Guess what my favorite magazine is. Nope, it’s not Vogue. Not W either, though it’s a close second. You’ll never get it. It’s Rolling Stone magazine. I read it religiously, front to back, every week, as if my life depended on it. It was always my dream to write for Rolling Stone. I think I even sent them my portfolio once, a really long time ago. Most of all I love the cover stories. Even if it’s about someone I don’t care about, some teenage pop star, or country crooner, I read them. Because they’re engaging, intimate stories, that transport you and take you on a ride through the subject’s life. For a few days, you feel like you’re eating, drinking and driving with them. Josh Eels, Vanessa Grigoriadis, Brian Hiatt, my hat off to you. You are my heros.

Anyways, Rolling Stone is also a pretty reliable source of inspiration for my casting and styling work. It’s the most obvious place to discover the new kids on the block. I mean, I don’t have to tell you what Rolling Stone can do for any of these sprouting careers. And it’s great to catch them just before they, say, get spotted by the fashion industry. In one of the July issues this summer, I saw a picture of a “Kandi Kid”. It was a nameless guy dressed to the teeth in colorful beaded necklaces and bracelets, with lollipops, pez dispensers and all sorts of Hello Kitty stuff dangling from his chest, arms and ankles. Apparently Kandi Kids are a thing. They are part of a sub culture of teenage ravers that go to Electronic Dance Music festivals, pop E and MDMA, and dance their asses off, sharing candy, toys and pills on their way to oblivion. But they’re sweet, like the masses of sugar they absorb, so it’s all good.

That Kandi dude was the inspiration for this shoot I styled with Mel Bles for V Spain. It’s a bit bananas, without the calories.

Photography: Mel Bless / Model: Aline Weber @ Next / Fashion: Natalie Joos / Hair: Roberto di Cuia / Make-up: Ralph Siciliano.

Thank you to Evelien Joos at V magazine and Chanda Renee, my assistant.