A Russian Interview

Over tea and homemade jam in her Muscovite apartment, Aliona Doletskaya talks about her new role as Editor in Chief of the recently launched Interview Magazine Russia—the first international edition of the title founded by Andy Warhol 42 years ago. Previously heading up Vogue Russia, which she helped launch in 1998, Doletskaya ushered in a more sophisticated vision of luxury fashion in post-Soviet Russia, offering modern interpretations of the country’s rich cultural history and cosmopolitan horizons. While Hollywood heavyweight Leonardo DiCaprio fronts the debut issue of Russian Interview, Doletskaya also highlights emerging Russian talent such as actress Oksana Akinshina (Lilya 4Eva, Bourne Supremacy), precocious investigative journalist Ekaterina Krongaus, and model sensation Masha Kirsanova. “Aliona is keen on the idea of this new, youthful generation whose minds and identities are free from any memory of communism,” explains photographer and filmmaker Leigh Johnson, who was granted exclusive access to the editrix at home. “There is the feeling that with a clean slate anything is possible." In the spirit of Interview magazine’s raison d’etre, NOWNESS asked Doletskaya—who will also be launching Interview Magazine Germany in February—some meta-interview questions of our own.

White Swan

Tara Hurster by Peter Coulson.

Föhr Lift

For the Lift project, going back to my roots and just emptying my head made perfect sense. Home is the Island of Föhr in the North Sea and I never tire of it. The landscape acts like a blank canvas, allowing me to free my mind and see life from a new perspective. I was enjoying a long walk on the Wadden Sea when I noticed this incredible piece of driftwood. It was half a tree with roots lying in the mud. Something clicked when I saw it. I was drawn to its beauty, textures and shape. I decided to take it with me and carry it over my shoulder. As the tide was rising, I had to leave the waterline and head back to the shore. I kept on thinking about my newly found treasure. Where did it come from and where was it going? How long had it been drifting on the water for? I guess this is where it all started and the project was born.

I went back home and examined the wood. I realised I wanted to translate it into something else, use the actual object as a starting point and let my imagination take over. What fascinated me the most was not knowing its journey and exact provenance. The idea of exploring these questions through film seemed logical and I asked Canadian director, artist and photographer Malcolm Pate if he could illustrate this for me with a short piece. I wanted the work to refer to the world of Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky, with an austere and almost desolate feel. The driftwood becomes the main protagonist, driving the narrative throughout the scenes. The landscape had to have a surreal and dreamlike quality, expressing a moment of doubt, when you're not sure if you're conscious of half-awake. As the film unfolds, the landscape becomes blurrier and darker. Malcolm's images are striking, powerful and slightly unnerving at the same time. I think he completely understood what the vision should be.

What appeals to me about the driftwood is the fact that it's in a state of flux, becoming something as opposed to being. It triggered my fantasy, opening up an ocean of possibilities. In our lives, we get to find out about ourselves through transition, change and the unknown. However unsettling this may be, there is no progress without uncertainty. The path of life is not a straight one. We go from shore to shore, unaware of what comes next. What matters the most is not the moment when we get there, but what happens during that journey. Identity is a work in progress. The things that we cannot control or decipher are precisely the ones that will shape and turn us into who we really are.

Marni and H&M

New collaboration for the swedish brand H&M with the italian fashion maison Marni.

Theme Park - Milk

out on December via Luv Luv Luv Records.

The Devils, 1971

"Hell will hold no surprises for you."

Directed by Ken Russell
Cast with Vanessa Redgrave, Oliver Reed, Dudley Sutton, Max Adrian, Gemma Jones.

Ken Russell

3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011

Losers

A film about bullying by everyone.

The twins

a film by Shining Gagliostro
fashion director Gregory Wein
featuring Marcio and Marcos Patriota

Vésuves

Two men look at a woman. One wants her, the other one gets her.
directed by Kevin Manach from CRCR.

Gareth Pugh for M.A.C by Ruth Hogben

Fashion maverick Gareth Pugh collaborates with fashion film director Ruth Hogben on this film to unveil his first make-up range, created with M.A.C. A further development from their electric collaboration for Spring/Summer 2012 and inspired by the contrast of black and white - or light and darkness - this fashion film showcases a selection of specially-fashioned faces for the twenty-first century

The Legend of Leigh Bowery

a documentary about a brilliant mind. The documentary covers Bowery’s life and times from his beginnings in Sunshine, Australia, to London’s club scene in the 1980s.

directed by Charles Atlas with contributions from Michael Clark, Sue Tilley, Michael Bracewell, Richard Torry, Donald Urquhart, Damien Hirst, Boy George, Nicola Bowery, Bella Freud, Rifat Ozbek, and many others.

THE LAST OBSESSION

A short film directed by Luca Finotti for Hercules Universal, in memory of the late Vogue Hommes International Editor Francesco Cominelli. Styled by Nicolas Klam features Jamie Wise and Sebastian Sauve.

ERGO SUM

A portrait of artist Pucci de Rossi by Les JandJ
music Daniel Masson

amalgamation II

motion : Micaël Reynaud
portraits : Michael Jang
music : Memory Tapes

Amalgamation I

portraits by Michael Jang

Put the Needle on the Record

The 1980s at 45 Revolutions Per Minute by Matthew Chojnacki.

The Lake

Photographer and filmmaker Pierre Debusschere collaborates with striking French ingenue Isild Le Besco in his latest emotive fashion film, The Lake. Filmed in Templeuve, a picturesque village in northern France, the beautifully crafted montage depicts the actress being enveloped by a pool of water to an ominous countdown courtesy of songwriter Valerie Leclercq from the atmospheric sister duo Half Asleep. Transformed into a mythical sea creature through metallic, opulent and fish scale-y looks dreamed up by stylist Robbie Spencer, Le Besco welcomed the "opportunity to wear magnificent, daring dresses that I would probably never have had the opportunity to wear in cinema movies.” A personal project conceived in honor of his move to Art + Commerce, Debusschere’s decision to cast Le Besco, one of France’s most promising young actresses, stemmed from his desire to evoke both beauty and sentiment. “She is always intriguing in every role that she plays,” he muses. “She has a really particular face, a very recognizable face, and just by looking at her you instantly get emotion.”

via Nowness

Marlon Come Dance With Me

Marlon Teixeira and Dree Hemingway directed by Bruce Weber for the December issue of Vogue España.

Sofas

Forsman & Bodenfors like to show the versatility of the IKEA sofas.

contact lens

Haruka Kojin explores the distortion of reality through her newest piece, ‘contact lens’. two types of lenses are used, one completely flat and clear and the other with a warped surface to create interconnected circles of varying sizes. as the light travels through the acrylic, the images on the other side are flipped and contorted, changing the experience of the space. since the elements are clear with no frames or distinct features of its own, the physical material merges into the environment, only visible through the transformation it causes.

Architectural Environments for Tomorrow New Spatial Practices in Architecture and Art
Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
October 29, 2011 until January 15, 2012

via Thursday Friday

4Play

a film for Channel 4 about Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. Directed by David Terranova for Falko Haus, it follows Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs from his home studio in Oxford to Dour and Melt! Festivals, and features exclusive music from TEED's forthcoming debut album.

I Found My Love In Portofino

Jac Jagaciak and Antonio Navas for Dior Cruise 2012.

HERESY

a film by Matias & Mathias presented by BJØRG

Desire ( part 5)

by pierrot

estate italiana by Mustafa Sabbagh

Mustafa Sabbagh was born in Amman, Jordan, adopted Italian nationality in 1989 and studied architecture at the University of Venice and was Richard Avedon’s assistant in London for two years. The list of collaborations include Central Saint Martins College of Art and magazines such as Arena, The Face, Vogue Italia, L'UOMO Vogue, Rodeo, Gasby, Front, Kult, Sport & Street.

All Photographs © Mustafa Sabbagh

BACK TO THE FUTURE

Riff Raff 1976, London

Riff Raff 2011, London

All Photographs © Irina Werning

Address Is Approximate

A lonely desk toy longs for escape from the dark confines of the office, so he takes a cross country road trip to the Pacific Coast in the only way he can – using a toy car and Google Maps Street View.

Produced, animated, filmed, lit, edited & graded by Tom Jenkins

Black Ocean / Ecosystem & Incubation

We were asked to create some excellent intricate sound design and score for this very beautiful visual journey through Black Ocean's ecosystem. We used some very interesting and unique sound tools when creating this piece. The result is very detailed, subtle and reserved.

Headman - Be Loved

single release on Relish Recordings Digital, features vocals by Rosie Blair (Moon Unit and half of the duo Boy of Girl). The song steps a fine line between electro, synth pop and the
electro/acoustic dualism of Wide Boy Awake. Remixes by Andreas Esu and Daniel Avery.



video filmed and directed by Robi Insinna.

Happy Terry

Happy Socks Chapter FOUR collection by Terry Richardson

Photographer: Terry Richardson
Creative Director: Jen Brill
Styling: Mel Ottenberg
Designer: Adam Selman
Make-up: Frank B.
Hair: Dennis Lanni