NEW WORK - CARLA KLEIN

In Nadifa Mohamed’s intimate and powerful second novel, The Orchard of Lost Souls, the year is 1988, and Somalia is on the brink of civil war. We may remember the scenes ourselves, having watched them flash across our television screens—a scorched landscape ravaged by conflict, a people torn apart by violence—but the lenses of history and journalism panned too wide and too quickly, blurring an entire population into a single, suffering mass. Military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre came into power in a bloodless coup in 1969, and though at first “the shine of independence had made everything magical,” as Mohamed writes, a series of ruinous wars with neighboring countries left “the fury of humiliated men blowing over the Haud desert,” sowing dissent and discontentment among the Somalian people. The civil war was so sprawling, however, that Mohamed decided to focus her intentions for her novel “not on what happened, but to whom it happened,” she says.

In recent years, photographer Todd Selby has made a name for himself—as The Selby—by offering exclusive glimpses into the studios, offices, ateliers, and homes of some of the world’s most fascinatingly creative people. His first book, The Selby Is in Your Place, served up illuminating peeks into the private lives of a coterie of artists, musicians, models, and designers who gladly opened themselves up to Selby’s easy charm and comfortably candid images. Next came Edible Selby, with its grand chefs, foragers, fishers, bakers, and baristas. Now, after the wildly popular success of his first two endeavors, Selby is set to launch Fashionable Selby this spring, bringing his limitless curiosity and eye for quirky detail to the world of fashion.

In the midst of the March madness of art fairs, last weekend’s Independent came as a breath of fresh air. Founded by Elizabeth Dee and Darren Flook, the Independent celebrates its fifth year and still resists using the “f”-word to describe itself. In doing so, the Independent participates in the current fashion of the progressive art fair that seeks to find an alternative to the mega-commercial gatherings that have come to dominate the art world. Like gallery shows that promise to think outside the white box of the gallery space, the progressive art fair tries to rethink the framework of the art fair. The Independent is not the only alternative game in town, but it’s one of the few to deliver on its promise of the cutting edge. Instead of claustrophobic booths, architects Andrew Feuerstein and Bret Quagliara designed a tangram-inspired layout. The exhibitors are not barricaded from one another. Instead, the spaces in between are fluid, encouraging collaboration and conversation. Spread out on four floors, over fifty international galleries and nonprofit institutions from fourteen countries showcased talent ranging from established names to anonymous artists in the former exhibition space of the Dia Center for the Arts.

On a drizzly Saturday in January, HAERTS sits quietly on a couch in a cozy suite at the Bowery Hotel in New York City. Around them, the usual hum of photographers and stylists picking up the remnants of a photo shoot provide the soft soundtrack. From their demure demeanors and soft spoken voices, the band members—Nini Fabi, Ben Gebert, Derek McWilliams, and Garrett Ienner—come off more like polite schoolchildren than rock stars. It’s hard to believe they just played a sold-out show at their local venue, the Music Hall of Williamsburg, just a few nights before, or signed to Columbia Records after releasing only their first song.

It was a season of contrasts at the Fall 2014 Milan shows, with bold graphic modernism clashing with vibrant animal prints and smooth, controlled shapes holding their ground opposite the wild decadence of fur. Our fashion director Alastair McKimm’s top ten collections cover an appropriate range, from the pure and progressive to the luxe and lavish, as can be seen in the slideshow above.

Tony Revolori has been working as an actor since the age of two, but now, at seventeen and with a lead role in Wes Anderson’s latest, The Grand Budapest Hotel, he makes a quick move into the spotlight.

From bobby soxers and mods to punks and YBA’s, London has always run on youth culture—and its fashion is no different. A constant stream of new talent keeps coming out of the British capital and, to judge from our fashion director Alastair McKimm’s top ten looks from the recent shows, Fall 2014 is no different.

Decades ago, skateboarding was a sport of back alleys and abandoned pools. Today, in many ways, it’s one of Chelsea galleries and critic’s circles. Over the last several years, artists like Damien Hirst and Robert Longo have collaborated with brands like Supreme, tacking four-figure price tags on decks baring their signature marks, often clear reproductions of their most famous work.

Conversely, brands like Brooklyn-based Along have found something of a sweet spot. Since opening its doors in 2011, Along has focused on creating limited-edition surfboards and skateboards by hand, coupling sustainable materials with designs from artists who share their passion for the natural world—less commercial, but equally beautiful. “Along is a kind project trying to give back to nature what nature gives to us,” says founder David Lopez. “That’s why we produce boards with sustainable materials and old-school techniques, always referring to the roots in surf and skate.”

There was, it seemed, no end to the complaints about the wintry weather here in New York during the Fall 2014 shows, but, viewed optimistically, all those thick coats coming down the runway ended up looking that much more desirable. Our fashion director Alastair McKimm’s top ten looks demonstrate a strong season for outerwear, with an emphasis on texture and shape over pattern that gave the season a sense of pared-down ease.