Mal - Aimée

Photographed By Pauline Forje

Frozen Time

Photographed By Isabel Nilsson

"When we consider how great our sorrows seem, and how small they are; how we think we shall die of grief, and how quickly we forget, I think we ought to be ashamed of ourselves and our fickle-heartedness. For, after all, what business has Time to bring us consolation?"

- The Memoires of Barry Lyndon A review in quotes.

The Death Of A Vampire

Photographed By Ellinor Forje

“I am nothing, lifeless, soulless, hated and feared. I am dead to all the world. I am the monster that breathing men would to kill.”

Belonging to one of the prevailing self-reflective dialogues of a character of Victorian literature, Bram Stoker’s antagonist; in his existentialist speech to his beloved Mina, appears to have foreshadowed his imminent demise in the 21st century culture, which has presumably driven a stake through his heart: Leaving the archetypal vampire that the world has yet known to finally bleed to death under our knives.

The manager of the Coop bookstore, Nancie Scherier sits outside the store, with her significant other, eating ice cream on a warm summer day in July. She wears a black tailored dress paired with a black oversized bag. Her hair-do is as reflection of “Vogue’s” Anna Wintour. “She's a tremendous reader” says her companion Rick. She counts Charlaine Harris’ “Southern Vampire Mysteries” as her favorite among the vampire genre. She likes a Stoker’s “Dracula” as well. And stresses on the word “Yes” as in “Yes I do”, when asked. She is not a fan of Stephanie Meyers “Twilight” series, although it is a vampire fiction top seller. Due to privacy policies the Coop does not release book sales figures, but Scherier affirms that Stoker’s “Dracula” isn't exactly flying off the shelves anymore.

Given the interest people have in vampire literature – in 2010 there are 1100 new vampire books in circulation, and considering the fact that Stoker’s book established the trend, it is justifiable to ask: “When and how did the prototypal vampire in literature and film become obsolete?”

The world is obsessed with vampires. They appear in ancient Assyrian, Indian, Greek, Babylonian, and African folklore, from time immemorial. Anne Rice revived the vampire tale in her bestselling Vampire Chronicles. And 5.3 million viewers are tuning in every Sunday to watch HBO’s critically acclaimed series “True Blood” - to catch a glimpse of the living-dead, and the folks belonging to the freshly coined term, “fang bangers” of the fictional town of Bon Temps. The road of the vampire from mythological creature, to a fictive residence of a fictive township in a television fiction, was initially paved by John Polidori’s “The Vampyre: A Tale” in 1819.

But, it was Stoker’s bestselling rendition of a nocturnal, mortifying, enigmatic, aristocratic, narcissistic, heterosexual alpha male creature, which cemented his vampire into the nature of a quintessence, in the second half of the 19th - through the 20th century. The name Dracula became synonymous with the word “vampire” and his representation came in several films: Starting from the first Dracula inspired movie in 1922, based on F.W Muranu’s “Nosferatu”, to “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” of 1992, starring Gary Oldman. However, by the late 20th the mesmerism of Dracula seemed to have veined. The 1992 movie was the last rendition of Stoker’s novel. And judging from the $300 million box office sales of the “Twilight Saga: Eclipse”, and by the top 10 selections on Amazon’s present - “Bestsellers in Vampire Romances” (list of books with sensual Harlequin inspired covers and titles); the vampires of the 21th century have taken a new shape.

According to Freudian psychology, vampires are a reflection of two crucial needs in the human being, Eros – or sexual desire, and the duality of the desire to die juxtaposed with the desire to live eternally . And the vampire is the perfect embodiment of these traits. But, the reflections of human nature can no longer be represented or met by one figurative character alone. There has been a shift in the social paradigms of society – the need for diversity. A need, which was recognized and expressed by Rice in her 1970’s “The Vampire Chronicles” – where she introduced a cast of new vampires with a multiple dimension of race, sexual orientation and psychic.“We saw the remorseful vampire” says Dr. Sue Schopf – referring to Rice’s character Louis’ laments over the loss of his humanity, while seated behind her Victorian inspired desk, which could easily have served as a prop in the stage set of 1994 movie “Interview with the Vampire”. Her curly hair is jet black, and both her hands are decorated with gold jewelry. Her coat is black and the chemise underneath is red. She speaks with a southern accent, and accentuates the last “t” in the name Lestat, and the last four letters in Nosferatu, with a Southern belle twang. Schopf adds that the Dracula novel is based in an era represented by female subordination, colonial rule, the influence of the church and the fear of immigration, homophobia, the lack of scientific knowledge, to mention a few themes.

However, different times, called for a different vampire. And perhaps the reason why the nocturnal, mortifying, enigmatic, aristocratic, narcissistic, flamboyant, homosexual alpha male creature, Russell, in the TV series "True Blood" would state, with conviction, "Mine is the true face of vampires!"

The post September 11 period of uncertainty and the age of terrorism, combined with a down spiraling economy, conjured up the need for a more family oriented monster to pacify some of society’s anxiety. In both Harris’ and Meyer’s books some vampires have made a commitment to the human race to not feed on their blood. In “The Southern Vampire Mysteries” for example, the vampires have the option of drinking an artificial blood substitute called “Tru Blood”.

The nocturnal creature remains a useful beast, and some of the essential characters of this beast, were catalogued if not invented by Stoker in his 1897 book “Dracula. Chapter 18, of the novel, summarizes what is perceived as the weaknesses and strengths of the vampire, Dracula according to Stoker's legend. The other authors of the vampire genre seem to have diverged or converged, to or from these traits. One attribute which is re-currant in other novels such as “Salem’s Lot” is that, the older the vampire, the more powerful it is.

Dracula is 113 years old, this year to date. When he celebrated his centennial birthday in 1997, novelist such as Stephen King and Naomi Wolf all paid their homage at the “Dracula Centennial: Aesthetics of Fear Conference” held in New York.

Considering all the hoopla surrounding an undead man's birthday, would it really be fair then to suggest that Count Dracula has fallen from grace? “How has he fallen from grace, was he ever 'in grace'?” asks Harvard Professor, Davíd Carrasco. “You might say that every generation gets the Dracula it ‘deserves' meaning the one it creates. Therefore Dracula is a 'mirror' an aesthetic mirror of different subcultures that flock to his story and then they project their own fears and desires onto his nocturnal powers. Like all these heroes of our unconscious made conscious: He will rise again,”  Carrasco continued, with emphasis on the word, “will”.

Alternative State Of Shock

Photographed By: Elvira Gligoric
Make-up: Gabriella Mattson
Clothes Provided By: Shock
Styled By: Ellinor Forje

A few years ago, on my way to town, I ran into a girl wearing the most beautiful purple velvet coat. I couldn't place her style. It was alternative, if you will. Interesting. Interesting because she had combined every existing subculture known to man, and made it hers, without fear. One tribe. One girl.

I was informed by the girl in the purple coat, that she had acquired her piece of clothing from a website called, Drac In A Box. She further added that, as much as people would admire her coat, they would never bring themselves to buy anything from the website as it just wasn't them. Goth and morbidity, was just not them.

I got my brother the coolest shirt a couple of years ago. It was light beige-grey in colour, with a penciled sketch of Mickey Mouse in the center. My brother categorically refused, at first, to wear that shirt outside of his four walls. Refused. I believe his exact words were, "I'm not wearing a shirt that has Mickey Mouse on it." I was paralyzed. My cartoon-loving brother, who loved "The Lion King" and hated "The Return Of Jafar" - felt that he was too cool for Disney. Too cool. I had to challenge him to wear the shirt to work atleast once. Which he did, on a casual Friday. The shirt was loved by all, of course. So from then on, it migrated from his home, to his work, to the club and so forth: Because it had gotten mass approval.

Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood brilliantly draw inspiration for their collections from the streets of London: The streets where the expressionists walk. Then we see them, the clothes, on the runways and in the glossy magazines, and feel that they are "safe" to wear. Forgetting that the inspiration was always there. It was there long before the Olsen twins started wearing the death skull scarfs around theirs necks.

So why hesitate? Be independent and free. Find what you think is not you, then wear it like it's a crown on your head.

Giveaway

Photographed By Ellinor Forje

ENTER TO WIN A PAIR OF BOOTS
A new pair of boots, perhaps? The boots by Pleasure, worn by the model in the blog entry "Alternative State Of Shock" can be your fair weather friends. You just need to answer a series of questions, and complete a sentence. The boots are the actual boots worn by the model in the fashion shoot, and come in the size:

US 10
UK 7.5
EU 41
CM 26

About The Competition

It's simple. Complete the sentence; "If the boots were mine, this is how I would wear them..."

You are allowed to use any medium, as for example poems, drawings, photographs, vlogs etc, to present your style. As long as it's descriptive, any thing goes.

Your competition entry should be sent to p@gmail.com with an address specification as to where you want the boots sent.

The competition is open until Cinderella or Dorothy comes along. The boots will be shipped to where ever you are - free of charge!
Break a leg.

The Emperor's New Clothes

Illustrations By Ellinor Forje

Once upon a time there lived an Emperor whose only worry in life was to dress women in elegant clothes. He created new garments every season and loved to show them off.

"Look at the Emperor's new clothes. They're beautiful!"

That's exactly what I thought, before I sat down to replicate one of the photos (the first illustration) of a Valentino campaign I'd seen in "Vogue" a few seasons ago. The other illustrations are sketches of editorial spreads that I've seen and liked, in different magazines here and there.

I love Valentino. I love how he pays attention to the hour-glass figure: Reminding me that I'm yet to watch "Valentino - The Last Emperor". In this documentary, we supposedly learn through Giancarlo Giammetti, that Valentino's love for colours, patterns and cloth, is only rivaled by his adoration for le bronzage . The vanity! But then again, it's okay to be vainglorious, when your name is Valentino Garavani.

Fashion Is Dead

Photographed By Fohnjang Ghebdinga 


Fashion remains dead. And we have killed it.

Could it be?

Today, I came across an interesting blog with the captivating title, Fashion Doesn't Exist. It made me plunge right into a fashion existentialistic state of shock. Did it never exist? Or did it, and we killed it? If no, then what? If yes, then how can we comfort ourselves, the fashion murderes that we are?

Aquarelle Sur Papier

Illustrations By Ellinor Forje

Watercolour on paper. Spring 2009.

The Measure Of A Chef

Photographed By Ellinor Forje

This was Pooja Dhingra's story then, when I met her in Paris one year ago. Time is a good friend. Yes.

Pooja Dhingra is funny. That is what her classmates at Le Cordon Bleu think. Yet, she seems completely oblivious to the fact that she is charming, and to the fact that people are instinctively drawn to her. Her English accent is that of a Bollywood actress. And her beauty is blossoming. Dhingra is like an extract from the Britney Spears song, “Not A Girl, Not Yet a woman”. Her character is like a composite of three other personalities active in the profession of her intensions. She is as assertive as Gordon Ramsey, of “Hell’s Kitchen” without swearing. She has the archetype; “the boy next door, that sadly doesn't live next door to me,” of Jamie Oliver - “The Naked Chef”. And she is sassy, exotic and curvaceous like the British TV cook, Nigella Lawson. Though she is only half Lawson’s age, she is equally ambitious. And she has epic plans for herself. She is also well aware of the obstacles she will face in her pursuit of them.

Dhingra, is finishing up her “Diploma in French Pastry” at Le Cordon Bleu, Paris. She plans to return home to India, to set up her own chain of pastry shops in Bombay. She is conscious that it is going to be difficult for her as a young woman, to enter the male-dominated business environment in India; “People don’t take you seriously,” she said in a soft spoken voice, yet firm in her speech. And on many occasions when she has had to contact people in relation to her business venture, they would literally hang up on her; “My father would have to call” she said.

Dhingra, who comes from a family where both parents are in the food and catering Industry, did not always know that she wanted to become a chef. After high school, she started studying law in India. But, after a month of studies, she realized that her choice of career had not been the right one. So she dropped out of her law program and moved to Switzerland to study at Cézar Ritz Colleges. In 2007, she graduated with a Bachelor of International Business in Hotel and Tourism Management. And in 2008, she moved to France, to master the art of pastry making. Dhingra, does not feel that the time she spent studying undergraduate law in India was wasted. “By trial, that’s how you learn,” she said.

Dhingra, plans to have a centralized kitchen in Bombay where the pastry will be made, before being transported to the other bakeries. She has already conceived a concept for her pastry shops, “French technique, Indian flavour” she said and continues, “the key will be to find a common ground, you have to tweak the recipes to suit the ingredients available in India, and the temperature.” The menu will also include chocolate pralines, as Dhingra did an internship with chocolatier Jean Charles Rochoux during her one year stay in Paris. Her business establishment is going to be called “Le15” after the arrondissement in Paris, where she lived and spent most of her time.

Catherine Baschet, development manager at Le Cordon Bleu is very enthusiastic over Dhingra’s entrepreneurial spirit given her young age. “She is very focused, and determined at the age of 23,” she said. Baschet, has already collaborated with Dhingra on a workshop project for Le Cordon Bleu, held in India last year, and she is planning for more to come.

Dhingra, belongs to the generation of highly educated young women who are slowly changing the business environment in India. Yet, she is modest in reference to her undertakings, “I don't think I am an inspiration yet. But, hopefully one day I could be!” she said.

La Pâtisserie

Photographed By Ellinor Forje

Gate 38

Photographed By: Elvira Gligoric
Make-up: Gabriella Mattson
Styled By: Ellinor Forje
Modell: G.S
Clothes By: My Wardrobe

"I've had some of my best conversations with strangers, she said, because they have no idea who they're dealing with."
-StoryPeople

Gate 38, is an art gallery located in the central part of Malmö, Sweden (just a stone's throw away from the Danish capital). And the artwork decorating the walls of its interior space, is as colourful as its owner, Monika Österheim.

Österheim likes meeting new people, "Everything is about encounters" she said. That is why she likes travelling. A few years ago, on of her journeys to the U.S., she came across an exhibition showcasing StoryPeople, and decided then that she had to meet its creator. The rest is art history. Today she has distribution rights to their products in Sweden. And about a week ago, the man behind the brand, the business partner of four years, Brian Andreas made a visit to the gallery, in lieu of the city's Culture's Night.

Gate 38 , is named after the street number its gate, or grind in Swedish, is located on. The gallery hosts 5-6 different exhibitions a year, along with other special events. The work by StoryPeople is always on display.

Another artisan, who also has a steady exposition at the gallery, is photographer Jan Olofsson. Olofsson's 43-year-long career in England is reflected in the images he's taken of some of the biggest personalities in music history. He recently collaborated with designer Soheil Norozi of L'ecole National to make his art, wearable.

Wearable art, is an art form highly appreciated by Österheim. "I'm a runway freak" she said, and further elaborated that she obsessively watches the Internet to catch the latest news in the world of haute couture. Karl Lagerfeld is ingenious and energetic." said Österheim. And she's as passionate about music as she is clothes. She frequently listens to old school Soul, Blues and Rock music; as well contemporary music. "New things spark my curiousity" said the gallery owner, and added, "Life has so much to offer".

38's Guide

Photographed By Elvira Gligoric

Art gallery owner, Monika Österheim, offers some pointers on how to become that successful person you want to be.

1. Be passionate about what it is that you want to achieve. Your vision has to be strong. But allow for flexibility. Don't be afraid to fail. The journey is everything. The goal itself, is nothing. There are no short cuts. Work hard and never give up.

2. Be open minded. The most fantastic opportunity is usually just around the corner. Find good people to work with. And Don't be afraid to ask people for help. You'll be amazed over how many people are willing to lend you a helping hand.

3. Don't be afraid to be who you are. It is from there that the personal and unique arises. Know your competition. And always trust your intuition.

In other words, do what is you.