Excuse me, Sir. What are you doing?

Raf Simons Tee, See by Chloe shorts, Barney's NY socks, Fracap shoes, IISE backpack

Sorry, I forgot my tripod and self timing camera.  The stigma toward selfies is a tad irrelevant now.  I still find it absurd to make duck faces from an aerial angle in the middle of Duane Reade while buying bottled water, but Instagram made it acceptable to take photos of your outfits on your phone to share.  Still, I wish I had some hot guy following me around to snap some photos at good angles.  My friend Anthony and I decided to stop by our old work to beat the heat... and take a few photos.

Our old co-workers were like, "What are you guys doing in there?  What are you still doing here?!"  It was a proud moment.  I'm glad I got some shots of Anthony's Gitman Bros. Vintage shirt.  It is a limited edition print for Cinco de Mayo.  Of course he bought the last one, but the long sleeve version is still available online!!  The sacred hearts are so special.  They remind me of the souvenir jacket I am lusting over from the GIZA x Joyrich collaboration.

In the true spirit of skazan, I really like the blue color way.  The black is also a great option though, especially since the insides of these reversible jackets have this awesome print.  Check out the rest of the collaboration on Joyrich's website here.  Souvenir jackets have become an obsession of mine.  Stay tuned for my collection (just be patient though because the summer heat in NYC is killer hot).

- jerome

Free Me

It is always a pleasure to find old projects on the Internet when you are googling yourself "just in case" when doing random searches. I came across this shoot I did with Anthony Deeying, a dear and talented friend of mine whom I've worked with many times before. Pulling clothing for this shoot was relatively painless. Many pieces came from my personal wardrobe. I was unaware that this project would be optioned for a magazine, and it was a surprise to see it published in TANTALUM (read the Anthony's interview below). Maybe I did read this forever ago, but for some reason it was so new to me to see it again...

TANTALUM: Anthony, thank you for your amazing story "FREE ME" for the first issue of Tantalum can you tell us how the editorial came about?
ANTHONY DEEYING: The editorial came to life thanks to the stylist; Jerome Ison. He loves patterns especially Starts/Polka dots/stripes. He was able to pull pieces that focused on mixed patterns in the same color palette and add stacks of bracelets which is his go to personal style as well.
TANTALUM: The model has such great presence, did you direct her or did she just bust out in those moves?
ANTHONY DEEYING: Evan is one of the best movers I have ever had the pleasure of working with. We gave her some 'key' poses to mimic and she ran with it... we had music playing and she got into the mood and went to town. Her hair was also so amazing, between hair flips and wind she made it work.
TANTALUM: Whose idea was it to use a leather harness usually reserved for The Folsom st fair mixed with a vintage cardigan!?
ANTHONY DEEYING: The Harness is actually designed by Zana Bayne (www.zanabayne.com) who is a dear friend of the stylist. Her pieces are addictive! beautifully hand made, and just will make any outfit so cool.
TANTALUM: The images are far less static then typical fashion editorials, do you find that sense of movement is common in your style of shooting?
ANTHONY DEEYING: Movement is very common in my shooting. As much as I love the standstill poses in other editorials - My style is very much emotion and movement, giving the freedom to the model to make it their own with the mood we've worked on for the shoot.
TANTALUM: How did you get into photography? was it something you always wanted to do or was it a fortunate accident?
ANTHONY DEEYING: I've been fortunate enough to be in the arts my entire life. I was apart of an intense magnet program in high school that specialized in fine arts so I was able to be in the dark room and learn colors, patterns, you name it from some amazing teachers at a young age. But photography as a job I never thought - originally I wanted to design, but then got bored and tried photographing my friends... submitted them to agencies and was booked for my first test shoot the next day.
TANTALUM: Do you have any mentors/muses?
ANTHONY DEEYING: Muses, yes.. many - I love awkward people... not the typical 'pretty models' I like character that comes out in photos. Evan (in this editorial) is definitely a muse for me. I wouldn't narrow it down to just one person, but a handful of amazing talent i've been able to photograph and produce amazing pieces. Mentors; I absolutely adore Steven Klein's work - I'm a goth kid at heart and the dark, emotional images he's able to produce just blow my mind and I think he's a genius. Also Hedi Slimane is a huge influence - the raw simplicity of his work is something I've admired and respect.
TANTALUM: What do you look for when figuring out who to use for your editorial team??
ANTHONY DEEYING: I work very hard to narrow down talent. I sort through so many books and websites seeing what the stylists/makeup artists have to offer. It's extremely taxing, but I do it because I know what I want and who will be able to deliver it. I love giving up and coming people a chance, but it's done after much research of them. haha. I'm very picky.
TANTALUM: What inspires you?
ANTHONY DEEYING: Again, movement/emotion is a major thing for me.
TANTALUM: How did it feel to see you work in print for the very first time??
ANTHONY DEEYING: Actually, the first time my work was published in print I took the cover of the magazine! The editor actually had an original cover already lined up but saw my shots, pulled it.. and replaced the image for the cover with the one I shot. It was for a French magazine, and I was fortunate to get a cover and three page feature in the issue! I also ended up being in Paris while the issue was on stands - so walking around Paris and seeing my image on the cover was beyond incredible.
TANTALUM: Final thoughts funny stuff that happened on shoot day??
ANTHONY DEEYING: To get the movement shots Evan had to be jumping around, dancing, whipping her hair around in the studio with no A/C poor thing had to break every now and then to get her makeup and hair reset because she was breaking a sweat. But she looked amazing and was definitely a trooper.

- jerome

Dark Stalkers C'est Chic

Morrigan wears Haider Ackermann Spring 2011. Hsien-Ko wears Céline Spring 2011
Here are more sketches. I have been trapped in my apartment due to a ridiculous reoccurring foot injury that just won't quit. Ironic, especially when my friends are actually in town. I decided to be productive in my static state so I took to the sketch book again. Morrigan and Hsien-ko were a natural choice for this project as they are two of my favorite characters from another CAPCOM game, Dark Stalkers. They are definitely more cartoonish because they have wings and giant metal claws, but oddly enough these collections are still complimentary.

If you haven't already noticed, my world is a strange jumble of fashion and animation and food. I will explain why I chose these looks for these girls when I scan the originals. I think I want to go ahead and color them too. So much fun! If you have any requests I am all ears, but something tells me there aren't too many fashion/gamer/anime nerds who are going to read this.

- jerome

Street Fighter C'est Chic

Chun-Li wears Chanel Pre-Fall 2010. Cammy wears Burberry Prorsum Fall/Winter 2010.
There was a "Living Single" marathon on, which pretty much decided that I was staying in on this fine Friday evening. After making dinner and cleaning house, I decided to use my free time in a productive way. Here are some sketches I did this evening. I had this idea a few seasons ago to outfit some of my favorite Street Fighter girls in runway looks befitting of their characters. When I configure my scanner (it was a hand-me-down, let's hope it works), I will put up actual scans and possibly color them in. They turned out pretty cute I think! It feels good to be drawing again - it's like therapy.

- jerome

Robert Geller SS2012

One of my favorite menswear shows from NYFW was Robert Geller. Each season I am impressed by Geller's collections. The cuts and shapes of his designs are some of the freshest and most romantic for the modern gentleman. I developed a taste for Geller's aesthetic years ago while he was designing for Cloak, a brand he launched with Alexandre Plokhov. The two parted ways in 2004 and the label eventually closed down in 2007, but thank goodness both men are still designing some of the best menswear out there (both received honors from the CFDA). This season, Geller experimented with "unorthodox" shapes in his design. The proportions and silhouettes are changed by accessories, oversized clothing, and tailoring. Linens, jerseys, and mesh are all used in this handsome Spring collection.


Note that all accessories including the hats and jewelry are a collaboration with Brooklyn-based designer Scosha. Also, the brogues are part of a continuing partnership with Common Projects. I am quite fond of Geller's collaborations. There is still a bracelet he did with Alyssa Norton that I am searching for.

It was an incredible experience to attend the runway presentation. There were some big names in the front row, and considering my goals to work as an editor, I was quite intimidated to be sitting inches from the head honchos of several international editions of GQ, Vogue Hommes, and many more publications I read on the daily. What a show to see! On my way to catch a cab back to my apartment, I found myself just outside the Altuzarra show as it finished. Talk about fashion celebrities...

- jerome

Spectacles Spectacle

These are just a taste of the 20 piece eyewear collection from the Thom Browne X Dita collaboration that will be debuted during Paris Fashion Week later this month. I am already in love with the round and wayfarer silhouettes, and with added shields and grommets á la Tank Girl, these sunglasses are sure to be a hit. Let's just hope that Thom Browne designed something for those of us with wider, rounder faces. It will be hard to replace my Karen Walker staples, but these might just be classy-but-outside-the-box enough to win me over. Fashion Month is on :)

- jerome

Lanvin x H&M x Jerome Gettin' Cray Cray

All clothing by Lanvin X H&M, Shoes by Lanvin

So finally the big reveal. I guess everyone in the fashion world besides those who don't look at price tags or get big name swag went bonkers for the Lanvin X H&M collaboration. Let's begin with the epic tale on how I scored me some limited lax-luxury lovin'. It starts with a wishlist. My beloved friend and I rendezvoused at my place to go over the top items we were after. I had my hands tied with my work schedule and birthdays and family stuff so my friend was going to take one for the team and wait in line as he had planned anyway. He planned to come to my place to get my list and money, wake up early, and wait in line at 3:00 AM for the best selection. He came over but then we got distracted by my new platform boots and shoe talk, I forgot to give him my money, and he left his phone in my car. FAIL. To top it all off, people had began waiting in line at 8:00 PM so he threw in the towel. EPIC FAIL.

No big deal, right? The peacoat he couldn't live without was just another thing from H&M. The suit I wanted was still H&M. Whatever, right? The morning of the frenzy I stopped by just to see the battle royale. By some stroke of luck I walked in and within 5 minutes of trolling around the suit in my size was placed in my hand. I took a step back and the trousers came with me but sadly the jacket was in the hands of a fierce looking Korean boy. It was clear that he was one of the 8:00-ers, and crystal who was leaving with the suit. Defeat eclipsed my heart after the thrill of the hunt seduced me. I am a very competitive person, and had to have a piece of this collection.


Fast forward to my lunch break and my look of desperation hidden behind large, crooked sunglasses at the doors of a still-bustling H&M. Round 2. I don't know how it happened but I turned the corner and there was the coat in my friend's size! It was big a mistake to try it on - I fell in love with the gorgeous wool coat instantly. The brass buttons and flawless cut compliment a surprisingly because it's H&M high quality piece. Oops. After puppy dog eyes from my bestie, some soul and eBay searching, I had surrendered the coat to him. Anyway, I was able to find the coat online for only $50.00 USD more (including shipping and sales tax), and what is that amongst friends??


The following days after the launch I visited H&M when I had time to try my luck at some returns. I was able to score the shirt and the knit drawstring trousers, but still no luck with the suit (it may have to be an eBay purchase). If you did not get a chance to score any goods from the collection, I suggest you stop by your nearest flagship before eBay. People are returning many things like shoes and suits after buying whatever they could get their hands on without trying stuff on. And if you are after the womenswear, try extra hard. There were some gorgeous dresses!! The only caveat is everyone will be wearing them to that New Year's party you were planning on show off at.

The packaging is incredible. Shopping bags are a long time obsession of mine, and these illustrated bags with ribbon handles are an amazing addition. The hangars are adorable and the silk screened garment bags are so charming!! They really pulled out all the stops. I am pleasantly surprised with the merchandise. Lately H&M has been disappointing with the quality and cut of their clothing, especially in the mens departments. They must have put everything into the collaboration because these duds are sweet. Good luck hunting for what you wanted :)


- jerome

Holidays on Ice

I know this might be old news, but it is worth revisiting.
Photos from MYMODERNMET

How cool does this look?!! This lovely retail space is the fruit of the collaboration between Richard Chai and Brooklyn-based architect group Snarkitecture as part of the Building Fashion instillation series. The series pairs fashion designers with architects to produce unique, design forward retail spaces - all for the low low price of $5,000.


The glacier-like shop was created by sculpting architectural foam by hand to simulate erosion. Richard Chai's collection was housed within crevices in the design space. The instillation ran from November 21-31 in Manhattan, then foam was returned to the manufacturer to be recycled as insulation foam. It would be amazing to see something like this in San Francisco. I think instillation projects like this would be a great way to showcase design talent while making a better case for SF being a fashion city.

- jerome

CONFIRMED!!

UPDATE: GET READY FOR NOVEMBER 23RD. H&M ♥ LANVIN!!



- jerome

H&M x LANVIN

Photo: Lanvin's Alber Elbaz and Menswear Creative Director Lucas Ossendrijver (center) for VMAN 12 Designer Portraits


News UPDATE: Did @BryanBoy let the cat out of the bag? A few days ago he tweeted (and I paraphrase), "One of the benefit of having a Swedish boyfriend is having him first in line for the queue for H&M x Lanvin." My jaw dropped when I read this and retwweted, only before I could blog about it, the tweet was deleted. BryanBoy had visited with H&M's creative team at their headquarters, so it was a viable source. I was a little confused when the promotional video for the next collaboration was released. The NYT Cut Blog revealed Tomas Mair of Bottega Veneta was the voice in the clip, but my suspicions were squashed when both the blog and WWD verified the voice belonged to Alber Elbaz.

OMFG THIS IS GOING TO BE EPIC. It has been a while since I have lined up for something at H&M. They truly need this collaboration. The quality of their merchandise has taken a severe turn for the worse, but bringing in a collaboration with a highly sought after brand that no one can afford could be a huge, necessary success. I hope they are doing footwear too!! FINGERS CROSSED. Most of the energy will most likely be focused on womenswear which doesn't really affect me, but if it is anything like Comme or V&R, heaven help my checking account!!

- jerome

The Seventh Heart is A.OK

San Francisco's finest gathered at twilight to celebrate the opening of a new pop-up store for New York's A.OK. I was surprised and elated to see many faces from the past, reminding me just how fast city life can be no matter what side of the country you're on. I realized that I have met a lot of people through a mutual love for fashion and art and even though communication is sometimes lost, all it takes is one evening to reconnect. There was a wonderful mixture of boys and girls and gays; and as with any fashionable party, a whole lot of black.

The OAK name caught the attention of many fashion insiders but the product seen at The Seventh Heart, the charming host for the East/West collaboration, created a buzz that would allow A.OK to shine out on its own. The defining pieces from the collab collection were the message shirts using the brand's play-on-words namesake to rep both cities. The visual elements of these simple shirts speak clearly to the nature of both graphically driven brands. Other A.OK finds include tees and flannels to keep the SF boy well rounded for Spring.


There was quite a turn out for the event. It was as if someone new had just arrived, right until the very end of the night. The sheer volume of people in attendance was enough to call the night a success, never mind the significant collaboration that was the "guest" of honor. This is the first of multiple A.OK pop-ups across the nation, but I am happy that the first is in the city by the bay.

A huge hug and kiss to The Seventh Heart and A.OK!!
Click here to view more pictures from the opening party, as well as accessory highlights, the product of my leather goods obsession and TTT (Tommy Ton Tendencies).



- jerome

NOT AVAILABLE ONLINE?!

Hello, everyone. Sorry it has been a while, but I have just recently returned from a small vacation and was unable to post during my trip. I felt a little uncomfortable being away from my computer for so long, even with my iPhone at the ready. It seems that there is life outside of the Internet, but who cares when I can do everything (at one point it was school, work, AND shopping) from the safety and comfort of my very own home?! Although in hindsight, tweeting and keeping up with fashion week while going 80mph on the i-5 probably wasn't the best idea. I doubt that is how all the road kill ended up dead, but what a waste of furs! (JUST KIDDING, PLEASE CONTINUE READING).

Getting cut off from the Internet hurts, but not nearly as much as when you finally log on and discover that what you want is not available online. The elusive limited edition products from your favorite brands can give reason to working so hard, and then have you waiting all night for the product to go live because there is nothing worse than seeing SOMEONE ELSE turning it out on StreetPeeper, JAK AND JIL, or whatever daily you happen to subscribe to.


The most painful is when something, especially a limited edition something, is not available online. That is pretty much just a SOL, "the world isn't fair" type situation when you don't live in New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Tokyo, London, or Milan. However, THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS. The Opening Ceremony and Levi's Collaboration bore more fruit than I ever imagined when I was recently informed of their shoes. The vibrant footwear includes the traditional OC desert boot, fabricated in the colors of the collaboration corduroy. But beware, they are NOT AVAILABLE ONLINE. Another score for SF, the OC x Levi's Desert Boot are only available at the Levi's Flagship store in San Francisco's Union Square or at the OC store in New York. High fives to my fellow Bay Area connoisseurs on this rare exclusive, and happy hunting to everyone else!



- jerome

Collaboration Masturbation

Fred Perry knows exactly what I want/need/must-have each season, especially in the form of collaborations. How could you go wrong with classic wardrobe staples redesigned by the likes of Comme des Garçons, Raf Simons, and Stussy? This new Blank Canvas collaboration with Liberty of London has me listening to Whitney Houston's "Run To You," and scouring the Internet in a frantic search for these shirts. The traditional Liberty prints hit the right note for the recent call for heritage, and the prints are perfect for spring. Look out for these shirts in April.

- jerome