KEYS TO MAKING A NAEM FOR YOURSELF… BE YOURSELF.

KEYS TO MAKING A NAEM FOR YOURSELF… BE INTERESTING.

INDIVIDUALS… MS. EMILY CLANTON

Emily Clanton, currently lives in Los Angeles, CA. (contact here)

Can you tell us a little about your story? What is your story? Goals/Passions?

Describe you style?

Any advice for those trying to make it in your industry?

Why Emily?

Dress by Anarchy Street

Aric Yeakey Photography

Aric Yeakey Photography

INDIVIDUALS… MR. ALAN FOREMAN

Alan Foreman in Edison Selvage Raw State

Bio from his website www.alanforeman.com (click here)

I was Born in 1968 in Orlando FL and grew up in South West Florida. After graduating high school, I developed an interest in photography. Self-taught, I started shooting for a local modeling agent. In 1990, I moved to Miami Beach and survived by shooting models for the local model agencies and sometimes assisting other photographers. I focused on shooting all the time in order to develop my own style.

Growing up in the suburbs and then later in the country, I feel that my childhood has had a big impact on my photography. I grew up exploring the countryside and always looking for new adventure. To this day I continue to explore and look for new adventure, and photography allows me to do this.

Currently, I am working on a book that will express my passion for seeing “whats over there.” I moved to New York in 1998 and that has allowed me to express my ideas with more support, and I love this city for that. I am now married and still live and work in New York City.

Why Alan?

We had the opportunity to work with Alan for our Spring 2011 lookbook and love how the pictures came out. (To see pictures click  here ) He is very easy-going and professional. He got it done! Alan’s story is inspiring as he was able to develop an interest in photography as a youth and turned it into a career that’s lasted for over 20 years and continues to evolve. He’s a survivor.

Photo by Alan Foreman

INDIVIDUALS… MR. WILSON CHANG

Wilson Chang in Marshall Pacific Blue

Wilson Chang, currently lives in Los Angeles, CA. (Facebook Contact Here)

Wilson works as an exhibitions coordinator at Peres Projects (link here), a contemporary art gallery located in Culver City, CA, that showcases young and emerging artists. After studying painting and philosophy at UCLA, Wilson has worked at the gallery for the past six years starting as the assistant to one of the gallery artists. Along with working in the art industry his life is deeply influenced by art. We enjoyed a nice Sunday afternoon and spent some time hearing his philosophies on style and life.

What do you want to do with your life?

I’m interested in finding work that allows me to be in the aid and service of others. I feel like one big reason we’re here is to make things a little easier for each other, so that’s where I’d like to spend my time. I also want to learn how to sail and have my own boat, a small monohull or catamaran. It’d be nice to have a skid in the marina and cruise from there down to Baja where you can see the corpses of wrecked ships washed up along the coast. They’re like graveyards or ruins of a lost time. It’s interesting how the sea is a source of both life and death for us land dwellers.

How has your creative side influenced your style?

I’m not sure. I try to be totally open and free with my creativity and I guess that kind of openness applies to my style as well.

How has your style evolved?

Growing up in the South Bay was about being hard. For me this meant a lot of fronting since I’m a chill, passive person inside. As kids we dressed like hoodlums because it was cool but really our delinquency did not measure up to our appearance. This was influenced by 80’s and 90’s rap and gang culture. As I got older, it became natural for me to drop the front and settle into more laid back attire. I feel like now my look is more aligned with my personality whereas before it was more about who I was trying to be.

What denim fit is relevant to you and where do you shop?

Someone I loved immensely once told me I should wear skinnies because I’m skinny and therefore (supposedly) it would look good. Man I’d do anything for her so I went out and bought a few pairs. It stuck. I avoid buying new clothes and like browsing thrift stores. I like finding a great vintage piece or something unique where there aren’t 20 of them on the rack.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

My childhood is a huge influence. The experience of life as a kid, the feelings, memories of my neighborhood and playing with my friends, somehow everything goes back to that. The world was unconstrained and infinite. That is the core that becomes so hard to hold onto as an adult. I return to those memories often and am constantly searching for those feelings again. This search and nostalgia is very important and inspiring for me.

Love is another huge influence. There’s an infinity in it that is closely related to that of childhood. It’s like being on the open road or looking at the night sky in the desert, you feel so expansive and whole.

What do you do to get inspired?

I spend a lot of time alone walking through museums and looking at the art. Seeing the great works of our artistic heritage is very humbling and inspirational. I try to read often as writing is truly the most difficult and profound art form. It is amazing what one can do with language. Being in nature is of course refreshing and replenishing for the soul. Interacting with my friends, family, and observing people in general is an invaluable source of inspiration as well.

How often do you wear denim?

Pretty much everyday. I have several pairs that I rotate and don’t own any other kind of pants. I like the Marshall slim fit and the dark wash (Bond Wash – link here). I like my jeans to have some stretch.

How do you wear your denim?

I like to fold my jeans at the bottom so that they flood a little. I wear boots often and don’t like them being covered or stacking. I’m not big on intrusive stitch designs and prefer small and subtle details and cleaner looks. I also have 2 denim jackets that I like to wear.

Any words of wisdom you could provide?

Well, to the art kids I’d say don’t focus too much on art. It’s so frivolous and trivial in comparison to life. To me, a real artist isn’t interested in art at all, but rather takes a deep and invested interest in life.

Why Wilson?

Wilson is a sincere dude. His philosophies in life are his own and that’s cool. His life is surrounded by art but when you talk to him you might not even discuss it. He gives an easy vibe and is one of those nice guys that always greet you with a smile and wish you the best. He was recently in a traffic accident and we wish him a speedy recovery! Life is short and has no guarantees. Go get yours!

Photo by Wilson Chang

GO RUANN!

NAEM: Ruann Da Silva

Ruann da Silva, 21, currently lives in the Netherlands and is an aspiring Denim Designer. Facebook him here.

Story told by Ruann da Silva

My name is Ruann da Silva, 21 years old born in a small island in south of Brazil called Sao Francisco do Sul. As a little boy I started to draw cartoons and surf prints for surfboards.

Sao Francisco do Sul is known as a great island to surf. I’ve always loved the prints on the bottom of the surfboards, so I started to make prints just for fun.

My class was so impressed about my drawings they asked me to sell my drawings to them. I started to sell them for 10 cents. By the end of the week I could afford myself some new pencils and a better notebook.

When I turned 10 years I moved to The Netherlands… I went to High School and Designer clothes was a must have to be popular. It is really a childish thing to be popular at school, haha. Anyway my parents had no money to afford Designer clothes for me so I started to create my own style.

I bought cheap shoes and painted prints on it, bleached my jeans, cut my jeans to make shorts, drew on trucker caps. My name was FUNKSTASTIK at that time.

At that time I started to love this so called passion for fashion because I could use my imagination, express my creativity and even get some money for it.

This is my dream! A Fashion Designer! Yes this is what I want to be…

I graduated from High school and I went to a fashion school in Amsterdam.

I’ve always had a passion for jeans, love the details on it, the washing techniques… everything! My mom used to blame me to stop buying jeans each month, haha. That was the day I thought about and came to conclusion that this is it for me! I want to be a DENIM DESIGNER!

It’s difficult to make a good fitting jeans, but nothing is impossible! Like Rev Run would say.. “I’M POSSIBLE!‘’

So, at the moment I am busy getting as much information I can find about jeans, designing jeans doing research on the streets, looking what’s hot and what’s not! Visiting shops, talking to young designers, compiling and creating a great portfolio for myself!

Right now I am a student at the Grafisch Lyceum in Rotterdam, my study is like a mix graphic design and fashion design.

I hope to work for a jeans brand one day!

Look out for me I’m coming!

Ruann da Silva

(Story has been shortened by NAEM)

Some of Ruann’s designs…

Why Ruann?

With Ruann you can feel his passion for design. Ruann takes initiative, has style and is persistent. He found our page and hit us up. He volunteered to send the graphic designs above. He also is determined and persistent in his follow up. These are all great traits to he already possesses as an aspiring designer. If he keeps with that attitude the denim world definitely needs to keep tabs on this dude… Go Ruann!