For Oyster Issue #96, Alice Cavanagh, caught up with exhibitionist, publishing magnate and Editor-In-Chief of Purple, Olivier Zahm.

Purple launched in 1992 as a reaction to all of the gloss and glamour that had defined the eighties. In its many forms (including titles such as the original Purple Prose, Purple Sexe, and Purple Fashion, as it remains today), it became a respected alternative voice within publishing. The Editor-In-Chief, Olivier Zahm, strived to reveal something raw, original and inspiring — just like his fellow fashion luminaries Martin Margiela and Helmut Lang, who also hit their stride during this time. Almost 20 years later, Zahm is no longer the radical underdog — he is now one of the industry’s biggest stars — and, though the game has changed, he still speaks nothing but the truth.

Olivier Zahm is keeping me waiting. I’ve arrived at the Purple office on rue Thérèse in Paris’ first arrondissement and the editor, photographer and all-round entrepreneur is casually slouching against a bench, fiddling with his lighter. Cigarette poised in mouth, his thumb moves back and forth over the ignition wheel, as if teasing his cigarette: flick, flick, flick. In the flesh, Zahm is exactly as he appears in photographs: trademark leather jacket, sunglasses and skinny jeans; he exudes an air of beguiling cool. I, on the other hand, am standing awkwardly in the corner, trying not to look like I am standing awkwardly in the corner. Thankfully, just as I have run out of things to pretend to do on my Blackberry, he looks at me and says in a slow Parisian drawl, “Shall we do this?”

Both of the Zahm’s parents are teachers and he, by his own admission, has always been academic, having studied literature, linguistics and philosophy at university. With his keen interest in art, he started off as a journalist and a critique for various art publications such as Artforum, before starting up Purple Prose magazine with Elein Fleiss. Though his expertise was founded in academic writing, he was ultimately destined for something more creative. “I always wanted to become a journalist, a photographer or a filmmaker. I knew since I was very young that I wanted to work in fashion, art or cinema. I didn’t know what my position would be, but the text, the writing, came first.”

It didn’t take long for Purple to take off as a publishing force, but during the early stages of the magazine Zahm stayed out of the spotlight. “My position during the nineties was totally the opposite [of what it is today]. I didn’t want to exist; I wanted to be just the person behind the magazine,” he explains carefully. “After September 11, publishing became more difficult. As an editor of a magazine, I understood that if you wanted to be part of the competition, you had to be visible.”

Being part of the competition, however, was not always Zahm’s prerogative. Purple was the alternative publication, spurred on by new ideas and inspiration, with little need for compromise, but the day came when Zahm needed to change tact. “Elein said to me one day, ‘Olivier, we were quite radical in the nineties, trying to push a different aesthetic with different photographers and different artists, but now with this new commercialism, the media is too obsessed with the celebrity culture and it is too vulgar. We don’t belong to this time anymore — we have to stop.’” Initially Zahm agreed with her. “You can’t compete and be against it all at the same time. So I said, ‘OK.’ But the day after, I came back to her and I said, ‘Elein, you are wrong. I will go on.’” That was in 2003. “This is why my position is a schizophrenic position: we are part of it and against it. A magazine is an economy and it has to be part of the system. If I am suddenly radical, I step out of the system and I will lose what I have constructed.”

The look, the lifestyle, the blog are all part of the system as well, although Zahm takes a less flashy approach when it comes to the magazine itself. “Purple is a transparent brand, because the content is more important. We are just the bridge between the clothes, the art and the reader. I don’t like when magazines are over-branded or over-designed, so this is why the aesthetic of Purple is quite calm, no? And respectful. It wasn’t like that at the beginning — we were more like, ‘Fuck the system.’ We wanted to express a voice that wasn’t there at the beginning of the nineties. But then time passed, and I saw all these magazines emerging trying to make more noise, more promotion… So I stepped back and a tried to create a frame that was more delicate.”

When it comes to marketing himself, however, it is a different story. In 2002 and 2003 there was a shift within the fashion industry and the fascination with celebrity culture reached fever pitch. Zahm has tried to put his own spin on it, most famously (and most recently) by putting Lindsay Lohan on the cover of Purple, despite her less-than-inspiring career trajectory. “To me it is a punk thing — pushing the celebrity culture and high fashion. It wasn’t radical though, it was an experiment: what we do with an icon of mass celebrity culture and high fashion? How can the two co-exist?” This statement speaks volumes of Zahm’s reasons for launching the blog in early 2009, and why he decided to become the ‘face’ of Purple.

A self-proclaimed “exhibitionist”, the editor found it easy to broadcast his life on the internet. “This is me, I am punk. I behave the same way behind the camera as in front of the camera. Before, I did not go in front of the camera, because I did not think it was my position. But I started because I needed to play the game.” When Zahm started the blog it was no-holds-barred. He posted everything online, from pictures of his daughter Asia, to images that captured intimate, sexual moments. There was a true sense of freedom, an uninhibited insight into a decadent world, and it was the perfect postcard with which to promote Purple magazine. But it hasn’t been without its setbacks. “It’s not easy with your friends and personal entourage, because they feel a bit exploited. I played with that in the beginning, when the internet was still a virgin place, but now it has become so big that it is a bit scary, so I have had to step back a little, because you don’t know … it’s too much.” He is referring, in particular, to images of his daughter, who will no longer be featured on his blog, at the request of her mother. Perhaps he is also referring to the very public break-up he went through with girlfriend Natacha Ramsay. It was just last year that Ramsay parted ways with Zahm and he broadcasted a heartfelt letter on his blog — which seems to have worked on Ramsay, as the two have since reunited.

It’s Zahm’s candidness that appeals to people, though, and it’s something he will never lose — he is somewhat of a hopeless romantic. “Love is the most important thing I believe in, but I don’t love the way I used to love when I was 20 or 30 [he is now in his forties]. Also, the times have changed; the idea of having one partner for the rest of your life is not valid anymore. I am always searching for the deepest way of loving someone. I am open to a new formula.” Does he have that with Natacha? “I think so, yes. I have to adapt to her and she has to adapt to me. We try to find common trust. I believe that love is all about trust and commitment, but not in the conventional sense. The conventional formula is a jail because we get quickly bored.”

Zahm talks unflinchingly and openly about love with sex, and sex without love, and he looks me steadily in the eye when he tells me that sex is a source of true happiness for him. With anyone else I had just met it might have made me feel a little self-conscious, but his level of ease when discussing such matters is so great that we might as well be talking about the weather. “Sex is everything to me: it’s spiritual, it’s physical therapy, it’s healthy. It’s also a total escape from everything. True, deep, emotional sex still makes me happy, and I hope I will never lose this.” I ask him what is his favourite part of a woman’s body and he utters a small sigh. After lighting a cigarette he considers the question for a good 20 seconds before saying, “That’s really difficult to say.” After another 20-second pause, “Each woman has something beautiful. It’s not necessarily a part of her body — it’s the combination of her physical allure. I would say that I love legs. I love girls with long legs, but … now, as I am speaking about it, I would say that the breasts are maybe the most beautiful part of a woman; because each time I shoot topless girls it makes me happy. The breasts are like a fruit, like a source of joy.”

Words: Alice Cavanagh
Photography: Xavier Cariou and Olivier Zahm
www.purple.fr/diary

You may not have heard of Léa Seydoux, but you are about to. She was the adorable coquette who flashed her pink knickers in the Prada Candy fragrance campaign. She’s also had some relatively minor parts in some seriously major American films, such as Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris and the latest instalment of the Mission: Impossibleseries. I met with her in Paris to talk about baking cakes, Tom Cruise and why, with her, what you see is what you get.

Alice Cavanagh: Was acting what you always wanted to do?
Léa Seydoux: Ah, no. When I was very young I wanted to be … to do cakes? Like, to be a…

Baker?
Yeah, a baker.

That’s cool. Do you bake now?
[Nods] Yeah.

What’s your specialty?
Crumble. I am very good at crumbles, but it’s not very difficult to make crumbles.

What kind of crumble?
Apricot crumble. Very good.

Yum! Do you only do desserts?
I don’t really try. I like to eat a lot. I’m very, how do you say, gourmand? I really like good food. Yeah, so I wanted to be a baker, but I realised it’s hard to be a baker.

You have to get up really early in the morning.
Yeah. You have to wake up very early.

You’ve worked with great directors, like Woody Allen and Quentin Tarantino. What were you able to take from those experiences?
Um… they’re all great, really. But, you know, it wasn’t very deep work, because it was small parts. I mean, it was very nice and extremely interesting, but it wasn’t like, uh, something that really changed me, because it wasn’t long enough, you know? The process, sometimes it can be, how do you say, plus or less, you know? Plus or less intense?

More or less?
[Nods] More or less intense — it depends on the person.

Who was the most intense director you’ve ever worked with?
Woody Allen was intense, in the way that we had, like, a real connection…

Is he funny?
Yeah, he’s very funny.

So, you have Mission: Impossible coming out.
Yes.

And what is your role in that?
I’m the villain.

You’re obviously a French villain…
Yes. I’m French and I kill. I am a killer.

Do you like watching action movies?
Not really. But it’s, like, the real American movie, you know? Like, the Hollywood movie.

What was Tom Cruise like?
He’s very nice. And I was very surprised by him. I knew that he was a very good actor, but I didn’t know that he was such a good actor. We can think that he’s a little strange, but he’s really human.

So, he doesn’t come across as strange?
No. You know, he has something in his eyes. He has, like, something of a child [in his eyes], and it’s very touching. I also saw him with his kid, and I think he’s a very good father. I like that.

So, what other projects do you have coming up?
Right now I’m working on an Abdellatif Kechiche movie. I don’t know if you know him … I don’t think he’s very famous internationally, but here in France he’s a very, very good director.

And what’s the film about?
A passion story, between two women.

Oh, are you doing a lesbian role?
[Nods]

You’re blushing! [Laughs] Is that a hard thing to do?
[Laughs] I don’t know. I don’t think so.

That would be a really interesting role to explore.
Yeah. I would love to know how I’m going to act in front of the girl … It’s really a passionate story…

Do you have to do physical scenes?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. That is going to be very strange, because it’s new. I mean, when you do a love scene with a boy, you know how to behave because that’s real life, you know? But when you’re in front of a woman, I think it’s interesting. And also I’m playing, like, how do you say, when you … I’m supposed to be ‘the man’, you know? Because she’s younger than me, and I’ve assumed my sexuality, and she’s just discovering hers.

OK. That sounds really interesting.
Yeah, very interesting.

You don’t have to try that out in real life now.
[Laughs]

So, what about nudity? That’s plays such a big part in French cinema. Are you very comfortable with that?
No. Not at all. I don’t like to be naked, but I have to.

Why do you feel like you have to be?
You have to because sometimes it’s necessary. Sometimes it’s not, but sometimes it is. And, uh… I know some actors in France who don’t do that.

And are you uncomfortable because you’re self-conscious? Or because…
No, but I … You know why I do it? Because I think that nudity is beautiful. Sometimes it can be awful, but when it’s beautiful… Cinema is the art about reality; it’s art from reality. In French we say l’art de la réalité. You show reality, so you have to show bodies.

What is the worst part of your job?
The worst part is managing my own image.

How so?
You know, I don’t feel like… Most of the actresses are like, [puts on airy, smooth voice] “Hi, hello, OK, mm-hmm, uh-huh, yeah.” I am not like that; it’s terrible. They seem like, when they do promotion, that they are in…

Character?
[Nods] They are like a character. They act different, and I can’t really be like that. I’m always natural, I think.

I think that people like natural; I think they can relate to that more.
You think so?

Yes, as long as you don’t get too natural and end up crazy and weird, like Tom Cruise.
But I am crazy and weird also! [Laughs]

Blue is for boys and pink is for girls — or so we are taught from an early age — but as we develop our own tastes, blue is the colour that eventually prevails. After all, it is the colour of the sea, the sky and strange fictional characters that go by the name of Smurfs — there is simply no escaping it. And why would we want to? If blue were a person they would be bestowed with an enviable air of cool, calm and collectedness — just like the girl in the Rolling Stones song: “She knows who to smile to today … And she always just knows what to say.”

In many cultures the colour blue has spiritual significance. In China it represents immortality; in Iran it is a sacred colour that symbolises paradise. Indeed, if one were ever stranded in Iran’s Dasht-e Lut (considered one of the driest places on earth),
the sight of blue water would produce something akin to nirvana. There is no denying, though, that the colour can represent an oasis in a less literal sense: it is said that productivity improves when people work in blue rooms (no doubt rooms painted
like an unsolved Rubik’s Cube should be avoided at all costs); and scientists have successfully used bluelight therapy to treat a wide range of psychological problems, such as addiction, impotence and depression.

Yet ‘having the blues’ (which is what LeAnn Rimes warbled about in her mind-numbing song ‘Blue’) hints at the hue’s melancholy effect, as well. Pablo Picasso’s own Blue Period refers to a series of paintings, produced between 1901 and 1904, in
which the colour dominated. Inspired by the suicide of his dear friend, the young Spanish painter Carlos Casagemas, Picasso painted some of his most sombre works — many of which, despite their bleakness, are now amongst his most celebrated. To turn sorrow into art is not all that uncommon, though it goes without saying that a genius like Picasso only comes by once in a blue moon.

From Oyster, issue #95.

John Galliano was convicted yesterday of Anti-Semitic behavior or, more specifically, “public insults toward persons on the basis of their religion or origin.” It makes for a bold headline yet his penalty is just 6000 Euro, to be paid only if he slips up again. Although the verdict is much lighter than initially suggested, the designer has paid a high price for his behavior — the termination of his contracts at both Dior and his own label, John Galliano, would have been devastating, and no doubt he has also suffered from the media attention and public scrutiny surrounding the incident. In Paris, since March, dinner table discussions have returned time and time again to the topic of his tragic demise, and not a person — fashion-inclined or otherwise — can walk past La Perle without making a comment. The bar, still crammed every night, should probably name a drink after the man and be done with it.

Yet the creative industry can be a forgiving playground and the European scene even more so: Lars Von Trier’s film Melancholia has been largely unaffected by his recent comments at Cannes; Roman Polanski’s career has carried on, and Kate Moss, who at one point was known as ‘Cocaine Kate’, is yet again the darling of the fashion industry. It goes without saying that Galliano will most probably enjoy the same fate — the fashion industry for the most part has lamented the absence of his talent, and there’s no denying that we all love a comeback. With respect to the latter, though, is it that we forgive these individuals for what they have done, or that we forget what they have done? In Polanski’s case I always thought this was a very interesting read; and for Galliano, whose mildest moment during his tirade of abuse was pronouncing his love for Hitler (the rest of the transcript you will have to Google), should there really be redemption? Only time will tell, and whether he deserves it or not will be up to him.

New York–based retail phenomenon Opening Ceremony turns ten next year – though its founders, Humberto Leon and Carol Lim, have known each other for much longer than that. Best friends as well as business partners, their unique vision has seen them challenge the traditional concept of retail fashion and establish themselves as the undisputed king and queen of collaboration — they count the likes of Chloë Sevigny and Spike Jonze as co-conspirators. As they prepare for the next chapter (or next ten years, at least), Alice Cavanagh put them to the test in Oyster issue 94 to find out how well they really know each other.

CAROL ON HUMBERTO
Alice Cavanagh: When did you first meet Humberto?
Carol Lim: The first time I met Humberto was at my apartment in Berkeley. I was studying and in my pyjamas, and he convinced me to go out in them — to go dancing in San Francisco.

Do you remember what he was wearing?
Pendleton flannel and Levi’s 517 cords.

Where were you the day you decided to work together?
We were in the subway of Hong Kong, I think at the Tsim Sha Tsui subway.

Who decided on the name Opening Ceremony?
We decided we needed a name that would be inspiring. Our friend Shannon Han suggested Opening Ceremony after she heard about what our concept was, and we loved it.

Who is the better dancer, you or Humberto?
Definitely Humberto.

OK, so now the real test begins: if Humberto were an Olympic athlete, which event would he compete in?
He would be a figure skater, or maybe a basketball player. Either way, he would design his own uniforms.
[Humberto’s answer: Definitely ping-pong or mud wrestling.]

If Humberto had a soundtrack to his life, what would it be?
The soundtrack would involve Depeche Mode doing a Robyn cover.
[Maybe Mariah Carey’s Daydream album or Morrissey’s Viva Hate.]

What is Humberto’s favourite kind of food?
Chinese, especially any pork products.
[My mom’s food is my favourite; Chinese is my absolute favourite.]

What is Humberto’s favourite travel destination?
Asia.
[I like what Carol likes … Anywhere if there is a beach, sun, water — both ocean and pool.]

What are some of Humberto’s best attributes?
He is always ready to try anything — that, and he has a wicked sense of humour.
[My karaoke skills; my ability to try almost all foods once; my love of collecting things.]

What are some of Humberto’s worst habits?
Maybe hitting the snooze button one too many times?
[I don’t like making my bed.]

If Humberto could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?
River Phoenix.
[Madonna or Robert Mapplethorpe.]

What is Humberto’s greatest extravagance?
Art and books.
[My magazine collection — so heavy.]

What would be Humberto’s career highlight so far?
Creating Opening Ceremony.
[The first day of Opening Ceremony.]

What is Humberto most afraid of?
Rats, and maybe mice.
[Ghosts; rats; dead mice; durian; no toilet paper left in the world.]

What is guaranteed to make Humberto laugh?
Me falling down in heels.
[Me!]

HUMBERTO ON CAROL

Alice Cavanagh: When did you first meet Carol?
Humberto Leon: I met a girl named Cynthia in my painting class and we quickly became friends. After a couple of after-class smoke breaks she invited me back to her apartment on Wheeler St in Berkeley, California. That is where I met Carol.

Do you remember what she was wearing?
She was probably wearing pyjama bottoms and a tank top. I think that she was sitting in the kitchen with their other roommate, Tina, who I thought Carol was tutoring, but then I found out she was actually an adult.

Where were you the day you decided to work together?
We had loosely talked about it during our lunch breaks, when I worked at Burberry and she worked at Bally, but more like teenagers dreaming about professions you would have in the future. It became more realistic when we travelled to Hong Kong and realised how much fun it was to travel together and shop, eat and play all day.

Who decided on the name Opening Ceremony?
Actually, this credit has to be given to our architect friend Shannon Han. She helped work on the layout of our store and we were struggling to come up with a name. We knew all the things that inspired us so once we said all that, she said, “What about Opening Ceremony?”

Who is the better dancer, you or Carol?
Depends what you consider to be better — is funny better? Then that would be me. Carol is probably longer-lasting.

OK, so now the real test begins: if Carol were an Olympic athlete, which event would she be in?
Definitely tennis, or swim-relay racing.
[Carol’s answer: I would choose swimming.]

If Carol had a soundtrack to her life, what would it be?
Maybe the soundtrack to Dune, or the first Belle and Sebastian album.
[Arcade Fire doing a Cocteau Twins cover.]

What is Carol’s favourite kind of food?
Well, for sure Korean, and if Fungus could be a country, then Fungean.
[That is tough, but I have to go with Korean.]

What is Carol’s favourite travel destination?
She loves travelling to new places and learning about the culture in that place.
[Asia.]

What are some of Carol’s best attributes?
Her kindness, her intellect, her honesty, her love of food, her sense of calmness and her ability to end all texts with the letter K.
[I can be convinced to try anything, and I like to laugh.]

What are some of Carol’s worst habits?
She has this trick where she can predictive speak… It’s the worst for others, but for me it’s fun.
[Making someone eat the last dumpling on a plate — I hate wasting food.]

If Carol could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?
Anthony Bourdain.
[Bob Marley.]

What is Carol’s greatest extravagance?
Her crochet and silhouette collection — it’s out of control.
[Food.]

What would be Carol’s career highlight so far?
The first day of Opening Ceremony.
[Working with Humberto.]

What is Carol most afraid of?
Unexpected screams, maybe ghosts.
[Ghosts.]

What is guaranteed to make Carol laugh?
Me!
[One of Humberto’s jokes.]

A hot June day in Paris brings the kind of sweltering heat that can make you feel a little bit drunk (not necessarily a bad thing). I’m at a café near La Madeleine, tucked away in a corner and trying to be discreet. You see, I have a rendez-vous with Sébastien Tellier, France’s electro-pop playboy, and I have arrived early to cool off, quite literally — my shorts are stuck to my legs. “Not to worry,” I think, sipping on my Perrier, “he’ll be late.” At 4:30 pm on the dot, however, a tall, very hairy man breezes in and talks amicably with the waiter, before heading back outside to sit down. I sigh (shorts and legs are still as one), knock back the rest of my drink and walk over to introduce myself.

The first thing of note is that Tellier is much more attractive in the flesh than I had expected. He’s stylish — not in an ironic way like in his videos — and behind all that hair there is a very handsome face, with a pair of extraordinary blue eyes that light up when he is amused. This happens often over the course of our two-hour chat, though I can’t take any credit. No, Tellier is one of those wonderful people who can laugh at themselves. Perhaps this is too obvious a point to make to anyone who’s ever watched his clips or seen him perform, but for those who haven’t, let’s recap: for his Eurovision entry in 2008, he decked out his female back-up singers in fake beards, gyrated around on stage and sucked on a helium-filled ball, all while an off-camera wind-machine fanned his locks. This was, however, a toned-down Tellier for the masses. While conducting my research, Vincent Vendetta, of the Midnight Juggernauts, relayed a more typical performance: “We once played a gig together in the north of France which concluded with him rolling on the floor and making love to the monitors on stage. It’s funny watching an audience respond to a man caressing a large, inanimate speaker-box for five minutes.”

Read the rest here or in my published section.

Imagine being born with an innate sense of superiority; not just a ‘cash money’ sense of superiority, but the royal kind; the kind that comes with great responsibility and — in most cases — a luxurious lifestyle. Historically, this meant that while you lived in a palace, rode in a carriage and had your privates washed for you*, you were also ignored by your parents, lacking certain social skills and in constant fear of being usurped by an ambitious relation — or your dissatisfied populace. Is it any wonder, then, that King Henry VIII insisted on having six wives, King George III was committed to a straightjacket, or that Queen Elizabeth I was often heard making the threat: “I will make you shorter by the head”? These people, deprived of a regular existence, became deranged.

In modern times — in the Western world, at least — the threat of revolution and treason has subsided, as has the importance placed on the monarchy. Accordingly, as the British Royal Family loses its relevance, it would be fair to assume that the drama would abate as well. Not so! Sure, we can see how stylish and ‘human’ the blue-blooded are when they grace the covers of magazines. But those brilliant smiles and receding hairlines are unable to conceal one indisputable fact: despite their dignified upbringing, they love a scandal. Take, for example, Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, who ran off with a Portuguese trapeze artist; or the incomparable Sarah ‘Fergie’ Ferguson, who drunkenly betrayed her ex-husband to the media; and, of course, let’s not forget Kate Middleton’s uninspiring taste in fashion — all have committed crimes that have lost them the respect of their people. Although, at least they have drawn the line at inbreeding: if you ever want to feel normal, just look up King Charles II of Spain, whose grandmother was also his aunt. Yet, however disturbing their behaviour might be, we will never tire of the tales of royal shortcomings. Perhaps we find it reassuring that these people, despite all their pomp and ceremony, are just like the rest of us — sans privacy.

* As seen in Coming To America.
Image: George Condo (‘Insane Queen’, 2006).