©SHOWstudio

Under the invitation of Another Man Magazine, famed fashion photographer Nick Knight has collaborated with menswear stylist Alister Mackie for a photo shoot that brings to our attention the often neglected subject of men’s underwear. Joined together with an online image gallery, film, and reflective essay through Knight’s SHOWstudio, we are brought into an untouched world that is both unfamiliar yet provocatively enticing.

Inspired by the timelessness of the black and white photo stills created by Robert Mapplethorpe and Horst P. Horst, the subtle color that was used made the corseted men human. On the rare occasion that men’s underwear is photographed for its design, it is almost always adorning a heavily oiled/tanned jock. In the pages of Another Man magazine’s A/W 07/08 issue, we are asked to look at men’s underwear as finely constructed pieces of fashion. This time, the pieces are worn by men who, in all ways but one, shy away from blatant masculinity. A genius in questioning the conventions of beauty through ironic portrayals, Knight plays the delicate balance of unfamiliarity and beauty in his collaboration with Mackie .

» SHOWstudio

» Another Man Magazine

Labeled by critics and the medias alike as “the most famous graphic designer on the planet”, “America’s most innovative designers”, “he changed the public face of graphic design”, and etc… It is ironic that David Carson did not major in anything related to art and design. Instead, he received a BFA in sociology while he was at San Diego State University. It was his brief exposure to graphics, a 3 -week workshop at Switzerland in 1983, that altered his interest. A few years later, his pursue of a bohemian lifestyle got him involved in professional surfing, among other things, where he ranked as high as #9 worldwide at one point. It also gave him opportunities to work on several alternative sport magazines, including Transworld Skateboarding and Surfer, as an art director.

His first book, The End of Print, a collaboration with typographer Lewis Blackwell, quickly became one of the bestselling book on graphic designs. Translated into 5 languages and sold over 200,000 worldwide, the book today is designated as a must-read for inspired graphic designers. During the past few years, Carson has branched out to mediums outside of graphic design, becoming a director for music video and shorts. He also became the Creative Director for the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston. Most recently, David Carson relocated his base of operation to the Swiss city of Zurich. By setting up a studio here, Carson hope he can “recreate” himself as well as his design styles. In the meantime, you can check his fourth and latest book, Trek, to learn more about this most unique graphic designer.

» David Carson

Photos: L/B

Created by Swiss-based artist duo L/B (Sabina Lang and Daniel Baumann), Hotel Everland is a movable hotel that debuted in 2002. Composed of mostly wood, its layout is like a trailer, consist of a luxurious bathroom and king size bed. The living room is dominated by a giant floor to celling window, offering ample sunlight and some of the most fantastic views. It also let the outside world peek in, where occupants are now part of the artwork itself - a theme L/B always affix on their work as an interaction with the public. During the daytime, Hotel Everland is actually open for visitation while during evening hours, it is reserved for the guests only. Since its launch, Hotel Everland has moved onto the beautiful Yverdon Lake shore are the rooftop of L/B’s own studio. It is currently on the rooftop of Museum of Contemporary Art Leipzig in Germany until the end of September. Next, by October, the hotel will relocate to the top of Palais de Tokyo in Paris for an year, where visitor can get a splendid view of the Eiffel Tower. Visitors can book for a tour or reserve for a stay at the Hotel Everland’s website.

» Hotel Everland

» L/B

» Palais de Tokyo

Derek Lam’s role as the creative director of Tod’s has been a success since he was asked to sign on by chairman and CEO Diego Della Valle in December of 2006. The Italian leather-goods brand had already mastered the craftsmanship behind bag and shoe making but needed a breath of youth to make the brand more relevant for a new group of bag-lovers. Following the footsteps of fashion icons Tom Ford (for Gucci) and Marc Jacobs (for Louis Vuitton), the budding new designer has incorporated some of his personal edge to the classic brand.

Like many other legends of fashion, Lam began his career right after graduating from Parsons School of Design and worked for the next 12 years at Michael Kors. In 2002, Lam left the all American brand to create a brand of his own. Currently, Lam’s style can be seen sprinkled among the Tod’s bags, shoes, and now ready to wear line of clothing. ‘Sporty, luxurious, with Italian sensuality and being playful with the iconography of Tod’s,” is how Derek Lam describes his mission when creating the Autumn 2007 line. With actress Sienna Miller as the face of the collection, modern edge and classic sophistication are brought to life.

Found in the collection are youthful gym bags that daringly declare “Tod’s” across the soft leather façades. A selection of black, burgundy, and cognac colored totes show off key chains that spell out “Tod’s” in block letters that are reminiscent of middle school friendship bracelets. American hunter-style jackets are lined with luxurious furs and quilted with fine Italian leather – a perfect cultural reflection of how the brand has evolved today. The Derek Lam’s prêt-a-porter collection for Tod’s will be gracing Colette’s doorstep in Paris with much anticipation.

» Tod’s

» Derek Lam

» Colette

Despite the rainstorm, German fashion label Jil Sander recently held its new season presentation at the newly opened flagship store in Taiwan. The 2-floor structure situated at the tranquil corner of Linsen N. Road and Nanjing E. Road, just steps from Linsen Park and Grand Formosa Hotel, a popular destination for luxury shoppers to relax. The flagship reflected what Jil Sander is famous for - refined, minimalist, elegance, both in store and out.

Since Prada Group purchase and subsequent departures (twice) of the designer herself, the label gone through numerous alterations under its new owner, England’s CCP. In the meantime, Raf Simons will remain as creative director, a position he held since 2005, For the Autumn/Winter season, the Jil Sander Group announced it will outsource all accessories production outside of Prada Group. The label will create a new accessories department, under Simons’ guidance, to rejuvenate its accessories collection. As for its ready-to-wear collection, the new season drew inspiration from British sculptor Anthony Gormley. Utilizing the human form to set boundaries and divisions on the fabrics. Another unique aspect is the fine pleats that effortlessly drape over the body while at the same time maintain the minimalist theme of Jil Sander.

» Jil Sander

Photos: Thierry Van Dort

Artist, sculptor, designer, Belgium-born Arne Quinze can fit easily into any of those descriptions. As the co-founder of design house Quinze & Milan, he created a viable platform for architects, designers, and artists alike, to transform their ideas into reality. Quinze is also very dexterous with his own range of designs, from the ridiculously simple yet elegant Primary Pouf furniture to Uchronia, a large wooden shelter that was symbolically burned down during last year’s Burning Man Festival.

By utilizing recycled wooden beams and shaped them into intermingle forms, the prolific artist/designer created Cityscape, a mammoth sculpture that just opened on Avenue de La Toison d’Or in the Belgium capital of Brussels. Measured at 40 meters in length, 25 meters in width and 18 meters in height, the sculpture is more as a monument or an artificial forest. Co-produced with BMW’s MINI label , the sculptor will also mark the launch the new MINI Clubman vehicle. Cityscape will remain on display until September of 2008.

» Cityscape

» Arne Quinze

“Our central goal at Cut & Paste is to bring the creative designers out from the faceless glow of the computer screen and into the spotlight of recognition where they can demonstrate their widely varied skills” Cut & Paste founder John Fiorelli wrote in the event introduction. Indeed, the event has done just that and more since its creation in 2005.

» Cut & Paste