PROFILES 006
The profiles in issue 006 are some of the best, they speak to how people find what they like doing and what makes their art unique. I hope you enjoy the snippets of the interview and read the full ones when you get your copy of ISSUE 006.
PROFILES — 006
Abby T.
What makes your music special? I think the fact that my music comes from me and my truth is what makes it special. Not everything I write directly relates or comes from me, but yet, I can connect with it all. I also try and incorporate singing and rap into it, which by no means is not new, but it’s my own interpretation. I’m still making my own rules, but I feel good about who I am right now. Would you consider yourself a girly girl, or just fuck it I’m who I am? I’d consider myself a “just fuck it, I AM who I AM.” I grew up with two older brothers which meant watching the TV they watched, listening to the music they listened to, and doing the activities they did. My mum was so excited that she’s finally had a girl, so she always showered me in pink. But when I hit high school, I got sick of it. But now that I’m at university and I’m figuring out my identity and brand, I’ve come to embrace and love pink which has ultimately been incorporated into my logo. Some days I’ll throw on jeans and a baggy shirt, but then I’ll pair that with my pink fur coat, a pair of glamorous sunglasses and facial glitter, so it’s really a “whatever happens, happens” thing. How does NY influence you? New York has allowed me to begin the development process of becoming who I am and want to be. I feel like if you can achieve success here, then you can make it anywhere. The fashion culture has also allowed me to creatively express myself. Where I’m from, if you step outside with cat eye sunglasses, latex pants and a fur coat, you’ll look “extra”, whereas here, in New York, that’s the norm.
Gabrio
What does creativity mean to you?Honestly, I could get all deep n shit on you but where’s the fun in that haha. I just like having fun and being able to express myself freely. Do you tend to take inspiration from another artist? Oh yeah off course, Tyler is a huge inspiration to me, he helped me become the person I am today! What kind of music do you create, if there was three words that you had to use to describe it what would they be? Lightskin Alternative Music. Do you plan on continuing your education after high school? Nah not really, with the amount of opportunities presented in front of me I’d much rather pursue music and fashion. And hey if it fails then I can always go back to college at like 25 or some shit. Your Instagram works as a huge collage, do you create all of them? Shhhhhh I can’t be revealing my secrets haha!
Darian
What inspires you to create? Sometimes when I see certain movies I would look at the actor’s costumes or even when I play video games I would look at the characters outfits and be inspired to create my own little twist to it. Do you find New York has become a part of you and your style? Yeah, I can definitely say New York has become a part of me and my style because more people are starting to understand the look I’m going for and respecting the work and creativity I put out there. I can definitely say people out here are waking up. How do other larger designers inspire you? The way I get inspired by other large designers is by understanding how they run their business and keep up with trends. What I would do is try to take bits and pieces from based on everything I see and interpret that with my own business. What keeps you motivated? I would have to say my mother of course because she’s been with me when I always felt like giving up and always had motivational talks with me to help build myself up. Also, my supporters from Instagram as well I appreciate each and every one of them. I usually have small talks with everyone on there and try to communicate with as much people as I can.
Whipalo
What does film mean to you? I can’t even tell you how much film means to me. Growing up I had no idea what I wanted to do or who I wanted to be. I went to High School for fine art, got there and everyone drew better than me, so I decided to pursue fashion. Fashion was cool, and it’s always sort of been part of my life, but it wasn’t for me. So, my junior year I switched to film. That’s really when things came together. I had found something I was good at and I stuck to it. There was a lot that came with that. I started taking better care of myself, I developed more confidence and I learned a lot about myself. I learned a lot about life in general. What’s interesting about filmmaking is you’re always learning. Throughout my life I had been looking for answers thinking why I hadn’t “figured it out” when it seemed like everyone else did. The truth is in life and in filmmaking you never quite figure it out. There will always be road blocks, we will always ask more questions, and things will never go as planned. But as long as you continue to persevere and work hard everything will be alright.
Liz Beecroft
What is style to you? Style is a way to represent yourself through your own perceived self-identity. That’s something no one can take away from you. Style allows you to reflect what’s inside your brain to the outside world. I don’t believe that there’s such a thing as good style or bad style. I might not be a fan of how someone dresses but that doesn’t mean they have bad taste, it just means that I don’t personally self-identify with how they express themselves through what they wear. I’d run out of fingers if I listed the people who’ve poked fun at my style, but that’s not going to stop me from dressing the way I do. As long as my clothing matches my sense of who I am, I’m good. How does art and other creative people influence you? I’m definitely a visual person. I love seeing the combinations of colors, patterns, and textures in art or design and definitely use that as inspiration when I’m styling my outfits, editing photos, or scouting shoot locations. All of my friends are insanely creative and all have such unique talents and skills. I love talking about art, music, culture, or any other outlet with them because it’s keeps me motivated. I’m always learning and being inspired to try new things from them, which is a really great thing. However, I think there’s a huge difference between getting inspiration from someone and blatantly copying their work. I’m a strong believer in giving credit where it’s due. It’s such a great thing when creatives are able to come together and collaborate with one another rather than feeling like they need to compete with one another. That’s definitely something I’ve been working on lately, to surround myself with people who empower me and propel me forward rather than surrounding myself with negative energy.
Pierre Bassene
How does art influence you? You can find art in a lot of different things, architecture, fashion, music, everything. Art drives me into different moods; So, I take all those artistic things and try to apply them to everything I do, clothes, pictures, even my mindset and it helps me to guide my work on a daily basis. Every day if I take pictures, design clothes or make clothes, I’m listening to music or watching a conference about anything that can help me move forward, learn more and inspire me for the next thing I plan to do. When people tell you that your work is dope, does it make you feel better or is it just positive energy? I’ve established some goals in my work, and in my personal life. I try to be better every day. When I see people appreciate my work, sending me messages to say that they like what I do, that only confirmed that I need to keep going and work harder. Of course, it’s a bonus to feel good energies, like on social media where the cyber bullying is recurrent, it motivates me. I’ve noticed that the first people who followed me since the beginning are still there today and pay attention to my work. So that’s even cooler.
