Page 28 - 2022-07-01VogueLivingar

‹‹ Elvis synthesised myriad influences into his singular voice,
invented and reinvented himself both stylistically and musically,
and created what I call an Elvis Decorative Aesthetic that has
influenced countless artists.
Chris Tangney, my creative 2IC of nearly 20 years and I developed
(under Baz’s exacting direction) the Elvis Decorative Aesthetic
from his richly decorated jumpsuits and meaningful symbols from
The Colonel’s and Elvis’s life. These elements have been used in the
film’s end credits roll. Baz wanted to include secret symbols that
resonate in the Elvis story and with the legions of obsessive fans
that know everything about Elvis’s life. We have included these
‘Easter eggs’ for you to discover throughout the issue.
Each one is connected to a moment of Elvis’s and The Colonel’s
experience. For instance the peacock on page 52 is an ode to Elvis’s
stained-glass Graceland peacock motif, his personal talisman after
his staggering success on NBC with his 1968 Comeback Special.
The peacock is, of course, the NBC logo, too. The “I love Elvis” and
“I Hate Elvis” buttons on Contents refer to badges The Colonel
had made as merchandise in the 1950s. He famously stated that
there was no reason that “the haters” should financially benefit from
their distaste. The Colonel was determined to profit from this
and made these to sell. Scattered throughout the pages you’ll see
these textures and talismans, subtle (or not so subtle) homages to
Elvis’s exuberant style.
In the same way that Elvis developed his own distinctive style
layered with meaning, so do the creative forces featured in the issue.
This edition celebrates Australians both here and abroad who
embrace courageous disregard for the norm and unashamedly
take their place centre stage in much the same way as Elvis did.
Confident in their way of seeing the world, even if the maximalist
aesthetic of Elvis is possibly less apparent on the surface, these
creatives’ commitment to their work is just as exuberant.
Whether it be The Huxleys’ ironic photographic take on Elvis, the
maestro Ken Done’s iconic hometown paintings, Marc Newson’s
groundbreaking designs that change the way we think about spaces
and objects, or the beautiful and stylistically varied interiors
featured, the shared thread with Elvis is that each creative is
wholeheartedly at the helm of their own journey, steadfastly
travelling into the future.

CATHERINE MARTIN