LABOR-INTENSIVE CARDBOARD

This is Nick Mahshie, the mind behind "Tranqui Yanki," an artistic project brought from Miami after the Argentinian crash in 2001. Tranqui Yanki wanders around Buenos Aires with his beloved "Super-Pancho armario" (Super hot dog closet), where he talks about himself in the third person transforms trash into what some call "wearable art." He goes, "Fuck fashion, I'm fashion," when someone says people who follow his fashion are retards. OK, take it away, guy…

"I use simple materials and improvisation to make something that escapes everyday simplicity. Tranqui is about tropical fun and costume parties. He indulges in icons and in the language of marketing to construct a new world where he can thrive. Everything in Tranquilandia is handmade."

"Tranqui is influenced by all things that dance, are delicious, are hot, or colorful. Miami plays a very important role…. The culture of money. Icons. Iconographic images or objects that can be tranquified without losing their stuff. I am also inspired by how people get by…"

"I like [cardboard] because it's cheap and also because I like the way it looks. I like that it won't last, that the only reason it is important in this context is because I make it important. It's perfect for fashion. The fact that my Tranqui hats and tank-tops actually have sweat stains is, for me, a real accomplishment. I like that it can do anything, build anything, hold together any fantasy. The fantasy is barely held together."

"I grew up with Cubans and arroz con pollo [rice with chicken], wearing shorts and drawing with crayons. Growing up as the gringo in Miami and now living in Latin America: this is the path that makes the most sense."

"Tranqui's next big plan is to 'sell out'. I think the quicker he sells out, the better it will be for everyone."

Tranqui Yanki's work is available at Appetite