Stand & Deliver is a relatively new clothing line out of Los Angeles – the creation of über-rocker Corey Parks (Chelsea Girls, ex-Nashville Pussy, ex-The Hunns). The rock n roll couture has been spotted on everyone from Black Eyed Peas’ Fergie, Rancid’s Tim Armstrong, Lizzy Jagger, Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse Hughes, model-actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and more. Corey has also designed stage costumes for Rihanna and Marilyn Manson as well as dressing stars such as Lenny Kravitz and Steven Tyler. I caught up with Corey for a chat about all things Stand & Deliver.

COREY PARKS: We’re just hanging out at the shop getting things done and eating some Mexican food. We have this amazing little loungey area that I’m sitting in at our space. There was a bunch of debauchery happening here last night and I’m just looking over the remnants of last night’s escapades here at Stand & Deliver [laughs]. They’re doing an installation downstairs right now in the gallery – I have a showroom gallery – they’re going to be showing works by Janette Beckman. She’s an amazing photographer! She lived in London and had the good sense to photograph everything around her in the 60s and 70s—all the Teds and the Mods. She also took pictures in New York in the 70s, she has these great black and white photos. We’ll be keeping them here for about a month run. You’ll be able to get limited edition prints. They’re curating it right now. I have my little minions here and we’re getting stuff together for the show in a couple of weeks.

Wow! There’s a lot happening, it all sounds so exciting!
CP: Yeah! It’s all coming together. Stand & Deliver for me isn’t really a fashion statement it’s more a way of life and that way of life includes more than just fashion. I’ve been a bass player for 20 years so a lot of music happens here. I’ve got this really great two-story lofty thing. We have a lot of interesting and fascinating people coming through making stuff and having meeting here. Everyone from the president of the Hell’s Angels to an Oscar winner, which is kind of a weird interesting mix of people to find their way into my little abode. It’s pretty cool!

I find that’s the best way to be, to not limit yourself or circles of friends or let things like that define you. It’s the best that you have a space where all your loves can come together.
CP: Exactly! And, with the people that you live that’s important. Parties are going to start happening here. In 2012 we’re going to be doing 12 parties – one a month – a theme party where everyone has to dress exactly the same, we’re going to do icons—Andy Warhol will be the first one. There’s going to be 200 Andy Warhols in here, the photos are going to be amazing! It’s mandatory to wear a costume, it’s up to the discretion of the door guy if you get in. We’re basically stripping everything away from everyone’s fashion and style – things we use to define ourselves – are going to be gone.

That’s awesome! Makes me want to come join you guys in L.A. for it!
CP: Yeah it’s crazy! I can’t wait to see it.

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• I am so excited that Major Lazer is working on a track with No Doubt for their new album!
• Tim (Armstrong from Rancid)  Timebomb’s Rock n Roll Theatre.
• Hip hop artist Immortal Technique talks ‘Cohesive Strategy and a lot of Brainstorming’ at Occupy Wall St.
• Excitement plus! Australian illustrator DrFaustusAU is recreating the classic H. P. Lovecraft tale The Call of Cthulhu as a Dr. Seuss-style children’s book.
• A short film Courtney (Love) In Wonderland by Vanity Fair! Plus there’s an in-depth feature in the November issue!
• A visual feast! Concert/band posters at Gig Posters and Magnificent Beard are just a pleasure to ogle at.
• A favourite artist Shepard Fairey Paints Asbury Park.
• Spinnerette’s Brody Dalle plugged into an amp as recently as last week! Looking forward to a new record, apparently she’s ”slowly making my record , about halfway there” (according to one of her tweets!)
• This was a lovely find, an interview with corset maker Mr Pearl. He’s made creations for Dita Von Teese, Kylie Minogue, Victoria Beckham and more and worked with designers John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Thierry Mugler, Antonio Berardi, and Christian Lacroix. The answers are handwritten by Mr Pearl himself as he doesn’t believe in computers, e-mail, or mobile phones. I just adore handwritten things.
• Food for thought: I Love My Job, But It Made Me Poorer by Le Tigre’s JD Samson
• Want to know if you should work for free? Consult this handy chart. Definitely made me giggle, after 17 years of doing what I do I can relate to this so much.
• Once again Australian zine Rest Assured delivers more awesomeness: Mini Doco on McRad and Chuck Treece.
• Puurfect Pineapples make the most amazing cruelty-free lingerie! So beautiful and cutesy made with the best of intentions: sweat shop free and animal free.
• Hey, Ho! Let’s Go! The New Girl Rock’N'Roll Underground by Joyce Raskin at Collapse Board. Girls Rock Camp! I wish they had that when I was growing up.
• The Roots x Yo Gabba Gabba live on Jimmy Fallon!! So rad!!
•  And lastly, if you’re after a book that is bizarre, odd or downright weird, The Weird Book Room is for you! Some of the titles totally have me laughing out loud!

Mucho love & sparkles,

*Photo source: V

• For some awesome new music check out Living Too Late: Fast Weapons Radio Sundays from 10:00PM to 12:00AM  (Punk, Post-punk, No-wave, and Noise) … you can also listen to previous shows at any time too.
•  The Little Cupcake and Cookie Shop make the raddest cakes… Exhibit A – a red velvet Hello Kitty cake!
• Seriously cute! Jedi Kittens Strike Back.
• Thanks to my homegirl Nas Kat I’ve been turned on to the uber-awesome Australian-based Lotus Mendes jewelry line. Goddess rings. King Tut handcuffs. Reach for the Stars bling. If you’re after a statement piece with heart this is the place! 
• Have a Debbie Harry, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé of your very own to put in your pocket. Paper dolls.  Hell yeah! Fun, fun!
•  “The stage will belong to you” in rock goddess Corey Parks’ (and longtime friend Yohanna Logan) Stand & Deliver high end couture line. Worn by Rancid’s Tim Armstrong, Black Eyed Peas’ Fergie, Jennifer Herrema and more. The label was named after the Adam Ant song—here’s No Doubt, Katy Perry and Hayley from Paramore rocking their version of it!
• Want to know what Lemmy’s hat collection looks like?
• A bootleg of the 13^th Floor Elevators recorded on the Sump’n Else television show from 1966.
• Burlesque performer Beatrix Von Bourbon wrote a really frank piece on Going from full-time performer to a performer with a part-time job. An interesting read I think many creative can relate to.
•  One of my favourite bands Elysian Field has a new record out Last Night on Earth. Jennifer and Oren talk about the album… their interview answers make me love them even more!
• Ever wanted to know what it’s like to work at a fashion magazine? Jazzi McGilbert one of my favourite fashion bloggers has interned at the best of them. 
•  10 Weird and Wonderful Women Musicians (Who Eat Lady Gaga For Breakfast)  
• Graffiti Wars examines street art and graffiti, and the creative tensions and conflicts within this artistic arena.  
• Want to know how How Hip Hop Changed The World ?  
• A couple of nights ago in the US Planet Rock The Story of Hip Hop and the Crack Generation aired.
• One of my favourite underground hip hop acts of late The Lost Children Of Babylon (LCOB) performed live at The Zeitgeist Media Festival.
• Vogue editor-in-chief of 10 years (and a lady I find inspirational) Carine Rotifeld answers what she’s been up to since leaving Vogue and what’s next on the horizon? Her book Irreverent featuring photographs culled over her 30-year career is published on October 5.
•  There’s also an interview between Carine Roitfeld and Karl Lagerfeld up on Interview.
• More interesting music writing from Collapse Board that’s resulted in an interesting comment read. A Letter to a Disgruntled Goyte Fan.
• Where does Bikini Kill/Le Tigre/The Julie Ruin’s Kathleen Hanna get her hair cut? Bandmate Johnanna Fateman’s NYC hair salon that’s where! 
• Australian zinesters chat about The zine scene: Underground world of self-publishing
• Vivienne Westwood chat to Rolling Stone about her Spring 2012 Collection.
• Beth Ditto performing at the M.A.C. Soho Fashion’s Night Out. She performs Madonna’s Vogue and Dolly Parton’s Jolene!
• And lastly this week, my photographer friend Mark Lobo has started a new site called Von Vintage which takes a look at preserving the beauty in objects that were once common place, all through film photography.  

Wishing you happy days!

*Image sourced from Teen Vogue.

Dear Universe,

Just wanted to let you know how thankful I am that I get to converse and collaborate with inspiring, creative, innovative individuals every single day. I pinch myself over and over to make sure I’m not dreaming. Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to ask: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? I will be forever that inquisitive kid questioning and trying to understand the world, my place in the world and myself. Thought I’d share a mash-up of some of the punk rock wisdom and hip hop insight I’ve gained on my journey:

Art by Sodium Gum

Tim Armstrong’s greatest aspiration as an artist:

To keep playing music; that’s what we [Rancid] love, that’s what we do. I have new ideas, always new things. People always ask me ‘Is Operation Ivy gonna get back together?’ You know they’re my homies—Matt Freeman is my brother—but it’s like, ‘Nah man, I’m on to something new. I want to do new shit.’ …to live a good life and take care of myself and have my friends and family around me. I’m blessed to still have my family here. My dad and mum are still here and still been married after 50 years. My brother got back from Iraq. My other brother is one of the bookers at Gilman Street. As an artist I just want to keep doing new shit. I got some ideas, always! They never stop… I love playing music! That’s my number one thing. It’s all I have ever done.

Art by Satchoo

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien on success:

It’s achieving a goal that you set for yourself, that goal may not be money. For me, Eleventh Hour was a successful endeavour. It had a lot more to do with me and what was going on in my life than trying to sell the album for money. It wasn’t about that. It was about getting this knowledge in my head to work out everything I need to. It came out dope. On this album I was right there, concentrated and focused. I didn’t want this album to be scattered—that took a lot of work. After years of not focusing and just doing it… I’m used to just doing… after a while I figured that wasn’t enough. I felt like I had to put more effort into it. Realising that was successful to me. There was a lot of things around me that tried to stop me. I just kept going. Now I’m ready to go after more success. I’ve grown.

Art by Ktharsis

Glenn Danzig on what motivates & inspires him:

Anger [laughs] and frustration at how stupid people still are [laughs] but you know what? I read a lot of books from centuries ago and people were stupid then and then they’re still stupid now a hundred years later! They don’t learn. Only a select, I won’t say handful ’cause it’s more than that but, some people are just happy meandering through life and not having to think about anything or have any responsibility for their actions. They don’t want to know either. They just want to wander through life and get their pay check at the end of the week and that’s it. That’s fine but that shit just boogles my mind. I could never go through life like that.

Art by Juart Little

Pharoahe Monch on what it means to be an artist:

It means everything because I don’t think that you can use that term loosely in the art world period. I don’t think that everyone that calls themselves artists is that. You could be an act signed to a label but that definitely doesn’t define you as an artist to me. To me an artist is a person who is instrumental in being groundbreaking and trying to push the envelope and that are very instrumental in what they write and the music choices that they make – they can make you feel a certain way. They’re definitely not cookie cutter; they have a long shelf life.

Love you lots!
Much gratitude,

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