Lady Lafayette - Numero April 2009 - Jamie Bochert, Photo: Greg Kadel

Numero April 2009 Editorial
Model: Jamie Bochert
Photographer: Greg Kadel

Special thanks to Pénélope Heim from Fashion Does It Better & Lexposure for scanning & emailing me this editorial.

Japanese Vogue May 2009 - Carmen Kass, photo: Glen Luchford

Glen Luchford photographed Carmen Kass for Japanese Vogue with stylist Anastasia Barbieri on January 31st, 2009 in Paris

Japanese Vogue May 2009 Editorial
Model: Carmen Kass
Photographer: Glen Luchford
Stylist: Anastasia Barbieri
Makeup: Karim Rahman
Hair: Shon

Dusan Reljin exhibit at ION Studio

Our neighbor, Dusan Reljin, has an exhibition, NUDES, currently showing at Ion Studio, an eco-friendly salon by day as well as a gallery featuring photographers and up and coming artists.

One of Dusan Reljin's nudes:


Dusan currently is working with such magazines as Elle, Vogue, Numero Korea, GQ, he has shot campaigns for Lancome, Cover Girl and Rimmel.

Ion Studio
41 Wooster St. (Grand Street x Broome Street)
New York, NY 10013
(212)343-9060
Tuesday - Saturday, 10am-8pm

NUDES runs thu May 1st

Rianne Ten Haken for Numero Tokyo, ph: Dusan Reljin:

i-D Magazine: Hannelore Knuts and Jamie Bochert, Photo: Daniel Jackson

Dan Jackson photographed Jamie Bochert and Hannelore Knuts for i-D Magazine on November 10, 2008 at Fast Ashley's Studio, 95 North 10th Street, Brooklyn.

i-D Magazine Editorial
Models: Jamie Bochert & Hannlore Knuts
Photographer: Daniel Jackson
Stylist: David Vandewal
Makeup Artist: Peter Philips
Hair: Rita Marmor

Take me out tonight where there's music and there's people and they're young and alive

Morrissey is playing tonight at Carnegie Hall - I have been waiting for this moment for my entire life. Tonight will be my first time seeing him perform.

Oscillate Wildly is my favorite Smiths song - there is something about the melody that instantly brings me back to a certain spring and summer. This instrumental track says so much, without any words. This lack of obvious meaning or lyrical context make it about whatever I want it to be about.

My friend Evelyn introduced me to The Smiths music. I don't have any older brothers or sisters, and my local "Alternative" radio station WDRE 92.7 rarely played The Smiths or Morrissey. The most peaceful place for me was walking , listening to my Smiths tape in my walkman. The Smiths are literally are the soundtrack to my teen years.

I for one couldnt be happier that Morrissey's music has lately been embraced by a wider demographic. My experience with the music has always been solitary, so I am elated to be in a hall full of people who all have their own personal relationship with Morrissey.

The Smiths used a still photograph of Joe Dallesandro, from the film Flesh as the cover of their eponymous debut album:

Izabel Goulart is the International Ambassador for The Diabetes Research Institute (DRI)

Izabel Goulart now serves as the International Ambassador for the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to fund the cure-focused research at the world-renowned Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) at the University of Miami.

Izabel’s brother was diagnosed with type 1 during infancy, and she has been actively involved in charitable work, helping hospitals in her native Brazil raise money to provide free insulin for children with diabetes. Now, Izabel has turned her focus toward a cure and recently toured the Institute to meet the researchers and witness their work for herself.

“I am so excited and proud to be working with the Diabetes Research Institute. Nothing is more important to me than finding a cure for my brother,” said Izabel.

“If I can raise awareness in the course of my travels, and bring attention to the Diabetes Research Institute, I will be helping my brother and millions like him who are living with this disease.”

In her role as International Ambassador, Izabel will be rallying support and raising awareness for type 1 diabetes and for the DRI’s research, which is focused on curing all children and adults living with diabetes.

Some of the activities she will be participating in include serving as a spokesperson or honorary chair at DRI Foundation fundraising events and appearing in public service announcements, among others.

“When I first met Izabel, I was immediately taken in by her warmth and her passion and on her recent tour of the Institute, she exhibited a strong desire to understand the current state and direction of our research. She wants nothing more than a cure for her brother, and she knows firsthand how diabetes can affect the entire family,” said DRI Foundation President and CEO Robert A. Pearlman.

“The Diabetes Research Institute is located in Miami, but we collaborate with leading researchers around the globe to ensure that the finest minds are working to cure this disease as quickly as possible. We’re honored to have an international figure like Izabel joining in our mission.”

Izabel exploded onto the international modeling scene in 2005, photographed by David Sims for French Vogue. In 2006 Izabel walked in the Fall 2006 Balenciaga shows was well as walking as an “Angel” at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. In 2007, she also appeared in the show’s CBS television broadcast.

French Vogue, ph: David Sims

French Vogue, ph: David Sims


Balenciaga:


Balenciaga:


She has modeled for designers such as Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan, Michael Kors, Valentino, and Chanel. Most recently, she has been the Spokesmodel and face of Armani Exchange.

About the Diabetes Research Institute and Foundation:

The mission of the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation is to provide the Diabetes Research Institute with the funding necessary to cure diabetes now. The Diabetes Research Institute, a center of excellence at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, is a recognized world leader in cure-focused research. Since its inception in the early 1970s, the DRI has made significant contributions to the field of diabetes research, pioneering many of the techniques used in islet transplantation. The DRI is now building upon these achievements by bridging cell-based therapies with emerging technologies to restore insulin production. For the millions of families already affected by diabetes, the Diabetes Research Institute is the best hope for a cure.


Robert A. Pearlman, president and CEO of the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation, congratulates Izabel Goulart on her new role as International Ambassador.


In the lab with Dr. Antonello Pileggi, Izabel learns about the DRI's collaborations with scientists all over the world, including those in her native Brazil.


On her tour of the Diabetes Research Institute, Izabel met Dr. Cherie Stabler, head of the tissue engineering program

Watch the video of Izabel touring the DRI: here.

Georgina Stojiljković, Photo: Magnus Unnar

Magnus Unnar photographed Georgina Stojiljković for Muse Magazine on December 3rd, 2008.

Muse Magazine Cover & Editorial
Model: Georgina Stojiljković
Photographer: Magnus Unnar
Stylist: Karina Givargisoff
Makeup: Maxine
Hair: Dennis Lanni

Naive Melody - This Must Be The Place

I had some great photos I wanted to upload to the blog today....and had some technical difficulties.

But today is the first Monday of Spring, and I don't want to waste it.

"This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" is a song by Talking Heads, from their fifth album Speaking in Tongues. The lyrics were written by David Byrne, and the music was written by Byrne and the other members of the band, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison. In the "Self Interview" on the DVD of the concert film Stop Making Sense, Byrne admits that it is a love song, a topic he tends to avoid because it is "kinda big". Throughout the Stop Making Sense version, Byrne and his bandmates perform by a standard lamp, while close-up images of various body parts are projected onto a screen behind them. When the song reaches a bridge, the musicians step back and Byrne dances with the lamp, a reference to Fred Astaire's similar dance with a coat-rack in Royal Wedding.

According to the Stop Making Sense commentary track, the title "Naive Melody" refers to the music. On the track, the guitar part and the bass part are doing the same thing throughout the whole song. According to David Byrne, many professional musicians would not play a song written in that fashion, and that is what makes the melody naive. Byrne played the lead keyboard solo.

The song was covered by the Montreal-based band Arcade Fire as a B-side to their single Neighborhood #3 (Power Out). The version on the single is live, with David Byrne on guest vocals. It has also been recorded by Shawn Colvin, and covered by Perpetual Groove, MGMT, Mysteries of Life, Animal Liberation Orchestra, String Cheese Incident, and the Ryan Montbleau Band.

This song is also featured twice in the Oliver Stone movie Wall Street, playing over a scene in which Bud Fox, the protagonist, decorates his upscale apartment as well as over the closing credits. Shawn Colvin's version was featured on the movie Wordplay (2006). The song also appeared in TV series Northern Exposure, and appears in the 2007 film Lars and the Real Girl.

Stop Making Sense (1984) is a highly acclaimed concert movie featuring Talking Heads live on stage. Directed by Jonathan Demme, it was shot over three nights in December 1983, as the group was touring to promote their new album Speaking in Tongues. The movie is notable for being the first made entirely utilizing digital audio techniques.

Talking Heads were augmented by several additional musicians, most of whom had extensive experience in funk: back-up singers Edna Holt and Lynn Mabry (a.k.a. The Brides of Funkenstein), keyboardist Bernie Worrell (formerly of Parliament-Funkadelic), percussionist Steve Scales, and guitarist Alex Weir (of The Brothers Johnson).

The movie is also notable for Byrne's "big suit", an absurdly oversized business suit he dons late in the concert for the song "Girlfriend is Better" (which gave the movie its title from one of its lyrics). The suit was partly inspired by Noh theatre styles, and became an icon not only of the film – as it appears on the DVD cover, for instance – but of Byrne himself. Pauline Kael stated in her review: "When he comes on wearing a boxlike 'big suit' — his body lost inside this form that sticks out around him like the costumes in Noh plays, or like Beuys' large suit of felt that hangs of a wall — it's a perfect psychological fit."

Home is where I want to be
Pick me up and turn me round
I feel numb - born with a weak heart
I guess I must be having fun
The less we say about it the better
Make it up as we go along
Feet on the ground
Head in the sky
It's ok I know nothing's wrong . . nothing

Hi yo I got plenty of time
Hi yo you got light in your eyes
And you're standing here beside me
I love the passing of time
Never for money
Always for love
Cover up and say goodnight . . . say goodnight

Home - is where I want to be
But I guess I'm already there
I come home - she lifted up her wings
Guess that this must be the place
I can't tell one from another
Did I find you, or you find me?
There was a time Before we were born
If someone asks, this is where I'll be . . . where I'll be

Hi yo We drift in and out
Hi yo sing into my mouth
Out of all those kinds of people
You got a face with a view
I'm just an animal looking for a home
Share the same space for a minute or two
And you love me till my heart stops
Love me till I'm dead
Eyes that light up, eyes look through you
Cover up the blank spots
Hit me on the head Ah ooh

I love this song.

The meaning of the song is ambiguous - it makes me happy when I'm sad - and happier when I'm happy. For me, it is about the search for a genuine love connection with someone, finding a comfort zone, in this mad world, even if it's just for a brief moment.

Youtube is also having some technical issues - I can't find the original video of "Naive Melody". Also, there used to be a version sung by Phen, on her Trookieness Channel. She has the voice of an angel, and really captured the nostalgic yearning quality of the song. Hopefully, Youtube will work it out.

The live version of Naive Melody is amazing - the monochromatic costumes are major - I can't figure out exactly what the name of that color is: mushroom, bone, beige, tan.....its very Margiela.

Talking Heads - Performed live in their concert film 'Stop Making Sense' directed by Jonathan Demme:


Arcade Fire cover - performed live on March 13, 2005 at Le Nouveaux Casino in Paris, France:


MGMT cover - filmed 4/20/03 on Zonker Harris day at Wesleyan University:

Valentino on The View

I love The View.

I work during the day, when The View airs @ 11 am on channel 7. And I don't do Tivo. So I catch up on The View by going to Watching The View (So You Don't Have To). Winnie McCarthy writes the best recaps, and usually posts YouTube links to the "Hot Topics" section.

Hot Topics are the cream in an Oreo cookie. Joy Behar uses her freedom of speech to speak truth to power.Occasionally Barbara Walters uses her freedom of the press to speak her mind- but she retains her tenuous ties to journalism, and can't compromise her professional ethics by stating her actual opinions. When her attention is engaged, Whoopi Goldberg keeps it real. Rarely, Sherri Shepherd uses her life experiences to show me how to see things in a different light. Elizabeth Hasselbeck habitually utilizes mendacity and hubris to pee on my leg and tell me its raining.

Elizabeth Hasselbeck makes Debbie Matenopoulos look like Noam Chomsky.

Joy Behar is the new Edward R Murrow. She alone had the integrity to give John McCain and his mealy mouthed wife a beat down with tough, hard hitting questions- to their face!

The day Meredith Viera left The View was almost as bad as the day Jil Sander left Jil Sander.

The day Rosie O'Donnell quit the View was almost as bad as the day Helmut Lang shut down.

The day Lisa Ling moved on from The View to work on travel documentaries was almost as bad as when Tom Ford left Gucci. Worse actually, because Lisa's departure led to Elizabeth Hasselbeck voicing her intolerance, bigotry, homophobia and misogyny into my living room.

For me, the years when Meredith Viera was moderator, Joy was the funny one, Star was the legal expert and Lisa Ling was the voice of Young America were a Golden Age. Pre-9/11, was a more innocent time, and I treasure my memories of The View from those years the way I treasure my Liz Tilberis/Fabien Baron Harper's Bazaar complete collection.

Worlds collided when Valentino appeared as a guest on The View on Wed to promote the documentary: The Last Emperor.

Obviously, Elizabeth Hasselbeck had to embarrass herself by asking Valentino if he would design a line for Target. As if! Valentino designed Jacqueline Kennedy's wedding dress to Aristotle Onassis. He is now retired, and has said goodbye to all that. Why would he design a sportswear capsule collection for Target? Lets not push it.

I for one cannot wait until the weather gets warm enough to wear my Thakoon for Target windbreaker & trench.

Check out this clip of Valentino on The View, and this weekend take a little time to enjoy The View:

Women Loves Rony Shram

Rony Shram knows how to make beautiful women look even more beautiful. Using shadows and light he knows exactly how to bring out the sparkle in a woman's eye, the shine in her hair and the sheen of her skin.

I love working with Rony. He has the talent to focus his lens to reveal only the qualities in a woman that as a whole give pleasure to the senses - in other words, gorgeousness.

Yulia Kharlapanova


Yulia Kharlapanova


Alexa Yudina


Alexa Yudina


Toma Barkova


Toma Barkova


Valeria Sokolova


Valeria Sokolova


Katarina Ivanovska

Katarina Ivanovska

Olya Ivanisevic


Olya Ivanisevic


Ana Mihajlovic

Ana Mihajlovic

Rony was interviewed in a German photo magazine a few months ago. It was mostly about technique, but there were a few non-technical questions in there that showed me who the modest man behind the camera is:

1. Can you say some about the training/ photographic education you received? What were the most valuable lessons you learned on the way up?

I have had almost no formal education in photography. When I decided I wanted to shoot professionally, I took two lighting courses at night. Other than that, I took some photo classes in high school. I never really imaged this would be a career.

When Istarted, I really didn't know the first thing about this business--including the fact that most photographers start as assistants (which is a great idea, by the way). As such, I have never assisted. I don't think I've ever been to a photo shoot where I wasn't the photographer. It's both a blessing and a curse. My style has definitely been defined by the fact that I am almost exclusively self-taught.

By the way, I wouldn't exactly say I am "up"--maybe up and coming, at best. I still have a long way to go.

2. So how did you get into fashion photography?

Good question. I came to New York to study political science at Columbia. I graduated and worked in consulting for a couple of years before deciding I wanted to go to law school. And then one day I realized it was all a bad idea. I just couldn't imagine continuing on that path anymore. A good friend told me to follow my dreams. I naively went out and bought a camera. And I struggled for a while until someone decided to take a chance on me.

3. What inspires you?

As far as ideas... those come from pretty much anywhere. But as far as motivation and interest are concerned, I would have to say my inspiration comes from the models. My work is mostly about the women in the images (and women in general), above anything else. It's about the energy and beauty they emanate. I'm not trying to challenge or subvert any of the established notions of femininity (or at least as they exist in my mind). I honor and celebrate them.

Rony's work can be seen at: www.RonyShram.com

Interview New York: Our Cities, Our Videos, Our Voices

Cameron Russell and her boyfriend Andrew Elliott (also a good friend of WOMEN) are working on an interactive public art project: Interview New York


Photo: Andrew Elliott

The basic idea of Interview New York is to interview everyone in New York City (and expand to other cities if successful) with the same three questions.

1.What are you proud of? (A question that allows us to introduce ourselves)

2.What are you scared of? (This could take on a social aspect or just be interesting across different demographics)

3.And finally, what gives you hope? (So the interview ends on an upbeat note!)

The interviews will be user generated videos (like youtube) except for the first thousand or so which they will do to seed the website. They will be tagged by geography (neighborhood) as well as whatever the poster decides to tag them with.

Though they won't be launching until the summer we are shooting portraits for a book we will publish in conjunction with the website. So if you're interested in being part of the book contact us and send us your interview video. We are looking for New Yorkers of all ages, genders, professions, and lives who have a voice they want heard. Email Cameron@interviewnewyork.com.

To see the work of Interview New York's photographer, Andrew Elliott, go to his website: AndrewElliott.com.

Factory Worker / Cameron at the Factory, ph:Andrew Elliott