer and a zebra, all drawn intricately to the most min-ute of details, and about these animals are a plethora of leaves with which they are framed. It is a beautiful series, something tourism organizations and wildlife centers are likely to use, and yet this series, an exquisite reflection of majestic fauna, is actually about animal cruelty. Even in practice, there is that juxtaposition in play. “My work is 80% traditional, hand-drawn; the rest is done in Photoshop.” Daryl explained of his creative process. “I make watercolor and paint textures and all of the elements of the illustration, and then scan and export them to Photo-shop. Although [most of] it is done traditionally, the end re-sult is always a digital print.”

IVLike most artists who had been reluctant to pursue the arts in search for greener pastures, or artists whose parents had de-cided for them early on the career their children are to pursue, Daryl did not grow up with a more or less solid plan to pursue the arts. He took instead an undergraduate degree in Engi-neering. Ironically, that’s all it took for him to realize that his passions laid elsewhere. That, and a failing mark in Calculus. “When I entered college I stopped drawing. I ended taking up Computer Engineering, but eventually dropped [the] course after two and a half years because I hated math.” At that time they had been living in Davao for seven years, and Daryl had been planning to pursue the arts in Bacolod. Because they already have a house there, it seemed the perfect opportunity for take that big step.

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“[Actually], before I told [my parents] that I wanted to quit engineering and take up Fine Arts, I already had my admissions form.” He said. “I had gotten in touch with one of the college administrators in Bacolod.” It isn’t that Daryl’s parents consider a career in the arts as pointless; they just weren’t convinced that it is profit-able, weren’t convinced that the arts is an income-generating career, weren’t convinced that it is a proper profession. “My father used to draw [when I was a kid]. I think I got it from him.” Daryl recalled. “But he didn’t practice art as a profession. I guess some people take art just as a hobby and not as an income-generating career. That’s why my par-ents weren’t one hundred percent convinced when I [finally] decided to take up Fine Arts.“I think [my failing in Calculus] left them with no choice but to just let me do what I’ve always wanted. Plus, there’s always this stereotype of a struggling/starving artist and I wanted to prove them wrong.”And it also seemed the logical thing for him to do. He had been into arts even as a child.“Our walls would be covered with drawings. And during my elementary and secondary days, my notebooks and books were always full of sketches.”

VThe art of Daryl Feril has come a long way since those scrib-bles on the walls and sketches in his notebooks. It was in 2007 when we rekindled his long-standing love affair with the arts after having abandoned it altogether taking Computer Engi-neering. During his second shot at college, now taking Ad-vertising Arts majoring in Fine Arts, he started doing photo manipulations and web and graphic design. They were taught not to focus on one area, taught to experiment and experience

different techniques, and it is through this experimentation that he fell in love with vector illustrations. “I bought my first Art & Design magazine with Autumn Whitehurst on the cover.” Daryl told me about that particular period in his life as a born-again artist. “So the rest of my college years I was doing vector illustrations, and [through it] I got to meet Rhafael Aseo on deviantArt, who is awesome. Then I became a member of Vector X Vexel PH when it first started.” There was something about that kind of art, how-ever, that didn’t sit well with him. Or better yet, there was something about the sudden bloom of the vector art as a movement that Daryl didn’t find appealing. “Vector art became huge, and I felt like drowning into a quicksand.” He told me. “Don’t get me wrong, it was vector art that opened my eyes into the world of design. But it came to a point were I felt like it wasn’t my thing anymore; I didn’t see much growth during that phase in my work.” We are getting closer now to the art of Daryl Feril we are more familiar with. And I suppose it begins during this shift in aesthetic, when he decided to scrap all of his past works and start all over again, abandon the photo manipula-tions and revert back to the more traditional way of doing art. To have again the “feel of pencils and paintbrushes.” It was also around this time when he happened upon his eureka moment as an artist. It was just after gradu-ation and there had already been more or less a steady stream of clients pouring in through his “Brands in Bloom” series. Daryl was working with AR New York, and they trusted him enough to give him full creative freedom on a project. “At that point I thought, ‘I think this is it...this is what I want to do. I’m actually [getting] paid to do what I love.”

At that point I thought, ‘I think this is it...this is what I want to do. I’m actually [getting] paid to do what I love.

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IVAt some point during the interview Daryl mentioned in pass-ing something about not being familiar with fashion. It came so far out of left field that it stopped me dead in my proverbial tracks. I wanted to ask him to expound on this, but because he was answering an altogether different question I put it off for later. A good hour or so later, after he has answered my questions about his life growing up and his decision to take up Engineering instead of Fine Arts and his many methods to madness, I get back to this particular. I asked him, if he’s not familiar with fashion, why is it the recurring theme for his works? “I’m not the fashionable type of person, yet I’m fas-cinated by it,” Daryl explains to me. “The chaos, the glamour, the lifestyle, as well the art itself: The elaborate clothes, colors, structure and patterns. I like it and [I am] a fan of it, [but] it doesn’t reflect on me physically. So I show it in my work in-stead.” And there it is again, that contradiction of themes. A curious brand of irony in play. The art of Daryl Feril, whether or not he knows it, whether or not he is aware of it, is rooted in contrast, thrives in it, lives by it. The way through which he deals with sadness is drawing overflowing foliage, blooming florals and vibrant

colors. He draws beautiful women with sad eyes, represents animal cruelty with stunning artworks. He said it best, him-self. “There’s more to it than just florals and vibrant colors. I want people to look deeper into it, leave them guess-ing how the subject is feeling.”

VIIDuring this part of the story it is commonplace to end with either a dying-fall sentence tying everything up with a tiny bow or with one last paragraph offering you the moral lesson to the story, tell you one last time the general implication of this piece, reassure you that this two thousand some word story you’ve just read was worth your while. But I’ve always had the impression that art should never be studied, or at least in great depth. The art of Daryl Feril already speaks for itself, and I may or may have done it slight writing this piece in the first place. (Have I underplayed it? Overplayed it? Did I stress enough the points that need stressing?) They are beautiful art pieces, great art pieces, art pieces I could have been making but do not, and that is all there is to say about them, really, because expatriates have no legitimate s ay in the land in which they do not belong.

There’s more to it than just florals and vibrant colors. I want people to look deeper into it, leave them guessing

how the subject is feeling.

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Stand for Something by Doc MartensP H O T O B Y J A S H M A N U E L

The Stand for Something exhibit, organized by Dr. Martens Philip-pines, was held at the LRI Design Plaza last 27th of September. It was a culmination of the works of different artists in the field of pho-tography and visual arts, such as Rob Cham and Penny Nikkel. All works present embodied what Dr. Martens as a brand – and conse-quently as a lifestyle – is all about: the perfect cocktail of grit and style without sacrificing comfort.

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mt Casa Launch by HeimaP H O T O B Y S H U T T E R P A N D A P H O T O G R A P H Y

Local home and lifestyle brand Heima launched another addition to their line of quirky, creative products last September. mt (masking tape) Casa is a washi tape brand from Japan specializing in adhesives for your walls. With performances by Supermikki, Nights of Rizal, and Gentle Universe, the event was surely a success with creatives and home-buddies alike present.

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With Teethby Matt Hemmerich

the wind sung a lullabythat echoed like a dirgethrough 15 rotted watts I gnawed redwoods tostumps for a clear viewas the sun bled to bed on a splintered thronepeppered with moss,I gouged a boney scepterwithin my chest (a sunken flesh nest)to play with the night I spun stars like silk andbridged them down to earth

I pierced the moon andheld it as a big balloon

I crushed a sparrow’s icy shellsand spat at heaven with teeth, I’m a great destroyer

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Wolfby Matt Hemmerich

a paper-mache moonbrought shooting stars and punctured sky

rattling cloudsthat gave birth to thunder

through the rain a vinyl fur coatstood still, ears perkedamong the restless billows

a slumbering horseveiled in ruby leaves awoke to coloredquills dancing

the barn now a crimescene marked by wild blood—its suspect cloaked inshadows, fled with the silhouettes

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Secretsby Mina Deocareza

She seems asleep under those sheets but underneath them, she weeps,secretly, she sobs, then tells herself to hush; she forges silence until she falls asleep. And in the morning, she whispers, it’s alright, everything should be smooth and fine.she tells herself, over and over, until she believes, until last night becomes a memory.

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Signsby Mina Deocareza

A house does not need not speakfor you to know what’s going onyou can tell by the creak.You know it’s close to breaking downwhen on the walls, you see the cracksand on the floor, you cannot runbecause you know, too, that it’ll break.The pillars, they seem tired holding on,tired of keeping things together.Anytime, you know they’ll fall down.The roof has already gone too sickcatching rays of sun and drops of rain.Now it’s faded, with some spots of black;it’s been bruised and severely broken.For a house does not need not speakfor you to know what’s going on.

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© 2013 Stache Magazine All Rights Reserved

No part of this magazine or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, in any form or any means, without the prior written consent of the editor-in-chief. All of the works that appear in this issue (artworks, photographs, words, etc.) belong to their respective owners, unless otherwise stated.

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Published in the Philippines

Watercolor Maps by Stamen Design

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