April 07, WM Issue # 2: Kim Hastreiter Interview

The WM Interview with:

KIM HASTREITER

FASHION DIRECTOR, PUBLISHER & EDITOR OF

PAPER MAGAZINE

by Claudia Schwalb

“Tracey Emin had Longchamp Laptop bags for sale for $889.00. The Jeff Koons skateboards only cost $100.00 which is a good buy for a work of art!”

I have come to know Kim Hastreiter through her Dandie Dinmont terrier, Romeo. Each morning my poodle, Ethan and Kim’s dog, along with an eclectic group of art world people and dogs sit around at the Washington Square Dog Run. Kim draws artists to her like a magnet. She has the coolest education, having received her Masters of Fine Arts at California Institute of the Arts. Kim is the Fashion Director, Editor and Publisher of PAPER Magazine.

Because of her familiarity with the California art scene, Kim did a marvelous issue on the Art Tribes of L.A. Galleries in Chinatown such as Black Dragon Society, Happy Lion, Thomas Solomon, Daniel Hug, Mary Goldman, Peres Projects, Sister, David Kordansky, China Art Objects, Trudi and Ooga Booga participated in exhibitions during this time. PAPER also covered exhibitions in Venice Beach, Silverlake, Culver City, Frog City, Santa Monica and Venice. PAPER did Irving Penn style group photos of the Art Tribes of California.

Lately Kim was the Curator of Art Basel Miami Beach which was in collaboration with Deitch Projects Gallery. She was also the Fashion Director for PAPER during Fashion Week in New York.

Tracey Emin had Longchamp Laptop bags for sale for $889.00. The Jeff Koons skateboards only cost $100.00 which is a good buy for a work of art! Marilyn Minter, Alex Katz and Richard Phillips did really beautiful Target produced beach towels. Assume Astro Vivid Focus did a really gorgeous Le Sportsac bag, and there were Stephen Sprouse fabric covered pillows.  Sol Lewitt created silk scarves and china, Kiki Smith rugs and Lisa Yuskavage shower curtains which ran for $1,500.00. Of course, as an artist, I was fascinated by the rumors of a buying frenzy at Miami Basel. 

WM: Can you recount the tale about the buying frenzy of art that took place at Miami Basel?

KIM: We didn't sell art but rather sold products by artists. Multiples and Limited Editions. We were not at the Fair proper but actually had a storefront in the Design District. The store was frenzied though. There were lines wrapped around the block and we had to have guards at the door to only let people in 20 at a time it was so crowded. Even though we were not selling fine art, but selling stuff, people were insanely frenzied and grabbing, pushing and fighting over the stuff. There was an actual fight over the last Jeff Koons skateboard. I have never seen more black American express cards in my whole life!

“Lately Kim was the Curator of Art Basel Miami Beach which was in collaboration with Deitch Projects Gallery. She was also the Fashion Director for PAPER during Fashion Week in New York.”

 WM: During Fashion Week, what was Paper Magazine's stance on it?

 KIM: We love covering the younger more alternative designers althought we do have some old time favorites like Marc Jacobs who had an incredible show this year. Mostly, we loved designers like Maria Cornejo, As Four, Ben Cho, Angel Chang, Rodarte and Thom Browne. We are more interested in the young, more alternative Indie designers

WM: Your journeys to L.A. - How did Paper see the California artists?

KIM: We do not separate out the artists from the rest of the creatives. We were more interested in not ghettoizing people and the creatives we know and love are more those people who love to crossover in what they do. People who make art and music or fashion and music or film and art and fashion, etc. We like the combustion crossover.

 www.papermag.com