Street fashion photography has been around for ages… long before blogs came along, it existed in print, in the east magazines dedicated to street fashion and here in the west in music magazines club photos… blogging of course has got to be one of the most natural mediums for this type of photography and it’s been taking off these past few years. And there is no doubt that these street fashion photographers are becoming established names in the industry.

Style Clicker started on Christmas Eve 2006 by Gunnar Hameleh is the street photographer for Munich. Recently he’s partnered with Condé Naste (German Vogue, GQ, and Vanity Fair) making it possible for him to travel around Europe getting shots of stylish people… and he’s even photographed me!  Well, he got me when we met up in Munich for a nice coffee and a good conversation. Here we talk about the impact of blogging on fashion, the beautiful people of Stockholm, and trusting your instincts…

The Coveted: How did you start?

Style Clicker: The first post was on Christmas Eve, a photos of my wife in the basement of the house, it’s was an untypical picture for my blog… but that was how it started.

TC: Were you reading blogs at that time?

Style Clicker: Not so much really. I had a small software company with my brother. There was this  whole web 2.0 thing, and I really like this idea that people could start anything, and you could reach a whole  public.

We wanted to start a community, where people could upload their own pictures with a map, but it already existed, and the quality of the pictures wasn’t that good. Then I saw Hel Looks, the Sartorialist, the Face Hunter, and I thought I could start that in Munich. It would be a challenge because It’s not the #1 fashion city in the world.

TC: How do you think street fashion blogs are changing global fashion?

Style Clicker: It’s kind of a media revolution going on right now. i don’t see print magazines as competitors, maybe they see us a competitors.

First of all it’s free… it’s very fast.. the impact of the street, was always important in fashion.

It has always been that way, designers get inspiration from the clubs and the streets, it was only available to the elite, who had the time,  were able to access the clubs and travel to the different streets, now anyone on the internet can get that information. So the gatekeepers are left out in a way. Directly from the creative people in fashion on the streets and in the clubs to to the consumer. That’s what I like, there is no editor. Of course bloggers pick who they like, but there is no advertising money in the equation.

Bloggers are very free, and they pick what they like. Main difference, is it’s very authentic, it’s real people, and it’s real places. The users can identify much more with real people than with models who are so beautiful, and you cannot reach it anyways, they are photoshopped, and photographed some location people usually cannot go.

It’s easier for person to say “I could try that out.”

TC: What are you obsessing on these days?

Style Clicker: Photography is an obsession, it’s like a meditation. I don’t meditate, but I do photography. When I’m taking pictures, I forget everything around me. I love to do that. Even if Style Clcker hadn’t become successful, I would have done photography.

I’m thinking about moving to Sweden. There is a lot of work to do before, it may not even work. But I would like to do it. Stockholm is gorgeous, a beautiful city, great people. The whole city has great style. Homes are nice, very tasteful… it’s a street photographers paradise.

It has always been that way, designers get inspiration from the clubs and the streets, it was only available to the elite, who had the time,  were able to access the clubs and travel to the different streets, now anyone on the internet can get that information. So the gatekeepers are left out in a way.

TC: Describe your method.
Style Clicker: Usually I go on Saturdays, it’s easier to scan people. In the beginning I felt like I was a hunter… but I felt that was too much pressure, so now it’s like a walk though the city, and even if I don’t find anyone. I always take it like a gift if If find someone.

The first thing is I give them a compliment… it’s always a nice beginning for a nice conversation.

TC: What’s your favorite part about being a street fashion photographer?

Style Clicker: The people. When I start talking to them, in a short period of time you meet very nice and interesting people. In the beginning I was not so interested in trends, what interests me is the personality of people, and of course people who are creative in their clothing, who express themselves through their clothing. Not so much trends, but how each style fits to the person.

When I walk around I scan all the time. Then I see somebody, sometimes from behind, and I try to catch up to them, and If I like them I ask to take their picture.

TC: Has anyone recognized you?
Style Clicker: Yeah, then it’s easy to ask,  I don’t have to explain who I am. Once someone said “you photographed all my friends, and I felt bad you didn’t ask me… now…”

TC: Where are your favorite spots for finding people?
Style Clicker: Stockholm, people are very friendly.

TC: What’s special about Munich?
Style Clicker: Munich is quite small, it’s a very cozy town. I think in a way it’s very traditional with all the lederhosen and dirndls and Oktoberfest…  on the other hand people have style, but it’s kind of conservative sometimes. It’s pretty much money here, it’s the money capital of Germany. I wish people would be more confident in trying new things. If you keep your eyes open you can find the creative people. You can find them anywhere really, sometimes it’s faster, but sometimes it takes longer.

Berlin, of course there’s the scene, the creative ones, it’s probably the biggest scene in all of Europe… for people who want cheap rents and do some thing creative, you go to Berlin. But I get the impression that there is kind of a uniform for them as well. Actually I was walking around for three afternoons and it was not so easy to find people to photograph.

TC: What have you learned from all this?
Style Clicker: I learned, not to be corny, but to really trust in yourself, and do what you want to do by heart. If you have a hobby start a blog. You don’t have to have much money to do something. You really can reach things… I would have never thought I would have a street style blog in Munich, and now it’s very established, it’s amazing.

In Munich, there is a hidden courtyard where Ayzit Bostan creates her world of elegance, small, beautifully tailored collections that don’t run by seasons, but by inspiration. The current collection is sexy, sophisticated, very minimal, yet is loaded with details, a strategic slit, a diagnal seam. I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon at her studio talking with her.. Ayzit’s demeanor comes across more like an artist than the over-the-top typeperson which often goes hand in hand with ‘fashion people’ (who are they?).

“I’m romantic but in a really minimalistic way.”

“What inspires me? Art, music, films friends..not only clothes and fashion, its the other things that inspire me to do clothes”

A few of her favorite artists:
Martin Kippenberge
Olafur Eliasson

The Coveted: How do your clothes reflect your personality?
Ayzit Bostan: I’m romantic in a very minimalistic way.

With all the hardships that come with being independent, the biggest reward is that you don’t have to make compromises, She says “It’s the most freedom you can have. It’s like working like an artist.” Working with the freedom takes time. Time to learn what makes a good design, but with practice, she’s become confident with her editing skills without being complacent.

One of the things I noticed about Ayzit, as like with a lot of progressive designers, she’s very active with on the Internet, not just for getting the word about her collections, but to use it as a resource, to see what others are doing and the communities that surround them.

A few of her favorite sites (also a few of mine).

F&Art
A Shaded View on Fashion
Dezeen

The Coveted: So, what are you doing tonight?
Ayzit: Going to the gym, then going to meet friends for a pizza.
The Coveted: Lovely.

You can find out more at azyitbostan.de

The Studio

The main machine, and patterns on a rack

Work in Progress and Inspiration

On the left is a piece Ayzit is working on, and to the right a piece by one of her favorite artists, Martin Kippenberger.

From The Collection

Suede Tank with aysemetrical cuts, and a simple detailing in the back exposing the nape of the neck

The Blazer

Baggage Check

The lovely bag on the left has optional straps, the one on the right is going to Patty Smith herself…

One of the rising stars of German fashion, Marcel Ostertag, still in his 20’s is certainly a force to be reckoned with. Producing entire 50 piece collections on his own, hard labor, doesn’t come without benefits, after all he is the winner of the Karstadt New Generation Award during Berlin Fashion Week, this is only the beginning of his career. The other day, we sat down together in his Munich studio/shop to have a chat about his inspirations, what it’s like to be an independent designer…

Inspiration

“I’m not one to design something practical”

While at Central St. Martins, Marcel Ostertag studied Menswear, but moved towards womens clothing, because women are more keen to wear more daring things… “I’m not one to design something practical.” He then found himself going through old Vogue magazines, particularly the issues from the late 1970’s, dramatic, opulent silhouettes. Of course, the collection isn’t merely repeat the past, it has a modern twist, metallic fabrics, sequins, and a high contrast color palette.

Being Independent

Being an independent designer is tough work, there is a lot to compete with these days, but the challenge doesn’t deter Ostertag. It’s difficult because often you’re on your own while big design houses have research teams, checking trends, inspiration… etc. As an independent designer Ostertag, will have a student studio assistant for two months and by the time he gets to know them and get a good report it’s time for them to move on. Then there’s the pressure to produce a large collection of 50 pieces or so, because no one wants to look at a designer with 10 or so pieces. The samples is produced in the studio, from inspiration, to the patterns, to what you see on the runway. Then the rest of the collection for sale is produced in Germany, so the profit margins can be really tight.

Munich

When so many designers try to move to the big fashion cities like London, Paris, New York, Marcel moved away out of the mainstream centers. After five years in London, it was time to move back home, where the quality of life is higher and one can really concentrate on the important design aspect of fashion. Besides, being outside the mainstream has it’s fringe benefits… Marcel Ostertag, is frequently noted as one of the hottest designers in Germany, and he gets a lot of attention in the German press, and you can just tell he has the drive to expand his brand to international status.

You can find him at MarcelOstertag.com
Photographer: Oliver Rau

Central St. Martins is one of those colleges that just continuously produce fashion royalty, making their graduate shows a wonderful place to catch a glimpse into the future of fashion. Recent graduate and winner of the 2008 L’Oréal Professionnel Award, and first place for the ITS7 award,  Alithia Spuri-Zampetti dazzles us with graphic patterns leaping out of delicately tailored attire. Upon seeing it for the first time, personally, I was throughly impressed, inspired to try to integrate cross dimensional pieces into my idea of wearability. Luckily, we were able to snag her for a little chat before she starts her new journey into the fashion world…

Just what are you obsessing over these days?

Alithia Spuri-Zampetti: Tidying up all the mess I produced during this year of ‘collection drama’ and finding a flat in Milan.

Can you tell us a little about your debut collection?

ASZ: The main inspiration behind my collection is the layout of the flower motifs in Japanese kimonos, especially in the type called Furisode. In this type of kimonos the flower designs don’t follow a repeat but are distributed in a much more interesting way. In fact areas of ‘void’ and monochrome colour are opposed to areas where all the details and the colours are fully concentrated. To translate this idea into clothing I used a 50’s silhouette where the high waisted pencil skirt is left clean and monochrome and all the details are concentrated in just some areas of the body, especially at the top. The way in which the flowers overlap in a sort of ‘collagy’ way and the presence of these empty areas gave me the idea for the cut-outs.

The material used for the cut-outs is foam, and it is all drawn and cut by hand, before being inserted in the seams. The cut-outs are combined with elements that are typical of the fifties couture, like drapes, bows, diagonal cuts, undergarments, volume on the sleeves .. and mixed with elements of sportswear, like anatomical lines, piping, thick jersey and lycra.

There are people who say some fashion isn’t meant to be ‘worn’… what do you think about that?

ASZ: This is right, sometimes fashion is created more to make a statement, rather than to be worn. In prêt-a-porter today this kind of fashion is often present in the shows for press publicity or to ‘create a story’ that will then be developed and sold in a wearable version. With this in mind when I designed my collection, I created a few pieces first of all to make an impact on the viewer and explain my concept, and secondly to drive attention also to the more wearable pieces of the collection, like the jackets, trousers, skirts and blouses, which are absolutely ready to wear. And if you don’t believe that this is true … you are all invited to see my collection in Paris at Maria Luisa’s Boutique in October !

How important is it to experiment with fashion? with personal style?

ASZ: It is very important to experiment (and to go wild!), especially as a student … Experiment makes your knowledge grow and develop. The best ideas always come from experimentation and development.

Now that you’ve graduated… what are your plans for the future?

ASZ: In two weeks I will be moving to Milan to start a new job at Valentino, which is really exiting!

The first time I encountered a Celia Marco shoe, I immediately wrote down her name so I could find out more about the shoes… I was in a boutique at the time without paper so I ended up writing on my hand. It was only a matter of time since we got in touch, I truly love the playful colors and rock and roll inspired designs, here she talks with us about her roots in shoe making and what to wear on your feet this year…
What are you obsessing on these days?
I´m sure that would be very good for me to go to the USA and present my shoes over there. Now I´m thinking how to do that, what could be the best place to exhibit, the best shops to visit… I think i´m really obsessed with that.

You started out in fashion and photography, but moved into shoes… why?
This is a long story. I´m from Elda, a town in the South-East coast of Spain where is located most of the footwear industry. My family has been always involved in shoes, even I was working at the factory, sewing and helping in the manufacture of shoes… I was a little fed up with shoes! Then I decided to moved to Madrid to study fashion photography and stylist, trying not to work in shoes never again but, finally, a Spanish fashion designer ask me to design some shoes for his catwalk and something inside me said: “hey, this is what you really want to do!”. So, I talked with my family and now we´re running the factory under the Celia Marco brand.

What is your favorite part about designing shoes?
I love drawing the collection to see the shoes I designed materialized after several weeks of hard work. But there is a part of the work, that one related with suppliers, fairs, sales… that it´s so hard, too much problems!

Do you have a shoe hero?
Not really… Every season designers present shoes to die for, and we know that a lot of these styles are designed by anonymous people who work for the big names. These people are really the heroes.

If you could help me chose a ‘must-have’ shoe this year, what would it be?
For the summer season, I´d chose a pair of “gladiator” sandals and some colorful, bright style. Fringes, stoned-washed jeans, tye-dye… everything that take us to the “Summer of Love”. And to put away the ballerinas…

What are your plans for the year?
I want this year to be the Celia Marco year So, my plans are to do everything necessary to achieve it!

What are you doing tonight?
Tomorrow I´ll fly to Paris to exhibit at the Premiere Classe fair, so tonight I´ll pack my suitcase and say goodbye to my boyfriend and cats. And I´ll try to relax myself, because I don´t like to fly!

Meet Liz, she’s a modern day treasure hunter, or a vintage wholesaler. She goes around the country searching high and low for vintage pieces you and I covet and sells them to boutiques, so we don’t have to do the digging. Yes, she has one of those cool jobs, like ice cream taster, you only dream about having. Gosh, a professional thrifter, and traveler. Recently she’s landed accounts with California Vintage, but she’s been supplying vintage boutique like Verunica and Marmalade for years.

What caught my eye about Liz’s treasure hunting, was about a year ago, I was looking through the internet, and found The Goods!. The approach to vintage was completely different from what I’ve seen before, and was used to looking at it in a more conventional way where the clothes are musky, thick itchy fabrics in boxy cuts crammed in a dark shop with weird mannequins. The Goods! had fresh looking items, with a more urban twist. I had been inspired by vintage shoppes like Fruition in Las Vegas and the Claw Money’s vintage inspired clothing line, and noticed a new movement in recycled/reappropriated fashion.

It was such a delight to meet with her to find out how she got her start in treasure hunting. She was born into it. Her grandmother worked at the Salvation Army in downtown Oakland, and her mother was an Antiques dealer. Searching for hidden treasures at garage sales and flea markets was a family pastime, which is why she’s able to detect something good when she sees it. For a while she worked in fashion design, but found that her roots were calling her, and decided to give it a try. Five years later she’s still doing it, and loves her life. She’s my hero. It’s people like her, who follow just follow their dreams, work hard to make it happen are the ones who let us know that anything is possible.

Special thanks to Jay Perez, who did a wonderful job of photographing Liz. Get a better look at what she’s wearing by clicking here. There’s a nice short video to watch too!

The Coveted: Do you remember the first photo you took? Your first camera? Was it love or apathy?
Todd Anthony Tyler: LOVE !
My first camera was a 110 cartridge camera - I think from Kodak - Kind of shaped like a little rectangle ( reminded me of an ice cream sandwich ha ha). My mother gave it to me when I was 5. I think they are a collectors item now ! haha

So first images I shot were with that camera. I shot photos of my family. The very first images I recall distinctly are from a family trip to Niagara falls. That was when I really fell in love with peering through the view finder and composing my world

TC: Can you describe your creative process of developing a fashion shoot?

TT: Wow, the creative process for a fashion shoot is really a book sized response, but let us break it down into point form

• contact from the client / magazine
• meeting or brief on the concept of the shoot
• location scouting if required
• model casting
• for me personally, prepping mentally and physical notes on thoughts and ideas about the shoot - starting points for shots, model direction
• shoot day - all shoots start with everyone warming up, especially the model. shoot the plan, but so many variables in a shoot that you can not plan for or at times predict, SO - take advantage of the positives, troubleshoot/problem solve the negs
• selection of the photos
• post work - varies from shoot to shoot, but basically cleaning up the images, any treatment you want to the digital files

TC: Who was the most inspiring person you’ve ever worked with?

TT: Most inspiring person - any model who has a great character and personality - along with work attitude , someone who is free and comfortable in front of the camera, takes direction well - gives me LOTS to shoot !

TC: You currently work between LA and Shanghi, what is the difference between the kinds of projects you get, creatively speaking?

TT: LA - basically, limited in the fashion scene or area - go to NYC - mostly about celebs, it is pretty much all about the stars. Probably most profitable to be paparazzi - everyone is shooting head shots - great weather, lots of amazing locations

Shanghai - much more fashion oriented, the NYC of China, perhaps Asia - lots of advertisement work and fashion mags, fashion catalogs. Down side is the budgets. I/4 NY prices in most cases.

TC: You describe yourself as a person with wanderlust…. do you have any other destinations on the horizon?

TT: Tokyo !!! This weekend.

click here to read the interview….

The Coveted: Where do you live and work?
Anjah Hynynen: I live and work in Stockholm, Sweden. I also stay from time to time at Ardalanish organic farm on the remote Hebredean Isles of Scotland and work there together with them.

TC: What are you obsessing on these days?
AH:This whole summer I stayed at Ardalanish in Scotland designing a collection from their organic tweeds. We like to sew the clothes there at the farm as well, to have the production of clothes at the same place as the tweed is being woven and where the sheep live on the hills around which feels like a magic thing. So thats what a lot of time is being dedicated right now as well as making samples. Also together with my friends and eco designer colleagues Johanna Hofring and Benita Ben Djama we are working on local production of clothes here at home in Stockholm.

TC: When did you decide it was important to design with organic fabrics?
AH: Five years ago I was an apprentice at a tailor. I couldn’t work with certain fabrics because some gave me allergic reactions. That made me really start to think about the textile aspect of organic, realizing the bad sides of textile industry. For if I get sick from working with those fabrics, how sad is the health of the farmers, spinners, dyers, the people who made this cloth. During my upbringing organic food, skin care etc. was the natural choice so when coming to think of the textile industry I thought that must be possible to make in an organic way as well (it is!). And that´s when the detective work of finding organic textile producers begun…

Anjah Hynynen can be found on her website: www.anjah.se

The Coveted: Where do you live and work?
Os Os: The two of us live and work and love Philadelphia.

TC: How do you hunt for vintage fabrics?
Os Os:We sometimes pull down old curtains, tablecloths and rip apart pillowcases that we have scattered around our homes. We also have a few secret thrift stores where we can usually find some great vintage pieces and build our small one of a kind collections around them.

TC: What are you obsessing on these days?
Os Os: Carly: capes, mustard colored anything, talkin’ bout mama by the intruders, and fanciness in general.
Bethany: chuck berry, lavender stuff, more stuff, ponchos, bad kids, lists and by the way i like hot dogs too.