Table of contents for April 2015 in OUT

CHRISTOPHER GLAZEK In This Issue: Writer, “The Many Heresies of Madonna Louise Ciccone,” page 74 Provenance: Detroit, Michigan Twitter Handle: @seeglazek Inspiration: I’m inspired by problems. That’s one reason I feel intellectually inspired living in New York—I see problems everywhere. Behind the Story: Meeting Madonna was gratifying, fun, and special! So was rediscovering Truth or Dare, her 1991 doc, which is one of the most beautiful cinematic documents of all time. ZACH STAFFORD In This Issue: Writer, “The Killing of Stephen White,” page 68 Provenance: Hendersonville, Tenn. Twitter Handle: @ZachStafford Home Life: I have a roommate who has been a friend since college. He is also straight, which makes our house feel like a sitcom at times. Current Project: I am working on a project about HIV-positive people and their…

Fashion and art have always mingled. But this season is less about shelling out for yet another limited-edition designer-artist collab and more about channeling the great masters themselves. Dior Homme and Hermès are using scribbles, blotches, and brushstrokes to breathe new life into ready-to-wear, their evocative prints suffusing wardrobe staples with a sense of gloriously messy whimsy. Dip into their daring palettes and you’ll paint a vivid picture of just how inspired, confident, and adventurous you are. Because, in the end, what is art if not taking risks?…

Will we ever stop wanting more? “Harder, better, faster, stronger,” those wily robots Daft Punk intoned some 15 years ago. But they were being ironic. The ultimate sign of progress—and stylishness—is doing more with less. This season, designers like Calvin Klein and Perry Ellis are embracing clean lines, classic shapes, and basic black-and-whites. Much like minimalist architectural touchstones such as Philip Johnson’s Glass House and Louis Kahn’s Salk Institute, their looks prove that there’s something very chic and timeless and human about the austere and the restrained. So drop the frills, and experience the thrills of reconnecting with the simple.…

IN THE SECOND EPISODE of the new season of HBO’s Looking, Patrick lets a possible bedbug bite become something that quickly eats away at him. He notices a rash on the side of his torso, and almost immediately asks his buddy Dom, “It’s definitely not AIDS, right?” Dom gives him a friendly brush-off, leaving Patrick to his self-examination, and within a few scenes, Patrick is staring at a computer screen full of Googled rash images while talking to an HIV helpline attendant on speakerphone. He gets her name (“Noelle”). They gab about Murder, She Wrote. He asks her questions she couldn’t possibly answer on a call. For me, the scene was funny, until it kinda wasn’t. More than ever, I saw Patrick as a funhouse mirror—a warped, exaggerated reflection of…

Diamond in the Rough A look behind the curtain of the long-shuttered club that’s fast becoming a queen of New York nightlife ANYONE WHO’S ATTENDED New York’s immersive Queen of the Night knows that its chocolate-cake dessert isn’t served on a plate, but on a spoon—a spoon handled by one of many comely male and female “butlers” who gyrate around the eponymous mistress of this luxe dinner theater, and feed guests their final bites of the evening. Unfolding in the wake of a spectacle in which gravity and inhibitions are defied (dance and sex are almost indistinguishable here), the scene is one that would delight Marie Antoinette, and it’s in line with the vision of installation mastermind Douglas Little, who served as the set and environmental designer of Queen’s glam…

IN 1927, the United Artists Theatre was born on a short stretch of downtown Los Angeles, one of a dozen ornate movie palaces built between 1910 and 1931 that beckoned a quickly expanding moviegoing public to the heart of the blossoming entertainment industry. By the end of the 20th century, however, the masses had long since fled to suburban multiplexes, and downtown’s movie houses began to crack and sag. But the United Artists Theatre, a Spanish gothic structure that served time as an evangelical church in the 1990s (with a large neon JESUS SAVES sign blaring out back), recently returned to its artistic roots. Last January, it was resurrected as The Theatre, a multi-arts film and performance venue, by a different kind of savior: the Ace Hotel. It may sound…

The gay 28-year-old graphic designer explains the stories behind his favorite record covers. Grizzly Bear, Veckatimest (2009) “Artist William J. O’Brien lent us a series of colorful, abstract drawings that highlighted the album’s harmonies and textures. To tie it together, we referenced 1960s jazz typography to reflect the intricately layered music and artwork.” Pat Metheny Unity Group, Kin (2014) “I made this collage out of magazine scraps (under the creative direction of designer Stephen Doyle) to evoke this jazz album’s title. We later animated the image online by adding new layers of ephemera as the faces morphed into each other, giving the impression of life.” Sondre Lerche, Please (2014) “For our third album together, Sondre turned to the paintings of fellow…

Gay couple Raúl Arévalo and Brad Schmidt launched their menswear brand, Cadet, in 2011. Now, with a smart, made-in-the-USA approach (all garments are produced in Brooklyn), the military-inspired label is thriving. Here, a few of the pair’s inspirations. 1880s New York Military Academy Jacket SCHMIDT: “This is the jacket that solidified our brand. We purchased one at the Brooklyn Flea, and it brought together the name of our label (the bronze buttons on the jacket have the word CADET on them) and our overall direction.” Le Quy Tong Portrait #12 ARÉVALO: “It’s a 4-by-5-foot oil painting we purchased on a trip to Hanoi. It’s a portrait of an imaginary person with multiracial features that challenges your mind to categorize the subject.” Eames Wire Chairs With Leather Bikini Pads…

Look beyond the usual suspects and you’ll discover a whole new world of flavor. Here, Jamie Mayne, the fromager at Third and Vine in Jersey City, N.J. (Thirdand Vine.com), and formerly of New York’s beloved Casellula, shares some of her favorite unsung cheeses. BAVARIA Gepfeffertes Ärschle “It’s from Anton Holzinger and Sennerei Zurwies at Bio-Käserei Zurwies, and means ‘peppered ass.’ It’s a washed-rind cheese laced with black peppercorns, so it’s spicy.” CROATIA Paski Sir “It’s a gorgeous sheep’s milk cheese that is released super young—like a young cheddar or Gouda—all the way up to an older cheese that’s so hard you can barely bite into it. If you find it, at whatever age, it’s absolutely worth getting. In my opinion, the older the better.” SPAIN Caña de Oveja “It’s a sheep-…

The debate over what bag a gentleman should carry has gotten very complicated. We have more to lug around (smartphones, laptops, tablets, spin shoes) and more options to lug it all around in (messengers, totes, briefcases, knapsacks). Your best bet? Going back to your roots. Like, elementary school back. Remember how practical your backpack was then? It could hold everything you needed and balance the weight nicely on your shoulders. Re-embracing it as an adult means upgrading to something sleek, simple, and sturdy. Strap on one of the luxe black and navy offerings in leather and suede from brands like Dior Homme and Diesel, and you’ll look like a man who knows how to get things done on the go. Plus you’ll have your hands free for all those high…

COMPLERA is a prescription medicine for adults who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before and who have no more than 100,000 copies/mL of virus in their blood. COMPLERA can also replace current HIV-1 medicines for some adults who have an undetectable viral load (less than 50 copies/mL) and whose healthcare provider determines that they meet certain other requirements. COMPLERA combines 3 medicines into 1 pill to be taken once a day with food. COMPLERA should not be used with other HIV-1 medicines. COMPLERA does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS. To control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses you must keep taking COMPLERA. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to reduce the risk of passing HIV-1 to others. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to…

AS KARL LAGERFELD and Anna Wintour can attest, your face is never fully dressed without the perfect pair of shades. They can serve as a perfect hangover helper, or a mask of rock-star aloofness. More importantly, they’re a coat of armor—your eyes’ first line of defense against harmful rays. “Sunglasses are considered a medical device by U.S. customs,” says Grant Krajecki (above), designer and founder of the New York–based eyewear label Grey Ant. Launched in L.A. in 1998, with an emphasis on quirky womenswear inspired by New Wave and offbeat pop culture, Grey Ant now focuses exclusively on specs. The philosophy behind the brand, Krajecki says, is extreme subtleties. “The human face,” he explains, “is a much more concentrated area to focus on. It doesn’t move like the body.” Eyewear,…

By his own calculus, at least, the artist and filmmaker Jacolby Satterwhite could be mistaken for a pop star. “I’m having such a Janet day,” he tells me one night over dinner, pulling up a photo of the singer on his phone. In it, Jackson grimaces nervously at the camera. He has just landed in Miami for the 13th annual Art Basel, the art world’s boozy grand fête and celebrity-heavy blowout. His new autobiographical film, En Plein Air: Diamond Princess, which continues the artist’s inquiry into the nature of the body, will premiere in late April at the Pérez Art Museum, and I’m curious what else he has planned for 2015. Satterwhite, who’s wearing a T-shirt that reads JUST HYPE, pauses and sets down his beer. “I want to become…

Tribute A firm, rich, and smooth aged cheese made from goat and cow milk, from Evergreen Lane Farm in Fennville, Mich. Cathy and Tom Halinski oversee the cheese-making operation from beginning to end. EvergreenLaneFarm.com Snow Camp Goat Lady Dairy in Climax, N.C., produces some wonderful soft-ripened goat cheeses. Another blend of cow and goat milk, Snow Camp is released after only two weeks of ripening. GoatLadyDairy.com Sunset Bay A goat’s milk cheese wheel, made by Rivers Edge in Logsden, Ore. Inside is a very fine line of smoked Spanish paprika, which looks like a sunset. In your mouth, you have this congress of flavors—salty, smoky, earthy, with a lemon tang. ThreeRingFarm.com Chaumine A buttery cheese made by Goldin Artisan Goat Cheese in Molalla, Ore. It’s aromatic, full-flavored, and slightly stinky.…

“I KIND OF MISS HIM,” says Joel Kinnaman, referring to Stephen Holder, the streetwise, hoodie-wearing detective (and reformed addict) he played in AMC’s absorbing crime serial, The Killing, based on the hit Danish show Forbrydelsen. “He could be both very mature and deeply immature, very angry and vulnerable.” Of course, the fact that Holder could embody such contradictions simultaneously was due, in no small part, to the depth that Kinnaman brought to the role. A rare example of an American adaptation holding its own against the European original, The Killing was compelling in large part because of the chemistry between Holder and his pensive colleague, Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos). Their dynamic—playful, prickly, and emotionally complex—was the most striking difference between the two shows. “The Danish version of the role I…

What is STRIBILD? STRIBILD is a prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before. STRIBILD combines 4 medicines into 1 pill to be taken once a day with food. STRIBILD is a complete single-tablet regimen and should not be used with other HIV-1 medicines. STRIBILD does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS. To control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses you must keep taking STRIBILD. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to reduce the risk of passing HIV-1 to others. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important…

Having big, curly hair has its advantages, mainly that it’s thick and just looks fun. But giving off a wild vibe and dealing with an untamed mane are two different things. Enter Devachan, New York City’s go-to salon for frizzy ’dos. Here, senior stylist Julie McIntosh shares her best tips for controlling your kink. GO EASY ON THE WASHING McIntosh suggests a sulfate- and paraben-free cleanser that doesn’t strip hair of its natural oils, like Fellow Barber Complete Shampoo (8 oz., $22). “Don’t wash your hair more than twice a week,” she says. “And use a refreshing spray like DevaCurl Mist-er Right Lavender Curl Revitalizer (12 oz., $19.95) between washes.” CRITICAL CONDITION “It’s all about hydration: After shampooing, massage your scalp with DevaCurl One Condition Ultra Creamy Daily Conditioner (12…

Max Irons has longevity on the brain. The 29-year-old is wary of Hollywood’s current template for young actors—wherein a role in a major franchise is designed to generate instant stardom—after witnessing the fate of many of his peers. “Where are they now?” he pointedly asks, singling out Robert Pattinson as a rare exception. Instead, this eloquent, humble prince of the movie biz, who hasn’t an ounce of the entitlement you might expect from the son of Jeremy Irons, has a different model in mind: one followed by men like Philip Seymour Hoffman and Robert De Niro, who both experimented as they tiptoed toward the A-list. “Philip Seymour Hoffman was always a genius, but no one gave a shit about him in the beginning,” Irons says. “He laid a foundation of…

ONE (1953–67) Beating down obscenity charges, it’s the magazine that made the rest of us possible. Its demure, modern aesthetic masked radically progressive content. Straight to Hell (1973–present) Queer rejection of social norms birthed this celebration of “unnatural acts.” STH’s pornographer founder Boyd McDonald flaunted our identity in its sexy, reader-written stories. Diseased Pariah News (1990–99) By and for the HIV-positive community, it shamed those who let thousands die, while providing tongue-in-cheek humor for those still living. Hello Mr. (2013–present) Reader submissions fuel its highly personal and provocative content, while a bold, minimalist design allows the stylish mag to sit confidently on mainstream newsstands.…

This week, it might be a pair of cap-toe, python-embossed gray leather sneakers; next week, a pair of emerald green pony hair chukkhas. You never know what kind of shoes Axel Arigato will drop, and that’s half the fun. Launched last July, the Swedish-based company (Axel is the name of its French designer; Arigato, Japanese for “thank you”) eschews brick-and-mortar outlets, drawing on its soaring social media fan base to sell the shoes it releases at weekly intervals. The strategy has resulted in a fiercely loyal customer base. “Within three days of launching, we’d sold to 14 countries,” says Albin Johansson, the company’s 28-year-old CEO. “Now we are up to 76.” Johansson met creative director Max Svärdh, also 28, in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 2013, and, along with Axel, they’ve parlayed…

FROM MICHELANGELO to Rauschenberg, gay artists can be found at any major museum. Meanwhile, Tom of Finland’s “dirty drawings” of bulging bikers, lumberjacks, and leathermen seemed forever confined to the back rooms of gay bars—not the hallowed halls of white-walled galleries. But a new window display at Colette Gallery on one of Paris’s most fashionable streets is aiming to elevate the work from hardcore to haute. The new exhibition of Henzel Studio’s luxury handmade rugs—which will also feature designs by Nan Goldin and Richard Prince—is the result of the tireless efforts of the Tom of Finland Foundation to promote the artist’s legacy. But the trend doesn’t stop with pricey tapestries. With gallery exhibitions, linens, a line of athletic apparel, and a new biopic about the artist in the works, we’re…

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