Vestoj Editors

We are all actors, audience, observers and co-participants: selves upon selves upon selves. But is there such a thing as a ‘real me’ or a ‘genuine self’? How does one live an authentic life? These are some of the questions addressed in this piece where four performers: a model, an actor, a drag king and a cabaret queen, speak candidly about self-presentation and persona, and about how they each consume, shop and get dressed in order to construct or enact identity.

Mask on Mask.

Vestoj Salons

Mask on Mask.

The Vestoj Residency at Palais de Tokyo

6 February 2018

by Vestoj Editors

What does a Michael Jackson impersonator, a drag king, a conceptual clothing company, an improv actor, a smell artist and a robot have in common with socks crafted in a DIY Off-White workshop? Well that’s for us to know and you to find out.

Man Up. Man Down.

Vestoj Salons

Man Up. Man Down.

The Vestoj Residency at Palais de Tokyo

6 February 2018

by Vestoj Editors

Simone de Beauvoir once said that ‘one is not born a woman, but rather becomes one,’ and many would argue that the same could be said about being a man. Today, it seems more apt to talk about ‘masculinities’ in the plural, to underscore the many ways in which one can be a man, or become one.

Fail again. Fail better.

Vestoj Salons

Fail again. Fail better.

The Vestoj Residency at Palais de Tokyo

6 February 2018

by Vestoj Editors

This month long residency allowed us to explore and experiment under the umbrella of the Palais de Tokyo’s La Manutention initiative. For Vestoj this culminated in three evenings exploring the themes of our most recent issues: On Failure, On Masculinities and On Authenticity. Each theme was investigated through music, dance, films, installations and performance.

The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (From A to B and Back Again)

Fiction

The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (From A to B and Back Again)

Excerpt from Chapter 15: Underwear Power

15 September 2015

by Vestoj Editors

Buying is much more American than thinking and I’m as American as they come. In Europe and the Orient people like to trade – buy and sell, sell and buy – they’re basically merchants. Americans are not so interested in selling – in fact, they’d rather throw out than sell. What they really like to do is buy – people, money, countries.

William Morris on Textile Fabrics

Prose

William Morris on Textile Fabrics

2 June 2015

by Vestoj Editors

In his lecture to the International Health Exhibition at the South Kensington Museum, London in 1884, William Morris gives a detailed history on textiles – weaving, tapestry and dyeing – and the textile industry. His talk traces the lineage of textile craft, spanning Classical Greek decoration, Byzantine ornament, Medieval textiles, Italian silk of the fourteenth century, to Morris’ contemporary time. Morris, a textile designer himself, as well as a poet and essayist, was prominent spokesperson of the arts and crafts movement which occurred in the United Kingdom and spread to Europe and North America from 1880 to 1910.

Bernice Bobs Her Hair

Fiction

Bernice Bobs Her Hair

Excerpt from F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1922 short story

18 May 2015

by Vestoj Editors

Bending over she found one of the braids of Marjorie’s hair, followed it up with her hand to the point nearest the head, and then holding it a little slack so that the sleeper would feel no pull, she reached down with the shears and severed it. With the pigtail in her hand she held her breath. Marjorie had muttered something in her sleep. Bernice deftly amputated the other braid, paused for an instant, and then flitted swiftly and silently back to her own room.

Tony Takitani

Fiction

Tony Takitani

Excerpt from Haruki Murakami's short story

9 March 2015

by Vestoj Editors

Size-2 shadows of his wife hung there in long rows, layer upon layer, as if someone had gathered and hung up samples of the infinite possibilities (or at least the theoretically infinite possibilities) implied in the existence of a human being.

Power Dressing

Vestoj Salons

Power Dressing

14 February 2015

by Vestoj Editors

Power Dressing examines how clothes emphasise certain roles in power structures, and what happens to our expectations of those roles when these signifiers are altered. With this in mind, we looked at the official and unofficial uniforms that the Palais de Tokyo staff wear, with particular emphasis on the guards’ uniforms.

The Vestoj Storytelling Salon, New York

Vestoj Salons

The Vestoj Storytelling Salon, New York

14 February 2015

by Vestoj Editors

The Vestoj Storytelling Salon in New York brought together six people who have shaped the New York fashion scene over the past five decades.

The Vestoj Salon On Slowness

Vestoj Salons

The Vestoj Salon On Slowness

15 November 2014

by Vestoj Editors

In our time of ceaseless busyness and constant fear of falling behind, slowness has turned into a subversive act, an exercise in cultural disobedience. Quiet dissenters can be found everywhere, if only you look hard enough. In a world where the cult of speed sometimes feels overwhelming, could it be that in the cracks of the system, a slower, more reflective pace is gaining traction?

The Vestoj Storytelling Salon, Paris

Vestoj Salons

The Vestoj Storytelling Salon, Paris

10 November 2014

by Vestoj Editors

Discarded garments reflect our history, becoming tangible material memories of times past, love lost or found, disappointments endured or victories won. These lost objects of desire could be read as a map to our past, momentarily resurrected and brought back to life once more.