Diane, A Shaded View on Fashion

The Hyeres Experience by Graham Tabor photos by Miguel Villalobos

Dear SHaded Viewers,

All photos by Miguel Villalobos

DP: Let’s talk about your Hyeres experience but first; let’s talk about you. Can you give me a little history?

GT: I grew up in Michigan in the northern United States.

At university I studied art history and international relations. I was studying in Paris at Paris IV and ended up interning for Sebastien Meunier. I had taken a couple of pattern making classes back in the us, but I was pretty raw when I started. After a while I had to go back to the US to finish my thesis and then came back to work with Sebastien some more.

I moved back to NY in 2003. Since then I've been designing for various brands in NY and doing my photo/styling projects with Miguel.

DP: How did the whole Hyeres experience begin for you?

GT: I knew about Hyeres because Sebastien won the menswear prize many years ago. I came to the festival for the first time last year because I was working with a magazine that was a partner with the festival. The energy was like nothing I'd ever experienced at a fashion event and the villa struck me as a really special place. I left the festival decided to submit a dossier and started working on it on the plane ride back to NY.

DP: Let’s pretend that we can rewind the jury experience and tell me what you
meant to tell them?

GT: This might be really long...

The collection was based around an interest in fragments, which came about in two parallel ways. The first was cultural and the second physical.

Culturally, I was interested in the heritage cultures leave behind and how we collect that knowledge. Those that come later are only left with silent partial objects and have to create the story around these fragments. That's part of the basis for a lot of the accessories and knitwear. So you have knit undergarments that are incredibly light coming undone as if they are a whisper of what they once were, braids that bind the feet giving the notion of what might have been sandals and masks and decoration that reference ritual, but no one we can readily distinguish.

Physically, fragmentation developed as an actual process of removal. But instead of removal in the traditional sense, as something that uncovers or reveals something, I wanted to use it to enact a transformation on the body. For this I was in part inspired by the building extractions of Gordon Matta-Clark from the 60's and 70's. What I loved when I looked at those was how by removing a portion of the buildings he transformed and energized the space and how you interacted with it. This idea was really important for the tailoring. The tailoring is based on the idea of removing a fragment and rebuilding the garment around the removal and thereby transforming how we perceive the body underneath. The energy residue of this action is felt in the transformed silhouette i.e. the deformed shoulders, the exaggerated pockets, the shifting seams and lapels.

This also evolved in to a larger experimentation with the idea of transformation and aborted transparency. The blazers, instead of showing the body through the transparency of their fabric, transform its dimensions. The black silk series has apertures cut out, only for them to be filled back in through the pattern cutting. The knitwear, instead of being about the transparency created by the holes and the open stitches of the undergarments, is layered to give the appearance of transforming the skin's texture. The masks and hair are layered lattice works that are filled with perforations through which we can see, but they transform the physiognomy the head.

Throughout the collection there is this struggle between delicacy and violence brought about by the contrasts between transparency and transformation. It is almost like the clothes affect a soft violence on the body like they were cocoons that instead of protecting the body were actually changing it. I like to think, that if they body was in the clothes long enough, it would distort to match the garments. The texture of the undergarments would imprint on the skin. The shoulders would pitch and deform to match the tailoring...

DP: Let’s talk about the whole process from experiments with stitches to painting
tree branches and whose idea were the black painted chicken feet?

GT: My process can be really long at times. I spend a lot of time collecting materials, reading, looking and playing with stitches. My apartment has bags of little things I've collected or made. Once I start sketching and draping I do, undo and redo... I actually filled up three sketchbooks working on this collection. The upside is that once all that work is done you could extract a commercial collection from it in minutes. All that hard work is also the part I enjoy; it becomes meditative when it's right.

For the knitwear I was really lucky in that STOLL agreed to collaborate with me on the project and make all of the knitwear in their research and development center so I had access to the newest machines and best technicians. If you notice, all of the undergarments were knit completely without seams.

My first idea for the showroom was to create a psychological space to contextualize the garments. A bit like when you encounter a Louise bourgeois installation, as if you stepped into the physical manifestation of someone's psyche. Although I had to scale it down a little bit to work as a showroom...

I liked the idea of everything being black because you related to it instantly as a whole object. It also felt a bit mystical, without referencing a specific culture or tradition. The chicken feet were originally for the accessories. Kristin ordered them online. I added them because they felt simultaneously delicate and slightly ominous.

DP: Who all was on your team and what did each of them contribute to your show?

GT: Krisitin Victora Barron created the accessories.
Chinatsu Nobe created the hair.
Fumi Nakagawa created the make up, which I like to think of as the birthmarks or stains of the characters that inhabit these garments.

Plus Miguel, my mom and a lot of friends who came to support me and help with anything and everything they could.

DP: What were your emotions when you first arrived at the Villa till the day that you left?
GT: I felt really privileged to be there. I love the villa and how it is simultaneously modern and medieval. It was really fun for the most part a bit like going to art summer camp but we can drink and know a little more about our selves. Stressful too, but over all fun. By the end I felt a bit exploded. Doing 3 shows, the showroom and the Jury presentation in the span of 2 1/2 days is a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. For the first 7 days you feel like all you do is wait and then everything happens all of the sudden.

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DP: What were the most surreal experiences there?
GT:The trip home. I didn't think we were going to make it.

DP: What were the high points and what were the low ones? Would you do it again?
Now knowing what the experience was like?

GT: The end of the last show was the high and the low. Chinatsu and Fumi were so upset we didn't win. More than I was, I think. It was really touching and powerful to see how important the whole experience was to them. I realized how lucky I was to work with them.

Arts and crafts slumber parties with Kristin and Chinatsu and hyeres Haikus come in as a close second for a high...

I would do it again in a second. I get chills when I hear my music.

DP: What were some of the most interesting comments on your work?
GT:I had a journalist come up and say something along the lines of congratulations; I'm not quite sure what it was, but congratulations.

I had another journalist ask me if I saw it more as performance art then fashion. I wear the clothes now that it's over, so there's definitely at least some fashion.

There were also two 7-year-old children that thought it was quite literary. That was one of my favorites.

DP: What did you think of the showroom as opposed to installation?

GT: I was a little disappointed because I'd been planning an installation in my head for months, but I think it was a lot easier for the journalists and headhunters to spend time with the designers. It also created a good atmosphere amongst the designers because we all spent time together and worked around each other.

DP: How was it working with Maida Gregory?
GT: Maida has an incredible eye. She also pushed for me to get away with all my crazy hair and make up for which I am very grateful. She and her team do an insane amount of work at the festival. I think I work at a slower pace then she does though...

DP: If you had to do it all over again what would you change?
GT: I would spend a little more time lying in the grass of the garden and I would go for a swim in the ocean. I think I would rehearse my jury presentation beforehand too.

DP: How do you and Miguel work together?
GT: It involves a lot of talking, playing and drawing, usually some cardboard and occasionally a little argument. It's very organic. Our apartment and studio are one in the same, so it's hard to separate everything. One informs the other and we usually work together on almost all aspects of our collaborations. I've even learned how to retouch photos-to the extent that we do that kind of thing. I think it takes a lot of understanding and openness. You always have to remind yourself about that because you take the most liberties with those that are closest to you.

DP: Why would it be better to be the sunshine instead of the rainbow?
GT: The jury is still out. I don't think there's a definitive conclusion. Although it's the topic of breakfast conversation almost every morning.

DP: What did you gain from this experience?
GT: I realized that some of the pieces to the puzzle I needed most had been right in front of me for some time. I also found that fashion had the power to touch others and me in a way I had forgotten. I think it's important to occasionally create something just for yourself and that stand behind 100%. Plus I met a lot of amazing people and had a few dance floor disasters.

DP: What comes next?
GT: I was hoping you could tell me.

DP: How would you define your work and in what direction would you like to take It?
GT: I would like it to exist in between the worlds of art and fashion and develop more deeply into both. I really would like to create installations to further push and contextualize the work and also prove that I can create garments people want to put on while remaining conceptually and creatively stimulating. I would like create work for people willing to take chances and against over consumption uniformity. I would very much like it to have a life of it's own.

DP: Many of the people that I interview are press virgins, are you?

GT: I've given talking-head sound bites after other peoples shows. Unfortunately, I think you're the second to do a serious interview about my own work, but you will always have the exclusive.

Later,

Diane

All photos by Miguel Villalobos
Hair Chinatsu Nobe www.chinatsunobe.com
Make-Up Fumi www.fumiakin.com
Accessories: Kristin Barron www.kriest.com

Melvin Sokolsky and his fave model, Simone d'Aillencourt

Dear Shaded Viewers,

Last week I told you that one of the highlights at the festival for me was when Simone d'Aillencourt made a guest appearance to celebrate the exhibition of her long time friend, Melvin Sokolsky.

The Hong Kong based JOYCE '96 cover, photo by Gustavo Ten Hoever and an iconic photo of Simone d'Aillencourt by Melvin Sokolsky.

I remember when I put Simone on the cover of JOYCE in 1996, our New York Editor, Stefano Tonchi, told me that if I was working for Conde Nast they would have walked me over to the elevator and pushed Down. Gustavo and I had an amazing time with the lovely Simone, the coolest model I have ever had the pleasure of working with and a framed print from our shoot has been hanging on my wall for the past 12 years.

Melvin and Simone then and now.

Archival images from the catalogue for the 23rd edition of the festival d'Hyeres.

http://www.villanoailles-hyeres.com

Later,

Diane

Goodbye Hyeres 2008

Dear Shaded Viewers,

Hyeres in le Figaro

We woke up this morning to a nice review in Le Figaro. Antoine Asseraf and I decided we should have one last meal at our fave resto on the beach. We ran into the entire team from the villa there.

the team from the Villa

The plan was once back in Paris we would have dinner with Miguel Villalobos, Graham and his mother and friends and team players.

Chinatsu and Miguel Villalobos and Miguel and Graham Tabor at the Pompidou

Graham, Miguel and I decided to see the Louise Bourgeois exhibition at the Centre Pompidou and have lunch before they left for NYC. I highly recommend the show. She is truly amazing. Also, we are wondering why we don't go more often to Le Fumoir, great food and excellent service.

We loved this little old lady sitting on the cold and damp ground wildly playing her instrument. We, of course, gave her a few coins.

How they fit all the bags into the trunk of the taxi was a miracle. Graham and Miguel off to CdG.

Later,

Diane

Part 2-Hyeres 2008 photographs by Rene Habermacher

Dear Shaded Viewers,

The ever so charming president of the jury, Riccardo Tisci and DP NVU's Melvin Sokolsky.

Jean Pierre Blanc and guests

Hannelore Knuts and NVU with Haider Ackermann

interviewing Miguel Villalobos and off to the tent

Michel Mallard and photographers and their jury

All photos by Rene Habermacher

Later,

Diane

Hyeres 2008 photographs by Rene Habermacher

Dear Shaded Viewers,

A few more memories from the 23rd edition of the festival d'Hyeres.

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Graham Tabor's team just before their depart-Masha, Miguel Villalobos and Chinatsu.

Miguel Villalobos, I really wish that I could say I took this photo but like all the rest in this post...Rene Habermacher was the photographer.

Jean Paul Lespagnard's shoes

Jean Paul Lespagnard collection and Yoann Lemoine

Jean Paul Lespagnard signing autographs

The Sartorialist and last year's jury prize winner, Sandra Backlund with her man, Ante

Take and Catherine Baba

Graham Tabor

Miguel Villalobos and I walking to the show and Antoine Asseraf and I at work.

The photographer that took all the photos on this post, Rene Habermacher and Richard Hsu and I.

Haider Ackermann and Catherine Baba and Hannelore Knuts toasting Haider

Graham Tabor and Miguel Villalobos

Jaap and I and Joanne and Robin Schulie

Graham Tabor and Antoine Asseraf

Antoine Asseraf and Another Magazine

See you next Hyeres....

All photos by Rene Habermacher

Diane

Photos from Akiko Hamaoka's phone from Hyeres

Dear Shaded Viewers,

A nice souvenir of the last official day of the 23rd edition of the festival Hyeres and time spent with my friends.

It rained when everyone left but the sun is out again today.

Later,

Diane

Day 11 Hyeres 08 the festival is over

Dear Shaded Viewers,

We are still in Hyeres but everyone else is leaving.

Chinatsu, Miguel and Mascha

Rene Habermacher photographs Miguel Villalobos

My portrait by Miguel Villalobos

Justin Morin and Miguel Villalobos

Designers Isabelle Steger and Graham Tabor, Take

Jean Pierre Blanc, the founder and director of the festival d'Hyeres

Last year's jury prize winner Sandra Backlund with this year's jury prize winner Matthew Cunnington

Matthew Cunnington and Audrey Corregan jury prize winners of fashion and photography

Jean Paul Lespagnard, winner of the public and the 1,2,3 prize.

Michel Mallard and Jean Pierre Blanc in the exhibition of the Sartorialist and Eric Lebon

Matthew Cunnington, John and Titi Kwan and Isabelle interviewed

Justin Morin, Maida Gregory and Antoine Asseraf and last year's 1,2,3 winner Peter Bertsch

Later, Diane

Be on the look out for clear plastic high heeled boots

Dear Shaded Viewers,

Jean Paul Lespagnard is missing a pair of clear plastic high heeled boots with yellow laces and that the tips look like they have been dipped in ketchup.What happened was he lent the boots to the assistant of Titi Kwan. Some time during the night she took them off and that must have been when someone accidently walked off with them. Here is the contact JP through my blog.

Later,

Diane

Day 9 Hyeres 08

Dear Shaded Viewers,

Morning meeting in our DP TV production office.

Yoann Lemoine

One of the conferences and lunch on the hanging garden.

Miguel Villalobos shoots and Isabelle at her showroom

Catherine Baba, stylist and Haider Ackermann, designer, jury member and exhibitor.

Jean Pierre Blanc, founder of the festival and Didier Grumbach at his book signing.

Miguel Villalobos and last year's jury prize winner, Sandra Backlund

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Ante, Sandra Backlund, Mario Canal and Vincent and Richard Hsu

Jessica Robert's exhibition

Jessica Roberts

the location for the show

Show time

photo by Jessica Roberts and Yoann Lemoine with Sandra Backlund

Jean Pierre Blanc, founder of the festival and Olivier Borde, Jean Paul and Philippe

Graham Tabor and Jean Paul Lespagnard's designs

Matthew Cunnington and Isabelle Steger

Olivier Borde and Titi Kwan's designs

Last year's winner of the 1,2,3 prize, Peter Bertsch and Sandra Backlund

Friends from the Standard and Swiss Textiles patiently wait out our mic problem.

Ante and Sandra Backlund and Graham Tabor

Akiko Hamaoka drives me home.

Day 8 Hyeres con't

Dear Shaded Viewers,

Today was the official opening of the 23rd edition of the festival d'Hyeres. The designers were setting up their showroom while journalists and guests were arriving.

Isabelle Steger and Jean Paul Lespagnard 's showrooms. This is the first year that the designers do not have individual rooms to create installations, instead they have a showroom all together.

Mario Canal, his prince and Vincent

Matthew Cunnington's showroom and Scott Schuman aka The Sartorialist

Melvin Sokolsky has the exhibition in the squash court and in the Hyeres catalogue there is a photo of him and his favorite model, Simone d'Aillencourt, as a surprise for Melvin, Michel Mallard invited Simone to the official opening. Some of Melvin's most amazing photos are with Simone. More than ten years ago when I was working for Joyce Ma's magazine as her fashion editor I cast Simone as my cover girl. That was in 1996, it was my great pleasure to meet her again at the villa.

Didier Grumbach, the president of the Festival d'Hyeres and Melvin Sokolsky and Simone d'Aillencourt

Susie Bubble and Massimiliano Locatelli and Beniamino Marini

Akiko Hamaoka and Chinatsu working on the Graham Tabor show

Graham Tabor's models

Unfortunately my runway shots are pretty overexposed so you will have to wait for our film but here are a few that are more or less properly exposed.

Titipon Chitsantisook and his models...apparently not wearing his clothes

Matthew Cunnington

Matthew Cunnington with the black dress

Feride Uslu and One of the You Wear it Well screens

Graham Tabor

Olivier Borde and Isabelle Steger

Isabelle Steger

Jean Paul Lespagnard

Jean Paul Lespagnard

I love it when the designers come out at the end of the show. I was happy to catch when Graham winked at me as he walked by.

Jean Paul Lespagnard and Graham Tabor with the wink

After the show it was dinner at the beach with the A Shaded View crew. It seemed like everyone from the festival had the same idea.

Justin Morin and Yoann Lemoine

Graham Tabor and Jean Paul Lespagnard and the rest of the table.

Romain Kremer and Miguel Villalobos

Last image for the night, Yoann Lemoine, the last member of A Shaded View's team has arrived and we are all very happy. Here is a very shaded view....

Yoann Lemoine is happy to be with us too, dancing in the dark.

Later,

Diane

Day 8 Hyeres

Dear Shaded Viewers,

a few friends relaxing on the lawn in front of the villa.

While the designers were presenting their work to the jury, Justin and I were downstairs interviewing the photographers and their jury. The impressive jury included Marta Gili, the Director of the Jeu de Paume, Paris, Daren Ellis, 10 and Big Magazine, London, Fumiya Sawa, curator from Tokyo, David Sebbah, T, New York Times, Melvin Sokolsky, photographer from LA who has the impressive exhibition in the Squash court, Gijs Stork Veenman PUblisher in Amsterdam, Jorg Colberg, Founder and Editor of Conscientious Northampton, Urs Stahel, director of Fotomuseum Winterthur, Zurich, Sophie Anne Delhomme, art director Courrier International, Paris and Elaine Constantine, photographer, London.

I wanted to see how things were going with the fashion, they already finished with their jury before the lunch. That went really fast.

Haider Ackermann

Matthew Cunnington and Graham Tabor

in a few hours...

Dear Shadies and Shadettes,

The finishing touches are being applied.
A lucky are already lounging in the grass.
The inauguration is in a few hours...

Hyères is here.

 

Day 7 Hyeres

Dear Shaded Viewers,

View from the Villa Noailles

Here is the actress that I cast but will not be appearing in our film. Doll created by Miguel Villalobos.

The DP TV set was built today and we started 'the making of film' of the 23rd edition of the festival d'Hyeres.

Ludivina and Eric Lebon both have installations at the villa.

Jaap did the invitation and Haider Ackermann has the installation in the swimming pool.

Jean Pierre Blanc, the director of the festival d'Hyeres

Melvin Sokolsky

Melvin Sokolsky

Jean Paul and Titi's asst sunbathing and Felipe Oliveira Baptista

photographers have arrived and the designers are waiting for their rehersal

Sandra Backlund and the set for the show tomorrow night, the theme is glamour...and RED.

Designers and friends and the models arrive

Graham Tabor and Miguel Villalobos

Antoine Asseraf and Miguel Villalobos

Later,

Diane

Day 6 Hyeres

Dear Shaded Viewers,

The sun is shining in Hyeres and I am in the A Shaded View production office receiving visits at my window from the designers enjoying the sun  on the terrace.

Jean Paul Lespagnard and Titi Kwan and his beautiful assistant

Titipon Chitsantisook and Isabelle Steger

Miriam Lehle likes Jean Paul Lespagnard

THe designers were doing hair and make up tests all day at the beach. The big activity of our day was building the set. First set was too heavy, second one was too light...Justin Morin and Antoine Asseraf decided that the best was for them to go out and get the wood and build and paint it themselves.

Antoine and Justin at work and Justin's new phone

Graham and his team. Akiko, his friend, just arrived from Tokyo to see Graham and Chinatsu is his hair stylist and Fumi who just arrived from NYC is here to do the make-up for his show.

Phyllis and her son Graham and Jaap, a winner from the photo contest a few years ago,  at dinner

Dinner with Chinatsu and Akiko

Later,

Diane

Day 5 Hyeres Festival 23rd edition

Dear Shaded Viewers,

 

Jean Paul making french fries.

We decided to interview Olivier Borde while he was waiting for his appointment with Maida.

Olivier Borde

Olivier Borde

Sandra Backlund and Ante relaxing in front of the Villa and ex-Hyeres winner Felipe Oliveria Baptista's exhibition, work in progress.

Miriam Lehle and Ante in Ohta, we miss you Ohta..

Julie Kéchichian & Stella Valentic  present their African inspired collection, unfortunately I hardly took any images, I don't know what happened.

Julie Kéchichian & Stella Valentic

Stella Valentic & Julie Kéchichian,

Justin Morin and Antoin Asseraf, the Shaded team and Jean Paul Lespagnard

Isabelle Steger and her mother and her brain trousers.

 

Isabelle Steger

Titi Kwan and Isabelle Steger

Lucia Sanchez - Argentine meets Europe in the designs of Lucia. She loves what she designs, she wears it and she has no desire to part with her samples but she is very interested in selling her accessories. If you come to Hyeres, Lucia brought a selection of her bags.

Lucia Sanchez

Lucia Sanchez

Lucia Sanchez shoes and her bags

Shaded Viewers

Chinatsu Nobe Hair stylist and Graham Tabor
Chinatsu Nobe and Graham Tabor before they went off to the lighting test with Thierry Dreyfus, the Prince of Darkness.

Later,

Diane

Day 4 Hyeres Festival 23rd edition

Dear Shaded Viewers,

The sun is out the sky is blue but Olivier Borde was having a bad hair day.

Olivier Borde; you saw some of his collection on the 2nd day

Jean Paul Lespagnard was the first designer to have an appointment with Maida this morning. As we know that nothing is ever really on time, we decided to do our interview with him while he was waiting for Maida.

Jean Paul Lespagnard

Jean Paul is inspired by clowns and rodeo cowboys but really the story is quite cinematique. Jacqueline works in a french fries stand in Brussels and she dreams of meeting a rodeo cowboy. The dress is made from a child's teepee and the needlepoint was done by patients in a mental hospital. Some of the needle points took a week to do and the patients are looking forward to doing the production.

close up of needlepont and a jacket made from a Belgian lace curtain.
Jean Paul Lespagnard

Jean Paul Lespagnard

Things were running late so only Jean Paul had his meeting with Maida this morning.

Peter Bertsch, last year's Un Deux Trois winner arrived at the villa.

The surprise garden and Magalie and Eric from the Villa team 

Since we had the time, we went off to see the exhibition espace d'art le moulin at La Valette-du-Var of Marc Turlan. Before we got to the gallery we discovered a little surprise garden.