ARTIFACT

January 22, 2021

ARTIFACT has what you’re looking for. The New York based clothing archive and rental house, host to several thousand pieces from the likes of Maison Margiela, Raf Simons, YSL, Vetements, Helmut Lang, (the list goes on…), is the veritable Holy Grail of luxury clothing. With the pieces from their archive appearing on celebrity clients, in world renowned publication editorials and hidden behind a password locked website, it’s hard to deny the fact that ARTIFACT has become one of the most sought after names in high fashion styling.

Photos by Danny Lim
Styling & Interview by Caitlan Hickey
Text by Chris Thomas
Hair by Dylan Chavles @ The Wall Group
Makeup by Kento Utsubo
Set Design by Matt Cullen
Casting by Offshore Agency
Talent: Lumia @ System Agency, Luke, Ibanou @ Unite Unite, Tre'von @ Offshore Agency, Viktoriia @ System Agency, Amya
DP + Video Edit: Drake Woodhall
Photo Assistant: Mimi Hong
Makeup Assistant: Lisa Ihaku
Hair Assistant: Tracy Nguyen
Shot at Slate Studios

Founders Max Tsiring, Hugh Mo and Dominik Halas talk with office about their beginnings flipping clothes on e-commerce sites, working with Kanye West, acquiring Raf remotely during job interviews, and finding style inspiration in Rainer Werner Fassbinder.

Left — sweater MARNI AW 2019, boots BALENCIAGA AW 2018, hat PRADA EARLY 2000s

Right — top JEAN PAUL GAULTIER 1990s, bib COMME DES GARCONS HOMME PLUS AW 2015, pants VERSACE 1990s, boots GUCCI EARLY 2000s. RIGHT; shirt RAF SIMONS SS 1999, hat CALVIN KLEIN 205W39NYC AW 2018

Tell us a bit about your backgrounds..

Dominik—I was born in Nitra, Slovakia and moved to the states at age four. My mother had wanted to become a fashion designer but couldn’t because of Slovakia’s Communist government. I was raised in Montclair, NJ, and developed an interest in fashion at age 13. I’d hit a point in my life (aka puberty) where I started developing my own interests outside of school - for me it was philosophy, rock n’ roll and electronic music, modern art, and fashion. My parents laughed at the idea of buying a $100 t-shirt, so I had to think of creative ways for myself to make money to purchase what I wanted. I began reselling Hedi Slimane era Dior Homme, mainly from yahoo! Japan, and eventually moved onto Helmut Lang and Raf Simons. By the time I began studying at Brown University, where I majored in History of Art and Architecture, I was one of the most prominent resellers. It was around this time I began selling to David Casavant, and eventually became his first employee, as well as interning for Robert Geller. As soon as I began interning for Robert, he received a call from Kanye West asking to consult on Season 1 of YEEZY. Little did I know at the time, I was selling David Helmut and Raf pieces which were being rented to YEEZY as references for the exact pieces I was helping sketch with Robert Geller. I later went on to consult for YEEZY again with David, this time Season 5, and was even tasked with personally giving Kanye a presentation on the design of the original Helmut Lang stores. In addition to Artifact, I now guest lecture and occasionally critique at the Rhode Island School of Design’s Apparel Department.

Hugh—I was born and raised in New York — the suburbs to be exact. I was very into cartoons as a child, which lead into obsessions with toys and card/video games. I have always grown up with an attention to the whole universe behind products and having a voracious curiosity about the collectible aspect of them. I also have always had a competitive gene, so going to get the best of something or being very well researched and the most informed was always something I took on as a challenge. I guess one can say I’ve been a really picky and high maintenance consumer since day 1.

I went to Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine for undergrad and did not study anything close to what I am doing now with Artifact — funny how things work out. I ultimately became really heavily invested in developing a social media following depicting my fashion taste (mostly hype pieces and streetwear brands at the time) and working with a photographer on campus who was also trying to develop his portfolio. I grew up as a sneakerhead and a hip-hop culture fan (I grew up in Queens) so I was already aware of how to buy/sell/trade on peer to peer markets and I was able to locate highly sought after pieces and start collecting quite easily. It’s all about where you look. At the time, I was essentially renting the clothing I was using in my content — buying it and then selling it later down the road since I didn’t like holding onto things that were going to be “old” after a season or two.

Left — top PRADA AW 2007, pants 1990s, hat RAF SIMONS SS 2003, vest MAISON MARGIELA 2000s, boots DIRK BIKKEMBERGS 1990s

Right — sweater BALENCIAGA AW 2018, jacket RAF SIMONS SS 2003

What draws you to particular designers? Do you covet some over others? Why do you find that is?

Max—I'm drawn to different designers for different reasons. It could be anything from peculiarity to functionality. I do find that once I connect with a body of work from someone I will immerse and consume until my interest (or money) is spent.

D—I’m drawn to designers that are progressive for their times (whether evaluated in their original context, or in retrospect) and resonate with evolves my personal aesthetics and values. Since we “represent” a lot of these older designers works or specific periods of their careers to the public eye, I try to make sure our inventory reflects not only iconic pieces, but also lesser known yet equally interesting works. Someone like Helmut Lang completely shifted the paradigm for fashion, and will always be remembered not just for his physical garments but the impacts he’s had on designers after him. His approach was archetypal and abstained from any kind of excessive ornamentation (a nod, I’m sure, to the philosophy of his fellow Viennese Adolf Loos). To many, his pieces may read as too plain or minimal, but he forced designers to think not just about how much a spectacle the garments would create, and rather focus on how wearable and how timeless they would become, how the materials would perform. The overwhelming success of his method is evident in the fact that nearly every designer working today has taken something from Helmut’s work.

Left — model on left wears top RAF SIMONS AW 2002, shorts BALENCIAGA AW 2018; model in middle wears sweater JEAN PAUL GAULTIER 1990s, dress PRADA 1990s, pants JIL SANDER 1990s, boots DIRK BIKKEMBERGS 1990s, scarf MISSONI 1990s, hat JEAN PAUL GAULTIER AW 1993; model on right wears sweater BALENCIAGA AW 2018, jacket RAF SIMONS SS 2003, pants RAF SIMONS

Right — top RAF SIMONS SS 1999, pants, coat CELINE AW 2019, sneakers RAF SIMONS AW 2012, sunglasses PRADA AW 2018

What are some of your favorite looks/people you’ve rented to so far? Who are your dream clients? and what would you put them in?

D—Anything we’ve rented to Carlos Nazario has always come out looking amazing. In my opinion, he’s one of the most talented young stylist today, and it’s always an honor to work with him. My perspective on the possibilities of a piece always evolve after seeing how he presents it. In terms of dream clients, I would love to see Yves Tumor wearing Artifact, though I would hesitate to put him in something specific as I would be more interested to see what he naturally gravitates towards.

H—Billie Eilish in the Raf Space Pants. Rihanna in the End Racism Shirt. Cudi in a full look with the LV Mohair Top and the Astro Pants. I don’t have a dream client, probably because it feels like we’ve already dressed all the ones I would have said were dreams when I first started the business. I don’t want to set any expectations or goals because I want to dress whomever has a deep appreciation of the pieces in the archive.

What are each of your favorite pieces you’ve collected?

H—Raf Parachute Bomber SS03, I was spam emailing the seller/platform that held the sale and had a friend do the same and somehow he got through — he ended up being the one negotiating on my behalf while I was in a job interview. You could say part of my mind was not focused on the interview. I managed to score it and had to go back home in Queens to retrieve a check, just to come back into the city and collect the piece. It’s never been sold again since I purchased it, and god knows how long it will be before it appears again. It’s I think without question a top 5 grail in menswear for most people.

Left — tops PRADA 1990s and HELMUT LANG 1990s, pants JEAN PAUL GAULTIER 1990s

Right — top MIU MIU 2000s and HELMUT LANG AW 2003, sleeves JEAN PAUL GAULTIER 1990s, skirt MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA 1990s and HELMUT LANG SS 1996, heels HELMUT LANG AW 2004

Most memorable pieces of fashion you bought for yourself before the archive?

D—My most memorable piece would have to be my Dior Homme by Hedi Slimane Napoleon Jacket from the Fall / Winter 2003 ‘Luster’ collection. It was something I wanted since middle school, and had to restrict myself from spending any money for half a year to save up for it when I was finally ready to purchase during my junior year of college. I bought it in cash from a physical therapist in the Bronx, and we met up in a fried chicken joint to conduct the deal.

Have you been able to make Artifact a full time gig?

M—Artifact and my band Kitten are my obligations.

H—It is my current full time job, since May when I graduated from NYU Stern for my Masters of Business. Our next goals are to take this business to new heights and to grow even more rapidly. We’re going to start opening our doors to other business opportunities/revenue streams and are looking forward to grow together with our current clientele.

Left — top RAF SIMONS SS 2002, shorts RAF SIMONS SS 2000, sleeves RAF SIMONS AW 2017, sneakers RAF SIMONS AW 2012, mask 1990s

Right — jacket BALENCIAGA AW 2018

What are your other passions?

D—Outside of fashion, my life revolves around different facets of culture, namely film, music, and literature. I find these tend to inform my sense of fashion greatly, and offer a different approach or understanding clothing. I’m currently trying to watch every Rainer Werner Fassbinder film, and can always be found re-reading my favorite works by David Foster Wallace. Music, on the other hand, proceeded fashion for me and is a passion shared by my entire family. My father collects vintage vacuum tubes and builds his own audio equipment (he even made a custom shelf for it that floats on magnets to avoid disruption and the sound quality is so good you can hear orchestra members turning the pages of their sheet music) and my younger brother is a very talented multi-instrumentalist and producer who collects vintage guitar pedals. To me, music is as instrumental to conveying a mood or perspective of a given style as the clothing itself.

Left — swimsuit GUCCI SS 2000, harness HELMUT LANG SS 2003, sweatshirt HAIDER ACKERMANN AW 2014, shoes CALVIN KLEIN COLLECTION 2000s

Right — jacket RAF SIMONS SS 2018, pants HELMUT LANG SS 2004, hat YVES SAINT LAURENT RIVE GAUCHE AW 1998, boots RICK OWENS AW 2009

Fashion

Curtain Calls! Lara Violetta Brings Us the Second Edition of Violet Papers

Paige Silveria — You just released your second issue. How are you feeling? You can maybe relax a little bit?

Lara Violetta — It is very exciting. But it also never stops, there’s so much work that goes into the whole making of the magazine. Then there’s the aftermath as well, all the logistics and everything, so hopefully in two weeks or so I can slow down a bit.

You’re doing all the distribution by yourself?

We're a really small team; we basically do everything ourselves. I love working on it; it's super interesting to get to know all these structures, like building our own relationships with bookstores. Also for the online shop, there is so much going into it, thinking of all the packaging, trying our best to get the best rate for each country, etc. This time thankfully we have some help from a warehouse.

Can you describe Violet Papers for me?

Violet Papers is a fashion and beauty magazine. It is quite text-focused and a mix of emergent talent and people that have been in the fashion industry for a while. I love mixing things, always in every aspect. In getting dressed, doing my makeup or in our pages. It's always really important for me to have a great balance and contrast.

Tell me about the theme, Curtain Calls.

It's the theatrical issue, so we really wanted to create a whole fantasy. Like in the fashion world, looking back at the Margiela show, for example, with the performative walk — everything can be so theatrical in a way. I'm thinking about a quote from Capote, where he says something about how all the future exists in the past. That’s also really the magazine’s core in a way. We were aiming towards a ’90s kind of publication vibe. Less like typical modern magazines, which mostly are very image focused.

And what have you learned now that the second issue is complete?

If you think about how many people are involved, you can get a glimpse of how much work it is in the end. You have to be really obsessed with it because you dedicate so much time to it. I've definitely learned to be really straightforward, to push myself out of my comfort zone. It’s a never ending learning experience for me.

I can imagine it’s a bit of a story of personal growth as well, learning a lot of patience! Tell me about your background. You’re from Bavaria?

Yes, I grew up really outside of Munich in the countryside. It wasn’t even a village, it was more of a house in the forest.

How far was your closest neighbor?

It was very isolated, but I really always loved being by myself. I was a crafty kid, very dreamy and happy when I just could be by myself and draw.

Tell me about your parents; what do they do?

My love of magazines definitely also comes from my father who’s worked for a publishing house my whole life. He was the Art Director of German Vogue for over 18 years. He definitely had a huge impact on me.

And you went to Berlin for studies?

I was really happy to move to Berlin for my bachelor in communication design and my master in design management. My bachelor was more creative; I learned the whole spectrum, like typography, editorial design etc., later I focused more on marketing. Design management focuses on the structures in design, more about business strategy.

These sound pretty relevant to both of your focuses: running a fashion magazine and also the influencer part, of putting yourself in front of a camera and marketing yourself.

When I moved to Paris I had no job and didn't speak french. It was COVID, we were all at home and I was like, Okay, fuck. I have this one shot to be in Paris. I can't mess it up. I started as a freelance graphic designer. I would make 3D animations; it was really like all over the place. But I felt that I could experiment more since I was in a new country and nobody knew me. I always loved making videos, so I uploaded my first YouTube video and, luckily, it grew. But my father, who has been a part of the golden times of print, didn't like how the world was evolving with social media. He's always supportive but I don't think he really understood what I was doing.

Is it better now?

I hope so. I'm also really grateful for being an influencer. It is a great tool and generous in so many different ways. You can really make it your own.

Where do you think that negative connotation comes from?

Maybe it comes from people thinking there are people making a lot of money while not really working, as it all looks so easy.

So maybe they’re just envious? Because since the beginning of time, the rich haven't worked either. They’re born into family money that generates wealth for them. But from my understanding, there’s often a good amount of work that goes into being an influencer.

Yes, I’ve always been very protective of my work. For example, I’ve never had an agent or a management team. When I started the magazine, I realized how much I benefited from building my own relationships in this industry.

The magazine’s biannual? How big is your team?

Yes, it’s every six months. I have two amazingly talented writers and a brilliant art director. We work super closely. I feel really lucky to be able to work with people who also like to put so much dedication into their work. The structures are a bit blended, so everyone has their input for everything. And I've learned so much from them. It's really a great atmosphere.

It must be fun to get creative with the advertising as well as an influencer who already comes up with new ways to create branded content digitally.

When getting into the planning of this project at the beginning of last year, I would be at home by myself writing documents and documents about my ideas. I thought, how can I transform what I post online into print? When I open a magazine now, there are the advertising pages with all these high glossy brands, which I desire and love to look at. But I think you also need something that is more accessible and personal. So how do we mix this? It’s nice to see products that maybe one day I could imagine purchasing, but I decided to also feature ads for fashion podcasts that I like to listen to, vintage archives and maybe even a nice coffee place. It has to be a mix.

Taking it beyond just those little squares of classifieds you’d see in old periodicals and doing proper ads with these establishments.

It's interesting to see how it performs on printed paper. But in the beginning, when I started to reach out to brands they said they’d love to be a part of it but they were so confused as to what I had in mind. I was cringing, they would be like, yeah, Lara, “It sounds great, but I don't know what you want from me.” Trying to push this idea, of course that means that some of the ads might need extra attention and work from our end, to make sure it all works out perfectly for both sides. That's another thing I appreciate about my whole team, they see the value here and put in the extra work.

I recently did a studio visit with Laura and Deanna Fanning who created an ad specifically for your first issue, right? It must be so fun to see how the community comes together and supports one another’s creative projects.

Oh, I love them. Yeah, I’m so grateful for their support. It's a great honor. When people see that there is real dedication and compassion for the project they are open to support the vision.

Limited budgets often lead to such innovation, whereas too much freedom can sadly lead to some pretty bad work. Thinking of film directors for instance.

If you don't have a big budget, you try to find solutions and have to get creative; that's where the interesting things happen. Our covers being text covers is a great example for this. It was a solution for the first issue, since our options were limited. It worked great as it stands out and awakes interest. Which is why we continued this idea.

Will you bring back the paper bag? It’s such a great idea. So much to do with it.

Yes, I got the idea because I always carry magazines around. But since the publications got bigger and bigger as they released fewer each year, you basically need a backpack. As we know, necessity is the mother of invention. We found an amazing production in Italy, the Paper Bags are Handmade. As I put all my energy in the project I was a bit burned out after the release. Now for the second issue I feel stronger and am also very excited to work on the Paper Bag again.

You had to build that muscle.

Indeed, when the project was finished, I of course wanted to post both the magazine and the bag on socials. But I was so close to the project that I couldn't even talk about it anymore for a bit. Then we finally took some time off and when I came back to Paris, I made another video about the paper bag, really explaining it. The video went viral and suddenly it was sold out and everyone was obsessed. We are now working on the second edition.

For the first issue, you focused on parasocial relationships. It was interesting to me, studying Marx in school, we discussed how he believed human relationships to be paramount for a happy, fulfilling life. And I always felt like some of the most pivotal of those in my formative years were that with characters in books, like Jane Eyre. Feeling so seen through this one-sided communication with the past.

Exactly, because you also put your dreams into that person because it sparks something in you and then you add it up to it. And whether the person in the end is the person that you think it is in the head or not, it creates something in you that might be much bigger.