Agent File #002. Lars S.

Lars Swanson, Visionary Photographer, sits down for the S.A.S. Questionnaire

A guitar is always a fantastic accessory. Photo by Larzipan.

AGENT CODE NAME: Larzipan

REAL NAME: Lars Swanson

LOCATION: USA

OCCUPATION: Photographer/Purveyor of Musical Instruments

Describe your personal style.

ADD. I'm a walking, talking, singing ANACHRONISM. Mixing decades and breaking fashion rules with abandon. 1950S rockabilly cat, 1970s polyester, early 1980s punk rock, 1990s Japanese rock band t-shirts, modern designer jeans on occasion, pinstripe sports coats... Endless hair colours and styles. I can't leave my hair alone.

Name your muses. Where (or who) does your style inspiration come from?

Art Deco. Love. Also 1960s/1970s modern design. Orange plastic furniture, chrome, laminate, I can't get enough.

What influences you in your fashion choices?

Emotion. Color, shape, vibe. I don't care who made it as long as it speaks to me, and I can afford it.

Are there any time periods/decades that influence your style?

See above.

Has there ever been a constant in your style life?

Chuck Taylors, especially pink ones.

How old were you ten years ago? How did you dress then?

I was 18. Black motorcycle jacket, pompadour, sideburns, a-shirts, blue jeans, steel toe engineer boots. Everyday.

Can you name the time in your life where you felt that you came into your personal style?

I was 15. I had a skater mullet/ponytail thing that was past its prime. I chopped it off and sculpted my first pompadour. I really started making progress on guitar, stopped caring what others thought, and started on the path to becoming the non-conformist pacifist artist I am today.

What stores do you frequent?

JimmyZ (so sorry to find out that Aeropostale owns the brand now...), Ikea, Express, Unique Thrift Store, garage sales, any vintage shop or antique store...

Name one item you own that embodies your personal style.

My afformentioned pink Chucks

What one accessory/piece of clothing are you craving right now?

Red Wing engineer boots. I haven't had a pair in so long... I would also love to own more Emporio Armani clothing. Who ever thought that those two brands would ever appear in the same paragraph?

What are your current obsessions (fashion-related or otherwise)?

The songs Dubble by Trevor Loveys, Spartacus by Ino Hidefumi, California Stars by Billy Bragg and Wilco. Bicycling. It makes me feel free somehow. I need cool bike clothes like Twin Six.

Please name your top (in no particular order):

-Books

“Robots and Empire” - Isaac Asimov

“Wild at Heart” – John Eldredge

The Bible is a fascinating book.

I'm halfway through “The Language Instinct” by Steven Pinker

-Movies

The Fifth Element, Boondock Saints, Snatch, Chocolat, Goldfinger, Goldeneye, Interstella 5555

-Music

Stereolab, Nick Drake, Daft Punk, The Stray Cats/Brian Setzer, Kaskade, Theviery Corporation, Grant Green, Wilco, Dada, Telepopmusic, Dexter Gordon, Groove Armada, Adele, Beasty Boys, Kraftwerk, Bo Diddley, Django Reinhardt, Social Distortion, Chet Baker, Koop, etc.

-Artists

Piet Mondrian, Mark Rothko, Harold Rosenberg, Ansel Adams

-Websites

Larzipan.com, Marriedtothesea.com, mplsbikelove.com, thisiswhyyourefat.com, google maps, j-guitar.com,

-Designers

Eero Aarnio, Frank Lloyd Wright (my main man), Alvar Aalto.

What style advice do you offer to the masses?

Be yourself, break rules. Wear tall navy blue socks with black shorts and sandals if it's what you like. Rules are meant to be broken, especially fashion rules.