Featuring some of Australia’s hottest labels such as Antipodium, Ellery, Romance Was Born, Dion Lee, Friedrich Gray, Therese Rawsthorne and Arnsdorf, Vogue and Absolut gave fashionistas an exclusive sneak peek at looks set to hit this season’s runways. View the full gallery here.
We all know that skilled players alone don’t make a great band. For this reason Supergroups for lack of a better term, rarely exceed the sum of their respective parts. It takes more than guitar solo wankery and machine gun drum fills to wow us – we want musical cohesion and true creative collaboration something Fashion Launches Rocket Launches have in spades…
Comprised of members from the Midnight Juggernauts, Lost Valentinos and Mercy Arms among others, Fashion Launches Rocket Launches is an ever-changing stable of talented players united by a desire to improvise, inspire and collaborate.
Take for example the group’s live show which relies on improvised parts from all players – their formation is engineered such that everyone faces each other, there is no frontman, everyone is equal. The reason for the setup becomes clear when you hear the music itself - a glorious mix of shoegaze fuzz, an infectiously tribal rhythm section and psychedelic guitar lines, it shouldn’t work, but somehow manages to surge in perfect unison. The music kept in check by furtive glances and slight nods between the members.
The band explains the collaborative effort as “a musical project aimed at eliminating the inherent egos, fundamental flaws and seemingly unavoidable, often cliché problems of bands as we know them. There are no set members and there are no set songs. The group is run by an evolving independent council, inspired by the four key values of improvisation - Trust, Bravery, Exchange & Serendipity, and the four pillars of inspiration itself - Art, Fun, Spirituality & Athleticism.”
Hmm, intriguing to say the least - we chatted to the guys to see if there was any method to their madness…
P: How did the players find each other?
FLRL: A common love of sushi sets brought us together.
P: Do you guys prefer the free form style of FLRL or the more structured style of your respective bands?
FLRL: Depends what we’re doing more of at the time…. we always prefer whatever we are doing least often. Everything ends up flowing into one another at the end of the day. It’s just another influence to add to the pile..
P: For the uninitiated what is a FLRL show like?
FLRL: Like watching Twin Peaks… holds you with just enough humour, excitement, intrigue and darkness but never really gives it all up.
P: What are some common influences between you guys, I know there are Krautrock/No Wave/Psych bands on your Myspace top friends list…
FLRL: Influences are from all our respective bands and again from the four pillars of inspiration… commit those to memory.
P: Where does the band name come from?
FLRL: It came from an unfortunate moment of serendipity…
P: Is it hard to get together and play with everyone’s shifting schedules, do you jam beforehand?
FLRL: Again all left up to chance and trust… nothing is hard because there is nothing to be hard about… if we suck.. then we suck so long as the four pillars are represented then everything is going to plan… or lack of plan.
Graphic designers, publishers, editors, designers, lovers of a good pun and the owners of the web’s wittiest fashion blog - the “Trust Fun” collective are a shining beacon of irreverence in these bleak economic times.
Comprised of award winning graphic designers Jonathan Zawada and Shane Sakkeus and fashion designer Annie Wright-Zawada the Sydney based trio take a wonderfully warped approach to design and show that success can come to thosewith their heads in the clouds and their tongues firmly planted in their cheeks.
The collective’s envious body of work speaks for itself and includes clients such as: BMW, V Magazine, Dazed and Confused, Follow Magazine, Lowdown, Tina Kalivas, Josh Goot, Ksubi, The Presets and Modular Records. Having achieved commercial success and equipped with portfolios that could block out the sun the trio focused their attention towards turning Trust Fun into a cult fashion label (think hand dyed silks and pet rock jewelry) and launching an irreverent fashion blog of the same name.
The trio also produces a limited edition fashion comic titled “Petit Mal” perhaps the most wonderfully warped, off-kilter fashion publication in existence and a must for oddballs, fashionistas or anyone with a keen eye for detail and love of pop culture.
Showing that they’re willing to share however, the trio have temporarily let another playmate into their collaborative crew, welcoming Director Kris Moyes (brother of The Presets’ Kim Moyes) for a group exhibition. Scandalous titled “Glory Holes” the show is currently running at the Monster Children galleries and prove that when it comes to creativity four heads are better then one.
All the pictures are up from the Pedestrian.tv party at the ABSOLUT Gallery on Saturday night. Click here to view them all.
It started with Andy Warhol. The year was 1985, and the pop art ‘cause celebre’ accepted the invitation to depict the now famous ABSOLUT vodka bottle via a unique work on canvas in his inimitable style. The creative and collaborative dance between ABSOLUT and artist – which would later expand across all expressionist mediums including fashion, film and music – was borne.
Fast forward to Sydney, Australia, and welcome to ‘ABSOLUT Gallery’, a temporary space in the somewhat infamous ‘Toaster’ building of East Circular Quay where, over the course of 10 days commencing Thursday 23 April 2009, new and varied creative collaborations between ABSOLUT and a diverse range of Australian talents will be either unveiled or announced.
ABSOLUT Gallery Creative Collaboration host timetable:
All Events are strictly Invitation Only.
Friday April 24: Bondi House DJ’s broadcast live on Bondi FM with ABSOLUT artworks
Saturday April 25: Pedestrian “Hang the DJ” Dinner Dance
Sunday April 26: ABSOLUT Sunday Collaboration featuring People’s Republic, The Backhanderz, Johnny Pow!!! Ryan Connolly & Special Guests…
Tuesday April 28: Kym Ellery in collaboration with Graz and Bobby Disco
Wednesday April 29: DLM collaboration supported by Leah Simmons, Pip Edwards & Aimee
Thursday April 30: ABSOLUT BE CREATIVE music collaboration with Martini Club Live
Saturday May 2: IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD collaboration and closing party.
When the hipsters of 2049 look back through the history books they’ll undoubtedly find two names bolded and underlined; Mark “The Cobrasnake Hunter” Hunter and Todd “TheSelby.com” Selby, most likely in the chapter titled “The Great Online Photographical Entrepreneurs of the mid-late 00’s.” As both parties are equally responsible for the creation of two of the internet’s most infamous and most visited photography websites.
Mark or as he’s known to most, The Cobra Snake, specializes in documenting the underground party culture of the world’s most vibrant cities such as L.A, Paris, Tokyo, New York and Sydney. Mark has been known to shoot everything from music gigs and fashion shows to book launches and gallery openings (and everything in between.)
Todd’s photography on the other hand is quite the antithesis to Mark’s. Todd’s forte is shooting the homes of creative industry front runners in the fields of Music, Art, Literature, Design and Fashion. Alexander Wang, check. Erin Wasson, check. George Gorrow / Dan Single, check. André aka Monsieur A, check. Yep, Todd’s shot them all.
With the New York Times labeling Todd Selby as the modern day “Horst of the hip set” and Mark, The Cobrasnake, Hunter as the World’s #1 party starter. You know something incredible must’ve gone down when you find out that the pair joined their creative forces for their own joint gallery show at the Monster Children Gallery in Sydney.
Don’t cry, you didn’t miss out entirely… Your friends at Pedestrian were there to capture it all, just for you. Creative collaboration at one of it’s finest moments.
Rae Morris has been described as one of the world’s most creative artists, but her work is not hanging in museums, it’s seen on the faces and bodies of some of the best-known international models and actors. She’s won the Australian Makeup Artist of the Year award four times over and she is one of the artists collaborating with the ABSOLUT Gallery.
How are you involved with the ABSOLUT Gallery?
That’s a pretty easy question because I just got a call on how they were putting together this incredible creative team and I said why don’t you call me… (laughs) no. Kidding… They said look we’d love you to be involved. Its that simple. I actually got the call and I said yes straight away.
Amazing! What’s the best collaboration you’ve ever worked on and why?
I would honestly have to say my make up book, because not many jobs you get to work with with Australia’s top models, and I’m talking 100 of them from the likes of Catherine Mc’Neil to Miranda Kerr to Stephanie Carter, Lara Bingle, all of them in there. It was also the best because I had the ultimate photographers, the best
hairdressers, all my friends. I had an absolute ball. So I would have to definitely say that one. Plus I must say the ABSOLUT job yesterday people off the wall it was an amazing day. So I would have to throw the ABSOLUT Vodka one in there as well because it was a lot of fun.
If you could choose to collaborate on anything with anyone, what would it be / who would it be with and why?
That’s an easy one! Most people would expect me to say invent the best mascara. Not many people know this but I’m a bit of a car nut. And I think myself and John Galliano and probably the guy Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear, all three of us ’cause he can keep us a bit grounded, Jeremy. And we can make the hottest car known to man and if you were to ask me what colour, I’d usually say black but I think we can invent a car that changes colour. Something like from silver or gold or James Bond invisible and it would just have the most fabulous interior. So that’s what I would design I think.
You may know Pip from her countless appearances on Red Carpets and across the social pages but you may not know that she’s also one of Australia’s top emerging stylists and all round multi-taskers. She’s recently signed to the DLM agency and may or may not be launching a pop career.
How are you involved with the ABSOLUT Gallery events?
I’m one of the 16 or so artists involved. ABSOLUT approached me with a brief, during the early stages, asking what does creativity mean to me? It was pretty open, basically I had to come up with a picture that resembles creativity to me. That’s how I’m involved.
So what did you end up doing for the gallery?
Well it was quite convenient, because a few weeks prior I wrote myself a poem and it was all about my life and creativity etc and it actually ended up fitting the brief perfectly. I got my poem, made a drop sheet, like a back drop and I photocopied all this classical music that I have played and made this big backdrop of music and then I painted my poem onto the backdrop.
What has been the best collaboration you’ve worked on in your years as a stylist/artist?
Oh I don’t know, I’ve worked with so many different people in so many different ways. Obviously my background being with ksubi I’ve been involved with quite a number of big international bands and quite a few big celebrities; Kate Bosworth etc…. Oh goodness I can’t even remember, I’ll get back to you on that one.
If you could choose to collaborate on anything with anyone, what would they do / who would it be with?
I think a great collaboration would be something a little outside the box like a music one will all my friends just having a jam. Pretty much music is the most creative thing for me, its not really what I do by profession though. Actually last night I ended up jamming with Damon from Sneaky Sound System and this new band that have been signed to Warners. They’re called Aspen from the conservatory of music. We just got the guitars out and had a big jam session. For me that was the most creative thing I’ve done in a number of years. It set my soul alight, it uses all your senses and if I could do that every night for the rest of my life I would!
Designer/Stylist/All round creative, Kym Ellery is proving to be a formidable fashion force. Her effortlessly cool label, E L L E R Y is quickly winning over the hearts of the fashion pack and gaining prominent editorial coverage with Vogue, Russh and Madison hot on her tail.
Ellery has developed a clear stylistic identity - Her ever present penchant for accessorizing is eminent in her designs, never shy to inject studs, leather, sequins and chain-laden garments into her collections, E L L E R Y ‘s powerful, form fitting designs are definitely not for the faint hearted.
All in the name of collaboration Ms.Ellery will be swapping her needle and thread for a video camera and will be getting together with photographer David Mandleburg to produce Kym’s first ever film exclusively for ABSOLUT. The film will be premiering at the ABSOLUT Gallery on night of the E L L E RY after show party.
Want more? Below is a quick interview with Kym, she talks play war, secret collaborations and sparkling snow…
PEDESTRIAN: What/who do you take most inspiration from?
Kym Ellery: At the moment YouTube. Whoever invented it is a genius.
P: What do you do to relax?
KE: A Mani and Pedi with my best friend little Lambertus.
P: Who was your muse or the kind of girl you were thinking of when designing E L L E R Y S/S 09 “L” Collection?
KE: It was a hybrid of Cleopatra and a 90s supermodel. It’s Power Dressing for our generation.
Any collaborations in the works? If not, who would you love to collaborate with?
There is a very exciting collaboration in the pipeline for SS0910 at the moment but unfortunately I cannot say whom at this time. My mother is an Artist and textile designer and we often collaborate together on the prints and treatments for my collections feature fabrics. She is amazing.
P: What does the future hold for E L L E R Y?
KE: World domination! Just Kidding. I am working to showing my collections overseas; New York, then one day Paris. I hope that the brand provides exceptional clothing to those in need of a good fashion injection.
P: Favourite childhood memory?
KE: Playing wars in the front garden with my big brother. He would always be “AMERICA” or “BRITAIN” and I would be dealt “Swazi Land”. Thanks brother.
P: What was your first job?
KE: Sewing dresses for my friends and friends of friends. Now I appreciate what great practice it was.
P: In your opinion, who do you believe to be the best designer(s) of all time?
KE: That question is waaay too hard but I say Da Vinci. Those flying machines are epic.
P: Favourite city and why?
KE: Mawson Base in Antarctica. Nothing sparkles quite like snow. New York and Paris aren’t so bad either. The energy in the air is amazing.
