STEVE LEE FOR OBEY FALL 2015
I’m just gonna say it – Steve Lee is a pretty god damn talented dude. He’s kiiiiiiiiind of all over the place. Everything from running Highland Park’s Independent art gallery, Slow Culture (in which he is also a partner in), modeling with Photogenics, and even styling and shooting his own features.
Now behind the camera, Steve recently shot and styled our Fall 2015 Lookbook. After the shoot, Steve spent some time at OBEY HQ working on the lookbook, busting some vending machines, disturbing the designers, and basically just fucking around on the clock.
Our Fall 2015 lookbook features part friend/part model Dakota Lee Bottcher. Steve and Dakota go way back, but I’ll let Steve take it from here. Fair warning, shit gets weird…
I first met Dakota about three years ago under some questionable circumstances. We both had to partake in something called LA Fashion Week, which I’m unsure if it still exists, but unfortunately, I’m sure it does. He was probably fresh out of high school, if he finished high school. Regardless, I’m glad we were there, otherwise who knows if we would’ve actually become friends.
Three years later, we are part of a DJ duo called LEE SQUARED. My last name being Lee, and his full name being Dakota Lee Bottcher, we decided every other combo of mixing our names sounded retarded, thus, LEE SQUARED was born. You probably never heard of us though because up until recently, we had never actually DJ’d together with the exception of us drinking beers and switching off songs on spotify in the privacy of our own homes.
I would say Dakota is an old soul in a young body. He definitely falls under the “I wish I was that cool when I was his age” category. Either way, our age gap is null and void in our similar bad taste in music, breakfast burritos, and our classic cars we don’t drive because they don’t work.
————-
SL: Hello Dakota, I’m going to ask you some questions. I’ll try to keep them as short and unsweet as possible. What is good?!
DLB: Well, the band is good! We just released an EP on August 2nd, and getting ready to play a good string of shows this upcoming month. That takes up most of my time these days.
SL: You guys are called The Buttertones, how would you describe the band?
DLB: I just graduated my first year with the band a couple months ago, and I think altogether we have a pretty unique sound, everyone adds their own flavor. A recent coin I heard was “suave-core surf revivalists”. I think we’re rock and roll, but that’s up to the listeners.
SL: What music mainly influenced you growing up?
DLB: I grew up a stupid punk in L.A. The first time I heard the Clash is when everything clicked, very significant to me. Elvis comes pretty close to that, though… Aside from those revelations, I listen to anything put in front of me. I love everything from the oldies to the new school, it’s an endless road.
SL: You and your pops are pretty tight right? Don’t you guys dress up as “furries” on occasion and go to furry parties in the woods?
DLB: We stopped the furry thing after the accident, we don’t talk about it. Seriously though, we dress up as WW2 soldiers a few times a year, go camping with our other nerd friends in the woods, and get drunk/shoot guns. Yes, we’re all virgins. No, we don’t leave our mother’s basements.
SL: Oh, my mistake. That all sounds pretty rad though, minus the virginity and mother’s basements, but to each their own. What does the near future hold for Dakota Lee Bottcher?
DLB: Pay off the massive amount debt on my 66 Thunderbird, (taking donations) so I can hopefully cruise the mean streets in style yet again. Realistically though, just continuing the band, eating ramen, the rockstar life..
SL: Well, thanks for partaking in the interrogation. Hopefully that wasn’t too harsh. I guess it’d only be fair to let you ask me something.
DLB: Do you really want that?
SL: Haha, I suppose not. Thanks dude!
Portraits of Steve Lee by Jon Furlong
All other images courtesy of Steve Lee
