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The

Semen
Garden
The leafy east London
enclave of De Beauvoir
town is best known for
its gentrified desirability:
think pricey delis,
pushchairs and large
garden squares. But
PADDY WHITAKER
and KEIR MALEM, the
leather maestros whose
work spans film, art and
fashion, have been there
for decades, long before
it was colonised by
yummy mummies.

“l iKe younG PeoPle


today, we were desperate
to find anything to buy and it was
Paddy continues. “We did it up with
my parents for about five grand. Even
after that, it was still very grotty —
open-plan design (even the bedroom
has no door) and liberal use of floor-
to-ceiling windows, the architects
a relatively cheap area then,” says having clients around for fittings was have overcome its unusual location to
Paddy. “Keir was just passing by and embarrassing. We needed extra space, create a paradox of total transparency
saw the ‘for sale’ sign. One of the so we did it up. We knocked it down but total privacy.
main attractions was a brilliant leather and went for it.”
supply place being just over the road, That’s not to say these glass panels
on Culford Mews, which is where Keir After spotting a project by the and modernist lines make it feel
was cycling from when he spotted it.” architecture firm Hayhurst and austere or forbidding — far from it.
Co. in a newspaper, they worked From Hungarian phallic statuettes,
Originally a single-story brick box collaboratively to achieve an to a Lucio Fontana Spatial Concept
used as a photographer’s darkroom, astonishing transformation. In the in a particularly suggestive shade
they turned their crumbling home middle of the block and hemmed of fleshy pink, to their own leather
into a small but perfectly formed in by tall Edwardian terraces, what hermaphroditic corsets, the home
modernist jewel, complete with a should be a cramped, claustrophobic is packed with sexy and subversive
bespoke, hand-assembled rooftop plot is light and remarkably airy. Using objets d’arts. “Our friend Kym Barrett
PHOTOGRAPHY DEXTER LANDER garden. “It really was just a shed,” an ingenious skylighting system, an [art director for Romeo+Juliet and The
STYLING GARY DAVID MOORE
TEXT LIAM HESS Opposite: shirt LANVIN , corset WHITAKER MALEM , tights JORDAN DALAH .

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Corset WHITAKER & MALEM , earring
KATE ZELENTSOVA . Opposite: jacket and
trousers WALES BONNER , shirt SIMONE
ROCHA , shoes JORDAN DALAH .

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shirt MARTINE ROSE , tie
RIBEYRON , trousers DIMITRI
ARVANITIS , shoes CHARLES
JEFFREY LOVERBOY .
Opposite: vest CRAIG GREEN .

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Dress KATE ZELENTSOVA ,
trousers OVELIA TRANSTOTO ,
shoes CHOPOVA LOWENA ,
body suit WHITAKER MALEM
for Allen Jones.

Matrix series] came around and trays that double up as planters,


said, in her Australian accent, allowing them to cultivate a
“oh, your home is so bloody vast range of heathers, sedums
curated!” At this, they laugh and herbs. Like a Marie
uproariously. Their cheeky Antoinette-style pyramid of
sense of humour is self-evident coupé champagne glasses, the
— they even agreed to pose water filters down from tier to
completely naked with only a tier, nourishing the selection
pair of sculptures protecting of over 800 plants that they
their modesty. painstakingly hand-planted.

“We liked Hayhurst and Co It would have been easy


because they don’t just do all- to spend the whole afternoon
white, and polished concrete,” just talking about the house,
says Paddy. “They use organic but Whitaker Malem, as they
materials, lots of wood, which are professionally known, also
fits with our interest in arts and have a wide-ranging career in
crafts.” Keir continues: “I love fashion, film and art, specialising
nature, hence why we fought in bespoke, hand-produced
so hard to get permission to leather work. Later on (and now
build the roof garden.” The fully clothed), they flick through
garden is probably the most images of their fashion pieces
striking feature of the entire — winged leather bodices
home — with space at a for Alexander McQueen at
premium, they devised a novel Givenchy, Naomi Campbell in a
system of stepped stainless steel body-hugging gold leather tunic

Top ASAI , trousers OVELIA TRANSTOTO , artwork by Allen Jones.

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Top Y/PROJECT , trousers LOEWE , shoes CHARLES JEFFREY LOVERBOY .

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The roof garden is
probably the most striking
feature of the entire
home — like a Marie
Antoinette-style pyramid
of coupé champagne
glasses, the water filters
down from tier to tier,
nourishing the selection of
over 800 plants that they
painstakingly hand-planted.
shot by Pierre et Gilles. How did they
come to work with some of the biggest
names in fashion?

“When we started nobody was doing


anything like this. London Fashion
Week was very small, it was mostly
streetwear. But I was in love with
Azzedine Alaïa and thierry Mugler,
so we were right on the vanguard of
that sculptural approach to fashion in
the UK. That’s what Lee [McQueen]
tapped into when he got us to work vegetable-tanned touch. “The film Their most regular collaborator in
for him. How did they find working thing was quite organic — it was the art world is Allen Jones, who
with the notoriously tempestuous costume designers going into stores they have worked with for decades
designer? “Lee had a magpie in LA, literally taking our items from and remains one of their biggest
sensibility. He was brilliant at figuring the rack and putting them directly champions. As Jones himself says:
out who might come in and put an into the movies,” Keir says. What are “they have accumulated an incredible
interesting twist on whatever he was the challenges of working in film as knowledge of how leather works and
doing. At Givenchy it wasn’t the opposed to fashion? “Oh, it’s much how to make the most of the material.
darker stuff he explored later on — he more difficult. Costume is workwear, they don’t have an equal anywhere in
was giving them gods and goddesses, they’re literally fighting ten hours a terms of their skill.”
which is totally our thing — just look day. It’s not even a costume really —
at Wonder Woman. We’re still doing it’s sportswear.” One of the stranger facts about
it today!” creating bespoke costumes for film
“But film and fashion have a very is that they regularly get sent the
They’re now talking about the work symbiotic relationship. I remember bodies of A-list actors, scanned in Los
for which they’re best known: as going into Hussein Chalayan’s studio Angeles then 3-D printed in London
costumiers for film. Everything from and seeing film stuff that we’d done up and securely delivered to their studio.
Bond to Harry Potter to this year’s on the mood-boards, and fashion stuff Some actors, such as Angelina Jolie,
blockbuster Wonder Woman has been up on the mood-boards in the studios have their body replicas destroyed
graced with Whitaker Malem’s of art directors for films,” says Paddy. after the costumes are made, but there

Above — Left: shirt LOUIS VUITTON , right: shirt MARTINE ROSE . Opposite: top JW ANDERSON ,
skirt KATE ZELENTSOVA , socks SIMONE ROCHA , boots VIVIENNE WESTWOOD .

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Top JORDAN DALAH , trousers ANDREAS KRONTHALER FOR VIVIENNE WESTWOOD

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Vest MAISON MARGIELA , trousers Y/PROJECT .
Opposite: bodice WHITAKER MALEM , tights
CHOPOVA LOWENA , shoes ASAI .

are still a few kicking around — they when everybody’s naked, we’re all the Letting it all hang out might be a
used Halle Berry’s body from Die same.’ And I would reply, ‘what’s so key part of the Whitaker Malem
Another Day for the Amazon warriors in interesting though Dad is that they’re philosophy, as their willingness to be
Wonder Woman, they mention. not. Don’t talk shit!’ We love bodies photographed in the nude makes
in all shapes, sizes and forms, male or clear. What this sexed-up veneer
“We had a brush with the first female.” hides, however, is the fact that at
Wolverine movie, and we got sent a their core, they are rigorously trained
torso of Hugh Jackman,” remembers How do they feel their understanding and immensely skilled craftspeople.
Keir. “We’re going back fifteen years of the human body has developed An upcoming exhibition at The
here — he looked fucking awesome. from when they first began? “We’ve Gallery Liverpool, opening on the
His body was so hot, unbelievable,” been so privileged — we’ve sculpted 17th November for a limited run, is
Paddy adds. Keir continues: “There’s pieces for some of the most beautiful titled ‘Pop Artisans’, and this artisanal
nothing more interesting to me than bodies on the planet, from Doutzen philosophy extends to everything
the human body.” It’s at this point that Kroes to Naomi Campbell to Kate within their small, back-yard domain.
the common denominator within all of Moss. I love the fact that beauty is From the architect’s attention to
their work is made clear: an unceasing not about perfection, of course,” detail, to the innovative technology
fascination with figuration, with the says Paddy. “It’s always interesting to of the roof garden, to the impeccable
form and function of human anatomy. get English people having more of hand-crafted outfits they produce,
a dialogue about sex and sexuality, their world has a front of louche
Do they have any idea where this and even beauty. Because we’re not sensuality, belied by the sheer
interest comes from? Paddy hesitates. that good at being upfront about it. I technical ability it takes to create these
“My parents were naturists, and we think you get to a point where you’re outfits and objects. Their style might
all used to go on holidays together like, fuck it, let it all hang out actually. be pop, but at their core, they are
and go to nude beaches. My Dad If people like it they do, and if they artisans in the truest sense of
would say to me, ‘it’s so nice, because don’t, they don’t.” the word.s

Photographer DEXTER LANDER, photo assistant WILBERT LATI, stylist GARY DAVID MOORE, hair by TEIJI UTSUMI (Bryant Artists), make up artist DANIEL
SALLSTROM (using MAC cosmetics), make up assistant ANA FRY, models JOSH and MAIA, casting AAMO.

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