Lisa Trautmann - elysium.e Interview (Editor @ The Spellbound Mag)

elysium.editorial: The Spellbound Mag is Berlin based duo Benjamin Lindenkreuz and Lisa Trautmann, a publication progressive in its simplicity. Would you kindly outline what you intend to accomplish with this platform?

Lisa.Trautmann: We want to portray people in the fashion industry, focussing on people that are working behind the scenes. Everybody knows 'Before the show' but we thought 'why not talk to the guy who makes this documentary.' Everybody knows YSL’s Opium, so why not talk to the mind behind this design? We are not a trend magazine, nor an interview magazine. We want to introduce interesting characters and people we admire for their work in fashion.

Santi Rodriguez - elysium.e Interview (Menswear Fashion Editor @ Metal Magazine)

		As the name might suggest, Santi Rodriguez is a Spanish styling sage with facial foliage almost as impressive as his burgeoning portfolio. A chap impelled to frequent London after completing a Fine Arts degree in his motherland, Santi eventually began to assist esteemed editor and stylist extraordinaire Edward Enninful. Ultimately breaking away from these subordinate shackles, Santi stormed the crisp pages of publications including i-D, Candy and Metal alongside fellow freelancers. There's a certain sensibility in this gents work, where each editorial appears to respond to its unique set of guidelines. Consequently the viewer is never bored by a monotonous styling signature, instead Santi celebrates the diversity of this industry and avoids the predictable.
		"In a way I feel its more interesting when things go a bit wrong, whether its by color clashing, or some kind of strange proportion. Diana Vreeland said it right, 'Never fear being vulgar, just boring' & 'Too much good taste can be boring' I completely agree." So here's a snapshot interlude of whats to follow. Santi clarifies why placing recent roots as Menswear Fashion Editor @ Metal Magazine presented a refreshing and timely team effort. Furthermore he reveals which direction he hopes to take his section of the publication and perhaps most importantly he explains how he aims to consistently avoid his work becoming 'editorial anodyne.' I highly recommend that any budding-stylist dissect this appetizing Q&A.

Habib Yahyaoui - elysium.e Interview (Fashion Editor @ FIASCO/Fiasco Homme)

		As an avid follower of FIASCO Magazine I'm well accustomed to stumbling upon the name Habib Yahyaoui, a creative most notably involved in the 'Homme' addition of said publication. Course anyone aware of his portfolio will know this isn't the only space he can be associated with, as his exquisite sets currently reside upon such spaces as Glamcult to Blend. His styling hand is fluent in an alluring simplicity, each work allowing the eye to engage without being harassed by unnecessary fuss. Greyscale finishes coax out simple seams, fine fabrics and elegant shapes, clear blocked proportions that further propel the pondering features of each model.
		"There comes a point where a stylist must stop and look at what they have done, sometimes it means altering the look because it didn’t work and re-shooting. When I did the story with Jasper Abels and the lovely model Josefien Rodermans, we worked with the words ‘clean’ and ‘natural.’ I don’t usually like over-styling, because people get confused and can’t appreciate the whole image." Here we discuss the basics, thrift fancies, appealing faces and the not so attractive topic of personal labels. Speaking of labels, we cover such designers as Carol Christian Poell, Azzedine Alaïa, Rad Hourani & Maison Martin Margiela.