The Misshapes
| The Misshapes | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | New York City, New York, United States |
| Occupations | DJ's, music producers, performers, models |
| Years active | 2005-present |
| Labels | Opus/Universal |
| Website | www.misshapes.com |
| Members |
Geordon Nicol Greg Krelenstein Leigh Lezark |
The Misshapes are a New York City-based collective composed of DJ's Leigh Lezark, Geordon Nicol and Greg Krelenstein.
History
Misshapes (night club), 2003–2008
Beginning in 2004, the trio cultivated a large following when they brought the dance party "Misshapes" to downtown New York City. The name was taken from the Pulp song Mis-Shapes.
The party was first hosted at 21 7th Avenue South in the West Village of New York City. Geordon and Leigh had to lie about their age as well as falsify resumes to obtain access to the space at the time.
With the help of the Internet, the party's popularity grew within the fashion, music and art scene. In 2005 following a performance by Madonna and Stuart Price, Misshapes experienced continued capacity issues and the party was moved to iconic SoHo club Don Hill's.
At its new location, the event, as well as the DJ's, enjoyed growing success. Downtown it-kids and celebrities partied together. Creative DIY-style flyers were created and sent around. A big part of the Misshapes party is its accompanying website, Misshapes.com. Early adopters of social media, the Misshapes posted weekly photos of the party, as well as portraits taken against a white wall.
DJs and Live performers included: Agyness Deyn, Alexandre Herchcovitch, Arcade Fire, Bloc Party, Cassie, Chromeo, Cory Kennedy, David Byrne, Dash Snow, Dev Hynes, The Drums, Felix da Housecat, Franz Ferdinand, Gareth Pugh, Gemma Ward, The Gossip, Hedi Slimane, Henry Holland, The Horrors, Hot Hot Heat, Interpol, James Iha, Jarvis Cocker, Jeremy Scott, Junior Sanchez, Junior Senior, Kelis, Kelly Osbourne, The Killers, Klaxons, Lady Sovereign, Ladytron, Lady Miss Kier, Le Tigre, Lily Donaldson, M.I.A, Madonna, MSTRKRFT, Nan Golden, Patrick Wolf, Peaches, Pharrell Williams, The Rapture, Rilo Kiley, Rufus Wainwright, Selma Blair, Sienna Miller, Siouxsie Sioux, Sophia Lamar, The Sounds, Steve Aoki, The Strokes, These New Puritans, Uffie, The Virgins, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Yoko Ono.
After a successful 5-year run, the trio decided to discontinue Misshapes as a weekly party but continue to produce special "one off" Misshapes events in new locations.
Misshapes book
The Misshapes have also expanded into publishing with the release of their self-titled stylebook Misshapes (MTV Press), edited by Nicol.
The book contains almost 300 pages of fashion portraits and over 2,500 images with photography by Julian Gilbert, Karl Lagerfeld, Leigh Lezark, Nick Haymes, Miguel Villalobos, Patrick McMullan, Ryan McGinley, Ryan Pfluger, Scott Meriam and Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner.
The book's introduction is written by "Vogue" magazine and Vogue.com editor Sally Singer and additional text by writer Legs McNeil, and Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker.
The photographs collected in this book were seen by millions, via the internet, over the years 2003-2007. They made it to Tucson and Tokyo, Laramie and London. They were pinned on walls of leading fashion designers’ ateliers in New York and Paris and Milan. Somewhere, in some kid’s bedroom in a garden exurb, they were no doubt transformed into wallpaper. Stringy, sweaty, stripy, sleek, sylph-like, saucy, sassy, sarcastic and helplessly sexy, the subjects were read as sirens, beckoning one to slip on two or three layered tanks and a pair of Swedish jeans and start dancing.These pictures, though, should not just be read as free-floating inspiration for how to update New Wave for the Noughties. They are a document of a scene that transpired in New York at two tiny venues—first Luke and Leroy and then Don Hills—at a time when tiny venues were weekly turning into Starbucks or being torn down and replaced by luxury condos. They are proof that even when Manhattan had, because of larger economic forces, foregone much of what had made it interesting, its denizens knew better, and sought out strange corners to work a little magic after midnight.
The history of nightlife here is well-told and well-mythologized; what’s important aren’t the details of who dj-ed when and the do-you-remember big nights. What matters most is the knowledge that at an hour when other princesses have realized their town cars were pumpkins and gone to bed, some Cinderellas below 14th Street are just beginning to dig through the pile of clothes in their closetless bedrooms, trying to find the right look for an evening that has yet to begin. And make no mistake: they are Cinderellas. The essential truth about club culture is not that a velvet rope exists to keep the rabble from the royals. Clubs are the sites where rabble becomes royalty.
No one understands this better than The Misshapes—Greg, Geordon and Leigh—who have been the keepers of the late-hours flame for the past few years, against formidable odds. The images of them and their acolytes and devotees and pals should really be read as fabulous immigration photos: the moment when a young man or woman moved forever from suburban kid or Upper Eastside black sheep or so-what teen star to New Yorker, pure and cool. If they inspired others from around the globe to follow suit, god bless them.—Sally Singer, Vogue.com
Sound design
In 2008, the Misshapes began designing the soundtracks to the first fashion shows of London based designer Henry Holland.
Since then the Misshapes have provided runway soundtracks for designers including Adidas Originals, Bill Blass, Calvin Klein, Costello Tagliapietra, Cynthia Rowley, Diesel Black Gold, Jeremy Scott, Karl Lagerfeld, Rachel Zoe, Sophia Kokosalaki, Tory Burch, Viktor & Rolf and Zac Posen.
The Misshapes have also collaborated with brands like Chanel, Harry Winston, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Moet & Chandon, Sotheby' and Visionaire to soundtrack installations in galleries, museums, public places and art centers.
See also
References
- Misshapes Official Myspace: Tour History The Misshapes on Myspace
- Misshapes South America - Uruguay --
- The Sounds Official website
- ONE: EDUN and ONE: The Campaign to Make Poverty History Join to Launch New ONE T-shirt.
- Teen Vogue:
- The New York Observer: At H&M, Easy Cavalli, Easy Go.
- The Imagist: The Amazing, Audacious Agyness Deyn!
- Misshapes Book (Nicol, 2008 MTV Press) Misshapes
- Misshape's After-Party: A global nightlife brand tries to grow up.
- Cool, at Least for a Few Minutes.
- STYLE STUDIO: The MisShapes.