Bringing his gang of Moscow skater teens to a Parisian protestant church, this season Gosha Rubchinskiy combined two seemingly different youth subcultures – the 80s consumerism of the Italian Paninaro and the macho vibes of the Russian Nazbol – to create a powerful hybrid AW15 collection. To document the occasion, Rubchinskiy joined forces with Julian Klincewicz – the San Diego-based artist, skater and musician who has recently released a zine, book, 7-inch record and won the support of Vans.
Having first come across Klincewicz through Instagram, Rubchinskiy was drawn to the young artist’s VHS-based video work as much as his other projects, and invited him over from California to Paris to work on the backstage shoot: “I gave him complete freedom,” explains the designer. And so it was: in an age of HD obsession and countless glossy live streams, Julian applied his unique brand of intriguing VHS imagery to Rubchinskiy’s latest collection. About his medium, Klincewicz explains: “I'm most interested in how limiting it is, and also how stark and pure it is. VHS is really strong visually – whether you love it or hate it, you'll be able to recognise it.”
Of Rubchinskiy’s work, Klincewicz is inspired by its authenticity. “I think he's doing something very genuine, very un-pretentious, and very artistically methodical,” he says. “There's also a lot to read into each piece – what he's referencing, What cultures he's juxtaposing, what ideas he's building off of, playing with, and expanding.” In this collaboration, soundtracked by the intentionally discordant synthy sounds of Buttechno (who also soundtracked the runway, exclusively livestreamed on Dazed), Rubchinskiy’s particular brand of youth culture is candidly explored by Klincewicz. Watch the exclusive film below.
