The NRW-Forum in Düsseldorf have today, launched a new major retrospective of Robert Mapplethorpe’s photographs. Robert Mapplethorpe, who was born in 1946 and passed away in 1989, is one of the few artists who truly deserve to be known far beyond the borders of the art world. Mapplethorpe dominated photography in the late twentieth century and paved the way for the recognition of photography as an art form in its own right; he firmly anchored the subject of homosexuality in mass culture and created a classic photographic image, mostly of male bodies, which found its way into commercial photography.

Both during his life and since his death, Mapplethorpe’s work has been the subject of much controversial debate, particularly in the USA. Right up until the end of the twentieth century, exhibitions of his photographs were sometimes boycotted, censured, or in one case cancelled. His radical portrayals of nudity and sexual acts were always controversial; his photos of sadomasochistic practices in particular caused a stir and frequently resulted in protests outside exhibitions and in one instance, a lawsuits was brought against a museum director.

In 2008, the Supreme Court in Japan ruled that Mapplethorpe’s erotic images did not contravene the country’s ban on pornography and released a volume of his photographs that had been seized and held for over eight years. As far as the American critic Arthur C. Danto was concerned, Mapplethorpe created ›some of the most shocking and indeed some of the most dangerous images in modern photography, or even in the history of art.‹

In Germany, on the other hand, Mapplethorpe’s photographs were part of the ›aesthetic socialisation‹ of the generations that grew up in the 1980s and early 1990s. Lisa Ortgioes, the presenter of the German women’s television programme ›frau tv‹, notes that during this time, Mapplethorpe’s photos were sold as posters; his ›black‹ portraits in particular being a regular feature on the walls of student bedrooms at the time.

The curator of the exhibition, Werner Lippert, is quick to point out that ›this exhibition needs no justification. Mapplethorpe was quite simply and unquestionably one of the most important photographers of the twentieth century. It is an artistic necessity.

The exhibition in the NRW-Forum covers all areas of Mapplethorpe’s work, from portraits and self-portraits, homosexuality, nudes, flowers and the quintessence of his oeuvre the photographic images of sculptures, including early Polaroids. The photographs are arranged according to themes such as ›self portraits‹, which includes the infamous shot of him with a bullwhip inserted in his anus, as well as his almost poetic portraits of his muse, Patti Smith, the photographs of black men versus white women, the body builder Lisa Lyon, the juxtaposition of penises and flowers (which Mapplethorpe himself commented on in an interview: ›… I’ve tried to juxtapose a flower, then a picture of a cock, then a portrait, so that you could see they were the same‹), and finally those images of classical beauty based on renaissance sculptures, and impressive portraits of children and celebrities of the day.

Despite the obvious references to the Renaissance idea of what constitutes ideal beauty and the history of photography from Wilhelm von Gloeden to Man Ray, this exhibition shows Robert Mapplethorpe as an artist who is firmly anchored is his era; his contemporaries are Andy Warhol and Brice Marden; Polaroids were the medium of choice in the 1970s, and the focus on the body and sexuality was, at the time, for many artists like Vito Acconci or Bruce Nauman a theme that was key to social change. Above all, Robert Mapplethorpe developed his own photographic style that paid homage to the ideals of perfection and form. ›I look for the perfection of form. I do this in portraits, in photographs of penises, in photographs of flowers.‹ The fact that the photographs are displayed on snow-white walls underpins this view of his work and consciously moves away from the coy Boudoir-style presentation of his photographs on lilac and purple walls a dominant feature of exhibitions of Mapplethorpe’s work for many years and opens up the work to a more concept-based, minimalist view of things.

The selection of over 150 photographs covers early Polaroids from 1973 to his final self-portraits from the year 1988, which show how marked he was by illness and hint at his impending death, and also includes both many well-known, almost iconic images as well as some never-before seen or rarely shown works. The curators delved deep into the collection of the New York-based Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation to create this retrospective.

Robert Mapplethorpe
6 February–15 August 2010

NRW-Forum Kultur und Wirtschaft, Ehrenhof 2, 40479 Düsseldorf
Opening hours: Tue–Sun 11am–8.00pm, Fri 11am–midnight

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Bad Brains is unarguably one of the most influential hardcore bands and their whole history will be explained in this upcoming documentary. They have influenced not only a slew of hardcore bands but also have affected our culture as well. From collaborations with Supreme, Vans, and then to this documentary it is clear that the legacy of Bad Brains will continue to live on.

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Air Force 1 Supreme Hi QS;

Inspired by the outdoors and workwear, Nike’s new Air Force 1 Supreme Hi QS are made from a premium quality leather. The upper invokes memories of the crafted leatherwork traditionally used in boots with a deep red/brown. The contrast stitching, two-tone laces, and metal lace holes add to the workmanship feel of the shoe. The Air Force 1 Supreme Hi QS will be available on the 3rd of February at select Nike Sportswear stores.

Air Force 1 Hi Supreme TZ;

Nike continues a long running tradition of creating Air Force 1s celebrating Basketball’s annual All-Star game. This year with a subtle design uses premium-perforated leather to give depth and detail to create a simple, clean Air Force 1 Hi. The signature Red, White and Blue of the highly anticipated All-Star Game are represented in a refined heel logo. The shape of the logo draws references from Dallas, Texas, with the Eastern and Western Conferences noted in Blue and Red respectively.

The Air Force 1 Hi Supreme TZ will be available on the 6th of February at select Nike Sportswear stores, a week prior to the festivities of All-Star Weekend.

Women’s Air Force 1 Stud Premium LE QS;

The Air Force 1 hasn’t seen an exclusive women’s release in a while, but this design is worth waiting for. Made from premium quality black leather upper to create a sleek and sharp look. With its subtle detailing, the design minimizes print and embroidery, instead making a mark with its heel rivets and fastening. The rivets add to the shoes dark and sophisticated feel.

The Women’s Air Force 1 Stud Premium LE QS will launch on February 6th at select Nike Sportswear stores.

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1. Filson Cover Cloth Crushable Packer Hat | Filson
2. Balabushka Remnants ‘FUCK’ Pin Badges | Honeyee
3. W)Taps Splatter Union Shirt| The-Glade
4. Supreme X Hanes Crewneck Tee | Browns
5.Workaday by Engineered Garments Olive Fatigue Pant | The Bureau
6. Mark McNairy for Union Snuff Suede Brogue | Union LA

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Before you read the interview, in order to benefit UNICEF’s efforts in Haiti, Paul is selling some of his rare bits and pieces from his collection to raise funds, check out the auctions here, get your hands on some of those rare sneakers you’ve always wanted, and help a great cause, with more to be added too. Perhaps follow suit and raise funds on your own accord too.

Name: Paul Mittleman

Location: Los Angeles

What’s 2010 going to be about for you? Change, things are moving fast, adaptation and mutation.

What are the worst trends in menswear today? Lack of personal style.

What is the best thing to come out of 2009 menswear trends? Not really sure, I am not that interested in menswear, I always looked towards friends, people on the street, music or film for things that talked to me. Personally i got into clothing because i liked parts of culture than bonded me to other people with similar interests. I do not really talk about menswear at dinner, I would rather talk about art, music or family. Do not get me wrong I like clothing but it is surroundings and pillars of a culture that keep me interested. Trends are, well for lack of a better word, trendy.

What’s the must have item for any man in 2010? Something that you feel comfortable in. A good watch, a dog and a quality pocket knife. Men need mens shit. Some tools. And most of all understanding.

What’s your favorite thing about where you live? It’s very nice, somewhere between real and fantasy. LA is basically a desert with lots of water pumped in. It is a wonderful place to live and raise a family.

What are you reading? Lacan at the Scene by Henry Bond, Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Horiwitz, On Food and Cooking, the Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee.

What’s the next film you’ll watch? Chinatown, Anvil or The Baader Meinhof Complex????

Your favorite store in your city? If Amazon does not count, I will say Supreme,Union, Undefeated or Stussy (they are all family) Bristol Farms and Target are great as well, I have to eat and keep a tidy house.

What is the best thing to come out of Blog Culture? I get to share ideas and peak into other peoples worlds. Blog culture has been a great part of my life.

You can read Paul’s blog at Honeyee here.

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Its a busy time of the year, with Capsule NY this week, at the same time as Pitti Uomo, Milan Fashion Week, and Paris Fashion Week and more tradeshows next week, and thats just the fashion schedule! We can’t possibly be at all, but luckily, blog culture has enabled us to get an almost real time reportage of the events, and even more so, thanks to the quality of like the likes of Jake Davis’ documentation, the reportage is almost better than being there. Jake Davis best know for his amazing films for Supreme (Check our recent 5 Minutes with…), was on site at Capsule this week on behalf of the NY Times, T Magazine. In typical Test Shots fashion, made famous by the likes of Warhol and Gerard Malanga, Davis captures the spirit in a series of great videos!

Check them all out here.

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Japanese incense connoisseur’s Kuumba International have become a renowned name around the globe. Having worked with the likes of WTAPS to Supreme amongst many more here are two more hugely impressive collaborations to surface. The first is a Incense Burner made of wood and metal in Japan with M&M. The later is one of great interest, featuring NGAP (SKOLOCT) who are known for countless mediums of work from interior design to traditional art and much more. The outcome of the project with NGAP features a custom Skoloct scent and packaging.

Both products are available from Kuumba Bookshop Tokyo & REST STORE, New York.

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1. uniform experiment UE Alpha Tight Fit MA-1 | Honeyee
2. Kitsune Belt | Mindtrive
3. Supreme X Hanes Tee & Vest | Supreme
4. Dior Homme Jeans | colette.fr
5. Visvim Achilles Sox High | Honeyee
6. Raf Simons & Dr. Martens 8 Hole Boot | OKI-NI

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(Photo: Angelo Baque)

Name: Jake Davis

Location: Soho, NYC

What’s 2010 going to be about for you? Mind, body and spirit. Balance those three things and I should be good. 2009 was a great year for me so I’m looking to continue the progression as a filmmaker and love those that are most important to me. Obsession is my gift and curse. Balance shall be my mantra in 2010.

What are the worst trends in menswear today? I really wouldn’t know. As much as people assume I’m an expert in trends I don’t pay much attention to what people are doing wrong. My eye is caught by what people do right.

What’s the best thing to come out of 2009 menswear trends? If you want to consider classic Americana and heritage a trend, which is somewhat of an oxymoron, I would say men are dressing more sophisticated than five years ago and as a result look really good. The all over print hoodie and dunk craze has calmed downtown. Unfortunately, the look today of a piece of waxed cotton outerwear, button-down, selvedge denim, and a chukka or work boot can be very conservative. The true heads have always embraced a little bit of rebelliousness in their kit. The youth will shake things up soon… They always do.

What’s the must have item for any man in 2010? A great fitting suit and anything from Kapital. I’m begging my Supreme guys to bring me back some gear from their Japan trips.

What’s your favourite thing about where you live? The stee. New York just has it. Also the range of beauty and ugliness you see on a day to day basis on the streets keeps me in check and humble. You can see a beautiful model caught in that perfect light and a gnarly homeless man keeping warm from a street vent all in the same stride.

What are you reading? I know I’m supposed to be that “cool guy” and I could answer the essays of David Foster Wallace but today I’m actually reading the entire collection of Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne. I know what you’re thinking… but sometimes I need to get back to the basics and there are a lot of beautiful zen philosophies in those stories.

What’s the next film you’ll watch? I’d like to re-watch Tom Ford’s “A Single Man” at the Angelika before it leaves. He has an amazing eye and I have a lot of respect for his ability to balance his passions. On the que is the Pusher Trilogy.

Your favourite store in your city? Supreme, RRL, A.P.C. and R by 45rpm. R.I.P. Union. I hate the fact that I have to fly across the country to get my fix. But I’m incredibly happy for Chris (Gibbs) and what he’s been able to progress from what James (Jebbia) and Mary Ann (Fusco) initially created. But we desperately need something progressive like it back in New York.

What’s the best thing to come out of Blog Culture? Personally the opportunities it’s created for me have been amazing. It’s been another creative outlet, a social filtering system, and really a way for people to get to know me without knowing me. Within our very small community (and I’m talking about the real world, not the internet world) there is, for lack of a better term, a code of ethics. And for the most part it’s a closed door. Unfortunately, sometimes I break it with the blog and give out a little too much information. Blogs as a culture or entity are just ideas. So without execution in the real world they would mean nothing but you cannot deny their influence.

Read Jake Davis blog here.

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Brooklyn-based graphic designer Kevin Lyons is known for his multi-faceted, heavily textured, and typographical images that often cross the lines of commercial and fine art. This feature documented him as he prepared for his “Fearless Vampire Killers III” exhibition, providing insight into his inspiration for the pieces, the influence of hip hop sampling on his multi-layered images and work process, and the importance of symbiotic storytelling through his pieces. Having collaborated with and worked for labels such as Nike, HUF, SSUR, Supreme, and Stussy, Kevin Lyons’ designs have served as a prominent fixture within the streetwear world. He has also been included in numerous group and solo exhibitions throughout the United States. Watch the interview from “Dithers,” available for the first time to the public for free, on Walrus TV.

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Created by former Evisu and Levi’s designer, Mark Westmoreland, One Denim is a jean designed for true denim connoisseur, taking iconic features from all of the hallmark heritage denim brands – Levi’s, Lee, Boss of the Road, Stronghold and Wrangler – to create what is possibly the best pair of jeans I have ever seen.   Ultra exclusive,  a mere  100 pairs of ‘One’ jeans being sold and they will only be available from five retailers worldwide.

The end product of  four years from Westmoreland, in conjunction with the Shiotoni brothers of Japan, his mission was to create a supremely crafted yet simple denim jean which pooled the knowledge of all the world’s greatest jean makers.

Created from US cotton the 14oz denim is loop dyed and woven near Hiroshima at a family run mil, it is crammed full of detail and is effectively a best-of denim.  Details include:

•Rivets are ‘washer & burr’ – an authentic piece of denim hardware – identified by the cotton threads poking through the middle.
•‘X’ stitched bar tacks on the back pockets are inspired by Lee.
•Pocket bags are 9 oz denim, inspired by Levi’s first jean, the Nevada.
•The fly is one continuous piece, inspired by Boss of the Road denim.
•To keep things as pure as possible, all sewing has been done by a single stitch machine, using cotton threads, with the exception of the belt loops which are from a twin needle.
• The waistband is one continuous stitch, tracking around the patch to the waistband – a Japanese standard.
•The back seam and yoke have been hand finished to produce a ‘french seam’ – a technically brilliant finish that’s rarely found in bulky fabrics.
•Arcuate stitching spells M W – the initials of designer Mark Westmoreland. •Slight knotting might appear in the selvage – a sign of the loom used to weave the denim being re-set.
•The heart shaped fly button has been produced by a reproduction company based on a old railway jacket button (that was originally used by Carhartt). Although only intended for the 20 pairs given away by the designer, it was loved so much by everyone who saw it that in the end it ended up on every pair. The unusual back was a suggestion by the factory.
•And finally, all jeans are sold in an old U.S Mint coin bag, with a Japanese one yen in the pocket.

After finishing at the factory, the jeans will be sent back to the UK for their unique finishing touches which include each jean featuring hand stitching by the designer and special limited leather patches (10 of each kind) which the purchasers can choose for themselves.

Jeans don’t come any more special than this.  If you would like to get your hands on a pair you better get in contact with one of the suppliers, which include Oki-Ni, now.

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Reigning Champ is the in-house basics brand of Canada’s CYC design, the company behind Wings + Horns and who produce fleeces for some of the leading names in contemporary streetwear, such as Supreme, Alife, Engineered Garments and ANYthing.

They may be simple, and not quite as cheap and easy to find as most high street offerings, but they are worlds apart in terms of design and quality.  A Reigning Champ hooded fleece is super warm and will last a lifetime, unlike the paper thin disposable fashion you get from American Apparel etc.  Its one of the best investments I have ever made.

Their latest collection has hit stores and features all the usual tees, crew necks, and hoodies, in both regular and slim fits, also in the range are some track pants and baseball shirts and jackets.

Available now from Oi Polloi.

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Supreme designer Luke Meier has stepped outside his role at the NYC Skate brand and created this entirely new shoe for Vans Syndicate. Syndicate have  made a name for themselves by not being afraid to mess with existing silhouette’s and create something new out of quality materials, this model is no different. No further information is available at this time, but we’re certainly looking forward to finding out more.

Info: HB

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We recently shared the collaborative collection from WTAPS + Supreme here, which showed us all of the jackets and tees against white background on display. Now, the WTAPS + Supreme collection has been put into a feature by Honeyee entitled ”Inevitable Sessions” which shows the collection in a more editorial light and also features an interview with WTAPS front man Tet, who also styled the shoot below. The upcoming collection releases at Supreme flagship stores very soon across Japan and the United States. 

See below for the WTAPS + Supreme ”Inevitable Sessions” feature.

Images Honeyee 

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