Filthy Gorgeous Explores A Half Decade of Wild Nights In Camden Town, London

Self taught photographer Robert Lang grew up in Durban, South Africa, but moved to Camden Town, London, in 2001. With his day job, er, night job, as a fashion photographer and correspondent, he started to spend a lot of wild nights out on the town where he began to photograph some of the locals. Never intending for the series to become public, what would become Filthy Gorgeous was a photographic diary of sorts to laugh at the next day – perhaps as a cure to alleviate the impending hang over. Lang says he calls the series Filthy Gorgeous "because all of us ran wild living, working and partying in Camden and we had no inhibitions." He also says, "These women represented everything about our period at that time in London and were smart, fashionable and witty." Bruised, bloody and bloody bruised, the characters in these photographs – many of them friends of the photographer – have moved on from their party life, which makes these images all the more indicative of a rare and special moment in time. 

Leading The Hip-Hop Renaissance: Read Our Conversation With Viper Magazine Publisher Lily Mercer Who Is Keeping Her Finger On The Pulse of The New Hip-Hop Golden Age →

AL: Do you remember the moment you fell in love with hip-hop?

Lily Mercer : Yeah. There were two songs. One was “Wishing on a Star” by Jay-Z. Weirdly, that’s the Jay-Z [track] that no one thinks of. My mum had grown up playing Motown, so there was a soul connection. It was hearing a song that was accessible but also quite deep. To me, those songs were quite profound at eight years old. After, when [rap] became an obsession, was when Eminem came out. That was a gateway drug. He’s a white rapper with middle class parents. I was a middle class kid, so it was the kind of hip-hop that was acceptable.

Click here to read the interview. 

Stoned Immaculate: Read Our Interview With Azalea Lee, A Minimalist Crystal Healer Who Makes Metaphysical Fine Jewelry →

Speaking to Azalea Lee is like talking to that wise aunt who has all those otherworldly insights that she wraps in easily accessible metaphors so that you don’t have to work too hard to arrive at the answers. Whether you actually have that aunt, or you always wished you had that aunt, when you walk into her crystal shop, you immediately feel that sense of comfort and familiarity. Her space is in an old building in the fashion district of Downtown Los Angeles. There’s a weird old elevator that you take to the 9th floor, walk down a short dark hallway, ring the bell and the door opens to a bright, white room with a sweeping landscape of the city and a friendly woman who asks you to take off your shoes. Entering Place 8 Healing is like walking through the pearly gates in a dream where you know you’re not dead, and this isn’t eternity, but somehow you feel lighter and more at ease. There’s a cubby station next to the door with a cushion that you can sit on where we eventually held the interview. She explains that we spend so much time wearing shoes and clothes that we lose our grounding; that removing that barrier between our feet and the ground is an essential part of rooting ourselves with the Earth. Click here to read more. 

A Peek at A23 Volume One "The Mysticism Of The Female" Published By Kristin Prim

A23 articulates a vision of contemporary art through a prism of acute individualism. Published biannually in limited edition hardcover volumes by Kristin Prim, A23 invites ten prolific fine artists to contribute original work to each edition, providing a platform to directly engage the viewer with their personal ethos and spirit. Entitled after the divination of the Aces, Twos, and Threes of the Minor Arcana, A23 seeks to espouse the collective truths of each artist, showcasing their personal ideologies, experiences, and dogmas in an archival visual manner. Click here to purchase Volume One, with contributions by Theo Adams, Luciano Castelli, Mary Beth Edelson and more. 

Read Tea Hacic's Ultimate Come Down Guide For Detoxing After Art Basel Miami →

Miami Art Basel is that magical time once a year, when the young and fabulous (and their sugar daddies) travel to paradise to see art and sleep with art dealers. Miami Art Basel is where editors brag about their fair trade hemp sandals while snorting cocaine that was brought into the country by a pregnant teenager. Miami Art Basel is where wet dreams come true and creative dreams are killed by two girls stabbing each other and therefore stealing attention from your performance art piece (dancing in leotards is a little 2008, tbh). Some people do look at art at Art Basel, because it’s their job to and because it’s raining too hard outside to say “screw it, I’ll get fired for the sake of a tan.” But for those of us who don’t know the difference between digital collages and foam sculptures, the week of Miami Art Basel was an excuse to go Hard As Hell (or HAH!) before the holy holidays. For those of us #blessed enough to be there, half the fun was making our Instagram followers who aren’t #blessed jealous of our poolside lounging. But the fun doesn’t have to end! The only thing your followers will hate more than seeing you enjoying Miami is seeing you bounce back afterwards. Click here to read the full detox guide. 

Raymond Pettibon Creates A Limited Edition Tote Bag To Support The New York Public Library

This season, MZ Wallace teamed up with artist Raymond Pettibon to create a tote bag that benefits the New York Public Library. 100% of the proceeds will go toward enhancing the library’s special collections. Click here to purchase. photograph by Brad Elterman