VERONICA LAKE

Here is another one of our favourite blondes. We have fallen in love with Veronica Lake; with her low, dense voice, her obscure film noir characters and, of course, her peek-a-boo bang hairstyle. Hers is a tragic story: after being one of the most desired and admired Hollywood goddesses during her film noir years and her association with Alan Ladd, she slowly began to fade when her main physical feature, the famous peek-a-boo bang, was prohibited during the World War II (since girls tried to work in the army with the same hairdo, covering one of their eyes, with the most awful results). Some bad choices and the end of the film noir genre did the rest. She ended her years working as a waitress in a diner. But we will always remember her for her strong, independent and sexy personality.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

I just revisited Lost in Translation and remembered what a great film it is. The thing that strikes me the most is the fact that it’s different from everything that has ever been done before: not much goes on in the plot, and the characters don’t suffer from any substantial change in their lives throughout the story. Charlotte and Bob Harris meet in one of the most exotic and surreal places in the world (for us westerners); they share some food, sake, music and personal crisis, and they part. We just witness an episode in the lives of two people, with a bit of a Chekhovian spirit, only with much less tragedy and a pop background. That gives Sofia Coppola the opportunity to concentrate in the aesthetics of the film: the colours, landscapes, lights, outlines, music and situations are as postmodern yet as zen as contemporary japanese culture is. It is the perfect set for the character’s mental state: for they are both going through a crisis, stuck both professionally and personally, drifting apart from their respective companions, dubious about everything and about themselves. No decision is made during the film. Just waiting, living in the middle of nowhere, sitting still while looking out the window where the world moves fast.

NICO

Andy Warhol was fascinated by her. This very disconcerting character impersonates all the bizarreness of Aurora Borealis. Her icy physical perfection contrasts with her warm, deep voice. Her weirdness and exotic accent gave to the Velvet Underground a touch of otheworldliness. She was extravagant (she used to spend whole nights in her bathtub, completely dressed), fabulous (she starred in films as different as “The Chelsea Girls” and “La Dolce Vita”) and independent (throughout many love affairs she stayed true to herself). The most mysterious of all the Factory Superstars is today one of our female icons.

CLANG BOOM STEAM

A migrant young beauty defies the dryness and difficulties of a hot country. Homeless and ragged, but always strong; coarse but beautiful, our heroin runs wild through the sunkissed and deserted fields as summer dies. This is our latest shoot for Artificial Magazine, and we had ever so much fun doing it. The mysterious young nomad was gracefully played by exotic, strong, androgynous model Fife, whose perfect cheekbones and perfect attitude surprised us; she was magnificent even in the extreme hot and dry August weather in Castille. So was our photographer, spanish rising talent Álvaro Pérez Mulas, who is specialised in texture photography and did for us his first fashion shoot. Following the big inspiration of Artificial’s second issue, Tom Waits, I did the styling, make-up and hair, helped by Eva Eulate and Manuel Ezía for locations. In the middle of this cold long winter it feels so good dreaming about these pictures!