The Thousands

A few months back, VISIONAIRE packaged up 50 issues and sold them for US$150,000. Unless you are some Trump-like character, there is no way you will ever afford one, let alone 50, of these ridiculously beautiful publications (which have come as light boxes, toys and vinyl sound under the watchful eye of Testino, Kawakubo and Jonze). 

So we went to the library. The Fischer Library at Sydney University, where there is a rumoured VISIONAIRE 49 sitting somewhere around Dewey Decimal 709.04 669v49. Or not. The specified location revealed not a specialty tome, but a block of wood with the vague instructions "Visionaire, shelved in Reserve". So we went to the librarian. A factual looking lass with a sixth sense for cryptic instructions.**Ten seconds later, and there it is. A large silver container, A3, holding 13 separately bound publications. Each is a full-colour tribute to an era in fashion, counting down from the thousands (fascinating yet strangely hideous nudes) to the 1800s (mottled skulls, test tubes and other beautifully creepy images). This thing must be seen to be believed.

True believers should also tackle the Rozelle SCA, which is rumoured to contain VISIONAIRE 34 (curated by Hedi Slimane) and ‘The Bible‘ according to Philippe Stark with Testino nudes. Lord help us.