Around the edges of Bryant Park it was coffee,
newspapers and lovers as usual, but as one approached
the bulky white pavilion in the center, abnormality
and intensity of atmosphere were making themselves
obvious. One started to notice models who looked like
they just stepped off the pages of Vogue right on to
the dirty grass, followed by photographers of all ages
and bursts of flashes. People with cellphones and busy
vibes were pacing nervously around people who were
standing in the middle of nowhere with their mouths
open. Approaching the entrance gate, one actually had
to pass through different layers of crowd: the outer
layer of passer-by tourists, the second layer of
people spreading advertising materials and propagating
messages of social importance, the layer of
photographers and the best dressed, and the thinnest
layer composed of those who looked like they were likely
to go inside.
On both sides of this human spectacle, there were tall
beautiful men standing upright and "on guard," but it
was a very surreal and off-the-wall New York kind of
guard indeed. Dressed in cut up pink T-shirts
populated by safety pins and see-through skirts, red
gause and duck-taped shoes, and paints of primary
colors all over their bare skin, this was the guard of
Apollo Braun, artist, designer and poet from the Lower
East Side. The name of their spiritual leader, which
is also the name of his hip independent design
boutique on Orchard St., was written across their
belts. Apollo himself, dressed in the same uniform of
his own design, was one of the men present.
"Originally we wanted to stay all together," Apollo
said, "but the police separated us. Yet, we are still
here to assert our right to be here." Police, without
knowing it, made possible an even better presentation,
visible from every side of the entrance.
Every Apollo pink T-shirt was pinned and cut in a
unique way, but had the same inscription across the
chest; "Who killed Anna Wintour ?" "I hate Anna
Wintour,"Apollo said, "She does not accept
up-and-coming designers. She is the death sentence of
everything avant-garde in design. I don't want to be
in Vogue. Vogue is the enemy, remember it when I will
be there.
I think the whole show thing is ridiculous. We are
here to show how important it is to express yourself
and be who you are!"
Apollo also added that Anna Wintour puts fur into
Vogue, "and I am a Vegetarian." There was another
group of young women dressed like sexy fur police, in
everything black and not animal produced, who shared
Apollo's views.
One of the models, Michael Davis, elaborated further
on their common strong presence in front of the
fashion pavilion. "We are tax-paying citizens. We
should be able to stand here wearing this! I think it
is a great expression of our freedom of speech and of
democracy, really!" Michael is a friend of Apollo,
shares a lot of his views and owns and wears 3 or 4 of
his T-shirts. "Apollo takes normal trends and
de-constructs them. He is a little bit ahead of normal
trends. When I am wearing his stuff, I feel like I am
not a part of a fad!"
All the pink men were also wearing a yellow star of
David with "Jude" written on it, a German word for
"Jew". Apollo explained the strong statement to the TV
reporters and surrounding crowds: "This was the star
that Jews were forced to wear by the Nazis and it used
to be a degrading symbol. However, I am a Jew and I
want to bring it back. I want to show that I am a Jew
and I am proud of being a Jew; I am not degraded!"
And, finally, the last symbol of Apollo's design, the
omni-present safety pin, has to pronounce its message
to the world at large through the mouth of its Master,
now sounding a little bit like a Rabbi: "I think that
all of life is attached together by simple safety
pins!"
(apollo braun)
All writings here are copyrighted by Antonio Goicochea and Galya Kovalyova. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.
All Photographs here are copyrighted by Galya Kovalyova. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.
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