Before Immi took off on a well-deserved holiday last Friday, he jotted down 10 of the things that kept him going this year. Expect Stefaan's list tomorrow and mine on Thursday.
INTO THE INFERNO — WERNER HERZOG
This 2016 documentary is an insanely beautiful trip. Our good sis Mother Earth is a ferocious beauty to behold and you need to Netflix this volcanic piece of art before you queue up anything else.
NONAME - TELEFONE
It was me who arrived late to the party, I must admit, but Chicago rapper Noname’s debut EP is one of 2016’s brightest gems. Her lyrics are simply beyond and the melodies transcending. Lie down on your duvet, look at the ceiling and get lost in ‘Telefone’.
BALENCIAGA BY DEMNA GVASALIA
(image: Willy Vanderperre)
Probably didn't miss this one, but still. What Nicolas Ghesquière did 10 years ago, Gvasalia is now doing in his own way. He made Balenciaga weird again. And if there’s one thing Cristóbal liked doing, it was giving you an unexpected shape or volume. More, please.
(image via here )
JACKIE — PABLO LARRAÍN
Give me a period drama with a sharp-cut outfit and I’m there, but this was particularly ace. Natalie acted her face off and when the lights came back on I was basically that girl at the Wendy show.
WU TSANG & BOYCHILD — YOU SAD LEGEND
(image: bryan sheffield)
Their performance of ‘You Sad Legend’ was a visceral experience and I low-key wanted to pick their brains for hours about every philosophical topic out there. I can only strive to be as unabashedly well-versed in my body's language as these two are. You can read our talk here.
JOJO - MAD LOVE
Anyone who has ever even come near me knows I will stan for my girl Jojo until the concierge turns the lights off. I waited 10 years (!) for her third album and was delivered in 2016. The sheer perseverance, unproblematic-ness and vocal prowess of miss Levesque guarantees her a spot on my top anything. Favourite restaurant? Jojo. Favourite colour? Jojo. This is not a game, you guys.
MY FAVORITE MURDER — PODCAST
I can’t explain why but listening to two L.A. women discuss grisly murders and serial killers with a macabre passion was just what I needed to end this year on. Not for the faint of ear. Stay sexy, don’t get murdered! Listen here.
TEEN VOGUE
(Image via Teen Vogue)
I first noticed Teen Vogue’s somewhat surprisingly stellar new direction when the tragic Orlando shootings occurred. They immediately provided concise but extremely well-founded info online and have been doing so all throughout their election coverage as well. They gave us diversity and profound thought this year and there’s nothing more hopeful than seeing the living proof that responsible reporting can be done by any outlet. Hats off to editorial head Elaine Welteroth and her team.
WAR AND PEACE — LEO TOLSTOY
Obviously this book was not released in 2016 but that is when I read it and I was obsessed. I recommend every single person to get lost in it, it’s long as hell but so is your train ride home so get to flipping those wafer-thin pages. I read the Anthony Briggs translation, which felt current but not too much. Tolstoy basically went all the way in on Napoleon, blasted him in a 70-page read and we can all just aim for this kind of pettiness. As a soundtrack, I recommend Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto n° 3. @ us when you’ve finished it!
RUSHEMY BOTTER
(Image: via here)
Winning VFILES Runway 7 and having Young Thug run up on the runway to casually adjust one of his fits was just the beginning. Antwerp-based designer Rushemy Botter is on to big things and I’m very excited to see it unfold. Also, the model above is my mood/aesthetic all SS17.
