Instinct Magazine

Sunday, 11 July 2010 16:29 - Style Guyde: Fall Preview

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:29:50 +0100

Think it’s too early to be planning your fall wardrobe? Think again! All of those sale racks in every store at your local mall mean they’re making room for new inventory—pretty soon the shorts, swimsuits and tank tops will be replaced by chunky sweaters, wool pants and down-filled coats. Every summer (on what always seems like the hottest day) in Rome, my boyfriend would buy a new fall suit (or two) at the Prada store as we made our way back to New York from our annual pilgrimage to Capri. Why buy a wool suit in July? Because they typically stock only one in his size per style—and if you find it, grab it! My mother actually just reminded me of a quote that I said several years ago to Kimora Lee Simmons on the non-defunct Life & Style television program—“See it. Love it. Buy it.” I still stand by that edict—especially when it comes to the following for the new fall season…

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 21:24:21 +0100

June is busting out all over—especially on the pages of the “True Colors” fashion story in this month’s issue!

Check out these shirtless photos of the boys from the casting—on top, that’s Gavin from Adam and Henry from Red—on bottom, that’s Eian from Major and Andrew from Request. We saw over 40 different models that day to find the five perfect guys for what ended up being our most ambitious fashion editorial yet!

On the way to the casting that day, I actually passed by this Vitamin Water trunk—I had to stop and take a picture of it (see below) since the bright colors (against a white background) were so similar to the layout for our story. ...

Monday, 22 March 2010 11:23 - Style Guyde: Matchmakers

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 19:23:17 +0100

Bob Dylan and Julia Roberts. Robert Plant and Nicole Kidman. Johnny Cash and Elizabeth Taylor. Normally you wouldn’t think of these people in the same context—but Match Prints, the new photography book by Jim Marshall and Timothy White (published by Collins Design, an imprint of Harper Collins), does it for you, and (somehow) it totally works.

Dubbed “the rock photographer” by (none other than) Annie Leibovitz, Jim Marshall has shot over 500 album and CD covers and his photographs of Woodstock and the Monterey Pop Festival (including the iconic image of Jimi Hendrix lighting fire to his guitar) defined a generation. Although Timothy White has shot more than his fair share of rock stars too, you’ve most likely seen his work at your local cineplex—since he has photographed (and continues to shoot) some of the most recognizable movie posters of our time. ...

Tuesday, 16 February 2010 12:52 - Style Guyde: Top Banana

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:52:05 +0100

As I take to my perch in the front row of the men’s shows for Fall/Winter 2010 during New York Fashion Week, I thought it would make sense to talk to you, dear readers, about items which came down the runway a few months back (worn by some of the most recognizable male models working today) that you can actually buy right now (either online or at your local mall).

Last month, Banana Republic held their annual dinner for the fashion press at Indochine (my absolute favorite restaurant in New York City – and no, it’s not just because the walls are covered in the chicer-than-chic banana leaf wallpaper originally used by decorator Don Loper for the Beverly Hills Hotel in 1941) to celebrate their Summer 2010 collection. ...

Thursday, 14 January 2010 14:37 - The Style Guyde Interview: Anthony Keegan of Commonwealth ...

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:37:00 +0100

When a life-size poster (featuring both front and back views) of hunky Ben Pamies clad only in bright white Commonwealth Utilities briefs arrived on my desk in a very large shipping tube, I knew something was up. A few months earlier, a photograph of Richard Christiansen (the brand’s co-founder) in his marble bathtub at the Bowery Hotel (surrounded by bubbles, magazines and Post-Its) had appeared in New York Magazine. By the time I received my invite to their show during New York Fashion Week last September, it was confirmed—Commonwealth Utilities was a brand worth watching.

And watch we did—over 350 fashion followers with our mouths agape—as 20 of the hottest guys from Major Model Management (including Chad White, Kerry Degman, and Ellis McCreadie—see images below) walked the “runway” between haircutting stations at Astor Place Hair (in the heart Greenwich Village) for the Spring/Summer 2010 show. ...

Monday, 14 December 2009 14:40 - Behind The Scenes: The Scott Evans Cover Shoot

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:40:46 +0100

When Scott Evans and I had a discussion over the phone about his cover shoot for Instinct’s December/January issue, he told me that he wasn’t really into fashion and just likes to be comfortable. No worries, I thought, I can work with that. Then he shows up on the morning of the shoot (right on time—even before his publicist) wearing the coolest waxed nylon jacket from Zara and a perfectly beat-up pair of Frye boots. Plus he totally fell in love with the Banana Republic cords that I pulled for him to wear (see last pic below). Not really into fashion, huh?

Scott is as sweet as he is handsome—and he’s also wickedly funny. ...

Monday, 16 November 2009 17:29 - SHOWman: Nick Knight

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:29:00 +0100

While doing research for this month’s column, I stumbled across a couple of old magazine covers (from Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue Brasil) featuring a former boss of mine – Pilar Crespi. Pilar is the daughter of Count Rodolfo and Countess Consuelo Crespi (her mother was not only the Roman editor of Vogue but a former cover girl as well – appearing on the April 26^th issue of Sports Illustrated in 1957). I also found photographs of Pilar from a story called “Pilar in Paradise” taken in Sri Lanka by the legendary British photographer Norman Parkinson for Town & Country in 1980 (four of the photos from this ten image portfolio are part of the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London). ...

Thursday, 15 October 2009 01:01 - Vincent Flumiani of Caulfield Preparatory: The Style Guyde ...

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:01:01 +0100

I love stories. I love telling stories – and I love hearing stories. And even though this is already my thirteenth column (yes, dear readers, Style Guyde is over a year old now!), I still have many more stories to tell.

I was originally going to start this month’s column with a story about my recent trip to the Kelly Clarkson concert at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut – which happened shortly after running around the city for nine days of fashion shows, events and parties during New York Fashion Week. That was nine days spent sitting in the front row alongside some of the best-dressed people in America (if not the world – I mean, Carine Roitfeld of French Vogue was there!), so you can imagine how shocking it was to see the way the boys were dressed on a big Friday night out - in a town just a little over two hours from a major metropolitan city. Instead, I decided I should be nice and spare you the gory details about the be-dazzled boot-cut jeans, over-gelled hair and eyebrows thinner than Marlene Dietrich’s. ...

Tuesday, 15 September 2009 13:27 - Jolly Ol’ Molton Brown

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:27:37 +0100

I’m a total Anglophile. That might come as a shock to those of you who are regular readers of this column since I’m usually going on about Italy all the time. Yes, I do love Italy and have been spending at least a week there every summer (in Rome and Capri) for the past five years – but my heart really belongs to the U.K. (that’s me sitting on the edge of the Thames across from the Houses of Parliament during my first trip to London).

In high school in the 80s, I loved English pop music – Culture Club was the first concert that I ever went to (with my friend Peach) and I had Bananarama, Duran Duran, and Marilyn (Boy George’s then-boyfriend who claims to have had an affair with Gavin Rossdale long before he became Mr. Gwen Stefani) on heavy rotation on my “boom box”. Today I am in love with Girls Aloud (specifically Cheryl Cole), Little Boots, and Adele. ...

Saturday, 01 August 2009 21:50 - STYLE GUYDE: The Hills Are Alive

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 05:50:32 +0100

The hills of Litchfield County were alive with the sound of creating “Obsession” - Instinct’s fashion story for the July issue. Litchfield County is home to my weekend home (in Washington, Connecticut - where the story was shot) and the homes of a few other people you might know (including Meryl Streep, Laura Linney, Candace Bushnell, Patti Lupone, Christine Baranski, Oscar de la Renta, and Henry Kissinger). ...

Friday, 12 June 2009 07:48 - Be Italian!

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:48:21 +0100

Have you seen the trailer for the new movie musical Nine (directed by Rob Marshall of Chicago fame) yet? What an absolutely stellar cast – Daniel Day Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruise, Sophia Loren, Marion Cotillard, Judi Dench and Kate Hudson (playing an American fashion journalist – a role very close to my heart!). Plus Fergie (perfectly cast as “the whore from his youth”) belting out the song “Be Italian” – WOW!! And that scene where Daniel Day Lewis is driving the convertible along the winding Italian coastline totally gives me the chills every time I watch it (which has been many).

I love Italy. I’ve gone to Milan (for the runway shows) and Florence (for the Pitti Uomo trade show) several times for work. And my boyfriend and I have been spending a week in Capri (with a day in Rome on either end) every summer for the past four years. He speaks fluent Italian (perfected after attending business school in Milan for three years) – which makes everything that much easier. ...

Friday, 15 May 2009 00:34 - Levi's & Hair Let The Sun Shine On Broadway!

Fri, 15 May 2009 08:34:51 +0100

The first show that I ever saw on Broadway was Kiss of the Spider Woman starring Chita Rivera - that was back in 1994 (at a Saturday matinee) and I’m still convinced that she smiled at me from the stage during her curtain call. I’ve seen numerous Broadway musicals and plays since then (including Jude Law’s full-frontal nude scene in Indiscretions and Jane Fonda’s recent star turn in 33 Variations) - but I’ve never seen the ground-breaking rock musical Hair (until now).

Wednesday, 18 March 2009 14:11 - Style Guyde: One Tough Custom-er

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 22:11:56 +0100

I hate to admit that I’ve lived in New York City and worked in the fashion industry for nearly 15 years (where does the time go?) but I’ve never had a custom piece of clothing made for myself. Oddly enough, I did actually have a pair of custom shoes made a few years back – but they came out so hideous (through no fault of mine, I swear!) that I brought them straight to the wonderful little consignment shop in the East Village that I’ve been dropping off my formerly-loved and gently-worn items for more than a decade (I believe those shoes are still there on the shelf collecting dust as I type this).

Since I am quite tall (6’3”) with long arms and a skinny torso, I’m actually a perfect candidate for a custom shirt. Any shirt off-the-rack that fits me through the body is too short in the sleeves and too tight in the neck, while shirts that are long enough for my arms are always too big and blowsy in the body. ...

Thursday, 19 February 2009 02:36 - 10 Questions: The Authors of The Stephen Sprouse Book

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 10:36:49 +0100

While I was sitting on the red wall-to-wall shag carpet in the family room of my childhood home in New Hampshire watching Stephen Sprouse on “Andy Warhol’s Fifteen Minutes” on MTV back in the 80’s, it seems that Mauricio and Roger Padilha were doing exactly the same thing out on Long Island. You probably recognize the name Stephen Sprouse from his collaboration with Marc Jacobs for a series of graffiti-covered bags for Louis Vuitton (in 2001) or maybe his limited edition collection for Target called “Americaland” (in 2002).

The Stephen Sprouse story started long before that. After a stint designing for the legendary Halston in the early 70’s, Stephen began his solo career – he went on to make a name for himself by blending downtown punk with uptown chic, creating his own, completely unique, aesthetic. An aesthetic he shared with close friend and collaborator Debbie Harry (the iconic lead singer from Blondie). ...

Thursday, 15 January 2009 00:48 - The Fashionista Who Ate Sydney

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 08:48:11 +0100

My boyfriend and I have traveled to Sydney, Australia to celebrate the holidays with his family for the past five years now. Even though it’s an extremely busy time of the year, mainly consumed with visiting relatives, I’ve still been able to experience most of the city and the surrounding area during these annual trips. Of course, everyone knows (or can imagine) that everything in Sydney is gorgeous—including the weather, the beaches and the people. Sydney is also home to some of my favorites restaurants in the world and a major portion of this past December’s trip was spent enjoying them.

"That’s me and my Whaley Burger (see below) from the clapboard kiosk (does it even have a name?) opposite the ocean at Whale Beach (which is about an hour out of the city and well worth the trip for the perfect surf alone). ...

Thursday, 11 December 2008 14:34 - Behind The Scenes - Home On The Range

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:34:21 +0100

Sometimes my photo shoots are inspired by an old book, a movie or a photograph. A designer’s collection or even a cool location can also spark a specific idea. But in the case of the “Home On The Range” spread in Instinct’s December ’08 / January ’09 issue, the inspiration came from the model himself.

I first met Cory Bond (that’s Cory and I below) when I set up a go-see with Jason Kanner, Men’s Director of Major Model Management, to see some of his guys in person. I always like to actually meet the boys (as they are referred to throughout the industry regardless of my age or their’s) before I work with them—not just to see if they are as cute as their pictures (which usually rings true) but to also to get a feeling for their personality, sense of humor and to determine “do I really want to spend an entire day on-set with this guy?”.

I had no doubt about Cory’s beauty when I first saw his pictures on Major’s website. ...

Monday, 17 November 2008 14:35 - Michael Bastian: The Style Guyde Interview

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:35:53 +0100

Those of you who have been reading this column already know about my obsession with Michael Bastian. Just last month I called his clothes "the epitome of cool". I mean, what's not to love about this former Men's Fashion Director of Bergdorf Goodman who launched his eponymous line in 2006? Prior to his five years at Bergdorf's, he worked at Tiffany & Co, Sotheby's and Ralph Lauren. He's a fan of JFK Jr. and counts his dad as his biggest influence. He reads Walt Whitman and listens to Flock of Seagulls and The Dandy Warhols.

Every item that Michael designs—which for Spring/Summer 2009 includes Fair Isle full-zip cardigans, hand-distressed jeans (see below), chambray "James Dean" jackets—is a perfect example of how he likes to "knock the edge off perfection".

here and never miss another issue!) Bryce and CJ were real troopers that day. You might think that we were somewhere in Ireland or off the coast of Maine with a cool, crisp breeze blowing – but in order to get those pictures into the magazine on time, we actually had to shoot them back in July on Long Island on one of the hottest days of the summer (it was well above 90 degrees!). ...