Interview

Lady Gaga's War on Pants didn't quite fit at the L.A.M.B. and Risto Bimblioski shows. But at Charlotte Ronson's Spring 2010 presentation on Friday afternoon, the henley leotards, crisscrossed bratops, harem short shorts fit right into the collection, the exuberant style of which paid tribute to 80s dancing queen culture. Ronson's aerobically-minded apparel possesses the sort of simple, versatile comfort adored by downtown girls on the go, so her balletic jersey creations weren't much of a stretch during a season in which streamlined athleticism is shaping up to be a key design motif. Ronson's jersey is graceful and fluid and ready for movement–lots of it. References to Flashdance popped up throughout the 35-look collection, most literally in the off-the-shoulder lace-up sweatshirts and headbands that trailed from the model's lithe bodies. While not quite legwarmers, translucent, ruched silk leggings–layered under kicky silk crepe skirts and dresses–carried the spirit of Jennifer Beals,  as was the look guest modeled by Ronson's little sister, Annabelle Dexter-Jones. In a shimmery bratop worn under a black jersey tee, black short shorts, and leather spiked heels, Dexter-Jones beamed as she pranced down the runway, thrilling the front row.

As usual, Ronson's family affair also included twin sister Sam Ronson, who tended to the DJ booths. Matching the 80's theme, she spun hits from neo-snythpoppers Little Boots and La Roux. The clothes, too, came into the present with the collection's final, edgier looks. The most charmingly incongruous element of Ronson's collection were the "druidess" hoods–done in diaphanous, black and white  jersey–showcased in the last third of the show. They felt less "She Works Hard For Her Money" and more "Poker Face." This is Lady Gaga's year, after all.

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Photo by Daina Wong

HeartsRevolution play pop music that calls to mind Atari Teenage Riot on overdrive, but their project didn't start with music—it started with an ice cream truck.  Somewhere in the Mojave Desert in 2005, future Hearts members Ben Pollockand Leyla "Lo" Safai decided to retrofit an old 1960s ice cream van, christen it the HeartsChallenger, and commission it as a postmodern party unit—a mobile funhouse, toy store, and confectionary. By 2007, a sister operation had sprung up in New York, where Ben and Lo had relocated. Not only did they  inspire other Manhattan-based portable kitsch operations (the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck, anyone?), selling pop ephemera gave them the money to focus on something else: a band.

Today, they have cool merchandise and the music to match. Armed with stellar visuals (Lo's trademark day-glo pink eyemask makes her look like Karen O by way of Japanimation) and riot grrrl charisma, HeartsRevolution's  music is both unnerving and exhilarating.

"We want to spread art and love wherever we go," Lo says of the group's goals. We spoke with the vocalist as she embarked on tour.

COLLEEN NIKA:  How has being a full-fledged band affected the HeartsChallenger franchise?

LEYLA SAFAI: It just keeps growing. Before there was the band, there was the truck. We wanted to sell toys and treats and conjure up nostalgic visions of the childhood ice cream truck, but take it to a less innocent place: to the realm of raves, shows, clubs–grown-up places where there is alcohol, cigarettes, and creepy people. People caught on, and we're now very engaged in a lot of cross-marketing opportunities. Companies will often hire us to play their events, which allows us to pay our bills. But, of course, we drive the HeartsChallenger to our own shows and sell our merchandise from it. The ice cream truck continues to serves as a metaphor for everything we do: it's the vehicle we use to create our destiny. Our personal motto is "Choose Your Own Adventure".

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Ne-Yo's most recent album is called The Year of the Gentleman. But what does "gentleman" really mean to Ne-Yo? "He is classy. He knows what integrity is. He knows the importance of looking good. He is who guys want to be and who women want to be with," he said yesterday at the launch of the Fall 2009 Alfani Red menswear campaign, where he was performing. And, Ne-Yo adds, "He has swag."

Whether gentility can be found in a gift bag is a contemporary question indeed. Ne-Yo, for his part, is interested in melding the past and the present when it comes to style:  "It's the 50s era that captivates me. Back then, to be an entertainer meant to be sleek and put together at all times. I think we're missing that nowadays." he says. That isn't to say contemporary fashion doesn't excite him; though he generally favors a retro look, he regularly finds inspiration in modern, Euro-leaning collections.  "I'm a huge Paul Smith fan and I love Tom Ford and Alexander McQueen, to name a few. Gucci and Louis Vuitton are also staples."

As a man whose self-described "signature item" is a fedora, Ne-Yo's inclination isn't quite streetwear: "Look, hip-hop attire has its own flavor," he says. "I'm not knocking how some people choose to dress. It's just not me. Belting your jeans at your thighs is just not fly!" Take note.

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Photo by Kyle Dean Renford

"People have this strange misconception that I am a pop artist. I just happen to have a baby face and a baby voice," said Swedish singer Lykke Li before taking the stage at Webster Hall for Diesel's U Music event. Indeed, anyone who has heard "Little Bit," a chirpy single about unrequited love on Li's debut album, Youth Novels, might have expected a doe-eyed novice to take the stage. However, the 23-year-old's secret co-headlining set with the Roots took everyone by surprise. Backed by Philadelphia's beloved hip-hop act, Li's signature hit got the full P-funk treatment–slide trombones and all–while Li pranced around on-stage, dancing and gesturing to the men in the front row. Wearing a boxy silver boyfriend jacket, slim black dress, and a silk turban, she looked as fit to walk a catwalk as to bang the snare drums with ?uestlove. "Everyone from The Roots to Björk to Coco Chanel inspires me," she said, helpfully.

Li's fans will find even more surprises on the new album, which she said would be "Darker, even less poppy." The material is already there: Li's distinctive wavering vocals can drop from coy to smoky in seconds. She often speaks, in interviews and in song, of her feelings of lonliness and isolation. Does attention from critics and fans help to fill the void? "Are you kidding?" she scoffs. "It's worse than ever! I travel so much; I am always alone." She hopes the musical arrangements of the next album will reflect those moods–whenever she gets around to recording it, that is. "I'm starting to write it, but it won't be released anytime soon. I don't have a home at the moment," she explained.

Of the recent attention she has received from music press and fans, she said "I don't consider myself to be a star. I am just starting out–I am not anything yet. I am an up and comer." That may change soon: Though the crowd at Webster Hall didn't seem to be familiar with their mystery guest, the floors were shaking after two songs of her fiery, Roots-driven set. Even Kanye West–the evening's other guest of honor–couldn't compete with that.

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