MTV Swatch Playground: Scene@ SWISS JERKS

Now then, I'm the first to admit I haven't done the best job of keeping up with my MTV Swatch posts of late, what with Relocation#1 and Relocation#2 demanding a whole lot of attention. Nevertheless, blogging from a new Southern 'sphere location I'm about to get back on track. 

Creativity and collaboration are central elements to the Swatch MTV Playground; along with music and fashion, previous posts have showcased the talent and projects from collaborative artists Rankin, Alex Noble and Frank Butler. Taking it in a new direction, Scene@ looks further down the fash' chain, focusing on individuals, travelling the globe to explore emerging trends. With music as the focal point, Switzerland makes for the hometown of Swiss Jerks.  Check out the video below!

Whilst I would take being called a jerk as somewhat derogatory, in Switzerland it's accepted a compliment. As well as being the home of Lindor, swiss cheese (and whoops, I almost said Ikea), Switzerland is famed for its Jerk dance scene. Which if you didn't know, began as a lively Californian '60s dance craze, now adopted by a more hiphop crowd, and taken on as more than just a dance genre: it's a lifestyle. Characteristically, well, 'jerky', popping moves and shoulder-shugs seem pretty frequently used.  Having explored it online, and read up on the MTV Scene@ content, it seems the Swiss have tendency to break out said moves everywhere and anywhere, taking Pringles' "once you pop you just can't stop" slogan rather literally. Style-wise, the uniform seems to consist of the ever popular skinny jean, graphic tee and snapback baseball cap. I don't know what you think, but it sounds like something Fresh Prince O'Bel Air would've taken to perfectly. Read all about it here.

Now, I wonder how Sydney's  scene will take to me throwing out some of these moves tomorrow night...

SWATCH MTV PLAYGROUND: Perret Schaad

THE WHOLE POINT OF THE SWATCH MTV PLAYGROUND PROJECT WAS TO ENCOURAGE CREATIVITY, COLLABORATION AND COMMUNITY. OPENING MY EYES TO NEW THINGS, NEW PEOPLE AND NEW PROJECTS, IT’S EXCITING TO STAY TUNED WITH THE NEXT BEST THING.

NOW I’M THE FIRST TO ADMIT, MY GERMAN FASHION AWARENESS ISN’T THE BEST. RESIDING HERE IN NEW YORK, I HAVEN’T DONE THE BEST JOB AT STAYING TUNED WITH ALL-THINGS-DEUTSCHLAND. (PRESUMING WE’RE NOT COUNTING PRETZELS AND BECKS, THAT IS.) THAT SAID, WITH MY EYES OFFICIALLY OPENED THANKS TO THE TEAM OVER AT SWATCH, I’VE FOUND A NEW BRAND CRUSH IN THE FORM OF BERLIN-BASED PERRET SCHAAD. CHARACTERISED BY SIMPLE SHAPES, STRIKING SILHOUETTES AND SIMPLICITY IN COLOUR, THE LABEL’S AESTHETICS ARE OFTEN COMPARED TO FELLOW MINIMALIST ICON, JIL SANDER.

JOHANNA PERRET AND TUTIA SCHAAD ARE THE BRAINS AND BEAUTY BEHIND THE BRAND, WHICH HAVING ONLY BEEN ESTABLISHED IN 2009 IS ALREADY MAKING ITS MARK ON THE INDUSTRY, HAVING RECEIVED INVITATION TO DEBUT THEIR FIRST COLLECTION AT BERLIN FASHION WEEK. WITH PASSION FOR PATTERN CUTTING AND A PENCHANT FOR DRAPE, THEIR PIECES SHOW FLUIDITY AND FEMININITY, WITH UNDERSTATED AESTHETICS OFFERING FUNCTIONALITY. 

(SWATCH MTV PLAYGROUND)

SWATCH MTV PLAYGROUND: "EVERYONE IN THE FASHION WORLD KNOWS RANKIN"

RANKIN: "SYNONYMOUS WITH DYNAMIC AND INTIMATE PORTRAITURE". IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD HIS NAME, I PRESUME YOU'VE BEEN IN HIDING FOR THE BEST PART OF 2 DECADES. IF YOU HAVE, HERE'S MORE STUFF YOU MAYBE DIDN'T KNOW.

COMING FROM A WORKING-CLASS, NON-CULTURED BACKGROUND, HE HAD LITTLE CREATIVE INPUT FROM HIS FAMILY, AND WAS ENCOURAGED INTO A CAREER IN ACCOUNTING. NEVERTHELESS, HE FOLLOWED HIS AMBITION AND DEVELOPED HIS PASSION AT THE LONDON COLLEGE OF PRINTING. MEETING FELLOW CREATIVES IAN TAYLOR AND JEFFERSON HACK, HE FLOURISHED ALONGSIDE THEIR TALENTS, CREATING PUBLICATIONS AND UNIVERSITY MAGAZINES, AND ULTIMATELY FOUNDING CULT MAGAZINE DAZED & CONFUSED.  EMBRACING THE 'RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME' MOMENT, WITH AN ATTITUDE FULL OF AMBITION, RANKIN EMERGED AS ONE OF WORLD'S MOST IN-DEMAND PHOTOGRAPHERS. WITH AN OBVIOUS TALENT AND A MISCHIEVOUS EYE, HIS WORK IS USED ACROSS EDITORIALS, ADVERTISING AND PORTRAITURE. STICKING NOT ONLY TO POPULAR CULTURE, HIS ARCHIVE INCLUDES PORTRAITS OF POLITICIANS, AND HE HAS TRAVELLED WORLDWIDE DOCUMENTING EMOTIVE HISTORY FOR CHARITY. FROM KYLIE LYING NAKED, TO A SMILING, REGAL QUEEN, HIS WORK HAS VARIETY TO SAY THE LEAST.

HE SAYS THE BEST PART OF PHOTOGRAPHY IS THE CHANCE TO WORK AND ENGAGE WITH PEOPLE. HE WORKS ON MANY COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS, MOST RECENTLY HAVING CURATED AN EXHIBIT, DOCUMENTING THE BEAUTY AND SKILL OF ITALIAN FASHION, AS WELL AS TRAVELLING TO KENYA TO WORK WITH OXFAM. 


FUTURE OF DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY

WHEN ASKED ABOUT HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH FASHION, RANKIN STATES HE'S ALWAYS FELT UNCOMFORTABLE, INFERIOR IN FACT, COMPARED TO THE OTHERS WHO CLEARLY LIVE AND BREATHE IT. NEVERTHELESS, HE MANAGES TO CAPTURE THE BEAUTY OF IT EFFORTLESSLY, WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD NONE THE WISER TO HIS ANXIETY. HAVE I FELT THIS WAY BEFORE? YES, OFTEN. AS A YOUNG PERSON IN THE INDUSTRY (AND NOW, A YOUNG PERSON FROM A DIFFERENT CULTURE) I'VE HAD MANY A CLUELESS MOMENT, A MOMENT OF FEELING OUT OF PLACE, A MOMENT OF PURE EMBARRASSMENT. I EVEN SPENT A SHORT WHILE QUESTIONING MY CAREER CHOICE. RIDING THROUGH, I RATIONALISED, LEARNING INSTEAD TO ABSORB MY SURROUNDINGS, LEARN FROM WHAT OTHERS TELL ME, AND REMEMBER THAT I'M STILL YOUNG. VERY YOUNG. (AND ANYWAY, I WORK IN SOHO FOR GOODNESS SAKE, IF I WON'T LEARN 'FASHION' THERE, I WON'T LEARN FASHION ANYWHERE. PATIENCE, VIRTUE AND ALL THAT.)

SEIZING THE MOMENT
RANKIN STATES AMBITION AND HUNGER TO SUCCEED IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS, AS WELL AS STAYING RELEVANT AND EMBRACING CHANGE.

HIS COLLABORATION WITH SWATCH HAS BEEN DEVELOPING FOR A WHILE NOW. OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, HE HAS SHOT THE SWATCH CAMPAIGNS, BEEN NAMED AS A SWATCH MTV PLAYGROUND EDITOR, AND RECENTLY DESIGNED A RANGE OF WATCHES FOR THE SWATCH & ART COLLECTION. REFLECTING THE POWER OF HIS PHOTOGRAPHY, THE WATCHES HAVE EITHER BLACK OR WHITE STRAPS, WITH HIS IRIS-PICTURES (EXHIBITED IN EAST LONDON LAST YEAR) IN DIFFERENT COLOURS ON THE FACE, CREATING STRIKING DESIGNS THOUGH THEIR SIMPLICITY AND MYSTERY. 5 DESIGNS, AND 3 EXTRA LIMITED EDITIONS, THEY'RE AVAILABLE TO BUY NOW AT SWATCH ONLINE.

CONTINUING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RANKIN AND ADMIRING HIS WORK IS EXCITING. I THOUGHT I'D SHARE A LINK TO BLOG, AS AN INTERESTING READ AND AN INSPIRATIONAL STORY.  

SWATCH MTV PLAYGROUND: geometry scheometry

HAVING STUDIED HARD AND ENDURED AN IMPOSSIBLE EXAM IN WHAT WE COULD ONLY CALL 'WHIMSICAL GEOMETRY THEORY', YOU WOULD THINK I'D HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF ALL THIS TESSELLATING, POLYGONAL NONSENSE; BUT APPARENTLY NOT. FEELING MORE INSPIRED THAN EVER, BRIGHT COLOURS, HARSH PRINTS AND POLYGONAL PATTERNS SEEM TO BE EVERYWHERE THIS SEASON, COUPLED WITH CITRUS FRUIT MOTIFS AND KITCH ZEBRA SHAPES. NOT ADOPTING IT DIRECTLY, IT'S DEFINITELY INFLUENCED MY RADAR. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MY NEW WASH BAG AND LAPTOP SLEEVE?

(fuelling a complete ikat weave obsession, urban outfitters)

NOT EXACTLY ONE TO BE NEWLY DIRECTED, INSTEAD A DEFINITE PIONEER, FRED BUTLER TAKES GEOMETRY IN HER STRIDE WITH STRIKING PIECES, CRAZY SET PROPS AND EYE-CATCHING ACCESSORIES. UK-BASED, SHE HASN'T LET THAT HOLD HER BACK WITH GLOBAL STYLE ICONS SPORTING HER DESIGNS; UP-AND-COMING, SHE IS UNDENIABLY ONE OF LONDON'S MOST INNOVATIVE, FASHION GEMS. WITH NO SKETCHPAD, AND INSTEAD A WHOLE WALLSPACE OF CLIPPINGS AND IDEAS ENCOURAGING HER TO LIVE AND BREATHE CREATIVITY, IT'S NO WONDER HER PIECES ARE QUITE SO PLAYFUL. MOVING IN TO FILM AND VIDEO CONTENT, HER WORK FEATURES IN THE MOST BEAUTIFUL 'SUN SHOWERS' BY ELISHA SMITH-LEVEROCK, VOTED BEST FASHION FILM OF THE SEASON. TAKE A LOOK, IT REALLY IS MAGICAL.

THE SUNSHOWERS VIEDO MAKES ME ALL A BIT DELIRIOUS; GOLD, NAKED, WHEAT, SWAYING, SLEEPING, WHATEVER NEXT ENCHANTMENT?

new adventure

Exams done, deadlines complete, and a years worth of adventures leaves a lot of time for well, blogging. As if moving across the pond, setting up camp in New York and interning at NYLON magazine wasn't going to be enough to spark a super-duper-blog-revival, more inspiration comes in a more virtual form: MTV.

(talking of which, this tee is more than apt for me right now)
 

MTV Swatch Playground is a new platform for inspiration and influence, mixing music and fashion, and encouraging major collaboration and innovation. I am pleased to announce I'll be participating in the campaign, through FASHION & CIRCUS, I'll be promoting the things that are inspiring me and my work. Admittedly, MTV isn't perhaps what you'd instantly link me to, with my (arguably) limited music taste, and sure lack of hip-hop dance ability, but that's what it's all about: unexpected-goodness. I'm more than happy to be getting involved, supporting new talent, emerging designers and of course- developing the virtual platform for the modern generation. The MTV Playground website and blog features all the goings-on, with daily updates and up-and-coming talent, and changing guest editors to keep things interesting!

Kicking off the campaign with a bang, Alex Noble and Fred Butler have stepped up as guest eds'. The creative minds behind some of Queen GaGa’s most striking outfits, Alex has just launched his first line at LFW, emerging as a key player in British fashion talent. Fred Butler (I shall note at this point, a woman,  to alleviate further pronoun confusion) is a prop-maker-come-accessories-designer, striking gold with her bespoke creations. Check out the video for a bit of an introduction to the MTV campaign and Alex Noble himself. (I'll be blogging more about the designers themselves later, not only for your benefit but for my own research too.)

INDUSTRY COLLABORATIONS:

http://www.swatchmtvplayground.com/gb 

Encouraging you to get inspired, I will spend the next 7 months or so updating you on the MTV Playground campaign with snapshot previews, collaborative news and showcasing the emerging creatives, all fitting in nicely with the content of my (perhaps/ we shall see) changing blog content over this next year of huge adventure.

(Anyway, after all that, I'm off for homemade burritos- oh, the final joys before I go!)