Wed Jan 6
Willis Hip Interview
Willis Hip, whose hipness transcends more than just his surname, is the creator of Vinyl & Vodka. Documenting trends in music for a little over four months, he’s recently branched into fashion. It only seems natural, after all, he’s two degrees away from celebrity Tavi Gevinson. Willis Hip even started his own online zine, Vinyl & Vodka, which features an interview with Dragonette. This powerhouse hails from Edmonton, Canada, and we sat down to talk all things two-thousand-ten. [Edited for length, we were talking about the new V magazine plus-size issue up until this point].WH: except i dont know anybody from there. photographed by terry richardson and tbh the pics from the link i sent you, the girls don’t look THAT plus sized.
TT: no wonder i immediately thought “purple”.
WH: haha
TT: yeah i like the first ones way better but plus size is like a size two.
WH: i guess.
TT: these are exciting though. i honestly think this next decade is gonna be seriously amazing.
WH: ugh imagine if there were plus sized guy models. there are no plus sized guy models…. just noticed weird.
TT: i think it’s because girls who are “buff” have never had a place in fashion, but guys have. so plus sized guys would be those buff ‘s dudes. but you’re right theres no fatties.
WH: and if there are, theyre really gross ones.
WH: umm no, not really. should i?
TT: i don’t know. just anything. like maybe you want to grow taller and become the first plus sized male model.
WH: i dont think i can do that to save my life. i can’t gain weight. the more i eat, the more i lose. it’s weird but i love it.
TT: but at least that shit is “in” right now haha. maybe you could make it big.
WH: what is in?
TT: the skinny “kid in a band” male model.
WH: Hahaha. oh yes hedi slimane would love me.
TT: and you’d love him back.
WH: yes.
TT: he’s on my meet before i die list.
WH: same as i. i don’t think im pale enough for him though.
TT: well maybe that’ll change in this next decade too. so how in the hell did you bring people together to write on your blog?
WH: i dont know! i just needed help and people came to me. i wish love worked that way as well. hhaha hahah jk
TT: hah i’m sure it will in time. who knows what 2010 has in store…
TT: totally just reading this article though “Often we do not ask because we project in our mind that the answer will be no, and for most people our biggest fear is rejection. Sure, it can be scary to get turned down. Here is an important secret though, the more you do it the easier it gets, and the less scary.”
WH: rejection is not my fear.
TT: haha i’m just reading it for success purposes. j.k. rowling got rejected 12 times before she got picked up!
WH: except for friend requests on facebook from famous people. lol
TT: my goal is to be the best seller of myself.
WH: my goal is to……be successful.
TT: in what?
WH: in my blog/magazine? and to not fail physics, oh god.
TT: well you’re halfway there. what are you looking for, though? like a goal of 4000 readers a day or like somebody recognizes my talent and i do a line with rodarte for target?
WH: i used to have that amount back in my old blog.
TT: woof.
WH: i am insanely jealous of Tavi.
TT: i’m not. she definitely deserves it all. she is very talented.
WH: are you being sarcastic?
TT: no. don’t you think she’s talented?
WH: in what way? how is she talented? the only thing that made her famous was her age, and her parents money. if tavi wasn’t 12 and was poor and did not own any designer clothes it would be much harder for her to be as big as she is now.
TT: well she has somehow managed to “sell herself” (my 2010 goal) to become one of the most popular fashion bloggers and every goal she has set out for herself she has reached. it hasn’t gotten to her head. and she manages to infuse her personality into her blog which she keeps writing only for herself. AND if at the very least we are talking about her right now, and to me, that is success.
WH: hm i have to agree to that.
TT: and i think she dresses well, even if it is designer or just her dead grandma’s wardrobe. she’s good at styling and has enough courage to troupe around in crazy outfits at the age of 12, which i know i couldn’t have done.
WH: i’m not hating on her though im just saying that i am jealous, she definitely deserves it. i think the reason why i am jealous is because everyone wants to be like her, including me.
TT: she is inspiring. wish we were friends!
WH: my friend from vancouver is friends with her. i was actually going to eventually ask you if i could interview you for my magazine for a feature called “The 2010’s”
TT: oh sounds interesting.
WH: uhh the deets of it is that i will interview 20 people who i think will make it big in 2010, get it “The 20 10’s” as in 20 people, rated ‘10 stars’ idk. i think its genius.
TT: hmm i can’t promise i’ll make it big this year though.
WH: you will. oh you will i know it. i can feel it, during this conversation.
WH: ooh with who?
TT: elisabeth ouni from no balls, no glory; a polaroid story.
WH: amazing! cool that rhymes, is it intentional?
TT: ill be sure to ask her.
WH: yes, do that!
TT: this interview is actually pretty interesting.
WH: i skimmed through some questions but its a cool interview. where does she live? TT: chicago i think.
WH: sweet! i think she should move to new york or something.
TT: haha she’s 12 still!
WH: well with her mom obviously and her parents.
TT: who knows what damage she could do. do you know a lot of blog people?
WH: quite a few, yes. you must know a lot.
TT: not really. the best part of this interview: “Do you know what you’re gonna do for the rest of the day? Do you have homework? TW: No homework, or none due Monday, but I should be getting a head start on some other things. After this I might invite my friend over ‘cause I ordered a turntable and it came yesterday and she wants to hear it” hahaha.
WH: hahahah i want a turntable! i’ve always wanted to start an actual, personal blog like tavi’s or andrew’s pull teeth. i dont know whats preventing me from it - maybe because i don’t have a good quality camera?
TT: that’s your goal for 2010 right there.
WH: i was actually borrowing my brothers yesterday to take some pictures. i ended up breaking it…. yes! thats my goal. i tried to infuse some of it with my actual music blog but i dont think thats going to turn out well. what should i call it if i do make one?
TT: THE HUMANS ARE DEAD
WH: that’s a good name. ill put it in one of my lists.
TT: it was on my facebook home page.
WH: you should start a personal blog as well get your readers to ‘know you’ and your style.
TT: i am going to start filming my life and see where it heads. sort of like andy warhol’s factory diaries.
WH: yes.
TT: because i think 2010 is heading in a new technology direction. so i’d want to make my blog a complete experience.
WH: that is pretty sweet. what are you going to film? just like, in the middle of a conversation with your friends you would just whip out your camera and start filming it?
TT: everything outside of school. maybe try and sneak it into the ION offices. although that would be too “the hills” probably. it’ll be totally experimental. i want to document my life though in film. sort of like brooke candy’s bloody guts.
WH: I think I would tune in to a vancouver version of the hills. that is a sweet tumblr. i dont think i have enough cool friends to do that, edmonton is boring.
TT: that’s rejection talking.
WH: why are you always right?
TT: i’m not.
WH: i could document the life of having a job at american apparel. it’d be like a hipster blog.
TT: you work at AA? that’s cool. i’m sure you have lots of work stories.
WH: yes. it was the only place that would hire me for part time i was talking to one of my co-workers about hipsters and i said “well, all of these people in here are hipsters” and everyone was silent and the turned to me and gave me an evil look.
TT: most people who hate hipsters are hipsters themselves. haha and if it means people dress better, than im all for it.
WH: i didn’t say i hate hipsters. most of my friends are hipsters haha.
WH: i dont know what i am. i used to get called hipster last year and this year i get comments like “you’re like a male version of lady gaga” and “youre just like patrick wolf”. i can dress very extreme some days. i made a see through chiffon shirt the other day with shoulder pads and feathers coming out of the shoulders, and chains dangling all over my chest. i got the weirdest looks but i absolutely love it.
TT: cool. life is short. patrick wolf was on the cover of ion a couple issues ago. too bad. i could have met him or something.
WH: i love patrick wolf. i have that issue! its right beside me on my desk. life IS short… i’m scared to be over 30.
TT: you’re over 30?
WH: no im half of that. do you think the fact that im pretty young will attract readers or lose readers?
TT: i think that if you worry about how your age will affect your readership you’re blogging for the wrong reason. i think you should care less what people think.
WH: you’re very wise, you know.
TT: i just say what’s on my mind. but thank you.
WH: keep on doing that.
TT: i have to sleep though. ill talk to you when i get back to vancouver!
WH: I don’t know what is going on but Andrew wants me to tell you that you’re an idiot.
TT: haha tell him he’s a tiger woods ho. g Tweet