Pedro Almodóvar, Victoria Abril and Jean Paul Gaultier for the opening of Kika, directed by Pedro Almodóvar, 1993 © Jean Paul Gaultier archives.

Madrid will be the First Stop for Jean Paul Gaultier Retrospective Exhibition in Europe

Celebrating Gaultier’s bold, ground-breaking global vision and extraordinary virtuosity, The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk will make its European premiere at Madrid’s FUNDACIÓN MAPFRE from Oct. 6, 2012 – Jan. 6, 2013. Over 120 ready-to wear and haute couture ensembles spanning 35 years will be on view along with excerpts from films, music video, and fashion shows, plus photographs by some of the world’s leading fashion photographers and contemporary artists.
 
New additions for Spain will include a specially-conceived grouping located that illustrates how some of Spain’s most cherished cultural icons, from toreros to flamenco dancers, have influenced the couturier’s work. Plus Gaultier’s eye-catching costumes for films (Kika, Bad Education, The Skin I Live In) by Pedro Almodovar (from sketches to final versions) will be installed in a dedicated gallery also exclusive to the Madrid venue.
 
According to Exhibition Curator Thierry-Maxime Loriot, “From transforming the torero's high-waist pants and boleros in PVC, leather, beaded with jet or denim, or by “Gaulterizing” the flamenco dress and mantilla with extraordinary drama, color, and flare, the additions especially conceived for Spain will further highlight the many unexpected way Jean Paul Gaultier has redefined the boundaries of fashion.”
 
Adds Loriot, “From Swashbucklers and Samurais, to Chic Rabbis and Madonnas, Jean Paul Gaultier's diverse influences for his couture and ready-to-wear collections have always been eclectic, surprising and daring. As someone who initiates trends instead of following them, you discover in his work his passion for different types of beauties. No matter your age, shape, skin color, or gender is, everyone is welcomed in his universe.”
 

More photos from Japanese designer Masatomo Yamaji's Rynshu collection. These photos were not included in the Market Days issue, but I would like to share it with you.

Designing under the names Ma-Ji, Masatomo, and now Rynshu, Japanese designer Masatomo Yamaji has consistently pushed the boundaries of men’s high fashion. Yamaji is known for his expertise in handling and transforming exquisite textures and fabrics into lavish, trend-setting pieces. To ensure the quality of every piece produced under his brand, he works without an assistant and personally handles the scenario writing, costume design, and creative direction of his designs. With each emerging collection, Yamaji has proven that he is indeed the paragon of avant garde menswear.
After meeting musician Will.i.am in Tokyo during a music video taping, Yamaji and Will.i.am have made plans to launch a collaborative menswear line called Will.i.am x Rynshu. The new line debuted in Spring 2012  in Japan, and featured exclusive jacket and blazer designs. To capture the US audience, tastemakers and fashionistas, Rynshu planning to introduce his  collection Will.i.am x Rynshu this Fall.

by David Cohen
photos courtesy of Jeffery Fashion Cares

Join the leading International Fashion and Luxury companies in NYC for the spectacular Jeffrey Fashion Cares 2012. This extraordinary event promising to bring together the best and most recognized companies in the world’s fashion industry and some of New York City‘s.
This extraordinary event promising to bring together the best and most recognized companies in the world’s fashion industry and some of New York City‘s charitable organizations for an dazzling evening of cocktails, silent auction and haute couture.
This event to benefit four of the most worthy non-profit organizations that improve the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS and members of the LGBTQ youth community.
Past years’ auctions have included luxurious gifts by Prada, Gucci, Diesel, Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vuitton, Etro and more. Your generous ticket purchase and enviable auction buys benefit the important work of Lambda Legal, The Hetrick Martin Institute, The AIDS Community Research Initiative of America (ACRIA) and The Point Foundation. To purchase tickets click here.

Monday, march 26,2012, from 7:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., VIP-reception begins at 6:30 pm. At the Intrepid at Pier 86: 12th Ave. at W. 46th St., NYC

As a web-based jeweler, Talk to the Turtle specializes in the exclusive sale of bold self-affirmation by way of subtle pendants regaling Feng Shui philosophy.

Each of the nine paths of Feng Shui are individually inscribed to its own 7/8 diameter fob in sterling silver, 10KT yellow or white gold and looped to an Adjustable Cord Necklace, with or without a semi precious stone accent ($58-$268). Cast silver 18” and 24” chains are available to coordinate with sterling-silver charms ($60 and $68 respectively).

Yet those who prefer a more whimsical chi may opt for the Spirit Dangle. Cast in solid nickel or silver the charms hang on an oval link nickel-plated chain connected to a nickel-plated swivel snap hook all of which is accented by a polished crystal quartz ($38). However with the Double Dangle, personal paths can go in two directions, be them Imagine, Love, Health, Wealth, Peace, Journey, Joy, Wisdom or Spirit. It all just depends on which way you Shui.

Available online at www.talktotheturtle.com.

by Ian MacKintosh

I first met New York-based gay writer and photographer Alex Geana during New York Fashion Week.  For the past eight seasons, he has interviewed designers and reviewed shows and events for The Huffington Post. I then read his 2008 book “Side Step Me” which is a collection of short stories, poems and photography. A book that I felt was like reading a journal found in a Lower East Side nightclub. A journal with the right mix of insight and debauchery that I wish I could have penned myself. I loved every page. This past summer, Alex was one of 80 photographers from around the world invited to be part of The Great LGBTQ Photo Show at the Leslie Lohman Gallery on Wooster Street.  The gallery was founded in 1990, exhibits unambiguously gay artwork that is often denied by mainstream venues, and houses a permanent collection of more than 3,000 works by artists such as Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, Jean Cocteau and Robert Mapplethorpe. Alex is presently working on three shows and is never without his camera.

PINK: Having your work shown in the Leslie Lohman Gallery is quite the honor.  How did it feel to be part of the show?
I was really excited. I’ve taken photography very seriously, just recently.  To get a gallery of that caliber out of the gate and to have one of the prints actually sell. Made me really excited and in some ways validated my desire to make pictures. Now people can buy the show from my website.

PINK: Tell us a bit about how and when you first became interested in photography.
I’ve always loved telling a story, it’s the medium that always seems to change for me. Side Step Me, in a way, marked the transition between my desire to write and the work in photography. I took a few classes in High School and needed to leave it behind. To enter the “real world”. But then I picked it up again, when I was tired of working on a novel and living in my head. My mentor and first reader passed away and I couldn’t finish the work. So I had to retool the way I chronicled the world.

PINK: How would you describe your photography style?
It’s still evolving, but I tend to favor very clean crisp images, that are very direct and uncluttered. I crop in the camera, which I’ve found is really rare for photographers. But I think that’s crucial for a final big print. I prefer to print 13 x 19 and upwards. I also like a really rich color palate with lot’s of color saturation and vibrancy.

Subject matter and working within the picture is becoming really crucial for me. How I make the work, from the moment I pick the model, to the way I print the photo, every step if important to my process and the choices I make along the way all effect the picture.  Photography is far more then just clicking on a button. I also love taking pictures of hot boys in various states of undress.  Just can’t help myself. J

PINK: What inspires you to take a photograph?
I do look for the “decisive moment”. I wait for the picture to unfold in front of me. Sometimes you have to wait for a while. Sometimes you don’t. It depends on how much control you have. When I’m working with a model. I have a lot of control. When I’m in the tents and covering Fashion Week. I really have to keep my camera at my side. I’ve missed a ton of photos because a celebrity has whizzed by, or the PR firm gave me bad seats. But on that note. I’ve taken a ton of great photos because I’ve been seated very well and had the ability to focus on the celebrity in front of me.

PINK: Tell us about your upcoming shows.
Next year I have some very ambitious goals for myself and plan on focusing on photography full time. I have enough fashion photojournalism to mount a gallery show and want to find the right fit. I’m also building on what I’ve shot for the Leslie-Lohman gallery and want to explore spirituality and a dark edge, luxury, I’m looking for the right models and venues to shoot the show. Lastly, I’m obsessed with the visual diary that an iPhone can capture. I want to fill a room with hundreds of iPhone photos.

PINK: List five words that people would use to describe you:
creative • sweater • touch-frenzied • social • crowded

PINK: What is next for Alex Geana?
I try to take it one day at a time. As best as I can. I think I have a full year already booked. And it’s not even January.

To see more of Alex’s work, visit his website www.alexgeanaphotography.com.

by Ian MacKintosh

When Ginch Gonch Underwear founder Jason Sutherland joined former Tommy Hilfiger executive Brian Edgarin founding their new company, Beyond Big Branding Industries, Inc., their combined, innovative multi-branding expertise soon found them globally launching new designs through partnerships with some of the best brands in the international market. To date, their company portfolio includes some of the most distinctive underwear brands such as Piss & Vinegar, EXPOSE and LAZZYbum.
Yet prior to Beyond Big Branding’s rise to success, Sutherland had already long since been known for his boldly designed underwear lines and marketing techniques. In a discussion with PINK, the original Ginch-Gonch guy recounts how he pushed the political correctness of the underwear-making industry to the limits.

PINK: Hey Jason! When thinking of a title for this story, I tossed around “The Underwear King” and “The Branding King.”
King? Well, I wanted that title but I believe Nick Graham, founder of Joe Boxer, claimed it years ago.  Queen was being kicked around but when I met Nick, I realized that he is happily married and I am too hairy for a tiara and those types of jewels.

PINK: Tell us about Beyond Big Branding Industries Inc.
Brian and I have started a machine for men, globally providing products that guys would like to have and other guys should be in. It’s a time when global males want stuff that makes them feel sexy and are masculine. We are approaching a time where guys are okay with being pampered.  This evolution has quickly happened in, lets say, a short 10 years, so imagine what we are about to see with guys being able to buy what they want to make them feel good.

PINK: You are known for bringing fun into the men’s underwear business with your product designs.  Men’s underwear was a bit boring before you came along.  How did you get to where you are today and what led you to this industry?
How did I get to where I am today? Lots of mistakes, taking risks and loving seeing what was able to happen from an idea which became the inner fuel to push. Everyone has personal pride with what they do and being able to do something I love is truly the best fuel to keep me going.
It has been seven years of learning. In this industry, we get to see all types of people from various social environments.  From the sales challenges, photo shoots, runways, and buyers from the best stores, we see how a product is made, sometimes in countries that need our industry to live and in climates that most would never step foot in. One day you are having dinner with the buyers of Selfridges and the next you are invited to dinner at the house of a cutter—those are two very different worlds.

PINK: Where did the names “Ginch Gonch” and “Piss & Vinegar” come from?
Ginch Gonch came from the idea of guys being able to talk about their parts without being embarrassed and at the same time, enjoying a bit of color down below. It’s mostly covered up anyway, so if you could imagine something putting a smile on your face when you hit the can. When I started Ginch Gonch, we came up with the Jolly Cock, a little happy chicken, and Wiener Eater and many other designs. The motto of Ginch Gonch is “Live Like a Kid.”  A kid has that infectious belly laughter so all we wanted to do was make the wearer smile a few times during the day.
Piss & Vinegar is a much different product, Piss & Vinegar as the meaning of the saying “Full of piss and vinegar” is an energy in which one is attracted regardless of beliefs, understanding or current position. We grow and change and if you have enough Piss & Vinegar, you might lead a life admired by many. As in Jesus or Buddha, both icons were and are still full of this energy we all admire.
Piss & Vinegar, in its collections to date, has had the “I love” collection that refers to an emotion one cannot control or explain, the “Super Ewh” collection for something super dirty that most may never admit too, and the “Spectrum, Who defines Creed & Color.” For spring, there is the “SX DRGS RCK & RLL” collection, which is something everyone can relate to whether their time was in the Americana 60s, Punk 80s or today’s club beats that keeps them up all night dancing with freedom. Music is a historical unexplainable iconic thing that all humans love.

PINK: Your marketing campaigns have always been fun, naughty and full of gorgeous models.  Is creating these campaigns the best part of your job?
It’s one of the great parts of this industry. I often say that when starting this business, I had no idea how many different body types I was going to meet and see. Naughty is when you have someone calling your office to find the right fit of underwear and describing there body parts to you. Or actually sending photos to the customer service agent so that their words can really resonate on what fit we are dealing with.  Hearing people excited and a bit strange in their excitement is the best parts of the job.  The second best is landing in so many different countries in world. We have a lot of parts on this globe the need to be covered up.

PINK: There has to be some crazy behind-the-scenes stories, right?
Are you kidding? YES.
Tammy, one of my favorite models, was flying overseas for the tradeshow circuit. She landed in London and was keep by agents for 36 hours for questioning due to not having the right paperwork in place and telling the agents that she was a model arriving for work. Oh the calls I received from her in the confinement, if I could have recorded them. “Ho, I can not handle it any longer, the walls are grey, you have to get me out of here pronto Jason. PRONTO. This color is not good for me!”
Or in Russia, when a guy (who shall remain nameless as he is in the fashion industry) pissed me off to no end about CK, CK, CK, it was the only underwear brand that he wore and I was simply trying to get him to TRY a pair on but instead he said, “you would have to rip them off me.” So in a hotel room full of people and with a camera recording, I did. I ripped them right off and from that video, we created the WEGGIE Contest. Funny times. There is a new story every week!
We could even talk about the stuff that is not as much fun such as manufacturers going bankrupt with 50% of your cash and the bank not releasing the products, or tradeshow booths being re-routed to cities that you had no idea existed, or a crazy pattern maker who smoked so much that there was a line of exhaust staining his face. Like any business, this industry is full of characters and personalities, people will take your ideas and intellectual properties and if they have enough money and your not careful, they will take your whole company with promise and just leave you with regret.

PINK: Each of your brands has a distinctive story and audience. LAZZYbum is for the “adrenaline junky.” EXPOSE is inspired by Columbian men “who know they are beautiful and are not afraid to flaunt it.”  What inspires you and these concepts?
LazzyBUM is everything the Jones aren’t, everything but being lazy. LazzyBUM is about catching what comes at you with a bit of an attitude.  Every Guys GUY can relate to this. Guys who want to make the trucks muddy, guys who want to jump out of planes and eat the fat off the stake, guys who live their days with exercise not because they want the best abs but because they are simply addicted to feeling good.
Look, concepts are emotions so I trigger an emotion that one can relate too. Regardless of an idea, it is nothing if you cannot create a memory or relate to present day with an “I wish I could.”

PINK: You are celebrating the first year of Beyond Big Branding, what are your goals for 2011?
Beyond Big Branding is opening stores and building out its products range with classic innovations. We are building out categories in every line as well as a few more new lines hitting the floors for Fall 2011.  We have partners in Australia, Germany, France, and the Netherlands – all the major countries that are building out and behind triumphant growth of the company’s brands. We are really excited about our newly formed relationships with Kuwait and India.

PINK: What is next for Jason Sutherland?
I have made a personal quest to GRAB 2011 by the BALLS.  It’s a GREAT year and it may be my last with the freedom of kid as I am doing everything I can to adopt and become a single Dad. I am currently getting some practice with Jesse, my 6-month old Fox Terrier who is truly pampered. I am preparing my head for committing and loving one or maybe two kids. My publicist Jeff adopted two boys a couple of years ago so I hear all about the growing pains and accomplishments. Sometimes it freaks me out and then I just want it more. My mom is excited to hopefully have another grandchild, to help me raise and to watch me be a father.

Check Jason wedging's video nameless: at  http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1023941804979432441#