Can a T-shirt -- be it short-sleeved, distressed, or equipped with a plunging collar -- actually be used as a sort of spiritual tool? Jeff Label, mastermind behind the Label New York brand of T-shirts, would respond with a wholehearted Yes. “What I’m trying to do with these T-shirts is create the perfect union of mind, spirit and body,” he says pointblank. If that sounds overly fanciful, skeptics are recommended to take a look at his creations: Personally hand-dyed at his apartment, the shirts are silkscreened with any number of Pagan symbols (unearthed during pilgrimages to dank library backrooms and lesser-known New Age bookshops.)
Label’s creations are totally refreshing anomalies -- the perfect alternative to those who don’t want to walk around emblazoned with Abercrombie and Diesel logos. Winged lions, swirling alchemy illustrations, sprightly centaurs, and Kundalini serpents are just a few of his obsessions, and his keen eye for color means these arresting images are backlit in vibrant pastels. “Color is a tremendous healing force,” he tells me during a recent visit to his Hell’s Kitchen apartment. “My ultimate goal is to remind people of their past lives, and that’s why I work with symbolism and color. I want to do my part for the spiritual revolution. When I’m dyeing these shirts, I go into a meditative trance -- I don’t even know what I’m doing half the time.” Below, we shoot from the hip with the always entertaining Jeff, discussing Nike’s links to the occult, how unrequited love is an artist’s best friend and why all gay men are, in fact, the shamans of the world.
Out: So, regarding playing your part in the spiritual revolution. What would you say to people who think this is all a bunch of claptrap? Jeff Label: This is what calls me, and this is my song. If you want to listen to my song, listen to my song. If you don't, then don't. I've always been like that. I guess if you don’t like my shirts or what I’m trying to do, you can always pop into Macy’s and buy Nike. But don’t think there isn’t occult symbolism behind Nike. Nike’s logo is all about Saturn, and Saturn’s a castrator. These arcane symbols are in daily use. Look at a Pepsi can -- there’s a yin and a yang, and the new ones -- once again -- have the word ‘Sex’ written on them, if you look at it from the right angle. Don’t think for a moment that all this ancient knowledge isn’t being diluted…
The trailer for the documentary anticipated by fashionistas everywhere has finally leaked.The September Issue, dubbed by critics as a sort of real-life The Devil Wears Prada, follows Vogue head honcho Anna Wintour and her staff as they create the magazine’s largest issue ever. A official selection for both Cannes and Sundance, the doc opens in theaters August 28, 2009. Gird your loins!
Forget sad old weird Project Runway 2.0. Our hero Tim Gunn has a new starring role -- in the Marvel Comics series Models Inc. Trading his signature suits for a bespoke ensemble of red-and-gold armor, Marvel's Gunn will fight for justice for the vintage fashion-oriented Marvel character Millie the Model, who's been accused of murder.
"Involving flesh-and-blood people like Gunn in the action-packed doings
of heroes like Iron Man and Spider-Man is a Marvel tradition, [writer Paul] Tobin
points out. 'It’s inherent in our creations that they live in the real
world,' he says."
The four-issue series debuts in August. Looks like this won't be your everyday wardrobe makeover, but we're confident Gunn can make it work.
Poor old Project Runway has sadly sashayed off to Lifetime-land, and tonight Bravo premieres its new fashion-focused reality show. Isaac Mizrahi and Kelly Rowland step in for Tim and Heidi on The Fashion Show -- which dangles a $125,000 cash carrot in front of 15 designers as they face weekly elimination challenges and deep design drama!
Of course, the Project Runway pattern has been altered a bit. The Fashion Show will have a live audience that weighs in each week on the winning design, which is then manufactured and sold on Bravo's website. And America herself will be called upon to name the season winner, a la American Idol. In short, it sounds like the difference is that the emphasis of this show is going to be on marketability and mainstream appeal. (Mizrahi, after all, reigns over the exotic kingdom of Targét.) Gone are the days of human-hair fringe and Ferocia Coutura.
Nevertheless, it'll be interesting to watch Mizrahi channel his inner Tim Gunn. "I was very surprised by my own latent parental...mentoring instincts," he says. "I thought, oh, OK, no problem hosting and judging a fashion competition show. But the surprise to me was like that I actually felt myself dissolve into tears a few times over the sort of quote-unquote “life or death” of these people."
Arlo Weiner, son of Mad Men creator Matt Weiner and GQ-dubbed "most stylish 8-year-old" in America, sees no excuse for looking sloppy over summer vacation. "A seersucker suit is great in summer. It’s a way to be fancy without
being hot," he says. "You don’t need a
special reason to wear it—in spring and summer I’ll wear it on any
occasion." He also frowns upon shorts unless "it’s really really broiling hot" or if one is "going on vacation to a hot place like Palm Springs." Ya heard?
You can't (yet) procure lesbian-Canadian-twin-indie rock fashion dolls, but you can show your appreciation of Tegan and Sara the good old fashioned way -- on your sneakers. If you're nostalgic for your pre-teen days spent doodling the initials of your crushes on the soles of your Converse, or if you've simply devoted your disposable income to a dope designer-kicks collection, you'll want to line up for the summer reissue of Macbeth Footwear's Tegan and Sara Nolan high-tops. The black-denim Tegan and the white-denim Sara, which were first released in February, feature decorative graphics and -- crucial! -- the initials of their namesakes (who are hard at work on a new album, due out later this year). True aficionados will want to play it extra '80s and wear one on each foot.
On the list of "Things About the Future" you could have told me ten years ago that I would have never ever believed, "Beth Ditto Action Figure" ranks fairly high. But it's happening, just like pocket-computers and glow-in-the-dark puppies. The Out cover girl has been immortalized to promote her upcoming fashion line for the UK plus-size clothing chain Evans. What's not surprising is that her plastic likeness has been a little, er, streamlined (I'd kill for those unattainable thighs!). Still, this limited-edition creation is far fiercer than the Bratz. The only question is, if Beth and My Little Alien had a fight, who would win? --JESSANNE COLLINS
Jack Mackenroth has accomplished what many of his fellow reality competitors have not: a life after Project Runway. A Renaissance man, Mackenroth is not only a fashion maven, he is now a TV and radio correspondent. HIV positive, Jack Mackenroth's 20 year career is defined by enthusiasm, perseverance, but most all, the ability to use his life as a means for education and prevention (as well as discovering the latest style blunders).
Out: As the East Coast correspondent for Fashion News Live, do you think it is imperative for designers to be knowledgeable of other artists in the field? Who would you most like to interview? Jack Mackenroth: I've always had a deep admiration for Diane Von Furstenberg. I think she is a goddess. I am a huge fan of prints and she is the queens of prints. (Then there is Prince who is just a queen.) Anyway -- I would love the opportunity to get close to those cheekbones of hers.
I would also LOVE to interview Karl Lagerfeld. I know he's quite a character and sometimes he's really off the wall. But I would welcome that challenge. He's a uber-prolific design genius. What's not to love?
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