A household name by age seventeen, Mischa Barton first shot to fame with her role as Marissa Cooper on the hit teen soap opera The O.C. but there’s much more to her legacy: she’s starred in several acclaimed indie films, conquered theatre, modeled for the biggest names in fashion, and most recently has become a designer herself. Style icon, party girl, fashionista, It-Girl, call Mischa Barton what you will, but don’t dismiss her as just one of the beautiful people. Although beautiful is certainly an accurate word to describe the 25-year-old actress, few other young famous actresses have profited and suffered quite as much as Mischa from the explosion of internet exposure. No matter how the scurrilous tabloids have depicted her in the past, in real life she rapidly dissolves those preconceived notions. It was acutely evident when I first meet her that there is much more to Mischa Barton than meets the eye. Part West London/part NY/part LA, Barton happens to be incredibly likeable, openly candid, and irrepressibly enthusiastic about music. Best of all, she has a maturity that belies her youth.

In a world where people are finding love through the internet and reality shows, a world where tabloids judge people’s shortcomings for recompense, it’s refreshing to meet someone who recognizes life for what it is: complicated, a lot of work and ultimately wonderful.

Name one thing necessary to your happiness?
I would have to say music, actually. Music and books. My vinyl collection is imperative to my happiness. I love to just come home at night and put on an album. And first thing in the morning I put on an album, have a cup of coffee and just sit- that’s my downtime.

What are 5 Albums you can’t live without?
Def Leopard, America, Modest Mouse, White Stripes. I listen to a lot of old stuff too: Muddy Waters, Grateful Dead, The Doors; and new stuff: Radiohead, LCD Sound System. A big mixture. I love music, I am very particular about it, though. What I listen to depends on my mood. On a laid-back day it would be Muddy Waters or Otis Redding, but an upbeat day would be the White Stripes, the Black Lips or the Flaming Lips.

What was the last movie that made you cry?
BAD BLOOD, a French film. But I didn’t really cry. The last film I cried in was HARRY POTTER when Dumbledore died. That’s the kind of thing where I get attached to these characters. I don’t watch that much stuff. I’m not that up-to-date on movies.

Since this is our Crush issue, who was your first crush?
Joey Torgeano from Catholic school. He was an Italian/Irish boy and we went through First Communion together and had to walk down the aisle together in the church. I had such a crush on him. That was when I stopped listening to my parents for advice. That’s what turned me off of him. My mother would say, “Oh he’s so cute! He’s a little Irish boy—you should go after a boy like that.” And that was when I was like, “Ah I don’t like Joey anymore.” [laughs] Then I went for Max, this little crazy-haired Jewish boy.

What books are you crushing on now?
Well right now I’m reading Bill Bryson’s, A Short History of Nearly Anything. It’s a great book that I can dip in and out of. It’s nice and thick, full of substance that I want to really absorb. I’m really into philosophy and reading books about ancient philosophy. Illuminations by Rimbaud, he’s one of my favorite writers. There is so much comfort in buying your favorite books and surrounding yourself with them. I could spend so much money on books. All types of books—coffee table books, photography books, biographies. I really loved Patti Smith’s Just Kids and have a ton of books on her and Robert Maplethorpe’s photography.

Speaking of books, how do you feel about the iPad or Kindle?
At first I was really against it. There’s something nostalgic about actually holding the book you’re reading in your hands. But I think the accessibility behind them is a marketing genius. Especially in a place like Los Angeles. We’re always running around from place to place, it’s easy to just have a Kindle in your bag. But for me personally, I could never do it. I mean, I’m TERRIBLE with technology. I barely use my computer. Which hasn’t always been a good thing. I mean, the way the media chooses to portray you as a young actor, is left un-combated in the cyber world. That’s something I’m working on now, is getting my proper voice out to my fans on the Internet.

Are there any designers that you are crushing on right now?
I’m always into Miu Miu and Givenchy, I love the last season. Proenza always. I’ve been into some of the Prada stuff too. Mostly the last season’s accessories. I’m a huge accessory person.

You have a bag line right?
I have a bag line yeah! You can get them at mischabartonhandbags.com

What are your inspirations when you’re designing your handbags?
It’s kind of all over the map, really. I get inspiration from vintage bags. For example, I have a doctor’s bag design that’s taken directly from a vintage doctor’s bag I used to have. From the design, to the clasps and closures. It’s endless really. You can pretty much get anything done well these days, you just have to have a strong vision. I make lots of box bags, like old makeup cases, etc. I also have some classic designs that are catered towards the average working London woman going to work. Slouchy and small.

Mostly all of my bags are PVC [thermoplastic polymer], because it keeps the price down, which keeps it affordable and accessible. Coming off The OC, I have to keep in mind that a lot of my fans are the average person, so it would be a shame if I made a line that they could not access easily. You can easily fall into having a huge company for something and just attaching your name to it. But I really want the bags to be a proper representation of who Mischa Barton is and what my style is like. Prada is great, but the average person can’t afford that. Don’t get me wrong, I do make some high-end bags, a couple are leather, but most are PVC, which is vegan friendly. So not only are you getting a great bag, but you don’t have to worry about killing any animals, which I like. The bags still look and feel really good.

Do you look for a certain something in the movies that you do, or the characters that you portray when you choose a role?
Yes, absolutely! I look for a mix of things, some common identifying factor that I can relate and lend something to. Something that is going to push me to be something I would never get to be. That’s why I love acting. I was painfully shy when I was young and acting brought me out of my shell. When I got on stage I was able to really flourish because I felt that people were not judging me. I was putting a lot into the character and I was getting this respect from adults, which I was not ever getting from my peers. I mean the popular kids weren’t mean to me, but they definitely didn’t want me hanging around all the time. I was a loner and acting has been something I could hide behind. I gravitate towards relatively dark work, or heavily flawed characters.

What kind of people are you drawn to in your personal life?
Characters. People who are strong and independent. A little off-beat. Most of my friends are quirky and older than me. I have a lot of parent figures as friends. My family and background is quite reserved—me being English and born in London. When we moved to America, I wanted friends and people around me who were different from what I had always known. My friends are always there for me and I can really confide in them without out too much judgment. They’re very passionate and emotional.

I’m the only one in my family who gravitated toward acting. Everyone else does law politics and economics. But don’t get me wrong, I do have some friends who do fall into the same character as my family. All of my friends are very intelligent, and we have some amazing conversations. All of my friends are kind and thoughtful. My best idea of a night is a good dinner party with lots of good friends. I quite like it when they get a little heated in conversation. I really think people form a sort of bond over situations like that.

How do you feel about how you’ve been portrayed by the media?
[In 2009] I lived in Paris for a year, and living in France I got really used to good food and conversation. It was amazing. I don’t think anyone knew what I was doing or where I had gone. It was when things were getting bad with the press and I needed a safe place to be. The press kept on going on about me over here. It boiled down to me not having enough of a public voice. The entire time I was over in Paris living a healthy, completely different life then I was being given credit for. My life has never been as it has been perceived. There is a huge disconnect in the real Mischa and what people think is me.

Most people think I’m very Californian. I couldn’t be further from that. I moved to California for that show [The OC] at 17. I graduated early to do the show. I had NEVER been to Orange County. And I said that going into the character. The director said, “I know, that’s what I like about you. You have this European mindset with a New York sophistication. But you’re only 17 and we want to portray that in these young kids, to show that they are growing up too fast.”

When you settle down to have a family, do you want it to be in Europe, or America?
I like the European sensibility. I think the way the world is right now, America isn’t thriving. Artistically, I think London’s music and film scene is great. So it makes the decision easier. I’m English and I’m not sure I want to break that blood line yet. I would do what my parents did: being raised in London, and then moving to America young. If my dad didn’t come here for the World Trade Center, I would have very much grown up in this glass ceiling. America brought us all these opportunities, especially for me. We moved to America when I was six and by eight, I had found acting in summer camp and I ran with that. I was so lucky to have a career at such a young age, and I knew I was lucky. Being from a family with three girls, it was always an issue of identity. Acting gave that to me. I didn’t have to go through school questioning myself. I didn’t have to grow up wondering if I would be good enough to live up to the law and economics background that my father had.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
Well it goes without saying, that at 25, I already feel more settled than most. I feel like a completely different person, in a very good way, compared to how I felt about myself and life even two years ago. I think those leaps are daily. Every day I am growing and becoming a different person. I’ve settled down so much. For so long I was just going, going, going—I was being pushed to work so hard by so many people, I had a difficult time ever slowing down in anything. Don’t get me wrong, between my movies and my bag line, I do work and travel a lot. But in my older age it’s more on my own time, which is nice. I’m a hard worker, so when you stop, you make up all these catch-ups. I just moved out of my parents’ house this year, which is very old for most people. I had so much dedication and work ethic within my world, the simple things you do as you grow up, were never pushed. I’m used to being alone, and in all this downtime, I’m really finding myself.

In five years time, I think I will be quite done with living in the city all the time. I hope to be living in the English countryside, starting a family. I will always keep a home in New York or Los Angeles to come back to. But for the most part I want to be tucked away in a charming home, focusing on the important things in life.

What other projects are you currently working on?
It’s strange. Everyone keeps asking me about what I’m working on right now. But it’s quite the opposite. It’s about what projects I’m turning down, which identifies me as the actor I want to be. I’m in this funny phase in my career, where it’s super important to not do a project unless I’m really passionate about it. What [roles] you choose to take is how people are going to view you. It is hard, though. The way you want to go isn’t necessarily the way you get to go as an actor. This industry is run by fear. When you go too long without working, you have people hassling you. The jobs I do choose to do will form who I am.

I do have BHOPAL: A PRAYER FOR RAIN coming out soon, the movie I did with Martin Sheen [release date TBA 2012]. It’s a drama based on Bhopal and the gas problem in India. We got really good Indian actors to play the characters.

For the right role, would you ever return to T.V?
Yes, for the right role. Although I’m more interested in guest star roles. Being on a television show that does well is very time consuming. You’re working twelve-hour days, for hopefully quite a few seasons. You really get sucked into this image and ideal of who you are and who you want to be. During The OC, I was so young, it’s really a shame how these adults in my life and the media were able to portray me. So yes, now that I am adult and know who I am, I would return to television for the right role. But I definitely would keep more control on the environment. Television has been good to me, but it’s so overly publicized.

The only reason I said I wouldn’t go back to TV is simply because I don’t have enough time to dedicate just to one thing. Television is a machine, and it’s pretty exhausting. You have to love it.

photographer / David Joseph Perez

hair + makeup /  Stephanie Peterson

stylist / Javier Lewis

Sharmina @ Q Models

interview  / Koko Ntuen

What is the most challenging thing about modeling? The long hours.

Why did you want to be a model? It looked so glamorous and fun.. And allows you to travel around the world.

Who are your favorite models? Noemi Lenoir and Jon Kortajarena.

Jacket, Ashish. Bustier, Betsey Johnson. Shorts,  Margarita Saplala. Earrings, Lee Angel.

Dress, Betsey Johnson. Bracelet, Delphine-Charlotte Parmetier. Shoe, Jerome Rosseau. 

Dress, Betsey Johnson. Bracelets, Lee Angel.

At 25 years old; Paul Brickman is a rising star on the NYC Photography scene. His photographs show a unique perspective on what’s alluring and controversial, and gives a new platform to contemporary art.  He challenges his audience to look deeper into the idea of  the “sex symbol” through examples of dark social commentary, in a new series titled, Like A Lamb To The Slaughter. This sexy, scary, and always unique body of work serves as a visual commentary on our society; seeking acclaim while slipping into the herd.

This June marks the Lamb series’  first chance for an audience to experience the exhibition in it’s entirety. However, before he and his team can execute a show, they need to fund the printing, framing, mounting, and transporting for all pieces. This is where we implore you to help and donate. Please click on the following link to explore how you can participate:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/paulbrickman/paul-brickmans-like-a-lamb-to-the-slaughter

In exchange for donations, Paul will be giving out special treats and rewards such as signed postcards and artist catalogs, and selected images from the series.

Please spread the word: share with friends and colleagues.

For more information about Paul and his work, please click over to www.paulbrickman.com. We look forward to seeing the exhibition in June! – Tina Miller

story/ Aly Vander Hayden

photographs / Angel Ceballos

Beat Connection is more than just the title of a LCD Soundsystem song.  This tropical-psychedelic-pop duo composed of Jordon Koplowitz and Reed Juenger—with the help of vocalist Tom Eddy and drummer Jarred Katz—are trending their way into the electro-surf scene, even though they are from Seattle.  Their 2011 debut EP, Surf Noir, is self-described as “a labor of love reflecting the wait for the summer months when everyone cuts loose… The first sunny day, getting the girl, slacking off, partying…” The guys definitely know how to let us slip back into that perfect summer memory of “waking up to a sunset” during the dreary winter months with these washed-out, dream-like tracks.  After a cluster-fuck of showcases at CMJ, I got to chat with Koplowitz and Juenger about their “more concise” new album, the possibility of getting a Wikipedia page, and their obscure (read: fictional) recording locations.

What were your influences for Surf Noir?

Koplowitz: We have a ton of different influences, especially each of us individually. For me I would say like The Warning by Hot Chip was pretty influential, and Air France as well.

Juenger: A lot of things that influence us I don’t think came off that strongly in the record, which is kind of funny.  Air France is a really important one for me, and also The Avalanches, but I don’t know how apparent that is.  A lot of it was also like production on the DFA Record label and things like that.  When we recorded that [Surf Noir,] I was basically listening to Nas’ first album Illmatic.  I guess it influenced me somehow but Surf Noir sounds absolutely nothing like it.  Aesthetically, a pretty big influence as well is that we both started out as DJs.  Creating something that flowed together and was concise beyond one song was something really important to us.  It’s something that we experimented with and continue to experiment with.

The album art of Surf Noir and the collage for “In the Water” are amazing. Did you guys create those?

K: Yeah, we do the album art. I learnt how to use InDesign and Illustrator basically because of this band, so it’s been fun.

J: Those collages were all just born out of when we moved into this new house that we all live in now. It’s Jordan and I, the guy who plays drums [Katz], and a bunch of our friends—you guys went to pick up a couch, is that right?

K: Yeah, we went to pick up the couch and the guys asked us, “Hey do you guys want a bunch of National Geographic magazines?”  We were moving into a new house and didn’t have anything so we were like, “Yeah sure we need some stuff.”  So he handed us these copies of National Geographic and he has around 80 boxes. We got every single National Geographic from 1958 to 2000.

J: Yeah, it was pretty crazy. We trolled though those and sliced up pictures that we found interesting, and that’s what the collages came to be.  I still find scraps in my bedroom in random spots.

Your live shows are pretty intense with all of the lighting and amount of electronic equipment you guys have. How did you design the lights to go along with the music?

J: Okay live show, light show.  It’s all pretty nerdy to be totally honest. My computer is on the verge of crashing at every single one of our live shows; it’s really stressful. Obviously that’d be rough—and it did happen once at CMJ—but I’ve got four separate applications all working together that play the backing track, and also the vocals are going in at the same time, keeping the lights synchronized.  That’s what’s going on there, and it kind of came about as an opportunity to make our live shows a little more exciting.  A lot of venues that we would play at didn’t really have light shows or anything like that, and it would just be a little awkward on stage. For a while, it was just Jordan and I without the drummer, and I think it’s just a more fun now.

K: I think it added a little bit more to our live show. We didn’t have a singer and we were kind of stuck behind tables. We wanted to give the audience some lights that they could all get stoked out on.

What are you guys listening to a lot of right now that you think our readers should listen to?

J: I’ve been listening to a lot more ambient music lately.  I’m really, really enjoying Tycho’s new record. I think I’ve actually listened to Dive two times today, so something along that line.  Also, bands like The Field.  High Places’s new record is really good as well.

K: Some of the weird future R&B kind of stuff like How to Dress Well and Star Slinger remixes. I really like this band Groundislava, I think it might just be one producer’s, but it’s really good.

J: And Silky Johnson.

K: Laughs. Yeah, and Silky Johnson. And African tapes, like weird tapes from Africa.  It’s this blog website [Awesome Tapes from Africa] that has all of these old tapes from Africa and African bands.  Some of it’s like jungle music, but there’s some rap and stuff too. It’s sort of weird because it’s taken from these little tapes so the sound quality’s pretty funky.

So I read “In the Water” was recorded in a sorority basement “secret late at night” and you guys were caught.  Tell me about that.

J: Ah, we’ll have to dig deeper into our lie then.

K: Laughs. Yeah, that’s all bullshit.

J: But we have recorded in a lot of weird places—like my apartment shortly before going to parties. Jordan usually recorded in the basement of that party room, just wherever there was a place with a good set of speakers to work on.

K: But not actually in a sorority basement.

Laughs. Yeah, a lot of your online biography is satirical, so I wasn’t sure what to take away from that.

J: Laughs. I think some of it was done in a fraternity basement actually.  I definitely did some of the stuff on the bus going to work with headphones and stuff like that. It was anywhere we could work on it at any minute.

K: A lot of it was done in our attic.  Our attic is really nice though now; it has a lot of room.  That’s where we actually put everything together and finished Surf Noir, in the attic of the new house that we’re at now.  That is where we are also recording our new album.

What’s the new album going to be like?

K: Probably more concise than our last album on a genre level.

J: Some of it is also really wide-focused. It’s hard for us to [stick with one genre]—actually this is just more concise than the last album. Laughs. I don’t know.  It’s still all over the place in a good way. We’re using a lot more real instruments now, which is cool.

K: It’s probably a little bit more dance-y overall. Not in like a—

J: There’s no dubstep on this album.

So unfortunate.  If you were the age you are now in the 70s, what band’s poster would you have on your wall?

K: I would probably have a Beach Boys poster, even though they’re not from the 70s really. I’d be livin’ in the past.

J: The fact that I, well we, make electronic music is a little bit of a rebellion to what my parents subjected me to as a kid. So it was The Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan and stuff like that, and I was just like ‘No, fuck that, I don’t wanna listen to your records from The Cure and shit like that. I wanna make electronic music.’ I guess with that in mind, I’d probably be into the emerging punk scene or I would randomly be into the funk that became hip-hop.

K: Actually now thinking about it, I’d probably be into disco because I’m still into disco. Maybe like the underground disco. If anything it’d be jungle disco. I’m sure on Reed’s wall would be “Thrown Love in C minor.” Laughs.

When are you guys going to get a Wikipedia page?

K: I don’t know.  Will you make us one?  We got interviewed once when we were over in England, and the guy said that he was going to make us a Wikipedia page—then he never did.

J: Just add for the genre: Meta-pop.

K: Laughs. The guy was super stoked on the idea of coining this term for us, being like ‘I’m going to put that on the Wikipedia page.’

J: When I actually coined the term meta-pop.

Well, I’ll definitely pull through and make you guys a Wikipedia page.

K: I want you to just make one and put a picture on there and have no definition. Just say, ‘This is the band.’

J: Then it’ll be just taken down by the Wikipedia committee!

What’s some advice you’d like to pass along to our readers?

J: You are beautiful, you are awesome, you can do it. That’s more of a motivational statement than advice.

K: This is a hard question. I don’t think I can pull out any gold here.

J: Don’t think too hard about questions in interviews!  That’s some advice for you.

Check our more of Beat Connection in our Nostalgia Issue!

story + interview / LOGAN BRENDT  photo / DEAN CHALKEY

British rock band Kasabian is currently touring in support of their fourth album Velociraptor! released late last year. Though they are well received by the indie rock contingent and the underground alternative music scene, their dynamic and aggressive cool sound has yet to pierce the mainstream rock audience stateside. Those who are in the know will hopefully get the good fortune to see them live when they tour North America this spring for the first time in 5 years. Probably their most talked about stop is their return to the Coachella festival in California this year.

Kasabian guitarist and songwriter Serge Pizzorno talked to Ladygunn about music, life, and the anticipated Coachella. Not only was he humble, but he also had a mysterious poetic air about him. Definitely what a rockstar should be.

In the spring, you’ll be touring North America for the first time in 5 years. We’ve missed you over here. Where have you been?

Well we’ve made two records, and we’ve been playing in the rest of the world, having a great time.

You do have a devoted fan base here in the United States. But, how happy have you been with the radio play that you’ve been getting here?

I don’t know. I don’t know anything about it. The reason why we didn’t make it on the last record is ’cause the label was just not into it. So there is no point if you’ve not got the backing from that— then it’s a big place to go and just hang around you know. So we’ve moved labels. That’s helped, and things seem to be going really well with that.

You’ll be playing Coachella this year and since you’ve played at the festival in the past, do you remember anything about it? What do you look forward to most?

It was great. I remember meeting Vincent Gallo there which for me was quite incredible. He came to see us play. I remember just having a really good night, just sort meeting people and having a good drink. It was great.

Do you have any cool stories with Vincent?

I think we went back to someone’s house. It was incredible. Just listened to music and sat by this huge pool. It was great. It was nice. I remember it being a sort of beautiful setting as well. It felt like a proper festival, like the ones you see on those old DVDs, like the 70s or something. It felt good.

So then I guess you do get an opportunity to see the places that you tour?

You tend to, yeah. Depends how much motivation you’ve got. If you really wanted to you could get out there and go and see stuff. It depends you know, if you just want to close the curtains and just like stay in your own little den.

You toured with Oasis. Do you have any stories from when you toured with them?

There was so many really. We took over a bar in New York and just tore it up you know. It was a great time. Did some acid at [Red Rocks]. That was pretty phenomenal.

How much trouble did you get into with them?

It was all good clean fun really. We just hung out and listened to music and just talked. It was sort of perfect.

What do you do before a show to get into the live performance mindset?

I only have one ritual. Half an hour before the gig, I pour myself Sailor Jerry’s, like a 60/40 shot. That kind of sets me up then for the gig. That’s kind of about it really. I listen to tunes. We have huge speakers in the changing room, but I like a big drink about a half an hour before I go on. That’s the only thing that I really do that’s constant.

What’s generally irritating to you when it comes to the current music culture?

I’m not really that irritated by it. I don’t really care about it really. I just listen to what I like, and the things that irritate me I find easy to ignore.

You covered Lana Del Rey’s “Video Games” during a live BBC Radio session. What do you think of all the criticism she’s been receiving recently regarding her Saturday Night Live appearance?

I don’t know anything about it. I honestly don’t know anything about Lana Del Rey. We had to do a cover. I heard the song on the radio and thought it was beautiful so we just did it you know. I innocently sort of heard this beautiful song and covered it. I think it’s an incredible song. I have no idea about any performance.

I really liked the aesthetic of your music videos for “Club Foot” and “Days Are Forgotten”. Is making music videos something you enjoy or something you find tedious?

Music videos is a strange one because you sort of rely on other people coming up with good ideas and you don’t really get a great deal of time. You make one and you get a couple of months to come up with ideas to make another. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. It’s difficult. I think you always have to remember when you’re making them, they mark history in the end. Making them is quite tedious— sat in a studio playing the same song for like twelve hours. But while you’re playing that song you have to remember that’s going to be immortalized, well not on television anymore, on the internet. You kind of have to stay with it, and then years later you can look back and laugh at yourself when you were kids.

Which Kasabian song is your favorite, based on a lyrical perspective?

I suppose “Where Did All The Love Go?” from the last record. It sort of predicted what happened in England. Some crazy rioting last year which was completely fucking messed up. That tune kind of called that. For that reason, I choose that.

Did you have any literary influences when you wrote Velociraptor!? Have you been reading anything recently that you’ve really enjoyed?

For the last record I kind of hugely immersed myself in everything I could get hold of really. But this time around I just decided not to listen to music, or read, or watch too many films. It has a habit of really influencing what you do which is great sometimes but I just felt like I didn’t want any of that this time.

Away from the touring, the music, the work, what is your personal sanctuary that you like to recover to?

It’s my family really. I love being at home with my family, that’s it.

You’ve recently become a father, is that right?

Yeah.

How has that changed everything?

It’s not changed. Touring’s still the same. It’s still absolute chaos. It’s incredibly fun. You live like an outlaw which is incredible. Before, I was living like that at home as well. But when you have a kid— I took the decision not to carry that lifestyle home with me. It’s crazy you know. It’s changed home life for the better really. I really enjoy getting home but it’s not really changed me on the touring side of things. It’s still insane. It has to be insane or else I wouldn’t go on tour.

photographs /  David Joseph Perez

hair / Kimiyuki Misawa

makeup / Stephanie Peterson

model  /  Kursten @ Wilhelmina

interview / Koko Ntuen

Who was your first crush? Ummm, I actually can’t remember his name for the life of me, but i know it didn’t last long though. LOL
What is your favorite reality show to watch? Mob Wives!
What is your favorite brand? Hmmmm. It’s a tie between Chanel and Christian Dior.
Who would you love to work for? Victoria’s Secret!
What was the best shoot you ever did? That’s a hard one, probably the very first one I’ve ever done because somewhere during the shoot I realized my passion for modeling.
Who is the nicest designer you ever met? I can’t say really, the ones I’ve met are all really nice! :/
How do you start your mornings? With a shower and two blueberry eggos!
Who is the last person you kissed? C.T. <3
What is the most challenging thing about modeling? For me it would have to be accepting the fact that not everybody’s gonna like you, and even though they might not you have to keep going no matter what.
Who is the last person you said I love you to? My mommy
Where do you want to be in ten years? I want to have graced the pages of every notable fashion magazine, have a contract as a Victoria Secret Angel, be recognized as a top model, be the co-owner of a restaurant with my mother as the chef and on the way to starting a family of my own.
Who is your celebrity crush? Kanye West.
What magazine would you love to be on the cover of? Vogue Italia or V.
What was your last scary dream? Omg!The last one I had I thought a spider was crawling on the wall and I thought there was one of my pillow too, so I jumped out of my sleep, freaking out because I actually thought it was real.
Who do you get advice from? Definitely my mother, I can talk to her about any and every thing and for 19 years,she’s never been wrong about anything she’s told me.

model / Tori Trigg @ red11

assistant / Lili Sumner

Leather Letterman Jacket, Leon & Harper.

All Clothing, American Retro. Shoes, Stylists own. Necklace, Models own.

Bridget Kelly embodies the energy of what you would call a beautiful tomboy. She has an edge of assertiveness mixed with just enough lady like qualities. On this beautiful fall day in New York, she dons an interesting manicure job, cleverly skunk streaked bangs and yellow sneaker shoes.

Many know her simply as the girl who sang the anthem “Empire State of Mind” in place of Alicia Keys for Jay-Z’s 9/11 tribute concert. Yet, after taking a listen to her EP Every Girl, it’s easy to see that she is a shining star in her own right. Kelly’s single “Seek and Destroy” is abrasive with just a touch of pop and speaks to literally Every Girl. In fact, minutes after listening I posted a link to her SoundCloud page, on my boyfriends Facebook wall. Ladygunn chopped it up with Ms. Kelly, Roc Nation’s reigning princess.

Who wrote “Seek and Destroy”?

The Dream! Don’t you hear all those damn curse words! Lol

Did he also write Every Girl?

No. James Fauntleory wrote it! He’s an amazing writer too!

How accurate are these songs to your life?

Very accurate! They describe me very much.

How would you describe your style?

Soft and hard. I wear a lot of feminine pieces like the shirt I’m wearing now that has the back out but then I’ll wear shoes with chains hanging off.

Curios, Are you single?

Kinda sort of. (Pause) I’m going to say yes!

What can’t you live without?

Hmm I don’t know….I guess water! That’s a good one.

New York or LA?

New York! I’m from here!

I see you covered Frank Ocean’s song “Thinking About Forever” on your EP?

Actually, Frank wrote that song for me initially but there were some discrepancies on when my project would be dropping so he went ahead and released his version.

When is the album dropping?

2012. Many of the songs on the EP will be on the album so if you liked the EP then you’ll like the album.