Failure

Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel (1883-1971) embodies the flair and fashion of Paris like none oth- er. Her timeless pieces resonate freedom and subtle elegance, transcending all ephemeral fashion trends.

Berlin record label boss Martin Hossbach and German film director Lisa Bierwirth go head to head with SLEEK on the value of learning from life’s disappointments.

Close to Berlin’s noisy and rained-out Alexanderplatz lies St Mary’s, one of the city’s oldest churches. This is the address given to me by French fashion designer and haute couturier, Lucas Meyer-Leclère. There is no bell, only a mobile phone number to call when I arrive. Lucas calls out to me and I’m a little taken aback by his elegant appearance.

In the midst of a pandemic this October, the extraordinary Belgian designer Dries Van Noten dared to open his first and biggest boutique in Los Angeles. He is also quite optimistic that he crisis is a huge chance to transform the fashion industry – and life in general – into something positive again. We had the rare chance to talk to Van Noten about his new collection, new challenges, cashmere sweaters in summer, opulence overload and the hidden eachings in olives. Even if our conversation was not vis-à-vis but via Zoom, his creative energy and enthusiasm were tangible from his Antwerp studio.

(Finding) a new language for life

The Anti-Pleaser

Emptiness is powerful because it can contain everything

Morgen

In early November, photographer Fúmí Nágasaká drove to a small town northwest of Birmingham Alabama with her friend and neighbour, Tanya, and her two daughters, Sophie and Annabelle. Tanya is from the area and Fúmí has been documenting the communities there for over three years “I shot this fashion documentary during the days leading up to the election which proved to be an electric time to be in the rural South,” says Nágasaká. “Our experiences and shared time with the community during this important moment will be something to always remember.”

The difference between failure and success isn't always immediately visible and certainly varies with the observer. As photographer Delali Ayivi says, "the willingness to take the risk between failure and success and the not-always-obvious reward of acquired knowledge" is often hard- earned currency. For Ayivi, "spontaneity and dependence on chance are vital components of experimentation. Often when creating commissioned work it is easier to take a safe, non-experi- mental route." Indeed, maybe that in-between place is one of transformation. And what becomes more important than arriving in one place and calling it failure or success, is the transitioning between both and honouring the transitional state as one that doesn't require a label to much as it requires acknowledgement.

The aesthetics of Hassan Hajjaj’s works are as distinct as the path that has led him and his creations to where they are today. Growing up among the Islamic traditions of Morocco, Hajjaj came to London at the age of 12, where he quickly became involved in the city’s music, fashion, art and film scenes. Hajjaj describes London as being “one of the most cosmopolitan, international cities in the world – [it] gave me a different way of looking at myself”. Despite having to find new footing in a foreign country, Hajjaj never forgot his roots: “Morocco was always there as a backdrop because you know, when you leave a country, you always keep the memories, I suppose even stronger than if you’d lived there.”