your biggest bang

THE ART OF UPCYCLING

FASHIONMUSICARTDESIGN

MAGAZINE FROM THE AMSTERDAM FASHION INSTITUTEfifth edition - summer 2008

Naar een eerlijke kledingindustrie

THE EVOLUTION of Your Biggest BANG

It all started in late January 2008. Thirty seven students, divided into seven groups, were given the task of developing a new magazine. After years of reading hundreds of magazines making our own was a dream come true. We could fill it with everything that we wanted to show the world, let our fears and inhibitions go and use our creative ideas. After two months a team of judges had to choose one of the seven sparkling, new fashion magazines to go into production. After much deliberation, it was this- Your Biggest BANG.

The concept of Your Biggest BANG was really simple. It all began with an apple headed for the trash can. To us this was a new begin-ning. We wanted to stop the process of always throwing things away. If something becomes old it does not necessarily mean an ending. We want to give those things a new life and an opportunity to do more. Thus Your Biggest BANG was born. Its core value: Every ending is a new beginning. We take recycling to a higher level and call it ‘The art of upcycling’. We not only upcycle in an ecological sense, but also through fashion, art, design, ideas and music.

Naturally, we re-used all seven magazines that were initially created. Thus, Your Biggest BANG is the result of upcyling the work, creativ-ity and ideas of 34 students at AMFI – Amsterdam Fashion Institute. The outcome is a magazine that is made by young creatives with the idea that it be used as a platform to inspire and motivate others. There is more to the story. Our former competitors turned into colleagues. As well as the magazine a product line has been designed and our website is up and running.

Yes, we are proud to present Your Biggest BANG: a guerilla brand that was built in five months by young creatives. Even though we may decide to close it down again just as quickly, we hope the ideas in Your Biggest BANG will inspire you to maybe a new beginning…

The editors,Saba Babas-ZadehCherryl KarijodironoBilly PavlovicReed Sacharoff

THE EVOLUTION of Your Biggest BANG

It all started in late January 2008. Thirty seven students, divided into seven groups, were given the task of developing a new magazine. After years of reading hundreds of magazines making our own was a dream come true. We could fill it with everything that we wanted to show the world, let our fears and inhibitions go and use our creative ideas. After two months a team of judges had to choose one of the seven sparkling, new fashion magazines to go into production. After much deliberation, it was this- Your Biggest BANG.

The concept of Your Biggest BANG was really simple. It all began with an apple headed for the trash can. To us this was a new begin-ning. We wanted to stop the process of always throwing things away. If something becomes old it does not necessarily mean an ending. We want to give those things a new life and an opportunity to do more. Thus Your Biggest BANG was born. Its core value: Every ending is a new beginning. We take recycling to a higher level and call it ‘The art of upcycling’. We not only upcycle in an ecological sense, but also through fashion, art, design, ideas and music.

Naturally, we re-used all seven magazines that were initially created. Thus, Your Biggest BANG is the result of upcyling the work, creativ-ity and ideas of 34 students at AMFI – Amsterdam Fashion Institute. The outcome is a magazine that is made by young creatives with the idea that it be used as a platform to inspire and motivate others. There is more to the story. Our former competitors turned into colleagues. As well as the magazine a product line has been designed and our website is up and running.

Yes, we are proud to present Your Biggest BANG: a guerilla brand that was built in five months by young creatives. Even though we may decide to close it down again just as quickly, we hope the ideas in Your Biggest BANG will inspire you to maybe a new beginning…

The editors,Saba Babas-ZadehCherryl KarijodironoBilly PavlovicReed Sacharoff

7YOUR BIGGEST BANG

CONTENTS

THE STORY SO FAR.............................................9MY T-SHIRT UPCYCLED...................................11CONTRIBUTORS.................................................12INDIVIDUALS......................................................13THE SECRETIVE XOOOOX.................................14GREG IPP..............................................................15MUSICAL NARRATIVES....................................16BEST DRESSED BAND.........................................18PARRA....................................................................19IMAGE UPCYCLING............................................2060 MINUTE FASHION.........................................21COLUMN BY NENZ.............................................273 OF A KIND..........................................................28KARAOKE VS THE ORIGINAL.........................32THE WALL FLOWER...........................................34BIO COUTURE......................................................40PASS IT ON...........................................................42CLOAKROOM MADNESS...................................49SHAPE SHIFTERS...............................................52

SUSANNE PIET ON GREED...............................60MY LIFE AS COUTURE DRESSER...................64SEE THE MELODY..............................................67ALL THAT JEANS................................................70JUNK ADDICT......................................................78VINTAGE AMSTERDAM.....................................81MY GRANDMA’S DRESSES ..............................86GET INSPIRED.....................................................91MELTING POT......................................................95COLOURS FOR TOMORROW..........................101BAS KOSTERS....................................................102ETHICAL FASHION..........................................104MUSICAL REVOLUTION.................................106DEVIL & JOHNSTON.......................................114YBB PRODUCTS................................................116MAGICAL SYMBIOSIS.....................................118BORN THAT WAY..............................................120SERVICE............................................................126

7YOUR BIGGEST BANG

CONTENTS

THE STORY SO FAR.............................................9MY T-SHIRT UPCYCLED...................................11CONTRIBUTORS.................................................12INDIVIDUALS......................................................13THE SECRETIVE XOOOOX.................................14GREG IPP..............................................................15MUSICAL NARRATIVES....................................16BEST DRESSED BAND.........................................18PARRA....................................................................19IMAGE UPCYCLING............................................2060 MINUTE FASHION.........................................21COLUMN BY NENZ.............................................273 OF A KIND..........................................................28KARAOKE VS THE ORIGINAL.........................32THE WALL FLOWER...........................................34BIO COUTURE......................................................40PASS IT ON...........................................................42CLOAKROOM MADNESS...................................49SHAPE SHIFTERS...............................................52

SUSANNE PIET ON GREED...............................60MY LIFE AS COUTURE DRESSER...................64SEE THE MELODY..............................................67ALL THAT JEANS................................................70JUNK ADDICT......................................................78VINTAGE AMSTERDAM.....................................81MY GRANDMA’S DRESSES ..............................86GET INSPIRED.....................................................91MELTING POT......................................................95COLOURS FOR TOMORROW..........................101BAS KOSTERS....................................................102ETHICAL FASHION..........................................104MUSICAL REVOLUTION.................................106DEVIL & JOHNSTON.......................................114YBB PRODUCTS................................................116MAGICAL SYMBIOSIS.....................................118BORN THAT WAY..............................................120SERVICE............................................................126

THE STORY SO FAR

YOUR BIGGEST

EVERY ENDING IS A NEW BEGINNING

NL €9 FR €10 GR €8 UK £5

Edition # 1Spring 2008

A DIFFERENT VIEW ON FASHION & SOCIETY

Rolf&Viktor - O� Runway - Marc VS. Louis - View on Growth of Fashion - Earth Intruders

primemagazine

prime.indd 1 27-3-2008 14:09:42

magazine

Issue #1

Fall 2008

FashionMusic

Visual ArtDetailed

You Must Create

WWW.GULZIGMAGAZINE.COM

# 01 GULZIG

Verslik je niet!

0276 94 0000 7835

#01 - APRIL 2008- € 10,-

Nooit een tweede kans voor een eerste keer.124 pagina’s, 1000 doelen, een taak......fashionable creatief

Blanc: Looks beyond the top layer of the arts, delving into the philosophy behind the designs and the designers.

Back & Front: Sees everything from a different perspective.

Prime: A picturesque magazine about time management.

Gulzig: Young creatives who are greedy for inspiration, knowledge and skills.

Blur: Is all about melting different creative subjects into one and enhancing one another.

Next: Inspiration and platform about upcoming talents in the field of fashion and lifestyle.

THE STORY SO FAR

YOUR BIGGEST

EVERY ENDING IS A NEW BEGINNING

NL €9 FR €10 GR €8 UK £5

Edition # 1Spring 2008

A DIFFERENT VIEW ON FASHION & SOCIETY

Rolf&Viktor - O� Runway - Marc VS. Louis - View on Growth of Fashion - Earth Intruders

primemagazine

prime.indd 1 27-3-2008 14:09:42

magazine

Issue #1

Fall 2008

FashionMusic

Visual ArtDetailed

You Must Create

WWW.GULZIGMAGAZINE.COM

# 01 GULZIG

Verslik je niet!

0276 94 0000 7835

#01 - APRIL 2008- € 10,-

Nooit een tweede kans voor een eerste keer.124 pagina’s, 1000 doelen, een taak......fashionable creatief

Blanc: Looks beyond the top layer of the arts, delving into the philosophy behind the designs and the designers.

Back & Front: Sees everything from a different perspective.

Prime: A picturesque magazine about time management.

Gulzig: Young creatives who are greedy for inspiration, knowledge and skills.

Blur: Is all about melting different creative subjects into one and enhancing one another.

Next: Inspiration and platform about upcoming talents in the field of fashion and lifestyle.

11YOUR BIGGEST BANGMY T-SHIRT UPCYCLED - STYLE

SEARCHFOR TALENT

MEXX.COM

Mexx is a European multi-channel apparel and accessories business, with over 10,000 points of sale across more than 50 countries. We are part of Liz Claiborne Inc, one of the world’s leading multi-brand apparel and accessories companies.

Are you talented, passionate and creative?As we take our brand to the next level, we have a range of exciting new career opportunities at our stunning Head Offi ce in Amsterdam.

We are always keen to hear from talented professionals with backgrounds in the following areas:

BuyersDesignersConcept DesignersMerchandise Planners & AllocatorsProduct Line MerchandisersProduct Developers

Interested?Submit your details and CV (in English) by following thislink:www.mexx.com/applicationform

MEXX16735_6PP029.indd 1 06-06-2008 09:51:48

My T-shirt UPCYCLEDKeeping with the concept that every ending is a new beginning, the Your Biggest BANG team gave their old T-shirt a new life. By printing the logo on an old white shirt, they upcycled it, making it new again. Here is a short explanation of the lifecycle of their T-shirts.

Who: Zyrah MontebonLifecycle: “This white T-shirt came a long way. It has seen Asia and now it is still rockin’ here in the EU. Who knows, it might just see the seven wonders as well.”

Who: Linda van de WielLifecycle: “This was my favourite chill T-shirt. I wore it, because it made me feel good.”

Who: Roos SmitsLifecycle: “It was my boyfriend’s, he got it when he was eight. Back then it was too big, it fit him for a while, but now it is so old that it became too big again. For him it still has sentimental value though I’m the one wearing it now.”

Who: Maartje GruytersLifecycle: “I got this T-shirt from my sister. She wore it during her belly dancing classes. She gave it to me because it was not suitable for belly dancing.”

Who: Rebecca StarkeyLifecycle: “Miss T-shirt, bought for 5 pounds, in England. She travelled to America where she lived for 3 months. She jumped 15,000 feet out of a plane over the Kennedy space centre and is now enjoying life in Amsterdam.”

Who: Suzanne van RooijLifecycle: “This T-shirt was originally a give-away from Hey Travel. When I got home, I threw it in a corner and forgot about it. I used to sleep in it, but now I have an up-cycled T-shirt that is ready to wear!” Photographer: Michel Wongsomenawi

Text: Cherryl Karijodirono & Saba Babas-Zadeh

11YOUR BIGGEST BANGMY T-SHIRT UPCYCLED - STYLE

SEARCHFOR TALENT

MEXX.COM

Mexx is a European multi-channel apparel and accessories business, with over 10,000 points of sale across more than 50 countries. We are part of Liz Claiborne Inc, one of the world’s leading multi-brand apparel and accessories companies.

Are you talented, passionate and creative?As we take our brand to the next level, we have a range of exciting new career opportunities at our stunning Head Offi ce in Amsterdam.

We are always keen to hear from talented professionals with backgrounds in the following areas:

BuyersDesignersConcept DesignersMerchandise Planners & AllocatorsProduct Line MerchandisersProduct Developers

Interested?Submit your details and CV (in English) by following thislink:www.mexx.com/applicationform

MEXX16735_6PP029.indd 1 06-06-2008 09:51:48

My T-shirt UPCYCLEDKeeping with the concept that every ending is a new beginning, the Your Biggest BANG team gave their old T-shirt a new life. By printing the logo on an old white shirt, they upcycled it, making it new again. Here is a short explanation of the lifecycle of their T-shirts.

Who: Zyrah MontebonLifecycle: “This white T-shirt came a long way. It has seen Asia and now it is still rockin’ here in the EU. Who knows, it might just see the seven wonders as well.”

Who: Linda van de WielLifecycle: “This was my favourite chill T-shirt. I wore it, because it made me feel good.”

Who: Roos SmitsLifecycle: “It was my boyfriend’s, he got it when he was eight. Back then it was too big, it fit him for a while, but now it is so old that it became too big again. For him it still has sentimental value though I’m the one wearing it now.”

Who: Maartje GruytersLifecycle: “I got this T-shirt from my sister. She wore it during her belly dancing classes. She gave it to me because it was not suitable for belly dancing.”

Who: Rebecca StarkeyLifecycle: “Miss T-shirt, bought for 5 pounds, in England. She travelled to America where she lived for 3 months. She jumped 15,000 feet out of a plane over the Kennedy space centre and is now enjoying life in Amsterdam.”

Who: Suzanne van RooijLifecycle: “This T-shirt was originally a give-away from Hey Travel. When I got home, I threw it in a corner and forgot about it. I used to sleep in it, but now I have an up-cycled T-shirt that is ready to wear!” Photographer: Michel Wongsomenawi

Text: Cherryl Karijodirono & Saba Babas-Zadeh

INDIVIDUALSA collective of variety

INDIVIDUALS is the AMFI - Amsterdam Fashion Institute owned fashion brand that is designed, produced and marketed by young creatives from this integrated fashion college. They translate their diverse academic view of fashion into inspirational designs in their own style.

Address:Spui 231012 WX AmsterdamT: +31(0)20 525 81 33E: [email protected]

Sustainability has a high priority at AMFI - Amsterdam Fashion Institute. Therefore in the future INDIVIDUALS will be focussing more on sustainability. The brand gives something old a new life and upcycles the strangest items into fashion must haves. The outcome of these upcycling experiments are added to the collections or used in the INDIVIDUALS store.

These coat hangers were given a new look by spotting them with leftover paint. In that way the old hangers got a new life and make them a perfect fit for the INDIVIDUALS store.

This rose has had candle wax applied to it and will be used as a necklace.

Save the dates. In these boxes you can save the important dates on the Individuals calendar. Used fabrics, rose leaves, old paper and stickers are used to define the brand. All wrapped up in a little box…

Written by Saba Babas-Zadeh Image: Billy Pavlovic

PublisherAmsterdam Fashion

Institute

Editors-in-chiefCharlotte Lokin

Frank Jurgen Wijlens

Editors & Graphic Design

Saba Babas-ZadehCherryl Karijodirono

Billy PavlovicReed Sacharoff

YearbookMartine Bakker

Lauri BerkhoudtJosselin Bijl

Neslihan KiyakRoos Smits

Copy editorsRebecca Breuer

Patricia BrienAndrew KervenReed Sacharoff

Stephen Fetherston

ConceptSaba Babas-Zadeh

Emily Jane CusackCherryl Karijodirono

Billy PavlovicRoos Smits

Advertising Manager Yma van den Born

Marketing, Sales & PRJanne CoolenKim Evertse Gerdien Koster (supervising teacher)Stephanie van HoofJacqueline SchramaLinda van de Wiel

EventsRosanne van den BoschEmily CusackHerman Jager (supervising teacher)Debora LeeserSophie RöderMirjam de RuiterRebecca Starkey

www.yourbiggestbang.comRianne DuursmaMarlou van EetenLieke FaberGemma FrenchMaartje GruytersTara KoppenolZyrah MontebonJean-Casimir Morreau (supervising teacher)Katinka Schmitz

ProductsJanize GuleriaCharon KooijmansKim MeertinsLinnemore Nefdt (supervising teacher)Jessica PutSusanne van RooijFemke Verheuvel

Special thanksXaviera Aubri, Beauty V.o.F., Merel van de Beek, Joep Becx, Koos de Boer, Piet Dekker, Evelyn Fox, Janneke Gaanderse, Helmke van Geel, Celia Geraerdts, Liesbeth in ’t Hout, Gonneke van den Kieboom, Nannet van der Kleijn, Valentijn Langendorff, Ilonka Leenheer, Adriana M Martien Mellema, Eva Mooiman, Jan Piscaer, Else Pool, Esther Ram, Jay Ramautarsing, Peter van Rhoon, Willem Schouten, Sjef Smit, Vivian Sneep, Thierry Sommers, De Streng B.V., Loes Termeer, Narda van ’t Veer, René van de Velde, Marja Vreeswijk, Anneke Wijnhoff, Zuntrade, Studio Witman&Kleipool.

All photographers, journalists, copywriters, make-up artists, models, model agencies, brands, designers and everyone who share their creative talent with Your Biggest Bang.

Everybody @ robstolk®: thanks for all the help and patience!

CONTRIBUTORS

Your Biggest BANG and AMFI yearbook 2008 are published by:Amsterdam Fashion InstituteHogeschool van AmsterdamMauritskade 11, 1091 GC AmsterdamT: +31 20 595 4555 www.amfi.hva.nl

Cover magazine & sleeve: Photographer: Duy Quoc Vo Styling: Saba Babas-Zadeh and Cherryl Karijodirono Model: Swanny @ Anka Models Makeup/hair: Ed Thijsen for AVEDA @ Angelique Hoorn

Sleeve: Bodysuit: Elsewerk Magazine: Jacket: Edwin Oudshoorn Trousers: Django Steenbakker Shoes: Balenciaga

On all offers, tenders and agreements made by Amsterdam Fashion Institute the conditions of the Dutch law apply. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,

electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Although the highest care is taken to make the information contained in Your Biggest BANG as accurate as possible,

neither the publisher nor the authors accept any responsibility for damages, of any nature, resulting from the use of this information. The editors of Your Biggest BANG and AMFI Yearbook-2008 have attempted to abide by all copyrights. If someone believes they have copyright to any part of this publication, contact AMFI – Amsterdam

Fashion Institute.

This publication is possible thanks to our sponsors and advertisers!

- www.yourbiggestbang.com -

Printer byRobstolk® Amsterdam (www.robstolk.nl)Paper: Reviva offset 250g (sleeve),Reviva offset 115g (interior)

INDIVIDUALSA collective of variety

INDIVIDUALS is the AMFI - Amsterdam Fashion Institute owned fashion brand that is designed, produced and marketed by young creatives from this integrated fashion college. They translate their diverse academic view of fashion into inspirational designs in their own style.

Address:Spui 231012 WX AmsterdamT: +31(0)20 525 81 33E: [email protected]

Sustainability has a high priority at AMFI - Amsterdam Fashion Institute. Therefore in the future INDIVIDUALS will be focussing more on sustainability. The brand gives something old a new life and upcycles the strangest items into fashion must haves. The outcome of these upcycling experiments are added to the collections or used in the INDIVIDUALS store.

These coat hangers were given a new look by spotting them with leftover paint. In that way the old hangers got a new life and make them a perfect fit for the INDIVIDUALS store.

This rose has had candle wax applied to it and will be used as a necklace.

Save the dates. In these boxes you can save the important dates on the Individuals calendar. Used fabrics, rose leaves, old paper and stickers are used to define the brand. All wrapped up in a little box…

Written by Saba Babas-Zadeh Image: Billy Pavlovic

PublisherAmsterdam Fashion

Institute

Editors-in-chiefCharlotte Lokin

Frank Jurgen Wijlens

Editors & Graphic Design

Saba Babas-ZadehCherryl Karijodirono

Billy PavlovicReed Sacharoff

YearbookMartine Bakker

Lauri BerkhoudtJosselin Bijl

Neslihan KiyakRoos Smits

Copy editorsRebecca Breuer

Patricia BrienAndrew KervenReed Sacharoff

Stephen Fetherston

ConceptSaba Babas-Zadeh

Emily Jane CusackCherryl Karijodirono

Billy PavlovicRoos Smits

Advertising Manager Yma van den Born

Marketing, Sales & PRJanne CoolenKim Evertse Gerdien Koster (supervising teacher)Stephanie van HoofJacqueline SchramaLinda van de Wiel

EventsRosanne van den BoschEmily CusackHerman Jager (supervising teacher)Debora LeeserSophie RöderMirjam de RuiterRebecca Starkey

www.yourbiggestbang.comRianne DuursmaMarlou van EetenLieke FaberGemma FrenchMaartje GruytersTara KoppenolZyrah MontebonJean-Casimir Morreau (supervising teacher)Katinka Schmitz

ProductsJanize GuleriaCharon KooijmansKim MeertinsLinnemore Nefdt (supervising teacher)Jessica PutSusanne van RooijFemke Verheuvel

Special thanksXaviera Aubri, Beauty V.o.F., Merel van de Beek, Joep Becx, Koos de Boer, Piet Dekker, Evelyn Fox, Janneke Gaanderse, Helmke van Geel, Celia Geraerdts, Liesbeth in ’t Hout, Gonneke van den Kieboom, Nannet van der Kleijn, Valentijn Langendorff, Ilonka Leenheer, Adriana M Martien Mellema, Eva Mooiman, Jan Piscaer, Else Pool, Esther Ram, Jay Ramautarsing, Peter van Rhoon, Willem Schouten, Sjef Smit, Vivian Sneep, Thierry Sommers, De Streng B.V., Loes Termeer, Narda van ’t Veer, René van de Velde, Marja Vreeswijk, Anneke Wijnhoff, Zuntrade, Studio Witman&Kleipool.

All photographers, journalists, copywriters, make-up artists, models, model agencies, brands, designers and everyone who share their creative talent with Your Biggest Bang.

Everybody @ robstolk®: thanks for all the help and patience!

CONTRIBUTORS

Your Biggest BANG and AMFI yearbook 2008 are published by:Amsterdam Fashion InstituteHogeschool van AmsterdamMauritskade 11, 1091 GC AmsterdamT: +31 20 595 4555 www.amfi.hva.nl

Cover magazine & sleeve: Photographer: Duy Quoc Vo Styling: Saba Babas-Zadeh and Cherryl Karijodirono Model: Swanny @ Anka Models Makeup/hair: Ed Thijsen for AVEDA @ Angelique Hoorn

Sleeve: Bodysuit: Elsewerk Magazine: Jacket: Edwin Oudshoorn Trousers: Django Steenbakker Shoes: Balenciaga

On all offers, tenders and agreements made by Amsterdam Fashion Institute the conditions of the Dutch law apply. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,

electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Although the highest care is taken to make the information contained in Your Biggest BANG as accurate as possible,

neither the publisher nor the authors accept any responsibility for damages, of any nature, resulting from the use of this information. The editors of Your Biggest BANG and AMFI Yearbook-2008 have attempted to abide by all copyrights. If someone believes they have copyright to any part of this publication, contact AMFI – Amsterdam

Fashion Institute.

This publication is possible thanks to our sponsors and advertisers!

- www.yourbiggestbang.com -

Printer byRobstolk® Amsterdam (www.robstolk.nl)Paper: Reviva offset 250g (sleeve),Reviva offset 115g (interior)

14 YOUR BIGGEST BANG ART & DESIGN - XOOOOX 15YOUR BIGGEST BANGGREG IPP - ART & DESIGN

Initially he chose very carefully where he wanted to show his work, mostly inside porches, on corners or doors. Sometimes the locations were on very busy streets, and others where only one or two people would come across it per day. After a few years he started showing his work in other cities, includ-ing Frankfurt, Milan, New York, Prague, Cannes, Paris and Barcelona.

His biggest inspiration still remains fashion, which is evident when seeing his translation of garments in the illustrations. The interesting thing about fashion, he thinks, is that it can change very quickly. Everybody is going along with certain trends while still wanting to remain individual; soon it seems that this is close to being impossible. Xoooox is adding to the fashion melt-ing pot through his collaboration with a small clothing label based in Berlin. His need for perfection isn’t com-pletely satisfied by it. It turned out that the fashion label wanted to determine which clothing pieces they wanted to use, while they had initially agreed that he would be the one to make the final decision. In his opinion the garment needs to be every bit as original as the work of art he created.

www.xoooox.com/

Mysterious Berlin based street artist xoooox has been leaving his mark on pub-lic buildings for the past 15 years. With his identity still unknown to the public, his relatively simple illustrations tug at your heartstrings, bringing up feelings of daydreaming, loss, and keeping some secrets hidden.

During a trip to Berlin, I felt a little underwhelmed by the icy feeling of the city, however, my heart was warmed a little by the amount of street art I found. When I returned home, there was one image that stuck in my mind. A pensive girl in the corner, thinking of the events happening in the world around her. I felt a connection with her. I had to find out who created her, and if there were similar images out there. It was tagged with xoooox, so my search began. The internet provided a lot of images, but finding information about the man himself was much more difficult. I decided to send him an email, crossing my fingers I would get a response. To my surprise, a few days later I did. A personal email written by xoooox, the man who has been inspiring me for many years. I was thrilled.

He told me that his work had started back in 1991, when he was working in an office. One afternoon out of pure boredom and curiosity, he emptied his pockets onto his personal photocopier. The result-ing images soon became inspiration for his later work. In his email he writes that he likes to remain anonymous, because it is his work that is important and not himself. It is his personal mission to make people think and wonder about life’s questions.

THE SECRETIVEXOOOOXWritten by Marlou van Eeten Image: XOOOOX

GREGIPP

Greg is a graphic designer from New York City.

This image was a mixture of a few different sources. The floor is from an old factory, that was converted into new apartments. I found the shoes in a second hand shop for $5.00. The fractal was made using an online generator. Initially I had created it for another image but found the shapes fit this one better, echoing those found naturally in the wood. Combined, they created a brand new composition.www.areyoufamiliar.com/unfamiliar/

Production: Reed Sacharoff

14 YOUR BIGGEST BANG ART & DESIGN - XOOOOX 15YOUR BIGGEST BANGGREG IPP - ART & DESIGN

Initially he chose very carefully where he wanted to show his work, mostly inside porches, on corners or doors. Sometimes the locations were on very busy streets, and others where only one or two people would come across it per day. After a few years he started showing his work in other cities, includ-ing Frankfurt, Milan, New York, Prague, Cannes, Paris and Barcelona.

His biggest inspiration still remains fashion, which is evident when seeing his translation of garments in the illustrations. The interesting thing about fashion, he thinks, is that it can change very quickly. Everybody is going along with certain trends while still wanting to remain individual; soon it seems that this is close to being impossible. Xoooox is adding to the fashion melt-ing pot through his collaboration with a small clothing label based in Berlin. His need for perfection isn’t com-pletely satisfied by it. It turned out that the fashion label wanted to determine which clothing pieces they wanted to use, while they had initially agreed that he would be the one to make the final decision. In his opinion the garment needs to be every bit as original as the work of art he created.

www.xoooox.com/

Mysterious Berlin based street artist xoooox has been leaving his mark on pub-lic buildings for the past 15 years. With his identity still unknown to the public, his relatively simple illustrations tug at your heartstrings, bringing up feelings of daydreaming, loss, and keeping some secrets hidden.

During a trip to Berlin, I felt a little underwhelmed by the icy feeling of the city, however, my heart was warmed a little by the amount of street art I found. When I returned home, there was one image that stuck in my mind. A pensive girl in the corner, thinking of the events happening in the world around her. I felt a connection with her. I had to find out who created her, and if there were similar images out there. It was tagged with xoooox, so my search began. The internet provided a lot of images, but finding information about the man himself was much more difficult. I decided to send him an email, crossing my fingers I would get a response. To my surprise, a few days later I did. A personal email written by xoooox, the man who has been inspiring me for many years. I was thrilled.

He told me that his work had started back in 1991, when he was working in an office. One afternoon out of pure boredom and curiosity, he emptied his pockets onto his personal photocopier. The result-ing images soon became inspiration for his later work. In his email he writes that he likes to remain anonymous, because it is his work that is important and not himself. It is his personal mission to make people think and wonder about life’s questions.

THE SECRETIVEXOOOOXWritten by Marlou van Eeten Image: XOOOOX

GREGIPP

Greg is a graphic designer from New York City.

This image was a mixture of a few different sources. The floor is from an old factory, that was converted into new apartments. I found the shoes in a second hand shop for $5.00. The fractal was made using an online generator. Initially I had created it for another image but found the shapes fit this one better, echoing those found naturally in the wood. Combined, they created a brand new composition.www.areyoufamiliar.com/unfamiliar/

Production: Reed Sacharoff

16 YOUR BIGGEST BANG MUSIC - MUSICAL NARRATIVES 17YOUR BIGGEST BANGMUSICAL NARRATIVES - MUSIC

See the full interviews on www.yourbiggestbang.com

MUSICAL NARRATIVES

NtjamrosieAfrican born singer Ntjamrosie is a woman of the world, who walks, talks and tells her stories through the music she makes. Inspired by the traditional way of storytelling in Cameroon, she re-uses themes and brings them to life in her songs.

“My album is a tribute to my deceased grandmother, Atouba Bernadette. She was a strong beautiful woman who always said: when you fall, you get up and continue!” Ntjamrosie produced her first album together with Nelson & Djosa, which is a journey of their combined stories, musical influences and inspirations. “Now Atouba is out there, it feels like my stories are captured in the universe forever. Finishing the album feels like a closure, the end of a period. For us every day was a new beginning. Back in the days when I wrote the song Patience at the age of fifteen, I could never have imagined that it would end up on a cd.”

Ntjamrosie’s first album Atouba is out now.

Written by Mirjam de Ruiter Photography: Petrovsky & Ramone

Djosa & NelsonFull of ambitions and dreams, drifting somewhere between the here and now and the up and above, Nelson & Djosa bring a different message across with their album Don’t Kill Your Feelings. They re-use all the songs and little things they love to create their own sound: space funk.

“Upcycling is a basic element of our music. Our sound is created out of music that we like, anything from the seventies until now. From funk to disco or electro, from Brazilian rhythm to African music.” Nelson & Djosa walk around the world, drawing inspiration from all the elements the horizon offers. They label their music ‘space funk’, a term derived from their lyrics ‘made in outerspace’, as Djosa says. “We don’t just do funk based on the oldskool stuff, but we take it into a broader perspective. Into space.”

Don’t Kill Your Feelings, Nelson & Djosa’s first album will be in stores soon. www.appletreerecords.net

NeslonDjosa

Ntjamrosie

16 YOUR BIGGEST BANG MUSIC - MUSICAL NARRATIVES 17YOUR BIGGEST BANGMUSICAL NARRATIVES - MUSIC

See the full interviews on www.yourbiggestbang.com

MUSICAL NARRATIVES

NtjamrosieAfrican born singer Ntjamrosie is a woman of the world, who walks, talks and tells her stories through the music she makes. Inspired by the traditional way of storytelling in Cameroon, she re-uses themes and brings them to life in her songs.

“My album is a tribute to my deceased grandmother, Atouba Bernadette. She was a strong beautiful woman who always said: when you fall, you get up and continue!” Ntjamrosie produced her first album together with Nelson & Djosa, which is a journey of their combined stories, musical influences and inspirations. “Now Atouba is out there, it feels like my stories are captured in the universe forever. Finishing the album feels like a closure, the end of a period. For us every day was a new beginning. Back in the days when I wrote the song Patience at the age of fifteen, I could never have imagined that it would end up on a cd.”

Ntjamrosie’s first album Atouba is out now.

Written by Mirjam de Ruiter Photography: Petrovsky & Ramone

Djosa & NelsonFull of ambitions and dreams, drifting somewhere between the here and now and the up and above, Nelson & Djosa bring a different message across with their album Don’t Kill Your Feelings. They re-use all the songs and little things they love to create their own sound: space funk.

“Upcycling is a basic element of our music. Our sound is created out of music that we like, anything from the seventies until now. From funk to disco or electro, from Brazilian rhythm to African music.” Nelson & Djosa walk around the world, drawing inspiration from all the elements the horizon offers. They label their music ‘space funk’, a term derived from their lyrics ‘made in outerspace’, as Djosa says. “We don’t just do funk based on the oldskool stuff, but we take it into a broader perspective. Into space.”

Don’t Kill Your Feelings, Nelson & Djosa’s first album will be in stores soon. www.appletreerecords.net

NeslonDjosa

Ntjamrosie

19YOUR BIGGEST BANG - STYLE18 YOUR BIGGEST BANG STYLE - MOKE

I was talking to Eddy Steeneken(pictured far left). He plays the piano in “Best Dressed Band” Moke.I really wanted to know how they earned that title “Best Dressed Band”.

We were named the “Best Dressed Band” by Esquire maga-zine. Back then we played in our so to say H&M look. Esquire had

created a new category, that for ‘Best Dressed Band’ which we won. We thought that was kind of funny. Afterwards someone from the management of Karl Lagerfeld contacted us. Karl loves music. His latest collection from the K by Karl Lagerfeld line is inspired by Amy Wine-house. With this new line, he was looking for a band in each country that represented his im-

age. He is always looking for nat-urally cool people, and he chose us for Holland! The head office for the K line is situated here in Amsterdam, so we just went and picked out a new wardrobe from the spring collection. Our image hasn’t really changed since we got sponsored. Before, We were always dressed in black, but now it is much more beautiful, and more expensive!

MOKEWritten by Kim Meertins Image: Govert de Roos

PIETER “PARRA” JANSSEN

Piet ‘Parra’ Janssen is a multi-talented Dutch illustrator and owner of the brand ROCKWELL. His work is instantly recognizable through the use of bright colours, fat women with bird heads, all topped with striking quotes.

For Your Biggest BANG Parra designed an illustration based on the theme; ‘Every ending is a new beginning’.

Production: Saba Babas-Zadeh

19YOUR BIGGEST BANG - STYLE18 YOUR BIGGEST BANG STYLE - MOKE

I was talking to Eddy Steeneken(pictured far left). He plays the piano in “Best Dressed Band” Moke.I really wanted to know how they earned that title “Best Dressed Band”.

We were named the “Best Dressed Band” by Esquire maga-zine. Back then we played in our so to say H&M look. Esquire had

created a new category, that for ‘Best Dressed Band’ which we won. We thought that was kind of funny. Afterwards someone from the management of Karl Lagerfeld contacted us. Karl loves music. His latest collection from the K by Karl Lagerfeld line is inspired by Amy Wine-house. With this new line, he was looking for a band in each country that represented his im-

age. He is always looking for nat-urally cool people, and he chose us for Holland! The head office for the K line is situated here in Amsterdam, so we just went and picked out a new wardrobe from the spring collection. Our image hasn’t really changed since we got sponsored. Before, We were always dressed in black, but now it is much more beautiful, and more expensive!

MOKEWritten by Kim Meertins Image: Govert de Roos

PIETER “PARRA” JANSSEN

Piet ‘Parra’ Janssen is a multi-talented Dutch illustrator and owner of the brand ROCKWELL. His work is instantly recognizable through the use of bright colours, fat women with bird heads, all topped with striking quotes.

For Your Biggest BANG Parra designed an illustration based on the theme; ‘Every ending is a new beginning’.

Production: Saba Babas-Zadeh

21YOUR BIGGEST BANG60 MINUTE FASHION - STYLE

60 MINUTE FASHION

Photography: Bob van Rooijen Stylists: Maartje Gruyters & Rebecca Starkey Hair & Makeup: Maartje Willems Models: Lotte & Linda @ Modelution

60 MINUTE FASHION. A new concept in quick design where students from different faculties are given new and scrap fabrics and one hour to create a garment of their choice to be used the next day in a photo shoot. An experiment in first impressions. The room, the atmosphere, the music, the fabrics, and whatever else each student brought to the table.

get creative

IMAGE UPCYCLING

Tessa M. de Graaf is a graduate of the Amsterdam Fashion Institute and now works as an illustrator. When it comes to ecological fashion she has strong beliefs. This is why she was asked to make an illustration with “Every ending is a new beginning” as the central theme.

TESSA:

“Illustrations that I don’t think worked out, are being reworked and used again. Parts of it I will scan and process onto my computer, so it becomes a whole new illustration.

Old sketches can lead to inspiration for a new piece. That is the reason why I hardly ever throw things away.”

www.ownme.nl

Written by Billy Pavlovic

21YOUR BIGGEST BANG60 MINUTE FASHION - STYLE

60 MINUTE FASHION

Photography: Bob van Rooijen Stylists: Maartje Gruyters & Rebecca Starkey Hair & Makeup: Maartje Willems Models: Lotte & Linda @ Modelution

60 MINUTE FASHION. A new concept in quick design where students from different faculties are given new and scrap fabrics and one hour to create a garment of their choice to be used the next day in a photo shoot. An experiment in first impressions. The room, the atmosphere, the music, the fabrics, and whatever else each student brought to the table.

get creative

IMAGE UPCYCLING

Tessa M. de Graaf is a graduate of the Amsterdam Fashion Institute and now works as an illustrator. When it comes to ecological fashion she has strong beliefs. This is why she was asked to make an illustration with “Every ending is a new beginning” as the central theme.

TESSA:

“Illustrations that I don’t think worked out, are being reworked and used again. Parts of it I will scan and process onto my computer, so it becomes a whole new illustration.

Old sketches can lead to inspiration for a new piece. That is the reason why I hardly ever throw things away.”

www.ownme.nl

Written by Billy Pavlovic

22 YOUR BIGGEST BANG STYLE - 60 MINUTE FASHION 23YOUR BIGGEST BANG60 MINUTE FASHION - STYLE

Jeffrey Kroon and Daud Lekranty-

Jeffrey and Daud are both studying Fashion & Design and are from The Netherlands

When we first teamed up we started brainstorming about what we could do with this piece of embroidered white fabric. The romantic feeling we got from it led to the design. Daud created a hoodie for the top and Jeffrey started spray painting the skirt and bodice. The main inspiration for the dress was an urban feel mixed with designers like Heatherette and Darryl van Wouw.

Cecilia Thomas-

Cecilia is an architecture exchange student from Denmark.

My first impression on initially entering the room was that it was so messy, I didn’t know where to begin. I grabbed some fabrics that reminded me of my home country a sand coloured old curtain, some blue jer-sey, and some lacy ribbon. Initially I was inspired by the Eiffel tower, but after adding form to the bottom of the dress with cardboard, it reminded me more of the Statue of Liberty in New York, which is another of my favorite monuments.

Jeffrey Kroon and Daud Lekranty-

Jeffrey and Daud are both studying Fashion & Design and are from The Netherlands

When we first teamed up we started brainstorming about what we could do with this piece of embroidered white fabric. The romantic feeling we got from it led to the design. Daud created a hoodie for the top and Jeffrey started spray painting the skirt and bodice. The main inspiration for the dress was an urban feel mixed with designers like Heatherette and Darryl van Wouw.

Cecilia Thomas-

Cecilia is an architecture exchange student from Denmark.

My first impression on initially entering the room was that it was so messy, I didn’t know where to begin. I grabbed some fabrics that reminded me of my home country a sand coloured old curtain, some blue jer-sey, and some lacy ribbon. Initially I was inspired by the Eiffel tower, but after adding form to the bottom of the dress with cardboard, it reminded me more of the Statue of Liberty in New York, which is another of my favorite monuments.

Mirjam de Ruiter-

Mirjam studies International Fashion & Branding in The Netherlands.

I started this outfit towards the end of the day and there wasn’t much fabric left. I wanted to create a top and skirt with a light and summery feel. I braided together fabrics to create the neckline for the top. For the skirt I found some fabric that Jeffrey had tagged earlier in the day. I thought the light fabrics and colours created a nice contrast with the spray painting.

Rebecca Starkey-

Rebecca is a Fashion Design student on exchange from the U.K.

I also started late in the day. I found the trash bag that Jeffrey and Daud had used for their spray painting and thought I could upcycle it to make an incredible skirt. At the same time I was very inspired by the creative vibe in the room and the music by Daft Punk playing. The end result was a mixture of many different influences, leading to the creation of this one of a kind garment.

Mirjam de Ruiter-

Mirjam studies International Fashion & Branding in The Netherlands.

I started this outfit towards the end of the day and there wasn’t much fabric left. I wanted to create a top and skirt with a light and summery feel. I braided together fabrics to create the neckline for the top. For the skirt I found some fabric that Jeffrey had tagged earlier in the day. I thought the light fabrics and colours created a nice contrast with the spray painting.

Rebecca Starkey-

Rebecca is a Fashion Design student on exchange from the U.K.

I also started late in the day. I found the trash bag that Jeffrey and Daud had used for their spray painting and thought I could upcycle it to make an incredible skirt. At the same time I was very inspired by the creative vibe in the room and the music by Daft Punk playing. The end result was a mixture of many different influences, leading to the creation of this one of a kind garment.

27YOUR BIGGEST BANGINNER VISION - STYLE26 YOUR BIGGEST BANG STYLE - 60 MINUTE FASHION

Roosmarie Raas-

Roosmarie studies International Fashion & Design in The Netherlands

I started with a plain white T-shirt and added some dark grey jersey. I wanted to add some more vol-ume, adding some playfulness to the body shape. For colour I grabbed some purple ribbon and pinned it around the mannequin. At the last minute I decided to shorten the dress. The longer silhouette was just not working for me.

A couple of weeks ago, I was asked if I would be interested in joining a fashion jury for a famous Dutch glossy magazine. Hysterical fashion freak that I am, I saw myself being called the next Fiona Hering; the little fashion kids desperately trying to kiss my Louboutain heels. But then something happened, some-thing that I had not foreseen: I found it really hard to criticize other people’s outfits. Who am I to reject their look, on which they had spent so much time, effort, and creative power on? Does Anna Wintour, chief of all fashion editors, even have the right to do this? Is her vision really that crucial? Creativity is somewhat dying out in the fashion world. Or better said: many fashion editors are trying to eliminate creativity – consciously or not. Every season, the fashion magazines draw up lists with things that need to be immediately added to your ward-robe, and garments that the most idiotic tramp doesn’t want to be caught dead in. And we, fashion victims as we are, are obliged to follow. On the other hand those fashion magazines also worship the hipsters, it-girls, models and other celebrities who are as in-novative as possible in the way they dress. Just take the icons of the last couple of months: model Agyness Deyn, Amy Winehouse, or Chloë Sevigny… not really the

kind of wallflowers that fly with every trend. They are all people that don’t seem to care about the dictated rules in the fashion world and who walk their own fashionable path in every pos-sible way. What a mixed message to their audience; on the one side we need to all dress the same according to the universal trend code, on the other hand they love to see us being original, inventive and creative. The weirdest thing is that designers, who give the outlines for fashion every season, do not seem to follow this whole trend story.

So thank god for designers like Jeremy Scott, Gareth Pugh, Christopher Kane, Viktor & Rolf and John Galliano, who still do what they want and follow their own creative path every season! This can clearly be seen in their diverse collections, but also in their choice of their muse. Take for instance Viktor & Rolf who chose the alien looking Tilda Swinton, Karl Lagerfeld who drily showed his whole collection on Amy Winehouse look-a-likes (who had been chosen as “worst dressed” by Mr. Blackwell a couple of weeks before). But then why do fashion editors so neces-sarily have to look for similarities and certify them as a new trend? Why can’t it be as it is; an expres-sion of creativity?

NEnz, a freelance fashion journalist, shares her view of the world of fashion.

Designer Marc Jacobs found a not too friendly review about his last show, written by New York Times editor Cathy Horn. He im-mediately responded on her blog: “My last few collections have been nothing but an expression of where I am at and what interests me and my team in terms of cut, shape, colour and our individual interests in fashionable clothes. I find so many aspects of life today fascinating... I don’t work in a bubble. I am influenced by the world, and what of the world I know, remember, and hope for.” Very brave of Marc, to declare his vision like that. But as a creative nowadays, you need to be brave to a certain extent. Because many times my creative thoughts are knocked down by people in my surroundings who don’t un-derstand my style! Nevertheless, however hard your critics shout they don’t like it or shake their uncomprehending heads; it will eventually always make you happier to express your creativity and follow your own fashionable path. In short: to be who you are. And by god do it fast; before it’s called a trend…

NEnznenz.web-log.nl/

INNER VISION

27YOUR BIGGEST BANGINNER VISION - STYLE26 YOUR BIGGEST BANG STYLE - 60 MINUTE FASHION

Roosmarie Raas-

Roosmarie studies International Fashion & Design in The Netherlands

I started with a plain white T-shirt and added some dark grey jersey. I wanted to add some more vol-ume, adding some playfulness to the body shape. For colour I grabbed some purple ribbon and pinned it around the mannequin. At the last minute I decided to shorten the dress. The longer silhouette was just not working for me.

A couple of weeks ago, I was asked if I would be interested in joining a fashion jury for a famous Dutch glossy magazine. Hysterical fashion freak that I am, I saw myself being called the next Fiona Hering; the little fashion kids desperately trying to kiss my Louboutain heels. But then something happened, some-thing that I had not foreseen: I found it really hard to criticize other people’s outfits. Who am I to reject their look, on which they had spent so much time, effort, and creative power on? Does Anna Wintour, chief of all fashion editors, even have the right to do this? Is her vision really that crucial? Creativity is somewhat dying out in the fashion world. Or better said: many fashion editors are trying to eliminate creativity – consciously or not. Every season, the fashion magazines draw up lists with things that need to be immediately added to your ward-robe, and garments that the most idiotic tramp doesn’t want to be caught dead in. And we, fashion victims as we are, are obliged to follow. On the other hand those fashion magazines also worship the hipsters, it-girls, models and other celebrities who are as in-novative as possible in the way they dress. Just take the icons of the last couple of months: model Agyness Deyn, Amy Winehouse, or Chloë Sevigny… not really the

kind of wallflowers that fly with every trend. They are all people that don’t seem to care about the dictated rules in the fashion world and who walk their own fashionable path in every pos-sible way. What a mixed message to their audience; on the one side we need to all dress the same according to the universal trend code, on the other hand they love to see us being original, inventive and creative. The weirdest thing is that designers, who give the outlines for fashion every season, do not seem to follow this whole trend story.

So thank god for designers like Jeremy Scott, Gareth Pugh, Christopher Kane, Viktor & Rolf and John Galliano, who still do what they want and follow their own creative path every season! This can clearly be seen in their diverse collections, but also in their choice of their muse. Take for instance Viktor & Rolf who chose the alien looking Tilda Swinton, Karl Lagerfeld who drily showed his whole collection on Amy Winehouse look-a-likes (who had been chosen as “worst dressed” by Mr. Blackwell a couple of weeks before). But then why do fashion editors so neces-sarily have to look for similarities and certify them as a new trend? Why can’t it be as it is; an expres-sion of creativity?

NEnz, a freelance fashion journalist, shares her view of the world of fashion.

Designer Marc Jacobs found a not too friendly review about his last show, written by New York Times editor Cathy Horn. He im-mediately responded on her blog: “My last few collections have been nothing but an expression of where I am at and what interests me and my team in terms of cut, shape, colour and our individual interests in fashionable clothes. I find so many aspects of life today fascinating... I don’t work in a bubble. I am influenced by the world, and what of the world I know, remember, and hope for.” Very brave of Marc, to declare his vision like that. But as a creative nowadays, you need to be brave to a certain extent. Because many times my creative thoughts are knocked down by people in my surroundings who don’t un-derstand my style! Nevertheless, however hard your critics shout they don’t like it or shake their uncomprehending heads; it will eventually always make you happier to express your creativity and follow your own fashionable path. In short: to be who you are. And by god do it fast; before it’s called a trend…

NEnznenz.web-log.nl/

INNER VISION

28 YOUR BIGGEST BANG 29YOUR BIGGEST BANG3 OF A KIND - STYLE

13 OF A KINDThree designers, hailing from the UK, The Netherlands, and France, with one thing in common: using old, unwanted garments and transforming them into new ones. From couture to streetwear, these designers are inspiring individuals that love to tear, rip, and experiment with old clothing. Find out how Gary Harvey, Michael Barnaart van Bergen and Andrea Crews interpret the art of upcycling.

GARY HARVEY:Most women simply love the art of creating new things from fabrics or clothing that they no longer use. We are now seeing that some men love to do the same. The super talented former creative director of Levi’s, Gary Harvey, is starting his own collection.

First things first. A decade ago environmentally friendly clothing brought to mind hemp socks and Birkenstocks. Today eco fashion is shedding the hippie image. Think innovation; think one of a kind; think couture; think Gary Harvey. He began his career at Levi’s, where he made his mark by changing the way the campaigns were shot, starting a line of 100% organic cotton jeans, and introducing packaging made from recycled materials and dyed with soy-based ink. Harvey takes his inspiration from ‘people on the streets who have the potential to change’. His first collection of nine stunning dresses was made from all types of second hand fabrics and garments that he

had gathered from the places he has visited, and was shown during the Estethica exhibition at London Fashion Week in 2007. This exhibition was the kick-off for a greener Fashion Week. Thirteen designers who uphold the principles of fair trade, organic fabrics and recycling were invited to show

their stunning work. Some of the more famous ones included Enamored, Ciel and Terra Plana. His stunning collection gave the audience a feeling of real femininity with some stunning ‘arty farty’ piecework like the Baseball Puffball Dress, made from 26 nylon baseball jackets. To please his former employer he made a dress out 41 pairs of Levi 501’s. His collection created a dramatic display designed to

change people’s perception of secondhand clothing and create fashion with a conscience. People are becoming increasingly aware of what being environmentally friendly means. They are moving beyond the hype and seeing it as natural way to live. The responsibility of being aware of what you are using and at

the same time trying to help the environment begins with the individual. Some believe that clothing can only be worn for one season, with it then being dumped in the back of the wardrobe with the rest of their unworn clothes. Harvey decided to put an end to this way of thinking. He uses material he has found in places like secondhand clothing stores to avoid waste: “people wear it

once or twice, then discard it because it is suddenly deemed aesthetically unimportant and out of date when there are actually years of life left in the garment.”

His collection “was a comment on the real cost of the garment that you buy; about the cost in natural resources, exploitation of labour, the biodegradable nature of garments”. His primary collection reflected all these aspects and we will definitely see more of him in the future. He opened the eyes of many people to the fact that clothing pieces no longer have a life cycle of a single season. On the contrary, with some small or drastic adjustments everybody could turn their used garments into something stunning, possibly even a couture piece. Thus a whole new item is created and, hopefully with recycling foremost in mind, it will not just have a lifetime of one year... Perhaps it may be ‘till death do us part’...?

GREENER FASHIONWritten by Billy Pavlovic Images: Robert Decelis Model: Tabitha @ MODELS1

Clothing pieces don’t have life cycles of one season anymore.