NYLON Magazine - September 2007 - (Page 152) SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER A new book collects the most fashionable, freaky, and famous clubgoers who have stopped by Misshapes over the last three years. Are you in there? By Jenny Feldman “When I began sorting through all the photos I’d been taking since we started Misshapes in 2004, I realized I had about 200,000 pictures,” recalls Geordon Nicol, one third of the trio behind the weekly New York City dance party phenomenon. “I knew I had to do something with them.” “Something” quickly turned into a book project, which sparked a bidding war among publishers before getting scooped up by PowerHouse/MTV Press, who will publish the image-packed homage to the groundbreaking club collective this September. Most of the volume is dedicated to anonymous partygoers; the most stylish attendees—cherry-picked by Nicol, who edited the volume himself—are given two-page spreads with 20 photographs that track the evolution of their style over time. The subjects fan across multiple genres and generations, and of course there’s no shortage of A-list cameos, including musicians (Michael Stipe, Rufus Wainwright, Beth Ditto, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs); models (Agyness Deyn, Lily Donaldson, and Gemma Ward); artists (Dan Colen, Nan Goldin, and Dash Snow); and movie stars (Selma Blair, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Sienna Miller). “We wanted it to be like a Where’s Waldo of celebrities.” Nicol says, “Like, you know Chlöe Sevigny is in here somewhere, but you have to search for her.” One of the most interesting elements of the book, which could also be said of the Misshapes party itself, is the clothing. It’s a scene that has long attracted the cutting-edge, as well as boldfaced designers and prominent fashion critics. “I’ve seen Cathy Horyn, Narciso Rodriguez, and Hedi Slimane there,” says Humberto Leon of the bicoastal boutique and indie label, Opening Ceremony. Leon has been attending Misshapes since its inception at its former digs at the corner of Leroy and Seventh Avenue. “Misshapes filled a void that New York lacked for awhile,” he says. “It’s a positive place that encouraged kids to dress up and experiment. The result is a mix of cool kids, Parsons students, established names, and people who just want to dance their heart out.” Others have even pointed out that the three founders of Misshapes—Nicol, Greg Krelenstein, and Leigh Lezark—have themselves skewed trends. As Lulu Frost jeweler Lisa Salzer says, “The group’s collective look has had an intense impact on the downtown scene and propelled that sharp, ’80s style into the forefront.” For his part, Nicol is loath to take too much credit. “Misshapes is just about the intersection of fashion, music, and real deal New York City nightlife,” he says. “The most exciting thing about the book is knowing that it properly represents New York fashion,” Lezark adds. “And we’re proud of that.” all images courtesy of mtv press
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