Mademoiselle Yulia

  One year ago, i happened to see many pictures of a beautiful, bizarre girl in high street fashion sites Dropsnap and Fashionsnap, while looking for inspiration. She had the most outstanding outfits and blue extraordinary hair..Soon i found out that this hot chick was Mademoiselle Yulia, Japan's no 1 fashion idol. Since then, i've been hanging around her movements. She's multitalented, except of being a really popular dj resident of Le Baron de Paris, one of Tokyo's hottest nightlife spots,performs for Vivienne Westwood's catwalks, she runs a blog, has a special music column in Nylon Japan, designs for her own accessories line named Giza and is a really big traveller.. Although being such a busy person she kindly answered this online Q&A exclusively for Fashion Installation, a small chat about style, music and her future plans:

 -You do so many creative things! Music, blogging, design, travelling around the world… How do you manage?

Thanx!! I am kind of a person who always finds something to work on.

So, I think I fit in this lifestyle which is full of varieties. DJing and accessories design are mutually linked,which creates the synchronicity in my creative work. I have not really updated the blog lately, but I will catch up for sure!!

-What inspires your style?

Movies, music and books. Japanese magazines from the 70's & 80's give me inspiration lately.

-You come from a city where fashion is a priority. According to your opinion, what are the differences between Japanese and European or American fashion and music culture?

I think Tokyo people are quite conscious about how they look by others. This is a good thing and also a bad thing, because this consciousness makes people think they should catch up with trend( Japanese people really like trendy stuff). But some people are taking advantage of this consciousness into creating fashion style as a method of self expression.I think this process might be very unique in Japan. It’s the same in music scene, basically people like hit tunes and sometimes even when  I play the tune which I really like, I can't rock the floor much.

But it's very important to keep on doing  until you get recognized at last. So I think you should have your own solid belief about fashion and music, especially in Tokyo.

-Do you think your career would be much more different if you lived in another country instead of Japan?

Absolutely!! I 'm not sure if I would have even started DJing, because the encounter with various people in Tokyo consists of what I am now. And although Tokyo is a compact, small city, it’s still connected to the world.

-In which city you've met the hottest audience, during your gigs?

I had good times in all countries basically, but Korea and Paris were amazing.There are many places I have never been yet, I am especially eager  to do gigs in NY and Europe now.

-You've performed for fashion shows. How different is it to play for a fashion show instead of playing for a party crowd?

When I play for a party, I pick the tunes according to my feeling and vibes of crowd, but a fashion show is based on its theme and own world, so I try to play for it as a professional, it’s very different.

 -Do you think about expanding your jewellery line outside Japan and do you plan to design clothes, as well?

Of course, I’m so keen on doing it overseas! I want to expand a lot this year, so I’m now making a website of GIZA, my jewellery  brand (available at KOZMART from the 7th of February), to keep in touch with the world! My new collection will be released around April, so please check it out.

As for a clothes project, I have designed one for the first time in collaboration with JOYRICH, which I really enjoyed. I wanna take more time to work on it if I could get a next opportunity. I haven't really  thought about launching my own clothes brand, but I wanna give it a shot one day!!!

   

-What are your plans in music? Do you have a new upcoming project?

Actually I will release new album in Japan on June as a singer, not as a DJ.

It’s been my dream for a long time, so I am putting my best effort on it. And of course, as a DJ I wanna  visit more countries, more than ever!!

Special thanx to Kozm Agency for the kind assistance.

Wendy Bevan

Wendy Bevan's work can easily become your new obsession, as they've become for me. Wendy is a London-based photographer, director and perfomer, an amazing, multitalented personality and perhaps one of the most stylish girls you may meet in the streets of the British capital city.

Her photographic style has a unique vintage-antique feeling, based on circus and retro themes, featuring sensual female figures, often blurry and with the loveliest pastel colours.

Wendy's work is higly appreciated in the fashion business and has been featured in glossy fashion magazines like Russian Vogue, Italian Marie Claire, Harpers Bazaar, Muse, Financial Times: How To Spend It, The Independent, The Observer, Self Service, Big, 10, Lula, Nylon, V Magazine, Qvest, POP Magazine, I-D, Grey and online Magazine TEST.

As a singer she has a great repertoire of 1930's jazz and cabaret performances, in awsome silent-film-inspired outfits, currently singing with her new band Temper Temper.

Below, enjoy the fabulous video titled Starless Night performed by Wendy herself and don't miss to see more of her inspiring work on her website.

Starless Night by Wendy BEVAN from Short Film Sessions on Vimeo.

Plump Bisquit

 This gorgeous video comes from Helsinki, directed by genuine artist Miika Lommi, featuring the music of Femme En Fourrure. A mix of Scandinavian purity with touches of fluo colour.


Femme En Fourrure - Plump Bisquit from miikka lommi on Vimeo.

Andreas Fux

 Andreas Fux is a Berlin-based photographer who started his career shooting for fetish and underground magazines.

Fetishism, extreme piercings and huge tattoos are the main themes of his work, with quite shocking images of young people in bloody situations or with body-jewellery that incline a bizarre combination of pleasure and pain.

 His images cannot be considered as glossy or mainstream, there is a total lack of fashion consumerism and decorative elements, but as simply personal body stories.

Besides portraits, Fux's rich work includes amazing location shots and interesting pictures from his travels.

 Fux is also an author and his work is regularly shown in Berlin.

 Bellow you can have a look at one of his exhibitions in Berlin back in 2002:



www.andreas-fux.de

Dior Couture

 A short black & white video from photographer Simon Procter with Dior Couture S/S 2011 moments.


simonprocter.blogspot.com
www.dior.com

Zhang Huan

 Zhang Huan is a Chinese artist based in Shanghai and New York, well-known for his provocative performances. His art includes photography and sculptures as well, with monumental pieces made of copper and pictures drawn with incence ashes from Buddhist temples. 

 His performance pieces are mostly inspired by subjects like the human body, Buddhism, animal instincts and earth with a masochistic touch, often rising the question "is this art?" Huan is the main figure in all his perfomances, always naked, under strange conditions, covered by insects or earthworms, or even lying on ice, using body painting as a way of expression and teaming with other perfomers to create impressive human installations.

 One of his favourite themes in sculpture and photography is Buddhism,creating huge hands and feet based on broken fragments of Buddha statues he found in Tibet. Naked human bodies are also seen often in his works.

Huan's work has been featured in several solo and group exhibitions in major cities and great galleries around the world.

Have a look at this interesting video with Zhang Huan talking about his awsome art:


www.zhanghuan.com

Apollinaire's Tongue

 A beautiful experimental video by Nikos Koumoundouros, inspired by the Cinema Pur movement.

Music by the Avant Garde group BRAC (Between Ravens and Crows)