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							Michael & Hushi Where The Wild Things Are - By DRES
					Hushi Mortezaie and his family fled Iran in 1975. Teheran was a modern metropolis and popular tourist destination in the early 1970’s. However, this era ended with the 1979 revolution. Hushi arrived in Northern California at age 3, and he was raised in suburb of wealthy Marin County. Meanwhile, Michael Sears grew up a star-struck boy of Las Vegas. He started working in costume production even before he finished high school. Michael then moved to San Francisco and met Hushi in 1990. Hushi had just finished a fine art degree at UC Berkeley. They immediately became best friends. Michael and Hushi moved to New York City in 1994. They worked as buyers for Patricia Field and helped plan and open the Hotel Venus store in SoHo. Meanwhile, they presented their Chinese To Go, Plastic Surgery, and Porno Collections. Their Manga collection, with the help of Patricia Field and Hotel Venus, created a Japanese pop phenomenon in America. All this brought attention, editorials in Vogue, and product placement on Hollywood celebrities. One credit is the shirts Brad Pitt wore in the movie Fight Club. In 1997 Sears & Robot, a pun on American department store Sears & Roebuck using Michaels’s last name and Hushi’s nickname, opened a small store in the East Village. Shortly after, they changed their name to Michael & Hushi to reveal Hushi’s nationality. Hushi described their new image as a melding of the best of both worlds. They took their love of pop culture and mix in images of the Middle East. Hushi listed Googoosh, Iranian Supermodel of the ‘80s, as inspirational pop icons along with Linda Evangelista, Cher, Grace Jones, Michael Jackson, and “Punks” of the world. The new title was, “Iran Militant Glamazons.” It was exotic, provocative, and political. I loved it. Michael & Hushi’s store was merchandised similar to Patricia Field’s Hotel Venus. Product ranged from Iranian dollar store kitsch and costume jewelry Hushi picked up during trips home to one of a kind items they designed, hand-painted, produced, and accessorized. They had an eye for designing and collecting. Each item had a story. It was a bazaar of the bizarre. There was nothing like it in New York City. Hiding in corners were customized shoes animated with tails, fangs, and claws. Hand-painted trunks were a cross between a purse and a place a Genie might reside. Neatly folded t-shirts and sweatshirts posted political and religious images. The elephant head of Hindu God Ganesha’s peered over a shoulder. Dresses hung on the walls like banners. Made of lace, they were layered with stencils of war and bore high contrast mug shots of unveiled women. It was enchanting. Unfortunately, the store was not earning them enough money. Michael & Hushi teamed with MAO, a showroom and new venue for New York Fashion Week, to show their spring and Fall 2003 collection. The store closed, and there were no more shows. An article by Washington File Correspondent Samir Reddy, concludes saying: “At a time when the Western world is deeply engaged with the Middle East, it seems inevitable that aesthetic influences will continue to seep across borders, bringing Iranians and Americans into closer contact than ever before. Hushi's clothing might not solve deep political differences, but perhaps it can be a tool for teaching tolerance and acceptance. With one foot planted firmly in his homeland, and the other striding boldly into a global future, Hushi is a true pioneer.” At a dead end, Michael and Hushi returned to California in 2004. They like it, and they believe they have a better chance. Now in Los Angeles, they plan to open a store next year. Hushi shares my views. He believes Manhattan is becoming a mall. People look so similar. It is hard to tell who is a tourist anymore. I guess I am, and I’m proud. www.dresdesign.com