Trouble is my middle name

vor 4 years

“If The Aliens Come Down, I Will Take Them To My Leader, Michelle Elie.”

 

Michelle Elie looks through her closet and she proclaims to the universe,

I HAVE TOO MANY BEAUTIFUL DRESSES AND NONE OF THEM ARE BEING LOVED.

This is not totally true. They are definitely being loved by the masses:

A good chunk of Michelle’s clothing is currently living at the Museum Angewandte Kunst in Frankfurt, in a solo exhibit called Life doesn’t frighten me. (In those heels, how could it?)

But she’s tired of sweats.

She’s tired of quarantine.

She’s tired of not being in front of the camera or in front of eyes given reason to ogle and she’s sick and tired of not dressing up for the joy of dressing up.

Michelle’s husband is an acclaimed art director. Mike Meiré hears the commotion his wife is making.

He agrees with her lamented sentiments:

PUT THIS ON I WANT TO TAKE YOUR PICTURE.

She wraps a deflated pool mattress around her body and poses a pose the fashion industry has swooned over since her supermodel days in the 90s heyday of supermodels.

Their friend Troi Ollivierre calls at the right time. In fellow isolation, his role as make up artist for designers and friends including Rei Kawakubo has been put on hold. He’s tired of bedhead hair. He’s tired of #nomakeupmakeup.

TROI COME OVER LETS GET INTO SOME FUN.

To them, this is a Thursday.

But it is more than a Thursday,

This is the birth of TROUBLE.

I am given the not not-daunting task of talking to these wonders, these LOUD AND COLORFUL WEIRDOS. They are playful creatures that I do not consider humans but if others insist they are human, fine, I am proud to be akin to them in whatever interplanetary way we shall resort to identifying.

Today is my birthday and I have already had a big piece of cake for breakfast.

If breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, then I think this means I am going to have one of the best days ever. But now there’s the pressure for tomorrow’s breakfast. I will figure this out later. In the meantime, my only concern are these aliens. And I know one thing for certain —

IF THE ALIENS COME DOWN, I WILL TAKE THEM TO MY LEADER, MICHELLE ELIE.

Michelle, I have a problem, I live in black.

I live in Colours.

I sleep in black!

I sleep in colours of the sky and the ocean… I love blues, yellows, greens, reds, pinks and fuchsia… I am was born in the Caribbean, and black is just not a colour for a “Bird of Paradise.” I live vividly.

Coming from New York and now living in Berlin, I cannot not be surrounded by a sea of black. Did you go through a darkness phase? Is there hope for me yet?

I live in Köln, but I always bring with me all of the experiences from my roots, which is Haiti, and I carry around my Fearless, which is from New York. I surrounded myself only with things that generate light and beauty. The rest I filter. My space is very private. I only allow in what I wish to experience.

I don’t consider your closet a luxury so much as a necessity for your interplanetary survival. What are your little luxuries?

Family and friends

What are you eating?

A lot of roasted chicken and I’m looking forward to eating more fresh fish on holiday.

Drinking?

I drink only a rose champagne from Phillipe Gonet.

Dancing to?

Dancing to Grace Jones, “La Vie En Rose”

Dancing in?

Dancing in PJs. I am a morning person and I start my day dancing.

Dreaming of?

Dreaming of wearing a couture Valentino cape while dancing to “C’est Si Bon” by Eartha Kitt 

Plotting?

Robbing all the Comme des Garçons shops ‘round the world and the archive in Tokyo.

Planting?

100 Cypress trees, Olive trees, Palm trees and Fan Banana trees.

Watching?

A documentary on the history of African Americans and the Middle Passage during the time of slavery. It’s the real untold truth of the African slave trade all around the world.

Do you dabble in the occult? 

If you mean, do I believe in spirituality? Yes, yes I do.

What color are your toes?

The colour of water.

 

I need to know: what did you wear on your wedding day to Mike?

A divine costume made by Maria Cornejo, the designer of ZERO

Love her. You know, I don’t think this world has enough multi-weddings. I think if I found someone I would want to marry once, I would then want to marry them again and again, maybe if just for the garb and the cake.

I totally agree. The second time, I would just dance until dawn. During our first wedding, I was so set on making sure everyone was having a great time. But the second time around, it would be for me to have all the fun.

So what would you wear on your second wedding day to Mike?

This is our 20th wedding anniversary. We were planning a second wedding renewal of our vows, but due to the worlds crises, we will push for a second dedication at our 25 years celebration… And I will wear COMME DES GARÇONS 2018. It looks like a slice of cake. 

 

Penguins or ostriches?

Ostriches, of course! Without a doubt. An African bird! A fast runner, a powerful bird, and so elegant! She can defend herself even in a Lion’s Den.

Potatoes or oranges?

Oranges. I am from The Caribbean… 

Paris or Berlin?

Tough one! I must take both! They give to me so much… 

If you woke up in the most perfect way imaginable every morning, if every morning you got up on the right side of the bed and had the time for a little leisure, what would you be having for breakfast?

A real good coffee and real good croissants.

Does the Haitian goddess have wisdom to pass on to me, regarding surviving urban heat? FKK? Fruit baskets?

A Rudi Gernreich bathing suit and an extremely large straw hat. Mosquito cream and a good playlist for sundown.

The limited edition TROUBLE zine is printed in collaboration with OOR Studios.
We strongly recommend perusing with a slice of cake.

For more info and to order, email info@oor.berlin
For following purposes: @michelle_elie, @mikemeire, @troiollivierrebeauty, @oor_studio

Text: Janna Shaw
Images courtesy of Mike Meiré and Michelle Elie and Vogue Runway

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