photographer : Brent Leideritz
makeup artist : Mishka
hair stylist : Mishka
models : Meluxine, Gracie, Jade, Mandi Lee, and Mishka

view the full editorial in the August/September 2011 Issue

Through the release of Shiv-r’s debut dark electronic album with a horror edge, Hold My Hand, by three labels; Metropolis Records, Infacted Recordings, and Deathwatch Asia, Shiv-r has experienced a good deal of success worldwide in a relatively short period of time. We had the chance to talk with one half of Shiv-r, Pete Crane, about their new EP Incision, touring Australia and Europe, his other musical projects including The Crystalline Effect, and the importance that captivating visual elements play in his projects.

interview : Jennifer Link
photographer : Brent Leideritz
makeup artist : Mishka
hair stylist : Mishka
model : Pete Crane
assistant : Wendy Crane

Originally from Australia, you moved to London and wrote Shiv-r’s Hold My Hand while there, and you are currently living in the Netherlands, what areyour favorite aspects of each? And how have these locations influenced the style and sound of your projects?

Pete Crane : London was probably the single biggest influence in the formation of Shiv-r. I was living in a ghetto-ass area, faced with seeing violence, extreme coldness, emotional alienation, and general filth on a daily basis. I was essentially screaming for expression in a perpetually dark and claustrophobic environment. The Netherlands is like the ‘anti-London’ for me, in that it’s much quieter, more open, and less centralized. I have since moved back to Sydney, Australia, but with plans to move overseas again in 2012. Ironically, I find the unbeatable weather of Sydney and the cheerful atmosphere of the Netherlands almost take away the inspiration I was feeding on in London, as though the oppression was fueling me. Satisfaction is a very dangerous thing!

How heavily do you weigh visual aesthetic, fashion, and style in your current musical projects?

PC : Shiv-r is an all-encompassing project for us so the visual element needs to go hand-in-hand with the music. We create strong, dark music with a haunting, delicate twist, and our visual aesthetic needs to express this. We’ve been fortunate enough to collaborate with amazing fashion designers like Mother of London and photographers like Brent Leideritz on achieving this vision and it’s something we’ll be doing more of.

read the full interview in the February/March 2011 Issue

Emerging from the Australian burlesque scene is Mercy St Just, said to be the Australian equivalent to Dita Von Teese. With a varied background in Latin dance and burlesque performance, Mercy St Just is the essential 21st century pin up model. Mercy’s varied worldwide appearances have brought her enough success to headline her very own branded form of burlesque dance complete with custom props and costumes.

photographer : Brent Leideritz
fashion stylist : Jade Sardon
makeup artist : Mishka
hair stylist : Lyndall Vile
model : Mercy St Just
location : Laruche and The Comics Lounge

view the full feature in the October/November 2010 Issue

The October/November issue is the twelfth issue of Auxiliary, a magazine dedicated to alternative fashion, music, and lifestyle.  This issue features an interview with Michael Gira of Swans, an interview with Andy LaPlegua of Combichrist, a designer feature on Loved to Death, Bridget Blonde and Mercy St Just as our PinUps, and the art of Michael Mararian.  The issue also contains a vintage meets modern fashion editorial, a fashion editorial full of spooky prints for Halloween, a beauty editorial featuring looks inspired by Vlad the Impaler, Lady Bathory, and more, a Memento Mori inspired style feature, and an editorial by Arden Leigh.  It features photography by Laura Dark, Brent Leideritz, and Ama Lea to name a few, and fashion by Stop Staring, Eve Gravel, Unique Vintage, Rebecca Taylor, Jeffrey Campbell, Dungaree Dolly, Too Fast, Sourpuss, Cinched Tight Corsets, and much much more.

You can download it HERE for free.   Print copies are available online HERE and in stores HERE.  Enjoy!

photographer : Brent Leideritz
makeup artist and styling : Mishka
models : Ashlee Adams, India Rose, and Meluxine

view the full editorial in the June/July 2010 Issue