24.7.08
Dazed Digital
They just mentioned us in an interview with Anthony of TwoSee shop...
"Twosee is the cult boutique that’s made a name for providing a home to the likes of J W Anderson, Emilio de la Morena and Jeremy Scott amongst other hard-to-find labels. The store has recently relocated to Foubert’s place, off Carnaby Street, adding to a slew of fashion destinations making the area a new hub for London’s edgier fashion consumers.
They recently†hosted a re-launch party- in collaboration with t-shirt makers 5Preview- that saw Matthew Stone and Pandora’s Jukebox DJ-ing and specially commissioned twosee t-shirts being made (in very limited numbers). I spoke to manager and buyer Anthony Stephinson about the new store and his love of Cy Twombly, amongst other things.
Dazed Digital: Can you tell us a bit about the new store?
Anthony Stephinson: It is unique: all of the units and rails have been created specifically for the space. Nothing has been bought in except raw materials. The effect is slightly unsettling, but at once inviting and intimate. I look forward to people's questioning.
DD: Why did you move locations?
AS: I felt we had outgrown the Covent Garden area. It isn't generally the place that one would go to buy avant-garde, or expect to find it. This of course worked in our favour to a great degree but after several happy years there, it was time to move on. The new store is in a slightly stealth location as it occupies a place you've undoubtedly walked a thousand times but never thought to stop and look... until now that is.
DD:And also about the new labels you're featuring?
AS: The labels too have been growing in tandem with the store's vision, with the addition of 5Preview (with whom we held the presentation last week) and Chalayan by Hussein Chalayan for AW08. 5Preview make tee shirt 'couture'; their tee shirts are made by a tailor, and the prints are all hand printed by them in their studio, by pulling acrylic over paper cut stencils. Chalayan is Hussein Chalayan's ready to wear line, which features ideas taken from his mainline catwalk collections with injections of new thoughts.
DD:How did you get in touch with Matthew Stone & Pandora's Jukebox?
AS: I have known both of them for many years as both friends and work associates. They both DJ'ed for me for the AW06 presentation of JC de Castelbajac at the store, and they were both photographed by Tim'n'Barry for the following exhibition and retrospective at the Musee Galliera in Paris. I approached Yasmina (Pandora's Jukebox) to see if she would be interested in selling her soundtracks, and in turn Matthew approached me to see whether I would like to make it a bigger collaboration. At the moment we are selling an alphabetical series by Yasmina, which is sold as a set or separately and Matthew will be presenting a selection of discs sold as a set soon...
DD: You mention you've been inspired by Cy Twombly for the new store. Can you tell us how and what appeals about Twombly's work?
AS: When designing the new interior for twosee with my design partner Andres Ros Soto the biggest inspiration was indeed to me the greatest living painter - Cy Twombly. Imagine my surprise when, half way through the design process, I found out that the Tate Modern would be holding the biggest Cy Twombly retrospective in the last 30 years. His uncompromising vision and refusal to conform or follow dictates inspires me in everything that I do. As Twombly built his own language through scratches and dramatic curves, the store was built from the toes up; every piece of it has been designed bespoke for the space. There are no off-the-shelf ideas here, no buying into anything predetermined, it stands alone. The pieces on the rails will become the 'pieces' in your wardrobe, the things that make or break your outfit; as Twombly boldly paints a slash of sunshine yellow onto a pale flesh background, expect, and demand, to be noticed. Cy Twombly is famous for being the least famous most famous living artist, which greatly appeals to me.
DD:You had a presentation with Hannah Martin and J.W. Anderson at LFW A/W 08. Anything similar planned for S/S 09?
AS: For SS09 I think we will be a little more selfish and take the opportunity to celebrate ourselves for once! I would like to do something loosely connected and loosely disconnected from fashion. Aside from that, of course, it's a secret."
