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 IN THIS ISSUE
06 FROM THE EDITOR
Goodbye summer, hello fall!

THE LIFE
09 Beauty-Conscious The facts on animal testing

10 Wayfarer Photographed by Helen Tran

18 On the Verge: Fashion These designers are breaking the mold

28 Dreaming on Paper Untapped interests can lead to newfound passions

BUZZWORTHY

30 Fashion’s Downsize The evolution of the “ideal” woman

32 On the Verge: Technology MIT’s media lab, wearable technology and more

41 Bravo’s Masterpiece Work of Art marries contemporary art with reality TV

FASHION FORWARD

42 Washed up Photographed by Kaylin Rodriquez

54 Last Rose of Summer Photographed by Lara Jade

66 Leave the Shouting to Others An interview with designer Teresa Crowninshield

76 The New York Chronicles F/W 2010 fashion recap

ON THE COVER
Photographed by LARA JADE
Styling IHUNNA EBERENDU
Makeup AMY SACHON
Hair TOMOYUKI OTSUKA
Headpiece UMA TURAN
Dress CHANG A. PARK
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Model TEGEN [STORM]

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 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Hayley Maybury

CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Nicole Bechard

MARKETING AND TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

Jamall Oluokun

FASHION EDITOR
Nicole Herzog

COPY EDITOR
Nora E. S. Gilligan

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Nicole Bechard
Erin Berry
Brittnee Cann
Nora E. S. Gilligan
Hayley Maybury
Billie D. McGhee
Jamall Oluokun
D.K. Stewart

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS/PHOTOGRAPHERS
Nicole Bechard
Doug Eng
Nora E. S. Gilligan
James Graham
Justin Hogan
Lara Jade
Rick Louis
Jonas Lund
Kim Navarre
Steven Read
Kaylin Rodriquez
Anika Schwarzlose
Peter Stigter
Helen Tran

107 Merrimac Street, Boston, MA

p: 617-624-0202 f: 617-372-9809
www.papercutmag.com
flatironboston.com | bulfinchhotel.com 5
 FROM THE EDITOR
GOODBYE SUMMER, HELLO FALL!

Now I know that many of you out there are sad to see summer
come to an end. As for myself, however, I couldn’t be more ready
for the fall—I love, love, love it! Ever since I can remember, I
have waited patiently for the fall fashion magazines to hit news-
stands. As I sit here writing this letter, I can’t help but be super
excited because, this year, I have been waiting patiently to share
Papercut’s first September issue with all of you as well!

My favorite part of this month’s issue is our On the Verge seg-

ment. We were lucky enough to interview some extremely tal-
ented individuals from around the globe who are really start-
ing to break the mold when it comes to innovative fashion and
technology. This is one part of the issue you do not want to miss!
We also had the honor of working with London-based fashion
photographer Lara Jade. It was a pleasure working with such
a lovely and talented individual; and even better luck that we
had the opportunity to catch up with her back in July.

As the leaves fall, www.papercutmag.com will be bringing you all

the latest updates on what you need to know about the season’s
runways and fall fashion. We did an exclusive online-only edito-
rial (it’s called “Fashion Rivalry;” be sure to check it out!) and we’ll
be covering a lot of great events, including...drumroll please…our
very own Papercut September issue release party! Thanks to the
very luxurious and chic Bulfinch Hotel in Boston, we are able to
bring together our Papercut contributors and supporters to cel-
ebrate all the hard work that has been done.

I hope you enjoy this issue and do keep the feedback coming. After
all, this is your magazine.

xoxo
Hayley

P.S. Don’t forget printed copies of Papercut Magazine are avail-

able for purchase on Magcloud (www.magcloud.com)!

TOP-BOTTOM: Editor-in-chief Hayley Maybury; creative director

Nicole Bechard and photographer Lara Jade in NYC; group shot of
the “fashion rivalry” editorial crew; fashion editor Nicole Herzog and
marketing/technical director Jamall Oluokun on the red carpet at the
FUZE iT fashion event in August.

6 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 www.papercutmag.com

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8 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 www.papercutmag.com
BEAUTY-CONSCIOUS
WHAT DO DOVE, GARNIER, PANTENE AND NEUTROGENA HAVE IN COMMON? ANIMAL TESTING.

Written by BILLIE D. MCGHEE

There are controversial topics out
there that people tend to immediately
shy away from: religion, politics, sexual-
ity, war. For whatever reason, anything
PETA-related seems to fall on that list
as well. No one wants to be preached to
about why they shouldn’t eat meat or
buy fur, and god forbid you see one of
their promotional videos—those might
scar you for life. People like the lives
they’ve grown accustomed to living, so
we shield ourselves from the truth and
pretend that nothing is wrong. Up un-
til recently, for example, I had no idea
as to the realities behind products that
tested on animals. We’ve always known
it was happening, sure, but nobody ever
seemed too concerned and it was cer-
tainly never discussed—at least that
was my perception. I had this naive
picture in my head of people in white
lab coats applying blush on bunnies
and mascaras on monkeys. What’s the
harm in that, right?
Sadly this rose-colored ideal
couldn’t be further from the truth, as I
learned when I happened across a blog
that briefly spoke about the horrors of
animal testing. It took just a few facts
to completely change how I think of my
favorite products. Animal testing is not
like applying blush on bunnies at all;
instead, companies take hard chemicals
and pump them into animals’ stomachs,
rub them into their skins, squirt them
into their eyes, or force the animals to
inhale them as aerosol sprays. These
tests end up killing some animals, while
most others are euthanized at the end
of the experiment. In this day and age
it is hard to believe that animal test-
ing is still necessary, especially when it
has already been banned in the UK, the
Netherlands, and Belgium, and when so
many well-established brands manage
to avoid it.
After learning the grisly truth I
went into my bathroom and looked
through my products. Only two of them
had not been tested on animals. I was
appalled! After doing some research I
came across the official list of compa-
nies that do and do not test on animals
on www.caringconsumer.com, a website
sponsored through PETA. The brands I
found under both lists were surprising. limit yourself to homemade soaps and
Dove, Aveeno, Garnier, Glade, Ivory, obscure hippie remedies. In fact, many
L’Oreal, Johnson & Johnson, Pantene, of the brands you know very well, some
Neutrogena and Old Spice were just of which may be in your home already,
some of the common brands I found on are cruelty-free. On Caring Consumer’s
the “Do Test” list. It was then I decid- “Does Not Test” list you’ll be happy to
ed to make a change. Each time I run know I found M.A.C. Cosmetics, Urban
out of one of my products, be it mouth- Decay, OPI, Estée Lauder, Clarins, Bare
wash, eye shadow, or shampoo, I have Escentuals, Aveda, and Bonne Bell.
been making a conscious effort to re- I haven’t yet completely finished
place it with something cruelty-free. In my transition to cruelty-free beauty, but
all honesty, I was hesitant to let go of I have switched over about half of my
some of my favorite products—my Olay products so far, and I couldn’t be hap-
face wash and Jergens body lotion were pier. This started as just a personal
particularly difficult to part with—but experiment, but I’m really hoping it is
if ever there was a time to make the something I can stick to, and maybe
switch this was it. even inspire others to try. I know that
I quickly found that, especially in in PETA’s eyes I am far from perfect—I
a time when everyone is trying to “go still eat meat, and you will find leather
green” and be more natural, cruelty- bags and suede boots in my closet, but
free products are everywhere. No lon- does that mean that I shouldn’t try to
ger do you have to venture out to the make a difference? Baby steps, I say, one
Berkshires to find organic products, or product at a time.
Here’s a list of products I have switched to.
URBAN DECAY All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray ($29,.www.sephora.com)
BOSCIA Purifying Cleansing gel ($26, www.sephora.com)
AQUAGE “Beyond Shine” Spray (visit www.aquage.com for salon locations)
ST. IVES Energizing Citrus Body Wash ($5, drugstores)
KORRES QUERCETIN & Oak Night Cream ($52, www.sephora.com)
PAUL MITCHELL Color Protect Daily Shampoo & Conditioner ($11, drugstores)
JASON Aloe Vera All-Over Body Lotion ($7, www.drugstore.com)
THE NATURAL DENTIST Healthy Teeth Anticavity Flouride Rinse ($7, drugstores)
FOR FOR MORE INFORMATION and to view a list of cruelty-free companies, visit
http://www.caringconsumer.com/.

9
 wayfarer
GO BOLD THIS FALL
WITH THE LATEST LOOKS IN BEAUTY.

Photography by HELEN TRAN

Hair/Make-up by HAYLEY ALYS
Styling by CHRISTOPHER MASSARDO
Model SHANNON WALKER (ELITE MODEL MANAGEMENT)

10 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 www.papercutmag.com

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BEAUTY NOTES: Foundation: MAKE UP FOR EVER HD #153; brow powder: YABY #002; eyeshadows: MAKE UP FOR EVER in "Soft Pink" "Eggshell" and "Black" and YABY in "Sand Dune" "Pa-
paya Milk" and "Sexy Salmon"; blush: YABY #029 and #011; lipstick: MAKE UP FOR EVER in "Woodsy Pink 210" and YABY in "Seductionism"; mascara: MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Smoky Lash.

17
18
PART ONE OF OUR ON THE VERGE DOUBLE FEATURE BRINGS YOU
THREE VERY TALENTED DESIGNERS AND ALUMNI OF THE GERRIT
RIETVELD ACADEMIE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART IN AMSTERDAM.

19
 DREAM WEAVER
DESIGNER AIDA SARACINI SEEKS TO EXPLORE THE MYSTERIES OF OUR DREAMS.

Interview by NICOLE BECHARD

PHOTOS BY ANIKA SCHWARZLOSE AND JONAS LUND

20 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 www.papercutmag.com

Name and age:
My name is Aida Saracini and I am 24 years old.
Where you’re from:
I was born in Skopje, Macedonia.
Where you live now:
Due to a really good job offer after my graduation in 2009, I
moved to Prishtina, Kosovo, where I live with my boyfriend.
Education credentials:
I finished high school in Skopje, Macedonia and [attended] the
Gerrit Rietveld Academie for contemporary art in Amsterdam,
The Netherlands.
When/where did you first find yourself interested in
fashion design?
Well, I always used to dress up my dolls when I was [young-
er]. My father is a painter and I used to go to his workplace
and draw, paint, and make fabrics. I decided to go into art
high school since that was my passion. When I finished in
2004 there was no fashion study in my country. I wanted
to study somewhere abroad, and since my brother was al-
ready living in Den Haag, The Netherlands, I thought that
it would be a nice chance for me to move and at the same
time be close to my brother. I started looking for fashion
studies there but most of them concentrated more on the
technical part of fashion. I was more interested in learning
about concepts and how to integrate my thoughts and ideas
into clothing. I am really glad I chose the Gerrit Rietveld
Academie, as they teach technical skills but also develop
your artistic side. [My studies in The Netherlands] helped
me to really know what I want to do, what I want to say,
and how to say it.
While studying fashion design at the Gerrit Rietveld
Academie, you had the opportunity to be taught by
many well known lecturers, artists and designers.
Is there any specific individuals that inspired you
above the rest? Why?
Yeah, I really feel lucky that I had a chance to study at Ri-
etveld Academie. The [faculty] are all really dear to me and
I respect them very much. Even though they all had a quite
important part in my development, I could say that the peo-
ple who most impacted my work and really got me to develop
as a designer are Wojciech Dziedzic (also a teacher at Central
Saint Martins College in London), Giene Steenman (artist),
and Anne-Grethe Filtenborg (fashion designer). They did
the best for all of us to find ourselves and find what we love.
Teachers that tried to bring up our best side but also made us
work hard on our weaknesses.
Your graduation collection focuses on the theme of
“dreams and nightmares”. What fueled the idea behind
this concept?
I chose the theme “dreams and nightmares” right after I
had a dream about my uncle who I hadn’t seen for over a
year. After I called to ask whether he was okay, I found out
that he was in a coma. I went to see him in hospital, and
the next day he died. This had such an impact on me that
I started paying more attention to dreams and trying to
figure out how other people experience them. In my opinion,
the reason some people are not interested in knowing more
about dreams is that [they] are afraid of the unknown. They
are afraid of the mysteriousness of the images that appear
to us at night. They are afraid of things they cannot un-
derstand. We all dream every night but the dreams that
give us anxiety and a tense feeling are the ones that we
remember; those are the ones that leave traces in us. They
left traces in me.
I love the delicate construction of your pieces. Did this
technique come naturally to you in your development of
the collection, or was it something you had to work at?
In dreams we always see things that we can recognize but
are still somehow different. I chose generic garments like
trench coats, sweaters, pants, and dresses, and transformed
them. Using my fragile [methods] of dealing with the fabric,
my technique becomes quite important into creating a cer-
tain atmosphere—which in this case is a dreamy one. I left
most of the outfits looking unfinished since I believe that the
dream is never finished but always “saved by the bell”—[say,
the] phone, or a partner’s voice.
Your work has been described as “the soul of the cloth-
ing; a mere suggestion [of] the actual piece”. Would
you agree with this observation?
When I was nominated for the GRA (Gerrit Rietveld Acade-
mie) Award in 2009 the judges described my work as [such].
I was quite happy with their observation since every art-
ist and designer hopes that the public evaluates their work
and understands it almost in the same way and reason it
was created for. I think that my intention was just that; for
people to recognize the pieces of clothing [even] it’s not what
they are used to seeing. Same as in dreams, we know the
objects or the situation or the place, but it’s not really how
we are used to seeing it in reality. So yes, I really agree with
their comments.
What was it like to participate in Amsterdam Fashion
Week last year?
Oh, that was an amazing experience for me. I really didn’t
expect that I would be chosen as one of the 14 best students
in fashion design in The Netherlands. Also I was the first
Albanian to participate there, so I [received] recognition
in my country as well. To think that just one year before I
was at the same place backstage helping the designer Claes
Iversen for his show, and during the whole day hoping that
one time I could be showing there also. It was amazing that
my wish turned into reality in such a short time. It was a
really good place to do a lot of networking and to meet the
competition.
What are you working on right now? Are there any new
collections in the works?
Right now I am working on my new wearable collection. I am
collaborating with a fashion designer from Croatia and prepar-
ing for my first fashion shows in Skopje and Prishtina, Kosovo,
and perhaps Croatia. In the meantime I also have some offers
for knitwear projects, which I enjoy quite a lot.
What are your plans for the future? Anything in
particular you hope to accomplish?
For now I am concentrating on the collection. [I also have
plans of] opening a shop in Prishtina, Kosovo in October
2010. We are collaborating with some shops in Amsterdam so
will be selling there soon too. I am really looking forward to
everything that is coming up next year, keeping in mind that
I am also [considering doing] a master’s study in Barcelona.
One thing at a time I guess!
21
22 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 www.papercutmag.com
 OPPOSITES
ATTRACT
YOU KNOW HOW THE OLD SAYING GOES. DESIGNER DENISE ESSER
TAKES IT ONE STEP FURTHER.

Interview by NICOLE BECHARD

23
 Name and age:
Denise Esser, 25.
Where you’re from:
Amersfoort, The Netherlands.
Where you live now:
Amsterdam.
Education credentials:
Gerrit Rietveld Academy School of Art (GRA), 2006-2009.
When and where did you first find yourself interested in
fashion design?
As a child I was always busy being creative with all sorts of
things, such as making clothes for my dolls or making things
with dough for my dollhouse. My interest in fashion started
around [the age of] fifteen.
Your graduation collection is very sculptural in its
construction. What influenced this concept?
I always start designing from the standpoint of material and I
always challenge myself to work with various components that
are not necessarily compatible to create a combination of oppo-
sitions. In my creations the focus lies on the transformation of
a structured movement into more organic features to underline
the exaggeration phase that [results from] this process.
I love the way you juxtapose different materials, such
as fur, pins, and nails. What are your feelings on work-
ing with such mixed media, and do you hope to con-
tinue to craft in this way?
I love working with different fabrics and materials. I’m always
working on making combinations of opposite materials and to
make it unexpected. For example, many pins together look soft
and look more like jewelry. I would like to continue this way
and try to find other combinations of materials.
24 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 www.papercutmag.com
I see that you participated in Amsterdam Fashion Week!
What was that like?
It was really exciting and fun because it was the first time
that I showed only my own creations, and it’s good to see all
the different reactions of people. Last summer I participated
again as one of the nominated designers of the Frans Mole-
naar Award, [an award for the most promising couturier in
The Netherlands].
What is the meaning behind your exhibition name
“Future Perfect”?
“Future Perfect” evolves around the concept of transformation
from rigidity to movement; hence the mutation of matter into
ideas through our creative process. Purposely dramatic and al-
most cinematographic, “Future Perfect” shows the duality be-
tween fragility and strength inherent to our human condition
and deals with our relationship or interaction to the world.
What are you working on right now? Are there any
new collections in the works?
I did make some new creations for the Frans Molenaar Award;
and now I’m working on a new collection and website.
Do you have any specific plans for the future?
To show my work and [introduce my] name to the world. I
also would love to design for a fashion company, because I
would like to work with a team of creative people.
“‘FUTURE PERFECT’ EVOLVES AROUND THE
CONCEPT OF TRANSFORMATION FROM
RIGIDITY TO MOVEMENT...[IT] SHOWS THE
DUALITY BETWEEN FRAGILITY AND STRENGTH
INHERENT TO OUR HUMAN CONDITION
AND DEALS WITH OUR RELATIONSHIP OR
INTERACTION TO THE WORLD.”
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26 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 www.papercutmag.com
LAYERS AND LINES
DESIGNER DAPHNE VAN DEN HEUVEL DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM HER ROOTS.
Interview by NICOLE BECHARD
Full name and age:
Daphne van den Heuvel, 29.
Where you’re from:
The Netherlands.
Where you live now:
The Netherlands.
Education credentials:
2009 graduate of fashion design at Gerrit Rietveld Academie.
What first sparked your interest in fashion and design?
I liked clothing ever since I was a child and always wanted
to wear pretty dresses. I used to draw little dolls with nice
dresses, hats, and shoes. Later on I wanted to make clothing,
instead of only drawing it; bit by bit it started.
You say you enjoy drawing from an early age. Do you feel
interest in this has influenced your design at all? How?
It has influenced it a lot. My design process always starts
with drawings and collages. It is a 2-D process, which also
comes back in my fabrics. I design prints in [Adobe] Illus-
trator and then laser them into the fabric. After this process
starts the 3-D part, in which I sculpt it around the body.
Your recent collection “Root Route” focuses on the idea
of one’s journey from childhood to adulthood. What
inspired this and how do you feel you exemplified this
idea in your pieces?
I’m a nostalgic person. I wanted to tell a story about a mem-
ory of something nice. Your favorite piece of clothing when
you were a kid or a beautiful dress your mother used to wear.
Something like that gives me inspiration for a collection be-
cause it is so personal. For “Root Route” I found a small baby
dress which my mother made for me and I started to wonder
what happened through the years with my clothing. What
happened over time? I started layering [garments] on top of
each other from small to big (children’s clothing to [adult]
PHOTOS BY PETER STIGTER
clothing), and that is where the idea sprouted. You can also
see the layers of time in layers and lines, for example when
you cut through a tree trunk. I abstracted the layers of cloth-
ing so only lines and layers remained.
The beautiful layered pieces of your collection are so
careful and precise! What was it like working with
laser-cut fabrics?
I enjoyed working with the laser-cut techniques. You can use
the laser on different kinds of fabrics and it gives a different
result. Also you can make any design you want—as tiny as
you want—in Illustrator, and the laser can cut it out very
precisely, something you cannot accomplish with scissors. In
the Root Route collection I used the technique for the first
time but it opened up a world of possibilities.
What are you working on right now? Are there any
new collections in the works?
I have a small new collection and I am still adding pieces. I
am using the laser cut technique again and combining it with
self designed knitwear (on my own knitting machine). I really
find it important to alter or create my own new fabrics so a
design is totally my own, from fabric cut to final garment.
I understand you are currently in South America
working. What made you decide to travel there?
My sister lives and works in Suriname. She organizes events
and invited me to help with a fashion show. It is really nice
because I am working with local fashion designers; we are
making a collection together. It is inspiring to exchange ideas
with people from the other side of the world.
What are your plans for the future? Anything in
particular you hope to accomplish?
I hope I can keep on [creating and drawing]. It is my passion
and I hope I can keep on doing this. I want to try to have a
small production so people can maybe purchase my designs,
but I also want to keep it special and have my special touch
in each design.
27
 DREAMING ON PAPER
UNTAPPED INTERESTS CAN OFTEN LEAD TO NEWFOUND PASSIONS.
Written by NORA E. S. GILLIGAN
“I JUMPED INTO THIS WITH NO IDEA
OF EXPECTATIONS...I AM STILL NOT
COMPLETELY SURE OF THE POINT OR
OF MY PURPOSE. IT MAY VERY EASILY
BE NOTHING MORE THAN TRYING
SOMETHING IN MY GUT, DESPITE
FEAR…OF NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH,
OF SUCCESS, OF NOT BEING WHAT I
WAS MEANT TO DO. I DO KNOW THAT
THIS “NOW” EXPERIENCE LED ME TO
SOMETHING TO GET LOST IN.”
28 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 www.papercutmag.com
This past summer found me laid off from a consulting
firm, and lost in the middle of the cliché “search for one’s
true passion versus practicality.” In a moment of inspiration
one late afternoon, while trying to keep myself busy with
something other than job applications, I strolled into the
summer study office at my local art school and signed up for
an introductory course in fashion illustration.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had this pull to-
wards my creative mind and appreciation for fashion and
the arts in general. As a little girl, I dreamed of being a chil-
dren’s book illustrator or a fashion designer, at least until
I decided, for sure, that I was destined to be an astronaut,
truck driver, or veterinarian. As a slightly older child, I was
content to sit for hours with my Barbie dolls, not just mak-
ing them “sex it” with Ken and cruise around in their pink
corvette, but also dying their hair pink and altering, drap-
ing, and hand-sewing their clothes as best an eight-year-old
could. Fast-forward to high school, when I toyed endlessly
with the idea of applying to the Rhode Island School of De-
sign, only to drop out of my advanced placement art class.
Outside of my studio art minor in college, and the Fash-
ion Design Drawing course book that has been sitting un-
touched on my bookshelf for years, I’d been on something
of a right-brain hiatus since graduating from college. I reg-
istered for the course literally five minutes before the first
class started, with no real direction or purpose other than
exploring an untapped interest.
Walking into class, I half-expected a room full of impec-
cably-styled, fashion-forward students who all knew exact-
ly what they were doing (the other half of me knows better
than to live with expectations!!). The four-hour class time
was daunting, and I was really thrown off when I was asked
to introduce myself first and pronounced Lee McQueen as
my favorite designer. To be sure, I love his work! But is
that the best I can come up with when put on the spot in
front of a bunch of fashionistas? Some obscure, anonymous
or up-and-coming designer would have been much more im-
pressive, or at least Alber Elbaz, who truly is my closet’s
soulmate. I was reassured when three other students of
twelve listed McQueen as their favorite, and was then able
to take off my blinders to find an eclectic group of all ages
and experience levels and reasons for being there. I still
don’t have enough cool words to say about our chill-as-hell
professor, who has all the skills and patience in the world
(and cut class time down to three-and-a-half-hours; some-
how, far less daunting).
The initial intimidation that I felt did not last long, and
I quickly found myself excited to immerse my hands and
mind and heart in everything from human and exaggerated
stylized anatomy to garment detail and color rendering. It
felt good to once again have a reason to browse forever in
Utrecht, feeling the wrinkles develop in my brow as I decid-
ed between marker brands and colors like my life depended
on it. It felt great to flip through Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar
for my homework; this came somewhat more naturally than
when I once had to “flip through” Satre and Camus for phi-
losophy class. It felt empowering to look through illustra-
tion examples from well-known designers (many of whom
have miserable drawing abilities), and to think, “I could do
this.” What felt best, though, was sitting on the floor of my
room, iPod tuned to my mood of the moment, and losing
myself in drawings and sketches. It is a rare moment for
me to feel such clarity and vision, to allow my mind to slow
down from one-million-times-infinity-miles-per-minute. I
know I’m in a good place, wherever I am, when I don’t feel
the need to constantly check my email and phone messages
for stimulation. To be able to tune out the rest of the world
and get out of my head for a little, and to focus solely on
creation, is necessary and significant.
Now my class is starting to wind down, and I am now
starting to think about ideas for my final portfolio proj-
ect, for which I want to reflect and give insight into my
own style and outlook. After this, who knows? Sometimes I
consider taking more classes: sewing, tailoring, Photoshop.
Maybe I imagine myself as the next Garance Dore, illus-
trating my fashion-related thoughts in words and pictures
as small doses of daily blogger inspiration. Perhaps one
day I will take on freelance work, or Papercut will let me
illustrate some written features (hint, hint!). On the other
hand, my future in fashion illustration might not be too
bright: as noted in obvious blog’s 2008 archives, “the first
photographic cover of Vogue was a watershed in the his-
tory of fashion illustration and a watershed mark of its
decline.”1 Either way, I jumped into this with no idea of
expectations, from the class or from myself. I am still not
completely sure of the point or of my purpose. It may very
easily be nothing more than trying something in my gut,
despite fear…of not being good enough, of success, of not
doing what I was meant to do. I do know that this “now”
experience led me to something to get lost in. To a new
passion found. To a way of dreaming on paper. And, for the
time being, maybe that is enough.
1. http://obviousmag.org/en/archives/2008/04/the_first_covers_of_vogue.html
29
 FASHION’S “DOWNSIZE”
FROM RUBENESQUE TO HEROIN CHIC; THE EVOLUTION OF THE “IDEAL” WOMAN.
Written by D.K. STEWART
A few years back I watched a video
on fashion shows in the Grand Houses
of Paris. The shows were held in private
rooms, and both the models and dress
forms were a size 6/8. One couture
house in particular belonged to none
other than the Grand Dame of style and
fashion herself, Madame Coco Chanel.
Her models were graceful; their cloth-
ing draped and hung beautifully from
their bodies as Madame had intended. I
could see myself, mid-century, in those
elegant dresses and suits. These mod-
els were women, not teenage girls. It
was during this time, circa World War
II, that the first “supermodel” was dis-
covered. Lisa Fonssagrives had the per-
fect non-androgynous measurements
at 5’7” and 34”-23”-34”, yet ironically
described herself as a “good clothes
hanger.”1 Here, I submit a heartfelt sor-
row that I’ve burst Janice Dickinson’s
ego bubble.
30 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 www.papercutmag.com
Come the 1960s, a waifish 16-year-
old Cockney, at 5’6”, 91 pounds, and
slight 31”-22”-32” measurements, be-
came a model by dint of a haircut. Thus
Lesley Hornby (aka Twiggy) gave birth
to the size zero model and unisex cloth-
ing. Even in her time, however, the
general public criticized Twiggy’s body
image as “unhealthy.” Twiggy herself
looked up to supermodel Jean Shrimp-
ton, who at 5’10” and 34”-23”-35” had
the perfect and acceptable body im-
age. Twiggy’s modeling career lasted
approximately four years, and upon
her retirement she paraphrased Fons-
sagrives: “You can’t be a clothes hanger
for your entire life!”2
From the late 1960s through the
1990s fashion designers had their pick
of models within the 6/8 size range: Vic-
toria Hamel, Catherine Oxenberg, Su-
san Blakely, Peggy Dillard, Cybil Shep-
herd, Beverly Johnson, Renee Russo,
Karen Alexander, Christie Brinkley,
Carol Alt, Cheryl Tiegs, Naomi Camp-
bell, Tyra Banks, Claudia Schiffer, Lin-
da Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Chris-
ty Turlington, and so many more. The
supermodels were gorgeous bombshells
of Amazonian proportions, at towering
heights of 5’9”, but women around the
world could still relate to them for their
beautiful curves and athletic figures.
Sadly, if these women were to approach
a modeling agency today, they would
be told to go home and lose at least 20
pounds. The Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention data states that
the average American woman weighs
164 pounds with a 37-inch waist (2002–
2004). Those are not the measurements
of a size 8, which is telling of how the
human body has evolved over the years.
So why is it that today’s artists of
fashion demand that female models
should be literal “human hangers?”
The fashion industry’s demand for the
androgynous, heroin, starved, pre-pu-
bescent look is very removed from Coco
Chanel’s observation: “You cannot have
fashion out of touch with street life.”
This statement itself gives me pause
as the current Creative Director of the
House of Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, lost 93
pounds in 13 months at 69 years of age
cide to create a new extreme of the hu-
man form, this speaks to another issue
entirely. Sometimes I fear designers
just might be suffering a kind of Peter
Pan syndrome, where women remain
childlike, languishing forever between
tween and teen.
They tell us what these men imagine,
and in turn that they fashion clothing
for the woman of their imagination:
a woman without breasts or curves.
These images have in turn created
body image issues that have produced
a multi-million dollar diet industry
where lives are indeed lost or maimed.
Over the years, fashion insiders have

“AND
THE CENTER FOR
on an extreme diet. Why? Because he defended their use of the size zero
wanted to dress in fashions “modeled by model as an economic necessity. They
very, very slim boys—and not men my DISEASE CONTROL disingenuously explain that the larger
age.” He then of course published a book PREVENTION’S the model, the more money they have
called The Karl Lagerfeld Diet.3 to spend on clothing. Yet they cannot
During an interview about the CURRENT DATA STATES explain the exorbitant salaries they
fashion industry with CTV’s Canada THAT THE AVERAGE pay the waifs to show a piece of cloth-
AM, supermodel Iman was quite can-
did in her assessment of the demands
AMERICAN WOMAN ing in four hours, or the amount they
waste to produce a fashion show.
being made for girls to be a size double- WEIGHS 164LBS WITH There is some light at the end of
zero. She said, “I find that the fashion
business and the beauty industry re-
ally have an assault on identity when
it comes to young models because they
A 37-INCH WAIST.

Crystal Renn is a current plus-size

have to conform to these impossible de-
mands. They’re becoming like human
hangers. Obviously the designers have
a lot of influence in this. Because the
designer can say, ‘I will not hire you at
that body weight.’”4
In recent years there have been
several “outings” of designers who have
taken the “human hanger” look to an-
other level in their Photoshopped ad-
vertisements. Designer Ralph Lauren,
for example, recently found himself
having to defend a model’s image that
had been altered to such a degree that
a blogger commented, “Dude, her head’s
bigger than her pelvis.”5 Filippa Hamil-
ton, the model in question, addressed
the controversy, telling the Daily Mail
she’d been fired by Ralph Lauren “be-
cause they said I was overweight and I
couldn’t fit in their clothes anymore.”6
At a size 4!
It is fair to say that Photoshopping
is not new to the fashion industry, and
that its use is actually very necessary.
Using the software to remove flaws
such as shadows or hair over the eye
is important to the portrayal of product
and to setting a mood. However, when
designer and photographer then de-
” the tunnel, however. Some advertising
model who started modeling at 14 years
old. It is reported that to be initially
successful she had to lose a full quar-
ter of her body weight. Is it truly sur-
prising then, that she became anorexic,
starving herself to size zero (not quite
the coveted industry standard of dou-
ble-zero)? Eight years later, Renn’s ex-
perience and survival prompted her to
write a book: Hungry: A Young Model’s
Story of Appetite, Ambition and the Ul-
timate Embrace of Curves. Renn made
a comeback after her recovery and,
at a curvy and beautiful size 16, was
the belle of Jean Paul Gaultier’s 2005
spring show.7 Fast-forward to 2010,
when Renn found herself in yet another
type of image controversy, wherein she
had to defend herself in print and the
mainstream media regarding a Photo-
shopped image that looks nothing as
she currently does. Renn has been very
forthcoming in her assessment of the
industry, her journey, and, most impor-
tantly, the message that these pictures
give young women and society at large.8
To me, these industry examples
tell the story of just how much we are
manipulated by a mostly male-dom-
inated world that caters to women.
companies, who until recently would
only hire size 8 or smaller women, are
now using plus-size models to market
their products (most notably is the
Dove campaign). Models like Emme,
Renn, Whitney Thompson, Toccara,
and Barbara Brickner are steadily
climbing the ladder as they reflect
a population that is indeed putting
some pressure on fashion designers to
produce clothing that better reflects
society. It behooves more established
designers to tap into this growing mar-
ket, if only for their own financial ben-
efit, because the “plus-sized” woman’s
purchasing power is increasing. The
plus-size woman is loyal to the brands
that see her as attractive, with a sense
of style. She is loyal to the brands that
respect her, and refuse to marginalize
her or treat her as a second-class citi-
zen. Mintel International Group mar-
ket researchers back up that reason-
ing in a report that states, “there is an
untapped reserve for financial growth
in the fashion industry if only design-
ers and their marketers would engage
with the plus-size woman as they do
their smaller-sized counterparts.”
That’s about two-thirds of the 152 mil-
lion women in the U.S. Translate those
numbers into dollars, and see what
size “clothes hanger” develops.

1. Ranck, Rosemary. (February 9, 1997). “The First Supermodel.” The New York Times. <http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9902E2DE153DF93AA35751C0A961958260>
2. Slater, Anna. (September 13, 2009). “Twiggy at 60: The super-skinny model who found fame in the Sixties has finally come of age. Anna Slater lists the triumphs, the tragedies and the
trivia.” Independent on Sunday: p. 48.
3. Lagerfeld, Karl and Houdret, Jean-Claude. (May 2005). The Karl Lagerfeld Diet.
4. http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7008760759#ixzz0xjmQbCoI
5. http://boingboing.net/2009/10/06/the-criticism-that-r.html
6. http://www.examiner.com/celebrity-headlines-in-san-francisco/model-filippa-hamilton-speaks-out-against-ralph-laurenhttp://www.examiner.com/celebrity-headlines-in-san-francisco/model
filippa-hamilton-speaks-out-against-ralph-lauren
7. http://www.plus-size-tall.com/crystal-renn-in-new-jean-paul-gaultier-ad-campaign-7495/.
8. http://jezebel.com/5590811/an-analysis-of-crystal-renns-photoshop-of-horrors
9. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/38358777/ns/today-today_fashion_and_beauty/

31
32
ON THE
VERGE
PART TWO OF OUR ON THE VERGE DOUBLE
FEATURE EXPLORES THE EVER-EXPANDING
REALMS OF TECHNOLOGY; FROM THE FIFTH
FLOOR OF MIT’S MEDIA LAB, TO GARMENTS
THAT LIVE AND BREATHE.

33
 HIGH-LOW TECH
MIT’S HANNAH PERNER-WILSON IS HANDCRAFTING HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERFACES.
Interview by JAMALL OLUOKUN
Full name and age:
Hannah Perner-Wilson, 27.
Where you’re from:
Born in England, grew up in Austria.
Where you live now:
Currently in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Education credentials:
I received my undergraduate [degree] in
Industrial Design from Art University
in Linz, Austria. [I am] currently a grad-
uate student at the MIT Media Lab in
the High-Low Tech research group lead
by Leah Buechley.
What exactly do you do?
I’m fascinated by the possibility of hand-
crafting human-computer interfaces
that are unusual and allow you to inter-
act with your computer in unexpected
ways. Who would have thought that you
could knit a stretch sensor, embroider
resistors, paint a circuit, or fold a bat-
tery pouch from paper? Or that the ma-
terials, tools, and techniques you need to
create these things are readily available
and waiting to be used? I share my re-
search with others in the form of online
tutorials that include lots of photos, vid-
eos and step-by-step instructions. The
34 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 www.papercutmag.com
goal of which is to motivate and enable
others in exploring this area too.
What made you want to get into this
type of field?
During my undergraduate studies in
industrial design I took a class on sen-
sors. The class taught me how to make
circuits and interface sensors with a
computer. Soon after this I discovered
conductive fabrics and was simply fas-
cinated by the possibility of creating
soft technology (in contrast to what is
traditionally hard). After finishing my
undergraduate degree, I was fortunate
to be unemployed for a year yet have
the resources to pursue my interest in
making things. I never thought of what I
was doing as research until starting my
graduate degree at the Media Lab.
How long have you been doing this
type of research?
In 2006 I first started playing with cir-
cuits and conductive fabrics, but in 2008
I really began working intensely with
these mediums. I spent a whole year
gathering materials and testing their
electrical properties. This process led
me to begin creating a range of textile
sensors and to realize small interactive
projects with them. I began document-
ing and posting this work online [and] I
have continued to do this ever since.
What inspires your ideas and how
do you go about executing them?
The process of making something always
inspires me. One idea always leads to
another. Some ideas I realize right away
and others take years for me to start.
I begin by making prototypes, to make
sure that the parts of a project are pos-
sible before bringing them all together. I
want to make sure that the materials I
want to use will work and look the way
I want them to. And that the solutions I
imagine really work. I totally enjoy the
challenge that comes from combining
materials in new ways.
What first got you interested in the
field of “wearable technology”?
In 2006, [my colleague Mika Satomi and I]
had the idea for our first wearable technol-
ogy project titled “Massage Me.” We want-
ed a free back massage and so we modified
a traditional game controller. [By] making
textile buttons and embedding them in
the back of a jacket, [it forced] the gamer
to give you a back massage in order to
play the game. The interface was a success
and Mika and I have been collaborating
on such projects ever since.

What is your favorite project that
you are working on?
That is a hard question to answer [be-
cause] every week I have a new favorite.
One project I’ve recently been thinking
a lot about involves using my textile
sensors to collect data from everyday
activities, rather than intentional inter-
actions with them. For example, I might
wear a version of the fabric tilt sensor
on my ankle while I cycle to work. Then
I would compare the data I get from my
textile version of a tilt sensor with that
of a commercial tilt switch mounted in
the same position. I would like to do this
to test the reliability and durability of
my sensors as well as to be able to com-
pare them with commercially available
solutions. This might not sound very in-
teresting, but I’m excited about it.
How do you see these projects being
commercially viable in the future?
The “LilyPad Arduino” is a great exam-
ple of how e-textile tools and technology
have become commercially available
and are being used by a diverse audi-
ence of educators, artists, designers,
hobbyists and engineers. The LilyPad
kit is a collection of sewable components
LEFT TO RIGHT:
“TILT SENSING QUILT” by
Hannah Perner-Wilson is a
quilt made up of an array of
41 textile tilt sensors, show-
casing different materials
and techniques that can be
used to create fabric tilt sen-
sors; “FAB FM” radio by David
Mellis and Dana Gordon
explores the possibilities for
personal fabrication of con-
sumer electronic devices.
that include a programmable microcon-
troller, LED lights, switches, sensors
and other actuators.
What type of materials do you use
for these projects?
I use a lot of electrically conductive fab-
rics and threads as well as yarns, paints,
and tapes. I’m especially interested in
materials whose electrical resistance
changes over distance or under certain
circumstances, such as when they are
pressured, stretched, or bent.
What are conductive fabrics / textiles
and which ones do you work with?
Conductive textiles are often regular
textiles that are coated in metal par-
ticles such as silver, copper, or nickle.
One of my favorite conductive fabrics is
a stretchy silverized lycra that Sparkfun
and LessEMF distributes. It is wonder-
fully soft and very conductive. I also like
a stainless steel-resistant yarn that is
now available from Plug and Wear as
well as the range of piezoresistive fabrics
that Eeonyx manufactures.
Has your research dictated any
noteworthy commentary on the
LEFT TO RIGHT:
“TILT SENSING BRACELET” by
Hannah Perner-Wilson is
a bracelet decorated with
conductive fabric petals
and a dangling metal bead
that makes contact with the
petals, allowing for tilt detec-
tion; the “LIVING WALL” by
High-Low Tech is interactive
wallpaper that serves as a
beautiful and unobtrusive
way to enrich environments
with computation.
current social and/or technological
state of our culture?
The work that Mika and I collaborate on
has a strong emphasis on opening the
black box of consumer technology, in order
to hack, modify, and customize it to better
suit our needs and desires. Manufactured
goods are often a great starting point to
begin playing with the customization of
circuits and interactive technology. We
want to promote awareness and a critique
of the ways in which we currently inter-
act with computers, and propose a more
hands-on personalized approach to creat-
ing technology and interfacing with them.
Any advice for anyone interested in
being in the Media Lab / High-Low
Tech group?
Make stuff, document it, and share your
knowledge. Think about how you’d like
future technology to look and feel and
what role the creation of such technol-
ogy should play in our everyday lives.
Any links you’d like to share?
Plusea: http://plusea.at/
High-Low Tech: http://hlt.media.mit.edu/
Kobakant: http://www.kobakant.at/
Massage me: http://www.massage-me.at/
35
 PHOTO BY JAMES GRAHAM

36 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 www.papercutmag.com

 FAIRYTALE
FASHION
GARMENTS THAT HAVE BLOOMING FLOWERS, BREATHE, CHANGE
COLOR, AND TRANSFORM. YES, YOU READ CORRECTLY.

Interview by HAYLEY MAYBURY

37
 Full name and age:
Diana Eng, 27.
Where you’re from:
Jacksonville, Florida.
Where you live now:
Upstate New York.
Education credentials:
Rhode Island School of Design for Apparel Design.
How did you get into designing clothing?
I have always loved clothing. When I was little I used to
play dress up and pretend that I owned a fashion store. [To
design clothing] has always been a dream of mine and just
feels so natural to me.
On your website you mention having the opportunity
to work at multiple fashion companies. Where did you
work? Anywhere notable (to you) in particular?
One of the places I worked was Victoria’s Secret in Re-
search and Development; I really enjoyed working there.
The great thing about working for a [big] corporation is
that they have such a large budget, so you could go shop-
ping for inspiration and swatches. The sky was the limit
when it came to getting stuff together. I also freelanced at
Kenneth Cole and Gap Body.
Has working at such places influenced you as a
designer? How?
Definitely. I guess at Victoria’s Secret I really learned the
most. It really changed my perspective as a designer. I al-
ways thought that I wanted to be a high-end designer but
working [there] I got to see different shopping behaviors, dif-
ferent stores, and different locations. It made me realize that
Victoria’s Secret in some way is providing a luxury brand for
middle-America; [shoppers] really feel like they are getting
something special. Everyone was so happy when they bought
something [at Victoria’s Secret], so I wanted to do that same
thing with my company. Not make it so high-end but just
make it so everyone could be happy.
What was it like to be a designer on Project Runway?
A lot of fun. The thing is that Project Runway only shows a
tenth of what it actually takes to be a fashion designer. Now
38 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 www.papercutmag.com
that I am trying to start my own line, I realize that you are
not just making one garment to send down the runway, but
you are making something that is going to be sent out to a
manufacturer and to vendors, so the design process becomes
very different. There are millions of small things you need to
consider when you are having a garment manufactured. For
“PROJECT RUNWAY ONLY SHOWS A
TENTH OF WHAT IT ACTUALLY TAKES
TO BE A FASHION DESIGNER.”
instance, you can’t just pick out a pretty button you like, you
have to think about how it will wear on the garment or how
it will with hold up to everyday use. Project Runway really
captures all the excitement and hard work of being a fashion
designer, and for that it is great!
What made you want to incorporate science and tech-
nology into your fashion design?
Ultimately I like to invent new things in fashion, and there
are always these things that I want to [create] that you
couldn’t make with traditional apparel material. [I like]
the possibility of being able to use both technology and sci-
ence. My favorite material is wool, because you can mold it
into different shapes, and it always has a nice bounce to it.
So, in a nutshell, tell us—for the sake of our readers—
what exactly is Fairytale Fashion?
Fairy Tale Fashion is a project that I did to explore the pos-
sibility of what technology can add to fashion. I worked with
a bunch of classrooms and talked to groups of children asking
them what they would want their fairy tale clothing to be. I
then selected the ideas that I thought would be fun and made
them into actual clothing.
Have any of your viewers ever surprised or maybe even
stumped you in their suggestions for the next design?
Yes, a lot of kids wanted clothing that gave them super
hero powers. Not quite in my ability to help people fly…yet.
But you never know!
What are you future plans for Fairytale Fashion?
Right now I am working on designing my own line. I want to
create products based on Fairytale Fashion, but that people
can buy and wear on a day-to-day basis.
PHOTOS BY DOUG ENG
PHOTO BY RICK LOUIS

PHOTOS BY DOUG ENG

39
 SAVINGS ON-THE-GO
PEEKABOO MOBILE MAY JUST BE YOUR NEW FAVORITE APP.
Interview by HAYLEY MAYBURY
Full name and age:
Ben Dolgoff, 25 and Mike Fruzzetti, 25.
Where you’re from:
Ben: West Barnstable, Massachusetts.
Mike: Onset, Massachusetts.
Where you live now:
Both: the North End in Boston.
Education credentials:
[We both attended Suffolk University and studied finance.]
How did you two decide to come together and create
an application like Peekaboo Mobile?
We have always had an entrepreneurial mentality. Since we
have self-funded all of our previous companies to date we
are constantly looking for ways to save money. Through our
experience we found it was difficult to find good deals around
the area. We created Peekaboo with two key features, us-
ing GPS and redeeming coupons/deals from the phone. The
GPS element makes it extremely easy to find deals around
you while having the convenience of redeeming the coupons
straight from your phone.
Did you find this was an easy concept to implement?
Mobile coupons are still relatively new so there is some
adoption that needs to take place. Since we are still early
in the mobile coupon trend it was a little difficult at first to
get people to jump on the bandwagon. After the first month
of launching Peekaboo, businesses and smart phone users
started to trust the idea and take advantage of its benefits.
Tell us about the different kinds of features Peekaboo
Mobile has.
Peekaboo has a variety of features listed below that makes it
a convenient app to have as a user: (1) GPS capability helps
you to easily locate deals around your current location; (2)
Get a list of deals presented in either list or map format; (3)
Call, get directions, or view the business’s website; (4) Re-
deem coupons straight from your phone.—no printing or clip-
ping; (5) Share coupons with friends, family, and colleagues
through Facebook, Twitter, email, and text message.
How/where can I get the Peekaboo Mobile application
on my phone?
Peekaboo can be downloaded straight on your smart phone
for free by visiting www.PeekabooMobile.com. If it is not
available yet for your [particular] phone then you can enter
your email address and we will notify you when it is compat-
ible with your model.
How can you use Peekaboo if you are a business owner?
It’s simple! Go to www.PeekabooMobile.com and click on the
“register” tab on the top right of the page. Enter in the nec-
essary information and you will be up and running within
40 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 www.papercutmag.com
24 hours. You will then have access to post coupons and
promotions to thousands of potential consumers directly
around your business location.
How has the feedback on the application been so far?
The feedback so far has been great—both businesses post-
ing deals and consumers redeeming deals love it. We have
had dozens of users sending comments describing how much
money they saved by using Peekaboo.
Do you have an approximate timetable on when consum-
ers will see Android and Blackberry versions of the app?
Android should be available by the second week of September.
A mobile web version—compatible with all Internet-enabled
phones—is also slated for release in early October.
How has the business been expanding so far? Where
are the latest/newly added locations?
Business has been expanding rapidly. In the month of July
both business locations and user accounts nearly tripled.
August has also shown steady growth. We now have coupons
in 17 different states.
Where do you see Peekaboo Mobile going in the future?
We have big plans for Peekaboo Mobile in 2011. While we
currently only offer mobile coupons for local merchants,
in the coming months we will be expanding our platform
to include exciting new savings options. These new fea-
tures will provide added value to businesses and users.
With support from local and national partners, we will
have an opportunity to reach a more diversified group of
merchants, brands, and users. Peekaboo Mobile’s mission
is to connect merchants and users through an innovative
suite of services. Executing this strategy over the next few
months will transform what began as a two-man operation
into a leading mobile company with millions of satisfied
users and businesses.
“PEEKABOO MOBILE’S MISSION IS
TO CONNECT MERCHANTS AND
USERS THROUGH AN INNOVATIVE
SUITE OF SERVICES. EXECUTING
THIS STRATEGY OVER THE NEXT FEW
MONTHS WILL TRANSFORM WHAT
BEGAN AS A TWO-MAN OPERATION
INTO A LEADING MOBILE COMPANY
WITH MILLIONS OF SATISFIED USERS
AND BUSINESSES.”
BRAVO’S MASTERPIECE
BRAVO’S LATEST SERIES WORK OF ART MARRIES CONTEMPORARY ART WITH REALITY TELEVISION.
Written by ERIN BERRY
For every talent, every skill, and every goal that we
have in life there is a reality television contest to achieve
it. From losing weight, to making cakes, and even to finding
a spouse, American television has reached the farthest cor-
ners of human desire. For all the viewers not participating
in the action, we are hanging on the edge of our chairs, soak-
ing in each long dramatic pause as we wait to hear the next
elimination. Bravo’s Work of Art: The Search for America’s
Next Great Artist is just another reality show to the general
public. For working artists struggling everyday to gain ex-
posure in such a competitive field, however, it is a contest
that is long overdue.
In the show’s first season, each artist had to complete
ten challenges for a grand prize of one hundred thousand
dollars and a solo show at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. The
chosen artists included painters, photographers, sculptors,
architects, and teachers. The players worked both individu-
ally and in teams throughout the challenges, which were
based around common artistic themes. The main goal of the
competition was to focus on the artists’ versatility and their
PHOTO BY KIM NAVARRE
A piece from Work of Art winner Abdi Farah’s exhibit currently on view at the Brooklyn
Museum from August 14–October 17, 2010.
ability to run with a theme in a short amount of time. Art is
a very fickle and subjective thing to judge, unlike, say, food
where you can unanimously determine whether a dish is too
spicy or salty or bland. However, there are still certain con-
ventions that artists must be aware of in order to execute a
successful piece. Work of Art competitors struggled not only
with the limited amount of time in each challenge, but also
with successfully communicating their ideas to the general
public. Artists know that one of the most difficult challenges
in art is maintaining a balance between the work’s relation-
ship with its audience while still keeping that personal,
sometimes mysterious connection to their work. The pieces
that were either too literal or too vague were problematic
because they did not successfully convey the central idea,
or because they were far too self-explanatory, making them
amateur or mundane. As competitors were slowly elimi-
nated, it became more difficult for the judges to determine
which person should go home, as each artist’s work devel-
oped drastically throughout the competition.
Similar to Project Runway, the three chosen final-
ists (Miles Mendenhall, Peregrine Honig, and Abdi Far-
ah) were each sent home with five thousand dollars and
three months to fully create and develop their final gallery
show. Each contestant created a cohesive body of work that
shared a common theme of death. Miles created a series
of black and white abstract screen prints using surveil-
lance video pictures featuring a homeless man that had
died days after he the artist had photographed him inside
a White Castle restaurant. Peregrine presented an interac-
tive carnival-like spilling of wax sculptures of heads and
horses with a beautiful large-scale photograph of dead twin
fawns that she considered her “muses”. Abdi’s final show,
titled “Luminous Beings,” featured life-size sculptures of
metallic-painted basketball players splayed on the gallery
floor, accompanied by paintings of figures and particularly
arresting images of body bags. Although the group show
was very successful as a collaboration, ultimately it was
Abdi who was awarded the prize. It was very encouraging
to see a winner who struggled with consistency throughout
the competition break through his insecurities to create a
body of work that was effective, powerful, and deeply mov-
ing on both a personal and universal level.
The “Art World” has always felt very separate from the
real world to me and I, like many other artists, have been
waiting to see a program such as this that celebrates and
pushes contemporary artists into the celebrity spotlight. As
funding is the largest hurdle for most artists, many would
drool at the chance to be able to create in a large space with
endless supplies. Even the artists who were eliminated first
are popping into more galleries, simply as a result of their
television appearance. Hopefully there will be many seasons
to follow, so artists can start to gain some true recognition.
As a working artist myself, I must say “bravo” to Bravo for
creating a true “work of art” that finally brings visual artists
into the foreground.
41
 washed up Photography by KAYLIN RODRIQUEZ
Hair by WILLIAM BLAIR
Makeup by KAYLIN RODRIQUEZ
Designer/Styling ALEX HANCOCK
Model SARAH JEAN REBELLO (SMG)

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 last rose of summer
Look at her: a thing of beauty and majesty. This is how
she sometimes chooses to be. She surrounds herself with
organic beauty. That's where she feels safe. You may look
but not see her. What is she thinking? Maybe she won-
ders about the flowers? If they die, will she? She likes to
look pretty. Look how the flowers adorn her hair. Roses
are her favorite. Her clothing; she draws on the earth for
her wardrobe. Mother nature’s palette. A shade of grey
here, an earthy cream there, and grass green. She loves
yellow too; it reminds her of the sunset. She pays homage
to the sweet wild berries with her lip color.

Nature personified…

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 Headpiece by UMA TURAN
Dress by HOLLY WOODS

Photography by LARA JADE at www.sarahdaw.com

Introduction & Styling by IHUNNA EBERENDU
Model TEGEN of STORM
Make-up by AMY SACHON
Hair by TOMOYUKI OTSUKA
Assistant STEVEN READ
Post-production/Retouching by LARA JADE

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THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE
Headpiece by UMA TURAN
Dress by MALENE ODDERSHEDE BACH
Shoes are stylist’s own

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 Headpiece by UMA TURAN
Dress by CHANG A PARK
Leggings are model’s own

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Headpiece by UMA TURAN
Dress by HOLLY WOODS

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 THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE
Headpiece by UMA TURAN

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 THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE
Headpiece by UMA TURAN
Blouse by CHANG A PARK
Cape by HOLLY WOODS

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 THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE
Shirt by MRIKA SINANI
Leggings are model’s own

65
 LEAVE
THE
SHOUTING
TO
OTHERS
AN INTERVIEW WITH
TERESA CROWNINSHIELD
Designer Teresa Crowninshield’s
adventure began while teaching in
China. She went from knowing noth-
ing about sewing to designing and
creating her own line of silk and cash-
mere coats. As if that isn’t admirable
enough, she was even able to surpass
her debut with a second and third line;
both met with rave reviews. And just
how does one find such success? It
takes two parts learning and one part
passion. After exploring the local silk
markets, Crowninshield began to play
and explore with fabric. Once she knew
she had the drive, the rest was simply
understanding the technical aspect of
design. “Being self-taught was liberat-
ing for me—just following my passion,
following what excited me about fab-
rics and design. When I met a technical
problem in creating the look I wanted,
I learned how to solve that problem.”
And once she had both down? Well,
let’s just say the rest is history...
Interview by HAYLEY MAYBURY & NICOLE BECHARD

66 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 www.papercutmag.com

You started out as an English teacher living in China.
How did that lead to becoming a fashion designer?
Once I got settled in to my teaching life in China, I started
venturing out to the local silk markets. I guess you could
say it was love at first sight. I started buying silk and play-
ing around with it at home. I got some ideas for clothes I
wanted to make, made some sketches and had a tailor stitch
some things for me. When I wore those pieces, people no-
ticed. People seemed to think I had an eye for putting the
right fabric with the right design. As time went on I started
to believe it too.
It was in China that you created your first line. What did
you find beneficial about this (or not so much)?
It was exhilarating. Things were really seat-of-the-pants in
a lot of ways. I had pencil-sketched designs, a world of fab-
ric and lots of passion, but I needed know-how and some
skilled stitchers. How to find this when you don’t speak much
Chinese? I just pushed and searched until I found a cloth-
ing design school in a bad part of town. I went in and found
the head teacher. She didn’t speak of word of english, but
she understood what I wanted to do. Gradually, sometimes
painfully, we got on the same page and made some beautiful
things together.
At first you were completely self-taught; do you feel this
enabled more creativity in your initial work or served
as more of a boundary as an amateur designer?
If I had known what you’re “supposed” to know to be a designer,
I might have been discouraged. Instead, through that period of
childlike curiosity, I found out who I wanted to be; who I was as a
designer. As my business grew, [so did I]. I realized that to be suc-
cessful and stay independent, I needed to know everything about
my business—which is how to make elegant, beautifully fitting
garments. Now, I sketch, drape, sew the muslin, make the paper
pattern, and stitch the final production sample. When I get to the
manufacturing stage, I know for a fact the design works.
How did apprenticeship influence your design work?
My mentor, Shirley Willett, grew up in Boston clothing manu-
facturing, starting at 16 years old as a stitcher. She’s 77 now
and has spent her whole career thinking about elegant solu-
tions to complex pattern problems. She saw where my natural
instincts were—tailored, classic jackets with edge and finish—
and has helped me to capture the images in my mind. Every
time [Shirley and I] meet, she amazes me. It’s like a magic
show. She can sit across the room, look at a muslin I’ve sewn
and notice the slightest hint of tension in a shoulder seam. You
don’t believe it’s there at first, and then you really look, and
sure enough it’s there. So, Shirley has taken me a long way to-
wards achieving that level of detail and finish in my own pat-
tern making. As a result, my coats are fitting better and better.
That’s one of the things I hear most often from women—that
no brand fits them as well as Teresa Crowninshield.
Any specific lessons or words of wisdom that really
stuck with you?
Hawkish attention to detail [and] training and trusting your
eye. That’s the big lesson. Fine details matter a lot to Shirley.
A little tension here and a slight pull there will spoil a good
design. There’s a big difference between a good curve and a
“ULTIMATELY, IT’S
A LIFESTYLE AND
ARTISTIC CHOICE. WE’D
RATHER DIE LEADING
THAN LIVE TRYING TO
FOLLOW.”
beautiful curve. These are the key Shirley lessons…these and
watch out for bulk! She’s very serious about eliminating fab-
ric bulk at seams. Bulk is what makes garments have the
“loving hands at home” look. Great design is in the details.
The Teresa Crowninshield brand is indifferent when it
comes to what is considered trendy in the fashion in-
dustry. Have you found this to be a beneficial approach,
or is it an uphill struggle?
Who would’ve thought you could completely ignore fashion
trends and seasonal fashion cycles and still be in business
eight years later? We did, especially our Creative Director,
Gary Temple. He has always argued that when you create
honestly and from the intuition, things of lasting aesthetic
value can be created. While others focus on making dispos-
able copycat fashion, we’re trying to make things that cut
through the noise and stand alone. We think following trends
is a losing proposition. You may ride a wave this year, but this
is no strategy. Consumers are too finicky, rip-offs too easy, and
margins too low. We want to make our own wave and do what
we do better than anyone else. We work on the designs that
excite us, with the material that excites us. When the design
is finished, we start selling it regardless of season. People
have a hard time believing that long cashmere coats can be
sold in the summer, but I can tell you, we sell all our styles,
all year round. Ultimately, it’s a lifestyle and artistic choice.
We’d rather die leading than live trying to follow.
Do you have any plans to expand your line beyond
jackets/coats?
We will likely offer more skirts and perhaps slacks in the fu-
ture. As a business proposition, it probably makes sense, but
we’re focused on whether a skirt or slacks will improve or
complete a look we’re going for. We’re only going to put time
into things that raise a design to a higher level. We’re not
selling widgets, we’re selling design.
How about any menswear?
We get a fair number of requests for a line of menswear. My
design instincts are in the same neighborhood and I think it
would be an exciting challenge. For now, though, it’s impor-
tant for us to continue focusing on making beautiful women’s
wear. Versatility, like trendiness, is not a strategy.
What can we expect to see from your brand in the
near future?
Teresa Crowninshield has been known for elegant classic de-
signs with a twist. That will still form the core of our brand, but
we’ve got lots of edgy progressive designs in development. By
building relationships with customers one-at-a-time over the
years, we’ve got a very loyal following that trusts us to push their
boundaries. We’re focused on glorifying feminine strength—on
real elegance with a confident edge. We’ll keep focusing on mak-
ing beautiful statements and leave the shouting to others.
67
 Photography by NICOLE BECHARD
Jackets by TERESA CROWNINSHIELD
Styling by NICOLE HERZOG
Model KIMBERLY RYDZEWSKI
Hair/Make-up by JANEEN JONES

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TERESA CROWNINSHIELD Safari Jacket, $275

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 TERESA CROWNINSHIELD Silk Racer (reversible), $355

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THIS PAGE: TERESA CROWNINSHIELD Isabella, $325; OPPOSITE: TERESA CROWNINSHIELD Diamond Bolero, $345

73
 TERESA CROWNINSHIELD Azurean Evening Coat, $615

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75
 THE NEW YORK CHRONICLES
NEW YORK FASHION WEEK RECAP: FALL/WINTER 2010

Written by BRITTNEE CANN

Trends seen at the fall collections during New York Fashion

Week in early February seem ubiquitous and obvious at the
time but then, when the colder seasons finally start creeping
up, everything from eight months ago becomes suddenly and
impossibly hard to remember. Need some brushing up on what
to wear this coming fall/winter? We’ve got you covered—al-
most literally. NY Fashion Week was stocked with layering of
all kinds, indicating that now is the time to lose tank tops and
sandals, and to pile on the heavy textiles. From the good, to the
bad, and even to the things we’re a little on the fence about, it’s
time to study up, buttercup. Here, the lowdown on everything
you need to have a chic and stylish autumn.

PRINTED PANTS
As seen at: Diesel Black Gold , Proenza Schouler, Rodarte, Tory Burch…
Tops and accessories aren’t the only place for prints anymore.
This season a whole slew of NY-based designers showed print
on the lower half of the body.

CAMEL
As seen at: 3.1 Philip Lim, Derek Lam, DKNY, Oscar de la Renta,
Rachel Comey, VPL…
Call it camel, call it butterscotch. No matter the name, this PHOTO BY JUSTIN HOGAN
golden hue is the coming season’s hottest neutral. In vary-
ing shades within the spectrum—from rose gold to desert
orange—it’s an update on the old khaki yellow we’ve by now wear-inspired blazers and tailored pants give an office-appro-
grown bored of. priate yet fashion-forward look.

MODERN METALLIC CAPES, HOODS, AND PONCHOS

As seen at: Badgley Mischka, Carolina Herrera, Diane Von Furstenberg,
Marc Jacobs…
Shiny metallic is back in a big way. Many-a-designer showed
long evening wear in brilliant, beaming, textiles. Metallics
aren’t limited to only silver, gold, and bronze—try a sparkling
emerald green, cloudy blue, or red tint.
As seen at: 3.1 Phillip Lim, Altazurra, Isaac Mizrahi, J. Mendel, United
Bamboo, Y-3…
Perhaps a result of the extreme winter we had earlier in the
year, this season outerwear has us fully covered. Capes, pon-
chos, and oversized hoods not only look cool but are more than
practical for the coming cold weather.

MILITARY FURRY ACCENTS

As seen at: Banana Republic, Jill Stuart, Marc by Marc, Rag & Bone,
Tory Burch…
Hints of military influences were sprinkled all around New
York Fashion Week, but not in a too exaggerated way. Subtle
detailing in jackets and deep army green are ways to play
boot camp without looking overly G.I. Jane.
LADY-LIKE
As seen at: Chris Benz, Jason Wu, Peter Som…
A huge trend overseas in Paris, Milan, and London, it looks
like classic, lady-like shapes will be making their way over to
this side of the Atlantic as well if the above designers have
anything to do with it. Longer hemlines and boxy bags are
very grown up; fun colors and modern styling keep the over-
all look young and fresh.
MENSWEAR TAILORING
As seen at: Alexander Wang, Jason Wu, Ralph Lauren, Yigal Azrouel…
Dude looks like a lady? This season the reverse is true. Mens-
As seen at: Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors,Vena Cava…
Fur is another popular trend seen during European fashion
weeks that made it over to the U.S. Fuzzy trim was seen on
everything from jackets to bags, shoes, gloves, and more.
VOLUMINOUS PANTS
As seen at: Behnaz Sarafpour, Charlotte Ronson, Richard Chai Love,
Zac Posen…
We are long overdue for a break from the skinny jean. This
season it seems size does matter and to speak quite frankly—
the bigger the better. Fluid, forties-inspired pants will give us
all room to breathe.
BED HEAD
As seen at: Isaac Mizrahi, Proenza Schouler, Rebecca Taylor…
Beauty trends are not always as easily spotted as fashion
trends, but one thing seen on more than just a few catwalks
was messy, slept-in, hair. Hey, the less time it takes us to get
ready in the morning the better. We’re fully backing this.

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