Thing Thing/Fallen Front "Floating" Campaign featuring Vinnie Woolston at 62 Models by Louie Buckley

Vinnie Woolston getting really high

What a sweet combo. Thing Thing collaborated with Raglan crew Fallen Front and the ever superb Vinnie Woolston at 62 Models to create this wicked 'Floating" campaign for the brand. Shot in Raglan, a home or spiritual home for all concerned by Louie Buckley the images are quite simply as Raglan as you can get and invigoratingly conceptual. As Fallen Front say on their initial post of these images: "Thing Thing is all about sleek design, simple colours, crisp fabrics and tricky shapes, giving these gears a unique aesthetic." Love this to pieces, for every reason...

Petra Collins shoots the new Glassons campaign - BTS film by Rylan Perry

That Glassons have secured the services of Petra Collins to shoot their latest campaign - on the world-famous-although-perhaps-for-tenuous-reasons Jersey Shore - is a creative coup of some standing. As a photographer the 19-year-old Canadian has quickly established herself as having the perfect eye and wherewithal to capture the essence of youth in an honest, intelligent and compassionate style. Global teen fashion sensation Tavi Gevinson surely recognised this when appointing Petra as staff photographer for her magazine, Rookie. Legendary art photographer Richard Kern also recognised her talent by appointing her as his casting director. Petra's work has since been published in the esteemed pages of Purple, Vogue Italia and Vice among others but her sense of teen spirit remains irrepressible. Perfect for Glassons. Here is the BTS film of the shoot featuring Petra shooting herself of course by Rylan Perry. Looking forward to the campaign...

Fashion Film: Infamous Duo shoot Kelsey and Baylee at Clyne in Stolen Girlfriends Club

A Bond that knows no Limits from Infamous Duo (i`D) on Vimeo.

Our favourite secret squirrels Infamous Duo take to moving image and master the art of double exposure with aplomb in this languid and pretty film to celebrate some of the prettiest dresses from Stolen Girlfriends Club's 'Nasty Goreng' collection, in store now. The Duo took twins Kelsey and Baylee from Auckland model agency Clyne to a beachy environ and cut the film to the suitably ethereal sounds of Mazzy Star. Hair & make-up by Ava Williams...sweet as!

Blacklog Editorial #51: David K Shields shoots Sophie Blazey and Matt Donaldson at Clyne

Traversing a desolate wasteland on foot and motorcycle Clyne models Sophie Blazey and Matt Donaldson make a sweet pair at the end of the Earth for Blacklog editorial #51. Temporarily European photographer David K Shields picks a largely sepia tone to lens the pair. Dean P at Green Apple Italia covers off H&M and also styling with a selection of local and international brands; Zambesi, I Love Ugly, Jean Paul Gaultier, Glassons, Rue De Seine, Kathryn Wilson, Ric by Kingan Jones, Taylor, Salasai, S22, Marithe Francois Girbaud, Kingan Jones and Gorman. On yer bike!

Strateas Carlucci Woolmark Award collection by Superteam

Our talented Melbourne friends Peter Strateas and Mario-Luca Carlucci aka Strateas Carlucci continue to amaze us with their unerring quality - in concept, design, tailoring and finishing - and last week they went some way toward amazing the judges, and many others at the prestigious Woolmark Awards held in Sydney, with this superb mini collection/submission. The award was won by Christopher Esber but the standard of work was very high from all the contestants, including another Melbourne favourite Lui Hon. Strateas Carlucci will very soon be available in New Zealand at Wunderkammer, we will keep you posted! Here is a selection of beautiful images from the submission: Photography: Ribal and Gil at Superteam Studios. Styling: Strateas Carlucci Hair & make-up: Justin Henry Model: Rowena at Chadwick.

Blacklog Editorial #50: Lula Cucchiara shoots Helena Mitchell at Red 11

For the 50th Blacklog editorial, photographer Lula Cucchiara teams with art director Ash Mosen and stylist Rose Morgan at Vixen to shoot one of our favourite new faces at Red 11, Helena Mitchell, in a clear-cut homage to Ziggy Stardust-era Bowie. Cucchiara once again mixes digital with instant stock from The Impossible Project and chooses two locations with a touch of 70's glam in Hotel De Brett and the Academy Cinema to frame her subject. Hair & make-up by Rebekah Banks at L'Oreal. Thanks to the Academy and Hotel De Brett.

I Love Ugly July Collection Campaign by Shadowlands

If there is one thing we love about I Love Ugly, it is the complete nature of their vision and delivery for each and every collection. The I Love Ugly man is very much a lifestyle interpretation - he has a sweet living space, he appreciates art and design, his world is filled with things which meld perfectly with the brand's clothing and accessories and above all, he is inspired by life - "Aspire to Inspire before you Expire" says the brand. Like many of their design contemporaries I Love Ugly don't adhere to the S/S/F/W format, instead they release regular collections that offer much to their local and international fans - one follower's summer is another's winter. For the second installment of their mid-year release the brand once again do what they do so well - great prints and tailoring. The 'White Lady' isn't a hamburger cart but a classic pin-up girl cartwheeling across a shirt, the "Baseball Frankie" series depicts baseball motifs; bats, gloves, caps and of course, stripes and a cheeky mushroom print reflects a sense of scientific psychedelia. If you are an I Love Ugly man you can update the next chapter in your ILU life now online or at selected stores worldwide. Here is the campaign beautifully shot by Shadowlands and starring James Nola at 62 Models.

New Face Fashion Film and Editorial: Lula Cucchiara shoots Nick Reid at Red 11

Nick Reid @Red Eleven from Lula Cucchiara on Vimeo.

Followers of Blacklog, the Black Magazine Facebook page or our newly created Vimeo channel will know that we love Lula Cucchiara. The Argentinian native, now firmly ensconced in Three Kings, Auckland is a talented film maker and photographer with a very special eye for both the real, and the unreal. Here she teams once again with partner Ash Mosen to shoot fresh face at Red 11 Nick Reid with his partner Jules Van der Voorn in Vixen and Zora Bell Boyd Jewellery. Pretty much a case of a talented and creative couple shooting another talented and creative couple! We love the vision here, and the execution, across three formats; video, instant film (The Impossible Project) and digital.

Global Citizen Project - Auckland Town Hall, Sunday August 4

Poverty is one of those words that unsettles politicians the world over. A sense of NIMBYism often ensues, a shame-about-what-is-happening-there approach married with a thank-God-we-got-our-shit-sussed-here disclaimer. Yet, clearly, poverty is a global issue and something that we are not immune to here in New Zealand - large tracts of our suburban and rural population could attest to that. Great to see then, that The Global Poverty Project, an international education and advocacy organisation, striving to end the extreme global poverty that affects more than 1.2 billion people is alive and well in Aotearoa. Teaming with other venerable organisations such as World Vision, VSA, Childfund, Oxfam, Unicef, TEAR Fund and the P3 Foundation the Global Poverty Project have been using that most unifying of things, music, to bring the issue to the forefront of the young and conscious alike by staging concerts around the world. One such concert in New York recently was a massive success and it is with an element of pride that we advise of a New Zealand version. The Global Citizen Concert will take place at the Auckland Town Hall on Sunday, August 4. A raft of high quality kiwi acts are repping the cause; Tiki Taane, Anika Moa, Jamie McDell, Seth Haapu, Ahoiribuzz and Maitreya to name a few. That sounds like a sweetly combined sound for a cause - that given the problem affects one sixth of the world's population - might just be one of the biggest 'causes' around. In suitably empathetic terms, tickets can either be 'earned' or purchased at Globalcitizen.org so do your bit, get along and support the supporters...

Mr Tiki Taane

Louis Vuitton Foulards D'Artistes - Eko Nugroho, EINE and eL Seed

Eko Nugroho

Building on a tradition of creative partnerships with contemporary artists like Stephen Sprouse, Yayoi Kusama, Takashi Murakami and Richard Prince, Louis Vuitton have once again invited artists, in this case, three new international street artists - Eko Nugroho from Indonesia, EINE from the UK and French Tunisian eL Seed to bring their own unique vision to LV's emblematic giant silk square. It is a simple concept; We see your talent, here is a square of Louis Vuitton silk, add your art. Each piece draws on not only each artist's own culture and artistic vision or signature, but also on the history and culture of the luxury brand itself. Heads, and necks, of the world will unite in appreciation...

Bat Country - Happy Home video

Filmed entirely by audience members at a recent live gig at Auckland's Whammy Bar, here is the brand new video from one of our kiwi music favourites, Bat Country.

Songstress Nina McSweeney and steel-guitar master Brendan Turner make up the raucous duet that deliver a self confessed "creep-folk" sound that is Bat Country. With such a contagious energy on stage backed by dirty, bluesy guitar riffs, harmonica and crashing tambourine, you must see these guys live to get a real feel for their vibe. Good thing then that Director Marcus Palmer decided to record their live antics in order to promote the band's sound, energy and soul.

You can read our interview with Bat Country in our current issue of BLACK #19. Pick your copy up today!

Check out Bat Country, Happy Home video below. Image above by Damien Nikora.

  

Paris Fashion Week: Chanel Haute Couture FW 13/14 by David K Shields

As the curtain parted, a brave new contemporary world dawned on the screen of the purpose-built crumbling, old world theatre created within the Grand Palais in Paris by Karl Lagerfeld, the world's great fashion visionary, for Chanel's Haute Couture FW 13/14 show. The juxtaposition between old and new, decay and extravagance perfectly captured by a couture collection that revisited elements of Lagerfeld's Metropolis-inspired collection of a couple of years back, yet the buildings in the background were contemporary, rather than futuristic yet-to-be -built creations and the metallic tweeds, beading, sequins and occasional evening dresses were classic old school couture. "It's the contrast between the old world and the new," Lagerfeld told reporters after the show. "Fashion is the only thing that can travel between both." Lagerfeld muse-of-the-moment, New Zealand model Ashleigh Good at RPD was again to the fore and the ubiquitous celebrity; Rihanna and Kristen Stewart over the two shows on this day, looked remarkably happy amongst the rubble, as did gorgeous supermodel Natalia Vodianova. David K Shields was there to capture it all for Black.

Miu Miu F/W Campaign video

Adriana, Lindsey, Daphne, Emily, Georgia May, Hind, Anne, Marina and Black #20 cover star Kaitlin Aas star in this shadowy-but-oh-so-rock'n'roll campaign clip for Miu Miu's FW 13 collection on a shared balcony set against moody skies...

Paris Fashion Week: Dior Homme by David K Shields

"Ah-MAZE-ing" might come to mind when looking back at Kris van Assche's Dior Homme Spring 2014 collection held in a tennis stadium in Paris this week. The show was literally set amidst a mirrored maze creating visual juxtapositions and very handy front and back views of many garments. Belgian designer van Assche went solid on the colour palette; deep maroon to the fore, two blues; a cobalt and slate blue, and the traditional black provided simple viewing in a purposely not-so-simple viewing environment. Mirroring the, ahem, mirrored maze were rectangular patches in shades of blue and silver on suiting - largely summery short-sleeved shirts and shorts - whilst neoprene made an highly desirable appearance on sweats and tees. Black's man-about-town David K Shields was there to capture these images, see if you can spot him in a Where's Wally moment below. Next up Chanel...

Paris Fashion Week: Ann Demeulemeester Mens SS14 by David K Shields

Cover me with vertical stripes or creeping prints - yes please! Ann Demeulemesster has long been a Black Magazine favourite and the Belgian designer's Mens SS14 show on the weekend has done little to quell our ongoing love for her fashion ethos. In the 1920's stripes were bigger than bootlegging and Demeulemeester certainly didn't shy away from them, in reds, white, black and many shades of blue. Hats of that decade made an appearance, too, although there was a unisex element to the direction, something that the designer has always been comfortable with. Vests and long coats were to the fore, beautifully tailored as always, all to a soundtrack by the inimitable Devendra Banhart. We were also more than a little taken by the footwear. Game, set and match. All photos by Black man-on-the-ground in Europe, David K Shields.

LCM: Alexander McQueen Men's SS14 by David K Shields

David K Shields has been firing through images of the shows he has attended on his Northern Hemisphere sojourn on behalf of Black Magazine. A highlight of his time at London Collections: Men was this Alexander McQueen Mens SS14 show. Set in the cobblestone and brick underworld of the arches behind Kings Cross, McQueen Creative Director Sarah Burton's collection was suitably delivered in a misty, almost Victorian environment with strong tailoring and a sense of past and present succinctly delivered. Frock coats, lace, brocades and Derby shoes ensured a sense of gentlemanly elegance common on the Ripperesque and murky streets of London at the turn of last Century sat perfectly with ultra modren cuts, silhouettes and tailoring. Next up, Ann Demeulemeester in Paris.