I really like this little series called The Original Hipster by Julia Chesky. Chesky is a Parson school graduate who is currently working as retoucher and is store windows obsessed. She shot this story with Art Director Ali Lee and Chris, an interesting (homeless) model,.. the editorial is based on The Pushcart War book. Personally I have always found specific details about the homeless to be a great source of inspiration and totally agreed with Julia’s title “The Original Hipster”.
“Our lovely model, Chris, has lived on Mercer Street for a few decades by choice. I’m calling this series The Original Hipster because on most days he doesn’t even look like he’s truly homeless. “
Art Director : Ali Lee
Jewelry: Michael Calloway, Tracey Howarth
Model: Chris
Written by:
Cyril Style - who posted 2112 articles on Trendland.
French Trendsetter, living & working in New York : art direction, trend forecasting, styling, designing is my daily basis. ///////
ps: Sorry for my French, I don't pretend to be a writer and I know that my writing is not the best... Follow us on http://twitter.com/trend_land
July 22nd, 2010 at 7:25 am
Thanks Cyril!
July 23rd, 2010 at 2:01 pm
This set of photos — and the title in particular — is unfortunate in so many ways. I am in favor of art that showcases an individual’s humanity, no matter who he/she is. But this linkage of an individual’s tragic life situation with the stylistic choices of the artistic and the privileged (“hipsters”) is appalling. I don’t know Chris, but I do know that many homeless individuals (especially single adults) “refuse” help not out of free choice, but as a result of mental health or addiction problems. This collection is little more than a double caricature — on the one hand, our failure to help people like him access the support they need, and on the other, the egregious consumption that has added so many new people (many of them families) to the ranks of the homeless.
July 25th, 2010 at 6:38 am
Quite disgusting to take advantage of somebody living in such horrible circumstances for the benefit of a pretentious photo shoot. I’ll hazard a guess that the poor guy didn’t get to keep all the designer goodies after the shoot was done?
July 27th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
I’m with aa in NYC. The exportation of the homeless is just awful, horrid, rancid on so many levels!
July 28th, 2010 at 1:18 am
Pretty Nice!
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July 28th, 2010 at 10:18 am
I saw this Derelicte collection on Zoolander in 2001. Unoriginal.
July 29th, 2010 at 2:40 pm
well it seems the PC police continually fails to interpret art adequately! This man does not have a “tragic life situation.” As Cyril mentioned, on most days, he does not appear homeless/derelict. This photoshoot was a wonderful look into the ideas of volition, subscribing to society, following trends, etc. The fact that you victimize the subject makes you seem ignorant, while the artist clearly has more insight and respect into Chris’s lifestyle and personality, which is vividly apparent through the photos.
Well done, Chesky. Love it.
August 6th, 2010 at 9:19 am
“by choice”….this means he chose this way of life. whether or not it is socially acceptable, and dispite our ingrained feelings of shame and pity for this man….his lifestyle is subjective. perhaps he looks at those of us who are not homeless as pitiful and disadvantaged… plus this piece is clearly a great source of dialogue. thumbs up
August 14th, 2010 at 9:30 am
I know Chris for 30 years having lived in the neighborhood that long. When I saw the photos, which I think are wonderful, I asked him about it. He loves the publicity. This isn’t the first time as Chris was also on the cover of a NY Magazine some years back as part of a group of street people who make a decent income. Those who think this was exploitive are just wrong. As I left Chris a few minutes ago he told me he’d wait until the Apple Store opened and get other there to have a look. But he said he was disappointed the photo with the dog wasn’t included.