Innehållsförteckning för Issue #97 från RUSSH

“Taste is the enemy of art, A.R.T,” said Marcel Duchamp. As a revolutionary in the development of conceptual art, his idea was simple and highly prescriptive: reject work that is intended only to please the eye and use art to serve the mind. Aesthetics should never rule ideas. As inspirational as this sounds, we have never truly been able to escape the taste debate. Whether it is the kind that passes over the tongue or that of aesthetic value, it is so deeply personal that it remains unreconciled even within our being. In contemplation, it is largely binary. Good taste is considered creativity’s greatest killer and yet so often, accepting the taste of our cultural milleu can come with great reward, admiration and gain. Poor taste, on the other hand,…

To our saviours of conformity, the royalty of pop and rock ‘n roll. Bold, unironic – 110% in. Only they knew that the line between ‘bad’ and ‘too good to handle’ was a fine one, and only they had the audacity to walk it like a runway. “Come to our level, it’s really fun here!” Bowie in a leotard, hair teased and high. A casual purple mullet, disco-ball pants, platform boots, feathers, and exposed midriffs. Heavens forbid someone wears sequins on a Sunday! They donned eyeliner at a time when ‘boys didn’t cry’, embraced the wild and head-butt the ‘inappropriate’. Small acts of rebellion, or total freedom of self. Either way, it was a middle finger varnished jet black. They wore the badge of ‘bad’ – no! ‘terrible taste’, like…

Who are we without nature? A constant guiding force, she shares her knowledge unquestionably, evolving and adapting while encouraging us to follow suit. Her resilience is admirable, valiant even. A tastemaker by way of intuition, we look to her for answers and comfort – following her leadership blindly without sparing much thought for the repercussions of her selflessness. So, what happens when nature calls on us in return? Since its inception in 1837, Tiffany & Co. has drawn inspiration from the beauty and tenacity of our planet; a powerful 180-year-long relationship that is featured heavily through their designs even in the most subtle of iterations. From the materials that are used to craft their jewellery to the joy in creation that finds its roots in the Earth. Tiffany & Co.…

Colourgrade Tirzah (DOMINO, 2021) Tirzah’s debut album from 2018 was an idiosyncratic vision of electropop, a charming introduction produced by Mica Levi that found her fans in all the right places and may have led one to guess at what direction her next record might go. Three years, two kids and a move to the suburbs later and Tirzah takes a swerve with a more introspective, esoteric offering. Colourgrade is her artful vision of pop music – intimate and tender, experimental and unexpected, it’s Tirzah’s exploration of the intimacy and mundanity of motherhood offset by adventurous sound and a playful spontaneity; and a welcome curveball. 9 Pond (SPINNING TOP, 2021) Nine records deep and you can honestly say that Pond are true masters of their craft at this point. Blindly…

Give your lashes that kush push. This nourishing formula lifts and thickens for a healthy flutter. Massage away the day with this certified organic formula, powered by plant oils. For soft skin that smells like summer. A peptide-enriched primer that offers anti-pollution protection and a smooth, prepped makeup base. Powered by an ancient trio, copper, gold and silver, called Group 11, spritz this mist throughout the day for renewal and repair. Strengthening and deeply hydrating, a moisturiser for when your skin needs a tall glass of water. Harnessing the power of green tea from the serene and untouched Korean Island of Jeju, this serum is a burst of hydration. Add a pop of colour to your lips and cheeks with this cream made from carrots. Natural BHAs clean and lift…

Winemaking is an art form. From the cultivation of the vines, the languid maceration of the grapes; right to the moment the fragrant liquid is siphoned into oak barrels to ferment. Understanding winemaking is as much scientific precision as it is a unique way of life. A lived experience of passion, texture, smell and even intuition play a role in this historic métier. It’s involved. A process that leaves its stain on a person and has a way of colouring the way we see the world. It’s perhaps this that sealed the fate of Mathilde Thomas, founder of clean skincare brand Caudalie. Born in Grenoble – the picturesque capital of the French Alps – her parents were ski champions on France’s own national team. But it was her summers in…

PHOTOGRAPHY Emma Breschi FASHION Anna Foster MODELS Adam Rhazali @ Models1, Iwana Cristal @ The Squad HAIR Davide Barbieri @ Caren using Leonor Greyl MAKEUP Valeria Ferrera at The Wall Group using Byredo PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT Joachim Damus STYLIST’S ASSISTANT Malina Robotīn CASTING Chloe Rosolek…

pluralist | noun an advocate of a system in which two or more states, groups, principles, sources of authority, etc., coexist: Philosophy an advocate of a system of thought that recognises more than one ultimate principle. Nabhaan Rizwan is not afraid of doing it all – eventually. Like many of the artists and creatives he is surrounded by, the opportunity to do more – be more – is what energises him. It’s a characteristic that’s symptomatic of his generation. While some may call it multidisciplinary, Rizwan prefers to use the term pluralist. What sets the 24-year-old actor, rapper, artist, and Ilford native apart, however, is his patience. Dissimilar to many of his peers, he tells me he’s prepared to wait. “It’s important to note with the pluralist thing, it’s still…

Apuol Model, Come On, Over, Over Your most played song of all time? Nyajirim, Sunnyman. Your signature look? High-waisted jeans, a crop top and sneakers. Good taste or bad? Good taste. A book you’ll cherish forever? Boy Overboard by Morris Gleitzman. Your last meal on Earth? El Jannah, always. Ella O’Keeffe Writer and Photographer, Eat It Your most played song of all time? Maggot Brain, Funkadelics. Your signature look? On the face, that of confusion. On the body, trousers and a button down. Good taste or bad? So bad it’s good. A book you’ll cherish forever? In The Dream House, Carmen Maria Machado. Your last meal on Earth? Anything Estela NYC has on the menu. Isabella Schimid Makeup Artist, Worst Behaviour Your most played song of all time? I am…

PHOTOGRAPHY & COLLAGE Kitty Callaghan FASHION Hannah Cooper MODEL Koujayn @ Kult Australia HAIR AND MAKEUP Isabella Schimid @ Assembly Agency using The Ordinary and Deciem PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT Alex Wall STYLIST’S ASSISTANT India Stibilj Special thanks to China Heights.…

Much like my extended lockdown baking repertoire, for the longest time food journalism was stuck in a rut. Polished pages of perfectly lit, heavily styled renditions of “simple weeknight meals” that involve 35 ingredients and a full set of Le Creuset cookware. Lengthy restaurant reviews of the latest slick urban opening dripping with foodie jargon – ‘cloying’, ‘unctuous,’ ‘piquant’ – to describe everything from mille feuille to escabeche. Manicured profiles of artisanal makers and organic growers told with earnest and liberally seasoned with all the right buzzwords: sustainable, ethical, locally sourced, regenerative. Food invariably conflated with ‘lifestyle’ – glossed over, squeaky clean and decidedly drinkable. Not that there’s anything wrong with this. Aspirational food styling and wordy accounts of a seasoned critic’s five-thousandth dining experience, which forms the bulk of…

“It’s important to me that people know that PRICIE is always going to deliver, first and foremost. But I also want them to be excited to explore different avenues with me. I never want anything I create to sound too similar to something I have done before.” Nigerian-born, Australian-based singer, songwriter and rapper, PRICIE, may have only dropped her debut track this year, but her electric, vibrant sound hasn’t left our ears since. If you have had the pleasure of submerging yourself into her world, you would already be familiar with the undeniable ease and confidence that permeates through her body-grooving music and the unapologetic energy that accompanies it. It’s the type of creative and personal self-assurance that can’t and shouldn’t be dismissed. One, that enables her to haphazardly sport…

“Intelligence is really a kind of taste: taste in ideas.”– Susan Sontag PHOTOGRAPHY Jesse Lizotte @ Bernstein & Andriulli FASHION Charlotte Agnew MODELS Hannah Wick, Mimi, Apulo @ Chic Management, Tiama @ IMG, Tatyana @ The Scouted Agency HAIR Joel Forman @ After Winter Agency MAKEUP Isabella Schimid @ Assembly Agency using Mecca DIGITAL OPERATOR Orson Heidrich PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT Nick Shaw STYLIST’S ASSISTANTS Andrew Mallett and India Stibilj…

PHOTOGRAPHY Tim Ashton FASHION Hannah Cooper MODEL Millicent Lee @ Priscillas HAIR Kyye @ HM Division using Oribe and Alan White Anthology MAKEUP Joel Babicci @ Assembly Agency DIGITAL OPERATOR Daryl Charles Orillaza PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANTS Bananas Clarke and Nick Bannehr STYLIST’S ASSISTANT India Stibilj GRAPHICS Gabriela Hidalgo Special thanks to PIX on location.…

When Bourdain wrote his retrospectively controversial non-fiction novel, he was still working the line. An unglamorous, tiresome and often thankless job, the book was Bourdain’s way of saying to his comrades in aprons–“I see you.” At no point was he hoping to “lift the lid on the industry” or change anyone’s mind for that matter. In fact, he liked everything just how it was. Written in ‘Kitchenese’ – what Bourdain describes as the secret language of cooks – Kitchen Confidential is blustery, jacked with testosterone and above all, intentional. Just like the man himself.…

The first thing you should know about me is … I might seem tough but I’m actually pretty sensitive. I am my best self when … I’m with my loved ones. Home feels like … Warmth, a home cooked meal and my cat. My star sign is … Taurus. It suits me because … I am stubborn and enjoy life’s simple pleasures. I start my day by … Sleeping in, if possible. Good taste or bad? I think taste lies in the eye of the beholder and honestly I want both in my life. The most important lesson I’ve learned is … There is always more to learn. Who are you when you’re alone? Boyish, goofy. My first memory of modelling is … Walking the Dion Lee show at the Opera…

“To understand bad taste one must have very good taste. Good bad taste can be creatively nauseating but must, at the same time, appeal to the especially twisted sense of humour which is anything but universal.” John Waters “Bad Taste is what brave people have.” “Well, that explains my romantic history…” A recent personal conversation. Inherently, through active choices or unconscious neglect, we are all curators of our own personal world. I loathe the concept of a ‘tastemaker’ because having any interaction with the world at all makes us one by default. That said, some people do have impeccable taste and I may be jealous of their ability to capitalise on it. However, even an adopted opinion demonstrates one’s taste in the source of their imitation. In spite of the…

The Age of Insight Eric Kandel (PENGUIN) This is a book that has the ability to change the way you view the world. Kandel uses the intersection of science and the arts during a golden period of thought in Vienna at the dawn of the 20th century to encourage us never to separate the two. The Age of Insight explains and illustrates how the brain helps us to perceive visual perspective, store memories and assess risk. You will find yourself walking down the street with a new appreciation for what it means to be human and what it is we look for in our everyday interactions. A remarkable read. – Phil Wood, chef and restaurateur Just Kids Patti Smith (ECCO) My friend gave me this book in 2012. All I…

Japanese Breakfast is one of the means by which Brooklyn-based polymath Michelle Zauner tells her story. Lush, explorative and dreamy, Japanese Breakfast’s expansive take on indie rock provides the backdrop for Zauner to delve deep. On the first two Japanese Breakfast records, Zauner gave herself over to the loss of her mother to cancer in 2014, processing the grief through gorgeous, occasionally life-affirming and often heart-wrenching songs. Her most recent record, Jubilee, makes a break. Moving on from the mourning and reckoning of the previous records, Jubilee explores joy, and what it feels like to be bursting with it. Zauner’s expression doesn’t stop at music though. Following on from essays Zauner contributed to Glamour magazine and The New Yorker, she went deeper into her mother’s passing in her recently released memoir…

Oysters inhabited this earth long before us, they’ve been privy to all our histories unfold. Evolutions, Revolutions, Ages and Empires have risen and fallen around their unassuming shells. When Anthony Bourdain told us, ‘The history of the world is on your plate,” no food captures this like the humble oyster. Modern metaphors have been solidified around them – “Why, then, the world’s mine oyster,” first declared Shakespeare in 1602. Most famous are the stories from the 1700’s, when Italian lover Giacomo Casanova consumed oysters for breakfast every day, “off the breasts of a beautiful woman, usually in a warm tub.” Notoriously decadent French monarch Louis XIV insisted on daily deliveries of oysters to Versailles from the coast of Cancale and Voltaire swore by consuming oysters to inspire his creative intellect.…

True taste is unspoken. It seeps into the fabric of life causing barely a rustle; making just enough noise for you to notice but never stare. Instead, it finds its way into your daily subconscious, and before you can even catch on, you begin to search for it. It’s the subtle glimpse of a Tank Must edging from underneath a crisp white shirt. The unmistakable seal of love, held together by the tightest of bonds. A passing flash of a crimson red box, ever so slightly ajar – the key to life’s answers lying inside. It’s legacy. Timelessness. Communication through design. But above all, it’s knowing who you are and acting without hesitation. It’s a confidence that jewellery Maison Cartier possesses in spades. Since its inception in 1847, Cartier has…