Sites for sore eyes
I looked like Gollum from Lord of the Rings. People would hug me and panic,” goes Mila Kunis about her body in last year’s ballerina thriller Black Swan. “I loved working with Wes Anderson, but I was a fox, so I would like to work with him as a human some time,” says Meryl Streep, relating her Fantastic Mr. Fox experience. “My years with the Rolling Stones are and were a wonderful time, really. I mean, you could paint it in a very dark light: it was decadent…but decadence is very enjoyable, isn’t it?” Mick Jagger states rather retorically.
Candid soundbites from those three luminaries, along with those from a growing roster of recognizable names such as Bruce Weber and Yohji Yamamoto to Leonardo DiCaprio and Sofia Coppola now find their home in The Talks, a website billed as “a weekly updated online interview magazine.” Founded by Johannes Bonke and Sven Schumann, both 29, the Berlin-based Internet venture may only be half a year old, but its content is the result of a decade spent traveling and meeting “cultural figures of all kinds.” And before you doubt the legitimacy of these famous last words, the two contributors for European editions of Vogue, Elle and Marie Claire have wisely posted audio clips alongside the conversations to prove that yes, these stars actually said these things.
I don’t remember exactly how I stumbled upon The Talks. On the other hand, a greater part of my day 12 hours at least is devoted to browsing, clicking and scrolling, so it was most likely a case of Internet serendipity. Unlike my Tumblr dashboard, however, The Talks isn’t crammed with Feminist Ryan Gosling memes, “Save Community” reblogs or Misfits gifs. Instead, there is an abundance of negative space: text in a neat question-and-answer format is anchored by one picture of the celebrity at the top. A quote, acting as a subhead of sorts, follows the subject’s name and that’s it. The minimalist design dovetails nicely with the site’s non-sensationalist character, a trait I find extremely refreshing in these TMZ-led times.
A beautiful mind: The work of British designer Bella Freud, daughter of the late artist Lucian Freud and a descendant of neurologist Sigmund Freud, has been featured in Nowness. The write-up was by another important name: Sam Taylor-Wood. GETTY IMAGES Subtle surveillance
The Coveteur is yet another website that speaks volumes with its subtlety. A project of designer Erin Kleinberg and stylist Stephanie Mark, it brings voyeurism to a higher, more sophisticated level. Like the fashion equivalent of The Selby, The Coveteur takes the curious inside the wardrobes of some of today’s most influential industry folk. Captured through the lens of photographer Jake Rosenberg, each vignette juxtaposes an item of clothing against the talent’s other personal belongings, such as favorite pieces of furniture or works of art. Brief descriptions accompany the photos to explain how these treasured objects have influenced their unique sense of style.
Since I started visiting the site regularly, I’ve been rewarded with quite a few inspiring images. I also feel that I’ve gotten to know people such as designers Waris Ahluwalia and Timo Weiland and stylist James Worthington-DeMolet a bit better, their creative processes a reflection of the objects with which they choose to surround themselves. I can say that I now prefer shots of clothes to shots of people wearing clothes because frankly, street style photographs like those found in countless fashion blogs can get repetitive and tiresome. According to the designer Dries Van Noten, whose quote sums up the reason behind The Coveteur, “It’s more interesting to have just a picture of a small detail, then you can dream all the rest around it. Because when you see the whole thing, what is there to imagine?”
Digital storytelling
And last, though I detest the word “luxury” it has lost all meaning due to misuse and overuse I do find myself liking Nowness, an online reference that “looks at high-end fashion, art, culture and travel.” Though it is a brand of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, it claims editorial independence as it works with the “most revered minds in creative culture.” It sounds pretentious but then again, what in fashion isn’t?
Behind the seams: Designer Timo Weiland shares a landscape print from his Spring-Summer 2011 collection on The Coveteur. Photo by JAKE ROSENBERG The layout is crisp and straightforward, leaving the site’s “daily exclusives” to step into the spotlight. That Nowness commissions pieces from professionals Vogue Japan’s Anna Dello Russo, author Bret Easton Ellis, the Mulleavy sisters of Rodarte and Momofuku chef David Chang are just some of the “contributors” is perhaps its main attraction. But aside from the posh content, what separates Nowness, The Talks and The Coveteur from their contemporaries in the blogosphere is this: all three are not open to comments. The move, though counterintuitive at first, works to ensure that the sites remain free of superfluous voices. In online terms, that they are reluctant to do as everyone else does is a sign of real luxury.
* * *
