Meet Prince Peter Chenoa and Jacob Dekat, Gotham’s reigning downtown darling duo.
If you’re going by their book cover, Chenoa and Dekat are the poster it-kids boasting youthful Factory boy looks with a penchant for punk garb and a killer CV of hipper-than-thou proportions. DJ gigs at exclusive downtown haunts, a slew of impressive music and fashion collaborations and a supermodels-as-friends way of life, they’re also bat-shit crazy artists. There’s not much reading in their latest publication of quarterly fanzine LOVECAT for all the right reasons: the images are doing the talking.
LOVECAT is intended for lovers of the model world stuffed with salacious editorials of Kate Moss (shot by rock n’ roll photography royalty Mick Rock), Chanel Iman, Linda V, and Nicole Trunfio accompanied with quirky chit-chats. Here, the models aren’t selling designer duds; they are their own storytellers. Heavily inspired by the punk-style fanzines of the 80s, LOVECAT is more like the Anti-Wintour of fashion magazines. Replacing the airbrushed norm of another Blake Lively cover, LOVECAT nabbed unconventional actress Paz de la Huerta for its Summer of Sex Issue’s cover girl. Shot by fellow provocateur and lauded photographer Ellen Von Unwerth, Paz proudly hoists her skirt high and mighty, with hot-pink bold print aptly reading “PAZ AINT NO PUSSY” and the zine’s logo (designed by Curtis Kulig) cheekily and strategically placed.
Sure, when judging LOVECAT by its cover, it’s all sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll. But turn a few of those non-glossy, one-hundred percent recycled 11×15 pages and there’s Chanel Iman giving her best Femme Fatale and Kate Moss brooding away in a mirror in a Show Girls-esque grainy backstage snapshot. LOVECAT’s pages are carefully and artfully crafted in a creative, no rules sort of way, and the outcome is drop dead gorgeous.
Founders Chenoa and Dekat chatted with one of their ultimate LOVECAT beauties, supermodel Linda V for i-D Online.
What is something people don’t know about you? I am very shy.
Who are your favourite designers? Oh gosh. So many. Balmain, Rick Owens, Miu Miu, Rad Hourani, Yellow Fever.
What has been the most exciting modelling experience? Living in NYC. I have a lot of opportunity in the future thanks to modelling…
Who would you love to work with who you’ve had yet to? Mario Testino and Carine Roitfeld.
What do you value most? Honesty, family and friends.
What does sexy mean to you? A lot of different things.
What was your last iTunes purchase? The new Lady Gaga album.
What is your guilty pleasure? Chocolate.
What do you like about LOVECAT magazine? It’s different than any magazine out there. It’s made from passion and love for beautiful models and fashion. I am so excited that people still do things out of passion — I think it’s the number one way to succeed in what you do.
What is your inspiration for your jewelry line? Can we expect more from you in the design world? My collection is all inspired by my dog Teddy. It’s for fashionable people who want to have a reminder of their dog anywhere they go. It’s really fun, full of colors. We use sterling silver and semi precious stones, so it’s affordable luxury for most people. I am focusing on the jewelry for the moment, but will see what will the future bring. I am involved with a great hand bag designer, so I will be doing lot of stuff with her brand as well. It’s called Khirma Eliazov.
Text Alex Catarinella
