Win a Double Pass to Carbon Festival!
And read our interview with Vanishing Elephant's Huw Bennett while you're at it.
Carbon Festival showcases a range of local and international creative-types that are kind of a big deal, who stand up, say words, and enlighten others about how they became so awesome. This year's confrences and sideshow events will take place on April 21 — 29 at BMW Edge, Federation Square in Melbourne, with the two day forum taking place on April 28 and 29. The massive line-up of speakers includes but is not limited to Oyster contributor and insanely big blogger Yimmy Yayo, NYC-based director 13th Witness and fellow New York photographer Ricky Powell, Joy Yoon from SlamXhype, Eugene Kan from Hypebeast and street artists including DAL and Faith 47, plus many more. Another guy who'll be getting up and doing his thing is Huw Bennett, co-founder of local label Vanishing Elephant, who we had a quick chat with ahead of the event (he's left in the photo above with Vanishing bros Felix Chan and Arran Russell).
Lucy Cormack: Can you tell us a little about the history of the Vanishing Elephant label? Are a lot of your collections modeled off Felix, Arran’s and your own style?
Huw Bennett: We started about four years ago and have been in the market for just over three years. We're a men's label although we have just sold in our first womens collection. We're Sydney-based, and sell throughout Australia with our own retail store in Melbourne. We also sell in New Zealand, Japan, USA, UK, and select European, and Asian accounts. We always have ourselves in mind when designing the collection, but tend to use that as a starting base before we try to define or have a hero in mind for the range.
You are Sydney-based, as is the label. Do you see Vanishing Elephant fitting into the Melbourne scene in a different way than Sydney?
We'd like to think that our customer is universal, but in reality they really are all different...Obvious, yes. There is a real divide bewteen Sydney and Melbourne, and in many respects we think this is a great thing. The Melbourne market has been really good receiving the store and us through Melbourne stores in the past. I think the import thing for us as a Sydney-based brand is to have a local Melbourne tribe and to interact with them beyond the shop floor.
Vanishing Elephant's collab with Stussy:
As a creative person what are you hoping to add to Carbon?
Well, I'd like to think I can add something interesting for those listening. Evolution of an idea seems so serious, so I will have to leave some of my sarcasm out. I'm still in the process of writing some words and points, but feel comfortable that I can share the Vanishing Elephant experience and in turn impart some useful information to those listening.
Are there any other guests you're looking forward to catching yourself?
I'm really interested to hear Eugene Kan the editor from Hypebeast, Yimmy Yayo — a constant source of visual inspiration for us and my fellow speakers — Mega and Dust LA Rock.
Huw speaking at last year's event:
Artistically who or what are your greatest inspirations?
Always a hard one to answer; I have a lot of creative friends that are a constant inspiration. Aside from that I'm pretty black and white, films, novels, mags (in particualr Brutus, Free & Easy, Green soccer journal) and travel.
Check out the teaser video for Carbon 2012 below...
The legends over at Carbon have a double pass to the two day forum plus the launch party to giveaway to Oyster readers. The two day forum pass includes entry to all the forums, as well as the launch party presented by Jansport at Roxanne Parlour on Friday April 27 where Fool’s Gold (NYC), DJ Neil Armstrong (NYC), The ARC (NZ) and Dublin Aunts (AUS) will play. The two day forum pass and launch party pack is worth $215 per head, so you and a friend will be feeling pretty damn fly if you win. How do you enter? Email [email protected] with Carbon as the subject line. Include your name and a contact number and tell us why you want to go to Carbon and why. Humour, acrostic poems and the inclusion of pictures will be looked upon favorably. You have until midnight on Monday April 23, 2012. Please note the prize does not include transport or accommodation, so you must already be in Melbourne or make your way there — definitely worth traveling for. Good luck!
Ingrid Kesa
