Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Pete Doherty



Why he's famous
Fans consider him to be one of the last tortured poets; he's a force to be reckoned with on stage and is no stranger to the tabloids. He's famous for having brought back dark romanticism to the English music scene, offering something different than Brit Pop groups like Blur and Oasis.

His love story with Kate Moss made him an icon.


His style
Dandy, alluring, gothic.

He's never seen without his bowler hat and a cigarette hanging from his mouth.

His eternal baby face, his wide eyes and his retro elegance have influenced an entire generation.


Zoom
His talent was evident from the beginning. He earned top marks in school and regularly participated in poetry contests, while making totally original choices when compared to other boys his age. For example, to pay for his university, at the age of 18 he began working at the Willesden Cemetery, where he spent most of his time reading and writing on a marble tombstone.

That same year, he became famous for an interview he gave to MTV while in line to buy tickets for an Oasis concert. He pursued his passion for music and finally found a friend to share it with, founding the band The Libertines with Carl Barât. Their first album, Up the Bracket, was both a commercial and critical success.

His drug problems started becoming increasingly serious, and Pete soon became excluded from the band while he tried unsuccessfully to detox at the strict Wat Tham Krabok temple in Thailand. He lasted only three days.

His relationship with DJ and singer Lisa Moorish results in the birth of a son, Astile in 2003. While he wasn't exactly a perfect father, he's recently gotten closer to his child, trying to make up for lost time.

In the meantime, Pete found the band Babyshambles, and becomes the lead singer. The albums Down in Albion and Shotter's Nation are a success.



In 2005 he meets Kate Moss. The two become inseparable and are regularly featured in the tabloids. Beautiful, damned and undeniably cool. It all comes crashing down when photos of Kate sniffing cocaine are splashed all over the world's papers.

The two of them break up, but it doesn't last.

Pete begins working on a solo album and signs a contract to publish his diaries, that are published in 2007, under the title The Books Of Albion: The Collected Writings of Peter Doherty. He and Kate get back together, but Pete's drug use cause problems again for the couple.


He loves to paint and his paintings - some painted with blood - are exhibited in London and Paris.

His first solo album, Grace/Wastelands, was introspective, self-hour and honest. Doherty won the NME Award as best solo artist and decided to change his life, starting with his name. He now goes only by Peter.


In public
Blazer, dark skinny jeans and T-shirts. When the weather is cold, he wears a large coat with deep pockets, big enough to carry a book in. And he's never without a hat: either wide or small-brimmed, sometimes in a sailor style. It makes him feel safe.


In private
Country-style cardigans , checked shirts, less scruffy than in public country style.


Shoes
Converse All Star, boots.


Jewelry
On stage he wears rings and silver chains.

He's ready to launch a jewelry line inspired by his love for antiques and Moroccan necklaces.

Guitars
Gibson, Epiphone, Rickenbacker.

It's a shame that he's destroyed many of them during concerts.


Favorite brands
He loves British style and he's often seen with a classic Burberry scarf or a Fred Perry polo.


Style icons
It may be hard to believe, but his style is Victoria Beckham.


Favorite city
He's lived in Paris, but is in love with London.

But the best period of his life was spent at his country house in Marloborough, in Wiltshire, where he wrote many of the songs from his last album.


Favorite books
He's always been an avid reader and has lots of favorites, which have inspired: 1984 by George Orwell, The Flowers of Evil by Charles Baudelaire, the complete works of Oscar Wilde, Our Lady of the Flowers by Jean Genet and the poetry of Emily Dickinson.


Favorite films
British movies from the '60s and '70s, like Billy Liar byJohn Schlesinger, Poor Cow by Ken Loach and O Lucky Man by Lindsay Anderson.


Favorite music
Naming all of his favorite would be impossible, but if he had to save some records from a burning building, he'd take The Smiths, The Clash and The Stooges.


Adores
Spending time with his son and improvised concerts.


He hates
The way the press has transformed his life into a tabloid story.


Crazy about
The Queens Park Rangers soccer team.

Why we like him
He's not perfect, but he never pretends to be different than what he is: a broken-hearted romantic with an amazing musical talent.


(via http://www.vogue.it/en/vogue-starscelebsmodels/focus-on/2010/11/pete-doherty)

Saturday, November 20, 2010

It seemed the world was divided into good and bad people. The good ones slept better... while the bad ones seemed to enjoy the waking hours much more.
-Woody Allen

Josh Beech by Aline & Jacqueline Tappia | Model of the Month Exclusive

Our latest model of the month, Josh Beech hails from south east London, where he grew up in a small town on the edge of Kent. Near the country and a throw from the city, it would not be long before Josh went from attending school and working at Virgin to making his debut in Burberry’s spring 2008 campaign. With a significant casting beginning his book, Josh becoming an international star was only inevitable. Walking the runway from New York and Paris to Milan, Josh was tapped for a flurry of campaigns and editorials that have included work for Levi’s, Giuliano Fujiwara, Full Circle and Valentino to endless publications that include Dazed & Confused, L’Officiel Hommes and Vogue Italia just to name a few.



Before we kick off a round of interview questions, we share an exclusive set of photos taken of the d’men/DNA model by Aline & Jacqueline Tappia this past July. One of their favorite works to date, the Tappias had nothing but glowing reviews for Josh, but in his own words and straight to the point, the experience was “Fucking cool, I really liked them and would love to work with them again. They really were rad.”