Visionaire Minds The Gap

[Astrid21]

Originally posted by Fashion Wire Daily NY August 12@ 2003
Visionaire Minds the Gap


By Karin Nelson

Contrary to the general consensus that Madonna had lost her avant-garde edge in modeling for the Gap, it now appears the old gal is -- as she always has been -- several steps ahead of the pack stylistically. And the proof is in the latest edition of Visionaire, the semi-holy publication for the art and fashion crowd, which arrives in boutiques and bookstores next month enclosed in an orange corduroy Gap bag.

"I think the Gap is totally cool," coos Visionaire co-founder and creative director Cecilia Dean. "And I think the marriage between us and them is great. The fact that people view us as such opposites is what makes it even more intriguing."

Yet, with regards to the 41st edition of the book, a global exploration entitled "WORLD," Dean argues that the two really aren't that dissimilar. "The message of the Gap -- that's it's broad, open, democratic -- fits perfectly with what we're doing."

After several limited artist/view editions of Visionaire (the last issue was an exploration of roses by photographer David Sims), the folks behind the publication decided it was time to think a little more broadly. "There was just a general desire to reach out to the rest of the world," tells Dean.

Visionaire 41 WORLD began as an inter-office chain email, asking the staff -- which included several international interns -- to email images of what life was like in their respective parts of the world. Four months later, and a mailbox full of nearly 3,000 photos from across the globe, the whittled down result is a 200-page tome replete with images from 120 cities and 53 countries from over 150 contributors, including a 15-year-old from upstate New York. Joining the pack are artists from Ecuador and Norway, and such famous names as Mario Sorrenti, Craig McDean, Sam Taylor-Wood, Jenny Holzer, Raf Simons, Hedi Slimane, David Byrne, and Baz Luhrmann.

"The best part about the project was that we met a ton of young, talented artists who we intend to stay in touch with," adds Dean.

The next step was a request to Gap accessories designer Emma Hill to create the perfect, exclusively designed package for the publication. "It's going to be really weird, though, when people walk into Rizzoli and wonder what an orange Gap bag is randomly doing in the art book section," muses Dean.

The 4,000 copies of WORLD will retail next month for $175 in Gap flagship stores, Rizzoli bookstores, the MOMA Design store, and Colette in Paris.

 

[Astrid21]

As a Visionaire addict, I'm thrilled that it's offered so inexpensive.

Thoughts?

 

[Meg]

Wow that looks fabulous! I've never heard of Visionaire before because i generally live in a hole, however it sounds like a great mag and I'm interested in learning more. How much does it normally retail for? How many issues do they print in a year? I would love to get my hands on an issue!

 

[metal-on-metal]

It really sounds like a great idea. A friend of mine has a connection at Visionaire so I hope I'll be able to sneak a peek without shelling out the $175!

 

[metal-on-metal]

Originally posted by mehg@Aug 17th, 2003 - 8:15 pm
How much does it normally retail for? How many issues do they print in a year? I would love to get my hands on an issue!

It normally retails for $175 but you can find old issues on eBay for slightly cheaper on occasion. They publish 4 issues a year and you can subscribe for about $650 USD.

www.visionaireworld.com
www.vmagazine.com

 

[Spacemiu]

looks good!!!!!!!!!!!!


but gap comon why suport slavelaboure? when you are talking about the world, ti should be mor epositive, they should have made a bag out of organic cotton and gace teh roceeds to feed teh children or schools.

 

[LolitaLuxe]

Originally posted by Spacemiu@Aug 17th, 2003 - 6:53 pm
looks good!!!!!!!!!!!!


but gap comon why suport slavelaboure? when you are talking about the world, ti should be mor epositive, they should have made a bag out of organic cotton and gace teh roceeds to feed teh children or schools.

yes indeed.....are there any photos of the children sitting at there power sergers? yikes.

 

[ignitioned32]

Whoa . . . Visionaire seems so 'sacred", but most importantly interesting.

I would love a copy.

As for the Gap bag, they could find something much better in a untapped-fashion-booming country.

 

[cerfas]

I have only seen one issue in person, but it was incredible. Does anyone own any copies? The issue I saw was the LOVE issue...I'd love to see more of other issues, however.

Article on Visionaire: 'Small Press Pioneers'
Visionaire & zing magazine Ignite a Revolution
by Kate Sennert
http://theblowup.com/small_press/


The LOVE issue came in a Tiffany's box. What was inside was an old used book (hardback). Slipped in between the pages was the work of the contributors...a really unique experience.

In many ways, this issue was a response to the events of the past year. For us at Visionaire, love meant going back to our roots to create an issue with a literal human touch, something hand-made with an easy, uplifting message. For our contributors, love meant many different things. Steven Meisel contributed some of the first photographs he'd ever taken, shot on the street outside of New York modeling agencies (''I love...FASHION''); photographers Mario Sorrenti, Craig McDean, and Peter Lindbergh gave us glimpses into their personal lives through portraits of their kids; and Tim Noble and Sue Webster gave us ''Instant Gratification'', a self-portrait in dollar bills (''CAN'T BUY Love''). LOVE also featured thousands of feathers gathered by milliner Philip Treacy, thousands of flowers curated by pop singer Kylie Minogue, and the pop group Destiny's Child sent us their favorite fan letter. There were also words of love, a first for Visionaire: original poetry and prose by Joyce Carol Oates, Kenneth Koch, Jonathan Safran Foer, and T. Cole Rachel. Each issue came with a silver heart designed by legendary jeweler Elsa Peretti. All of the artwork and tokens of love were inserted by hand into 4,000 vintage novels making each issue an actual one-of-a-kind object and a true labor of love. The issue brought us back to the first days of Visionaire, when each issue was hand-assembled on the floor of Stephen's apartment, only then of course, the hands doing the assembling were our very own.

Limited Edition of 4000 numbered copies

Cover:

It was Tiffany's blue or whatever, not grey.

 

[cerfas]

You can actually buy it here http://www.andrewatlanta.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/59
wish I had the money!!

 

[cerfas]

Visionaire 42: Scent

This issue has a special online portion--you can go to the website, click Issues, find Issue 42, then experience each scent.

 

[cerfas]

Visionaire 37: Vreeland Memos

Visionaire 43: Dreams

In Visionaire 43, dreams become a startling reality. Photographs and images are transformed into ethereal works of art through a high-tech burning process called laser-cutting. The resulting images emerge, almost ghostlike, from a seemingly blank black page. In effect, the entire issue is "printed" iwthout any ink. These intricate, lace-like masterpieces are protected inside a specially designed reflective hard-cover book inside a laser-cut slipcase. Contributors include ...Robert Longo, Karl Lagerfeld, Rachel Whiteread [one of my favorite contemporary artists]...Mario Sorrenti, Nick Knight, Steven Klein, Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin...

--www.visionaireworld.com

Last 3 of covers are from www.spice.or.jp

 

[cerfas]

Oh & sorry, first LOVE cover from http://www.thenyrm.com/

 

[cerfas]

Another issue, although it did not say which one:

images-jp.amazon.com

 

[cerfas]

Anyone who knows more about this magazine: Is it really as good as it seems?

 

[Kimkhuu]

Does it come with a little something special each time? Is it a monthly magazine or are those just special edition books?

I've heard a lot about them, but was never really sure what Visionaire is about.

 

[cerfas]

Kimkhuu, from their website:

VISIONAIRE is a multi-format album of fashion and art produced in exclusive numbered limited editions. Since its inception in the Spring of 1991, Visionaire has offered a forum for works by both famous and emerging artists from around the world as well as personalities, fashion designers, art directors, and image-makers.

Published 3 times a year, Visionaire features a different theme and format with each issue. Artists work in collaboration with Visionaire to produce their personal interpretations of a theme, and are given unparalleled freedom to push Visionaire's original formats.

So basically, there's supposedly no standard for every issue. Most issues come with something extra that has to do with the packaging, but I'm not positve that all of them do.

If you're still curious about the magazine, I'd say go to the website--they explain every issue with a few sample images of each one.

I guess it's neither a magazine nor a book, although some places refer to it as a magazine for convenience's sake.