Redefining the Lookbook

The fashion lookbook has undergone a significant transformation over the past few years. In many ways, it has come to life and leapt off the proverbial pages–thanks in huge part to the artistic talents of the man or woman behind the camera. “I think companies in general are realizing that a lookbook doesn’t really need to be a person standing on a white backdrop. Lots of companies are really opening up to the idea of letting it be a little more wild; they are realizing that it gets more play that way,” photographer Mikael Kennedy observes. A well-known photographer for his own personal work, including his popular Polaroid collection “Passport To Trespass,” Mikael’s commercial photography has received equal amounts of attention. His shots for The Hill-Side‘s Fall/Winter 2011 lookbook spread like wildfire on the Internet, catching buzz left and right and gathering thousands of Tumblr re-blogs along the way.

Mikael always knew that he wanted to be a photographer. In high school, his mother gave him her old Nikkormat and he subsequently spent most of his time in the woods taking pictures. Read More

You Are Now Upstate

If you ever meet Astrid Chastka or Kalen Kaminski, it’s very likely that you’ll shake a blue-tinted hand. The co-founders of Upstate create their stunning, one of a kind scarves and apparel using a complex hand-dying process–often leaving their mitts temporarily stained in the same beautiful sapphires and purples found in their tie-dyed patterns.

Astrid and Kalen met about four years ago through a mutual friend and immediately bonded over a shared interest in art, design, and an appreciation of handmade goods. They soon found themselves not only living as neighbors but also working collectively as founding partners of Upstate, a name inspired by the designers’ mutual fascination of the rolling hills of upstate New York.

With such a connection, it’s no wonder that the girls sweetly list one another as their main sources of creative inspiration. But each designer also has her own influences to bring to the table. Read More

Seeing Red

I first met Brooklyn-based footwear designer Clark Butterfield at the Capsule trade show in January, where I made a beeline for his booth after spying a pair of his now-famous red leather loafers. Evidently, I very audibly gasped (and possibly squealed). Clark nodded enthusiastically, confirming that I wasn’t the only one who had reacted so openly to the beauty of his completely handcrafted shoes.

Since our meeting in January, Clark has been busy developing his spring/summer 2012 collection for his namesake brand, Oliver Clark. “I didn’t use any laces. Because who needs laces in spring and summer?” Clark remarks in one of our email correspondences. “The material is a step up for spring and the last and cuts are much sleeker than fall. I love a good work boot but my collection changes a lot from season to season and doesn’t stick to one genre.”

It’s no surprise that Clark has a knack for footwear, having discovered his obsession as a young teenager in Alpine, UT, just outside of Salt Lake City. Read More