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Dazed - Magazine September.2022

The document features a collection of artistic and cultural contributions from various creators, including interviews and fashion insights. It highlights notable personalities like Burna Boy, Saucy Santana, and Daniel Kaluuya, while exploring themes of imagination and the future. Additionally, it includes a guide to navigating the digital landscape and reflections on contemporary issues in art and society.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)

114 views340 pages

Dazed - Magazine September.2022

Uploaded by

luizasouzagama518

We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.

Available Formats

Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

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Tune in

Burna Boy
AGE OF Turn on, tune in and drop out with Dazed featuring: the UPPER WORLD with DANIEL KALUUYA and
FEMI FADUGBA, SPECULATIVE FUTURES with ZARAH SULTANA, REHEARSE FOR THE METAVERSE,
IMAGINATION GET INTO IT with SAUCY SANTANA, FUTURE ASTRONAUTS and TAKE A TRIP with HAL BADDIE
Feeling Saucy

Saucy Santana
AGE OF Turn on, tune in and drop out with Dazed featuring: the UPPER WORLD with DANIEL KALUUYA and
FEMI FADUGBA, SPECULATIVE FUTURES with ZARAH SULTANA, REHEARSE FOR THE METAVERSE,
IMAGINATION GET BLAZED with BURNA BOY, FUTURE ASTRONAUTS and GROUND YOURSELF with KELELA
VOL V AUTUMN 2022 US $14·99

Picture Perfect

Carrie Stacks
AGE OF Turn on, tune in and drop out with Dazed featuring: the UPPER WORLD with DANIEL KALUUYA and
FEMI FADUGBA, SPECULATIVE FUTURES with ZARAH SULTANA, REHEARSE FOR THE METAVERSE,
IMAGINATION GET INTO IT with SAUCY SANTANA, FUTURE ASTRONAUTS and GET BLAZED with BURNA BOY
In
The
Mind’s
Eye

AGE OF Turn on, tune in and drop out with Dazed featuring: the UPPER WORLD with DANIEL KALUUYA and
FEMI FADUGBA, SPECULATIVE FUTURES with ZARAH SULTANA, REHEARSE FOR THE METAVERSE,
IMAGINATION GET INTO IT with SAUCY SANTANA, FUTURE ASTRONAUTS and GET BLAZED with BURNA BOY
Grounded

Kelela
AGE OF Turn on, tune in and drop out with Dazed featuring: the UPPER WORLD with DANIEL KALUUYA and
FEMI FADUGBA, SPECULATIVE FUTURES with ZARAH SULTANA, REHEARSE FOR THE METAVERSE,
IMAGINATION TAKE A TRIP with HAL BADDIE, FUTURE ASTRONAUTS and CARRIE STACKS is MAJOR
Blown
Away

Jan Baiboon
AGE OF Turn on, tune in and drop out with Dazed featuring: the UPPER WORLD with DANIEL KALUUYA and
FEMI FADUGBA, SPECULATIVE FUTURES with ZARAH SULTANA, REHEARSE FOR THE METAVERSE,
IMAGINATION GET INTO IT with SAUCY SANTANA, FUTURE ASTRONAUTS and TAKE A TRIP with HAL BADDIE
Take
a Trip

Hal Baddie
AGE OF Turn on, tune in and drop out with Dazed featuring: the UPPER WORLD with DANIEL KALUUYA and
FEMI FADUGBA, SPECULATIVE FUTURES with ZARAH SULTANA, REHEARSE FOR THE METAVERSE,
IMAGINATION GET INTO IT with SAUCY SANTANA, FUTURE ASTRONAUTS and CARRIE STACKS is MAJOR
D I O R . C O M - 0 2 0 717 2 017 2
D I O R . C O M - 0 2 0 717 2 017 2
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners and no endorsement, sponsorship or affiliation with GOAT is implied.
A$AP Nast is wearing a jacket by MAISON MARGIELA (2017) pants by ACNE STUDIOS (2022), shoes by
JIL SANDER (2019), a pin and hood by PRADA (2020, 2022), and sunglasses by BALENCIAGA (2017).
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners and no endorsement, sponsorship or affiliation with GOAT is implied.
Aida is wearing a jacket by RICK OWENS (2021), a dress RICK OWENS (2022), gloves by MARINE SERRE
(2021), and boots by BOTTEGA VENETA (2022).
“ O N C E I D R E A M E D TO B E CO M E
T H E FA S T E S T D R I V E R .
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L E W I S H A M I LT O N , 7 T I M E F O R M U L A 1 T M WO R L D C H A M P I O N
THE BIG PILOT.

B I G P I L O T ’ S WAT C H 4 3

Bold, iconic and genuine: The Big Pilot’s Watch is the timepiece
of choice for individuals driven by passion, purpose and a desire to create.
For the first time, IWC’s most essential aviator’s watch is available in a
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design with superior ergonomics and pronounced versatility.

I W C B O U T I Q U E · 1 3 8 N E W B O N D S T R E E T, W 1 S 2 TJ · L O N D O N
Contents

Starters Grounded Motion Detected

70 – 84 124 – 133 234 – 245
From London to Tokyo, the new names and faces worth photography JUSTIN FRENCH photography THIBAUT GREVET
taking note of put pen to paper on what it means to be alive styling GLEN MBAN styling GEORGIA PENDLEBURY
in 2022 Clear a path for Kelela, who sets a new blueprint
for Black femme club – pop in her first interview since 2019
Fields of Thought
Wish You Were Here 246 – 253
photography PAULO ALMEIDA
86 – 87 Abracadabra styling GEORGE KRAKOWIAK
photography RAFAEL PAVAROTTI 134 – 143
Samuel de Saboia’s epic, autobiographical canvases send us on photography FRANCOIS VISSER
a psychedelic tailspin. Set the controls for the heart of the sun… Meet the young wizards at a Cape Town college using
magic as a tool for empowerment
The Stack
256 – 271
From the Ground Up photography RAFAEL PAVAROTTI
styling IBRAHIM KAMARA
88 – 89 Rock Steady Curtain up on Ms Carrie Stacks, whose twisted DJ skills
photography JAN CARLOS DIAZ 144 – 151
and luscious music have forever impacted global nightlife
Enter Atelier Masōmī, the architectural agency reaching into Performance photography ISABELLE WENZEL
a precolonial west African past to envision a gleaming future styling MIRKO PEDONE
Weather the Storm
Rehearse for the Metaverse Bad Gal Hal 272 – 285
photography CARLIJN JACOBS
90 – 93 152 – 161 styling IMRUH ASHA
Trying to figure out your look for the metasphere? photography OSMA HARVILAHTI
Here’s your handy guide to surviving the impending styling ALBA MELENDO
digital apocalypse The New York travel blogger switching up attitudes on
the global runway, and calling for ‘more bitches like me’
Speculative Futures
286 – 293
Trip to the Doctor From dolphins with verbal diarrhoea to resets for UK politics:
key cultural figureheads join hands to write the future
94 – 97
A moment with the newly opened Clerkenwell Health,
Space to Inspire
162 – 171
the first private clinic in Europe to use psilocybin to crack
the mental health epidemic
photography MICHAEL HAUPTMAN Sky High
Inspired by the success of Alyssa Carson, a diverse new era of 294 – 303
aspiring astronauts are terraforming the future of space travel photography & styling JOSEPH LOKKO
Trip Advisor In a rare interview, the Lynchian pop enigma gets masochistic
on the making of her long – awaited return
98 – 101
Want to sort your ibogaine from your shroom oil?
In the Mind’s Eye
172 – 191
As the great Willy Wonka said: Come with me and you’ll see,
there’s a world of pure imagination…
photography JACK DAVISON Chrysalis
styling IBRAHIM KAMARA 304 – 309
photography TYLER MITCHELL
Dreamachine The Upper World
Past and present come together in surreal collision in
Tyler Mitchell’s debut London solo show: here, the
102 – 105 192 – 195 photographer dives through the layers that ensnare his work
This year, half of London rushed a small, circular Daniel Kaluuya talks to astrophysicist Femi Fadugba about
light display in search of their inner cosmos. We meet bringing his time – hopping book to the big screen
the musical mastermind behind the trip of the season
– no comedowns guaranteed Hot Boxing
310 – 311
Badlands The future of sustainable, luxury streetwear is here, it’s in
In da Club 196 – 205
photography TOM JOHNSON
a box, and you’ve no idea what’s in it: HEAT unwrap the
secrets of their cult fashion start – up
106 – 114 styling OLA – OLUWA EBITI
Ever wondered what a zero – gravity dancefloor might feel
like? From xenomorph strip – teases to LSD breakdancing,
Surreal Life
here’s a rundown of the future of nightclubbing Burning Up 314 – 315
206 – 217 Judith Watts reflects on how the surrealism movement got its
photography KRISTIN – LEE MOOLMAN
Blown Away styling IBRAHIM KAMARA
claws into everything we know today, from fashion to design
116 – 123 In Barbados, Afrobeats titan Burna Boy discusses his new
photography CARLIJN JACOBS
styling IMRUH ASHA
album Love, Damini and why peace outweighs politics Give Me a Sign
316 – 317
*Warning* The views expressed in these horoscopes are not
Feeling Saucy? those of Dazed magazine. But they are fucking hysterical
218 – 233
photography NICK SETHI
styling MARION B KELLY II
Soon, we’ll all be seeing the world through Florida rapper
and Lil Nas X collaborator Saucy Santana’s eyes

photography CARLIJN JACOBS photography KRISTIN – LEE photography JACK DAVISON photography NICK SETHI photography JUSTIN FRENCH photography RAFAEL PAVAROTTI photography OSMA HARVILAHTI
styling IMRUH ASHA MOOLMAN styling IBRAHIM KAMARA styling MARION B KELLY II styling GLEN MBAN styling IBRAHIM KAMARA styling ALBA MELENDO
All clothes KENZO AW22 styling IBRAHIM KAMARA Sequin – embroidered silk blazer All clothes DOLCE & GABBANA Silver jewelled necklace Crepe couture bra and tights Silk car dress LOEWE AW22,
Wool twill trousers BURBERRY DOLCE & GABBANA AW22, AW22, necklace Saucy’s own, PRADA AW22 VALENTINO PINK PP catsuit stylist’s own
AW22, leather belt JESSIE cotton shirt ALEXANDER shoes stylist’s own COLLECTION, patent leather
WESTERN, jewellery Burna’s own MCQUEEN AW22, chrome platform pumps VALENTINO
scales wig DIVAMP COUTURE GARAVANI DISCOBOX PINK
PP COLLECTION
editor-in-chief editorial director art director group editorial director
IBRAHIM KAMARA KACION MAYERS GARETH WRIGHTON JEFFERSON HACK
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Print Photography Fashion Publishing

editor photographic director fashion director publishers
JACK MILLS JO EVENDON IMRUH ASHA JEFFERSON HACK
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] RANKIN WADDELL

managing editor photographic producer casting director publishing director

VALERIA DELLA VALLE TAKIYAH BLAIZE MISCHA NOTCUTT SUSANNE WADDELL
[email protected] [email protected]
junior fashion and market editor managing director
production editor photography MIRKO PEDONE PRIYA MATADEEN
ALEX DENNEY PAULO ALMEIDA, JACK DAVISON, JAN [email protected]
[email protected] CARLOS DIAZ, JUSTIN FRENCH, THIBAUT pr and events
GREVET, OSMA HARVILAHTI, MICHAEL fashion coordinator [email protected]
senior designer HAUPTMAN, CARLIJN JACOBS, TOM ANDRA-AMELIA BUHAI
BIOR ELLIOTT JOHNSON, JOSEPH LOKKO, TYLER [email protected] Dazed Studio
[email protected] MITCHELL, KRISTIN-LEE MOOLMAN, [email protected]
RAFAEL PAVAROTTI, NICK SETHI, FRANCOIS freelance fashion wardrobe assistants
designer VISSER, ISABELLE WENZEL SULYKA ABUKAR finance
ESTER MEJIBOVSKI EMILY GLEESON [email protected]
[email protected] ARIELLE NEUHAUS GOLD
advertising
executive talent consultant Dazed Digital dazed fashion alumni [email protected]
GREG KRELENSTEIN AGATA BELCEN
editorial director CATHY EDWARDS global publishing and
editors-at-large TED STANSFIELD KATY ENGLAND executive commercial director
DURGA CHEW-BOSE [email protected] NICOLA FORMICHETTI LUKE ROBINS
LAIA GARCIA-FURTADO KATIE GRAND
senior editor NELL KALONJI Italian agents
text DOMINIQUE SISLEY KAREN LANGLEY [email protected]
PRECIOUS ADESINA, DANIELLE BOWLER, [email protected] ALISTER MACKIE
VIOLET CONROY, ELLEN PEIRSON-HAGGER, CHLOE GRACE PRESS submissions
JESSE BERNARD, ANNA CAFOLLA, CALEB fashion features director KATIE SHILLINGFORD [email protected]
FEMI, TREY, JAMES GREIG, REVA-IFEOMA EMMA DAVIDSON ROBBIE SPENCER
OCHUBA, EMMANUEL ONAPA, AMBER J [email protected] EMMA WYMAN
PHILLIPS, RIANNA JADE PARKER, NICOLAS-
TYRELL SCOTT, DIYORA SHADIJANOVA, beauty editor fashion editors-at-large International Editions
DOMINIQUE SISLEY, JUDITH WATT, GÜNSELI ALEX PETERS RAPHAEL HIRSCH
YALÇINKAYA, NATASHA YOUNG [email protected] JACOB K DAZED CHINA
CLAUDIA SINCLAIR is published by YOHO!
news editor AKEEM SMITH
Production SERENA SMITH PATTI WILSON DAZED & CONFUSED KOREA
[email protected] is published by L’EXTREME
print & reprographics manager junior fashion editor-at-large
STEVE SAVIGEAR features writer FELIX PARADZA thanks to
[email protected] GÜNSELI YALÇINKAYA ROY and ANNE WADDELL
[email protected] contributing fashion editors ALEX BETTS
reprographics OLA-OLUWA EBITI
TAPESTRY fashion writer MARION B KELLY II
DANIEL RODGERS GEORGE KRAKOWIAK
[email protected] JOSEPH LOKKO
GLEN MBAN
Distribution arts & photography editor-at-large ALBA MELENDO
ASHLEIGH KANE GEORGIA PENDLEBURY
circulation manager [email protected]
STUART WHITE creative consultants
[email protected] contributing features writers MARK MUTYAMBIZI at RAW MATERIALS
EMILY DINSDALE DANIEL OBAWEYA at RAW MATERIALS
subscription enquiries JAMES GREIG
[email protected] HALIMA JIBRIL contributing beauty editors
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[email protected] CHIAO LI HSU
Social Publishing VIRGINIE MOREIRA
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Printing head of social DANIEL SALLSTROM
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DAZED is printed in the UK by PRECISION [email protected] ANTHONY TURNER
COLOUR PRINTING using paper supplied by HIROMI UEDA
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registered address: 2nd Floor,

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+44 20 7336 0766

ISSN NO: 0961-9704

DAZED is published in the UK four times a year

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without permission from the publishers. The views expressed in Dazed are those of the respective
contributors and are not necessarily shared by the magazine or its staff. The magazine welcomes ideas and new contributors but can assume no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations.
Every effort has been made to contact the copyright owners of the images in this issue. If you can help identify the copyright owner of an uncredited image, please get in touch with the photographic department.
Inner
Space Self-portrait IBRAHIM KAMARA

IBRAHIM KAMARA, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF I wanted to reignite that spirit and share it with astrophysicist Femi Fadugba to share the other-
you all for this issue. We even explored how we worldly obsessions that brought them together for
My imagination began to form and take shape could encourage this mood of the moment through The Upper World, an upcoming film adapted from
here, in front of my childhood bedroom window. psychedelia. I’ve always wanted a better space and Femi’s book.
In fact, most of my early memories start in this future for myself, my family, friends, peers and the What’s big, sweetie?! Besides his Chanel
crimson-lined vantage point, looking out on to a global community we share. This issue is our collec- purse, of course: Saucy Santana, the man of the
small space under the stairs where I would play with tive start in getting this done. moment, invited us on his journey as he carves a
my friends. Not much had changed upon my return Hopes and dreams are what make us so dis- path for the radical future of rap while dominating
to Sierra Leone, the place I called home for the early tinct and unique as humans, whether we are chasing the zeitgeist whilst he’s at it. For her cover story,
years of my life. Time had stood still here while my the stars like astronauts Alyssa Carson and Sian Kelela returns to the front of our minds in conver-
life had taken me on a crash-course of the good, the Proctor, or speculating on futures we can all im- sation with Amber J Phillips, AKA Amber Abun-
bad and everything in between. To be back was a agine, and no doubt realise in due time, with Nabil dance. They discuss the messages of self-pride
humbling, grounding and necessary experience. Al-Kinani and Zarah Sultana. Down in Cape Town, and Black power that inspired her new music, and
In retrospect, I think that we, as Sierra Leo- South Africa, schoolkids are using magic as a tool why now is the time to release it into the wild. For
neans, develop a sense of hope from a young age. to challenge their country’s complex realities. And another cover, Burna Boy steps offstage in Barba-
It’s not something I remember obtaining; in fact, Mariam Kamara showcases how she is quite liter- dos and straight into honesty mode, reflecting on
I think it was always there. You are born with it. ally building a future Africa with her architectural his rise from Lagos fire-starter to the ‘Thanos of
Through that window, my imagination was able to firm, Atelier Masōmī. Afrobeats’. From the king of Nigeria to the queen
run wild. My dreams were unencumbered, allow- Sky Ferreira is back with a vengeance, of London: the one and only Carrie Stacks graces a
ing me to reach far and wide within the expanse of as teased by her colossal comeback single. Catch Dazed cover for the first time, celebrating a loving
my mind. Even during the civil war and a myriad her in Thom Browne detailing the highs and lows and long friendship with the magazine.
of obstacles, I found light at the end of what were of her success. New York ‘Doll’ Hal Baddie takes All that, and millions more. So suit up and
some very dark tunnels. Today, I can take from us on a trip, detailing her top tips for travel in a strap in: we’ve pressed our foot on the gas for au-
those formative years and create work that’s witty, cute kiki with Trey; we get into our avatar skins tumn, and you’re in for one hell of a ride.
fun, political and often something I’ve dreamed up, and bunker down for the digital apocalypse; and
just like when I was that young boy. Daniel Kaluuya sits down with author, friend and ]

In the first of a new series, future icons from TEXT VIOLET CONROY

the next era of creatives answer questions

on what it means to be alive in 2022 – in this
universe, and the next
Victor Kunda
Hailing from Lewisham in south-east London,
Victor Kunda’s slapstick videos – which make
a mockery of pop-culture totems as eclectic as
Stranger Things, Drake and Love Island – have
earned him well over half a million followers
on TikTok, and close to one billion watches
Garvita Gulhati
Garvita Gulhati is a young activist and social
entrepreneur trying to fix the world’s relationship with
water. Based in Bangalore, India, she founded Why
Waste? in 2015 – a youth-led organisation focused
on water conservation – after discovering that 14m
litres of water is wasted every year in India from the
amount people leave behind in cups in restaurants

Dazed
73
Joseph Lokko
Fashion shoots usually require an army,
but Joseph Lokko is happiest doing it alone.
In the vein of other great, introspective
artists like Cindy Sherman and Gillian Wearing,
Lokko’s ongoing self-portrait series employs
the language of cinema, glamour and stereotype,
with the artist dressed up to the nines in
overblown dresses he designs and makes
himself at home

Dazed
Avesta Keshtmand
British-Afghan filmmaker, photographer and writer
Avesta Keshtmand is putting love stories front
and centre – whether through her experimental
music videos, short films or photo stories. Recently,
she directed the visuals to girl group Flo’s single,
“Immature”. Her latest project is Bibi, a woman-
centric short film set in 1999 that merges Afghan
language and culture with “Britishness” and,
most importantly, does not reference war
Trey
Trey is the writer, podcast host, occasional model and
“forever icon” bringing a bygone sense of humour
and personality to the fashion world. Originally from
Boston, Massachusetts, Trey moved to London in
2016 to complete a degree in fashion journalism at
Central Saint Martins and quickly became a staple
of the capital’s fashion scene, having modelled and
worked for brands including Mowalola, Harris
Reed, Wales Bonner and Charles Jeffrey

Dazed
Tag Agency
Tag Agency is a London-based youth culture
and marketing agency transforming young
lives through culture, community and
storytelling. Co-founded by Tumisha Balogun
and Alvin Owusu Fordwuo in 2018, Tag
provides much-needed advice and mentorship
for young people from underrepresented
backgrounds to work on brand strategy,
research, campaigns and creative projects.
Most recently, they were awarded £25,000 in
grants, enabling them to push things further
than they could ever have imagined

Dazed
SPEED
When hundreds of neon nightcrawlers turned up to
a hanger in the factory city of Kawasaki, Tokyo,
they looked like they might have been headed for a
nu-rave night in the late 00s. Drowning in denim, dye
and studded belts, they were there for PURE 2000,
a 15-hour “genreless” party with fingers in punk,
indie, gabber and jackhammer techno. Despite the
nostalgia drip, there was something futurist about the
total disregard for music rules and labels. The rave
crew, run by the music collective SPEED (@Xpeed5),
are planning their next road block this winter

Dazed
Marion B Kelly II
Marion B Kelly II is a stylist, creative consultant
and occasional DJ and model based in Brooklyn,
New York. While growing up in South Carolina,
Kelly’s initial interest in styling was sparked
during DIY photo shoots he did with his sister on
disposable cameras. In 2014, Kelly moved to
NYC and interned with Mel Ottenberg, later
working underneath Paul Cavaco. After stints
as fashion editor at Allure and Teen Vogue,
Kelly went freelance in 2019

Dazed
Ghadir Mustapha
Ghadir Mustapha, one of the women behind London’s
premiere night out, Recess, and the No Signal
radio station, “couldn’t imagine doing anything
else”. Between balancing her day job as an A&R at
XL Recordings and giving young Black London
experiences that will live on beyond the moment,
she’s also an avid tweeter, with gems such as,
“What works for you? What do you want? Is it
hurting anyone? Run it man”

Dazed
marsell.it

Concept and Choreography: Imre van Opstal, Marne van Opstal

Photography: András Ladocsi
Wish
TEXT PRECIOUS ADESINA
Twenty-four-year-old Samuel de Saboia has been

You
dubbed ‘the next Basquiat’ by the Brazilian media,
a title the artist finds bittersweet, given that the
Brooklyn-born painter died of a drug overdose aged
27. “I just don’t like how the story ends,” says De
Saboia over Zoom, casually sitting on the floor in a
sparkly black vest top. “There are definitely parts of
[his life] we all want, but I prefer to create a narra-

Were
tive where I don’t spin off that way.” That said, there
are undeniable similar-
ities between the two.
Like Basquiat, De Saboia is
mild-mannered, friendly, talented

Here
beyond their years, and well-known for large
gestural paintings that allude to their personal
history, spiritualism and heritage.
De Saboia has been recognised for their
art since the age of 14. They gained attention by
using the internet to garner a global audience
and make a name for themselves, despite their
modest upbringing meaning they had never left
the country. “I started online, then made friends
with some creators on Instagram. I was eventually
invited to do my first show in the US when I was
15,” they say, clarifying that they mailed their pieces
at the time because they couldn’t attend in person.
“When I was 20, I did my first solo show in New
York, but by then I had already done a museum
show back in Brazil and some small gallery appear-
ances.” That year was the first time De Saboia left
Brazil. “Art was my first passport,” they say.
De Saboia was born in Recife, a coastal city
in north-east Brazil, to Black and indigenous par-
ents: “Indigenous on my mother’s side, Black on
my father’s side.” Religion was integral to their life
growing up, as both parents are Baptist preachers.
“Having a family that actually
discusses and involves itself
in spiritual life can really
enrich the way you live,”
they say. “It can give
you a very good sense
of balance.”
But the artist is
now settling down in
London, talking to me
from their new home in
Hackney, noting that it
is the city they’ve rent-
ed in for the longest
period since leaving
Brazil. “My whole
setup is pretty much
based on being able
to paint here,”
Samuel de Saboia’s epic canvases they say of their
current place.
reveal an elaborate personal Their natural
openness
mythology that makes light work prompts

of some seriously heavy themes.

But the Brazilian prodigy
is determined to write their
own story – one that journeys
to other planes of existence and
back with a few tales to tell photography RAFAEL PAVAROTTI

Dazed
them to show me around without needing to be perfume, Zero. As we speak, their work can also be
asked, but the camera moves too quickly to take found in Paris, Mexico and Ibiza.
everything in. I catch a glimpse of an open-plan De Saboia credits aspects of their creativity
kitchen-living area with floor-to-ceiling windows, to psychedelics. When I ask them about their rela-
earthy colours and what appears to be an enormous tionship with drugs, they are enthusiastic, their face
canvas leaning on an empty wall with the start of brightening as they realise where the conversation is
something lightly painted onto it. “I’m happy and heading. “I’ve done quite a few pieces on shrooms,
a tiny bit overwhelmed, but good-overwhelmed.” but I have a fair [amount of] experience with acid,
De Saboia is honest that, like many people who and I’ve done DMT. I also had a peyote session here
don’t come from privilege, they sometimes find it in London, of all places,” they explain, laughing.
difficult to separate their passion from financial re- Peyote is a hallucinogenic cactus known for being
sponsibilities, despite being a respected name in ingested as part of Native American religious cer-
the art world. “I’ve been doing my emonies and by curious tourists in Mexico as part
best to jump the wagon from of intense guided experiences lasting as long as ten
creating out of emergency.” hours. De Saboia sees each painting that they do
Like Basquiat, De Saboia as documentation of the different journeys they’ve
uses art to channel their pain. been on while creating art on and off these sub-
In 1983, Basquiat painted stances. “My paintings are almost like postcards of
“Defacement (The Death the places I’ve been, mentally.”
of Michael Stewart)” De Saboia’s eagerness to talk about drugs is
after his friend died at undeniable, but they seem very measured in their
the hands of the police approach to taking them. “I can easily microdose
for writing graffiti on a for a whole week,” they say, adding that small
subway wall in New York. amounts of mushrooms make them more sensitive
The painting, which portrays to light and colour, “but If I’m going for a trip, I’m
two pink-faced police officers going to do this once or twice, and then I’m
attacking a Black silhouette, was a going to spend months without doing it.”
response to racist policing that has They see ingesting more significant
since found resonance with the quantities as a healing and cathartic
Black Lives Matter movement; full-body experience. “[Tripping]
Basquiat was reported to have unlocks a lot, but it’s also quite
said “it could have been me” after draining.”
Stewart’s death. For the artist, these
As a queer and African- drugs are more than
indigenous person from Brazil, recreation – they
De Saboia appears to identify with are an important
this experience. Their New York part of their
solo show of 2018, Beautiful Wounds, spiritual prac-
grappled with the death of people tice. Psychedel-
close to them. “That was about the ic drugs have
life and death of six friends of mine [who always been
all died within] a span of six months as a result of used by indig-
police brutality, transphobia and racism,” they say. enous commu-
“It was my way of dealing with grief but also mak- nities to have visions,
ing beauty out of it.” In an interview with interpret dreams and for accessing other realms
Fucking Young!, De Saboia ex- of existence,” they say, adding that they believe
plained how they and their psychedelics bring out untapped knowledge stored
friends in Brazil feared in the body. De Saboia’s recent artist residency in
for their lives when they Ibiza epitomises how they incorporate spirituality
made their way home and psychedelics into their practice. “I painted for
after meet-ups, “calling around one month and 15 days. I would say a good
each other, seeing if every- half of that I was on shrooms. Then the other
one got back in one piece”. days, I wouldn’t take anything. It’s just
But, despite the heavy un- proper meditation.” They practise Dhar-
dertones, De Saboia’s paintings often have ma art, coined by the renowned Ti-
a vibrant, dreamlike quality to them. Their abstract betan Buddhist teacher Chögyam
painting “Et Et de Manu”, made at the time of their Trungpa Rinpoche. “It’s making
solo show in New York, appears to depict a series your mind as empty and in the
of faces, using quick, dark licks of paint over moment as possible to create.”
bold greens, reds, pinks and blues. It manages While De Saboia seems
to be sinister, captivating and otherworldly at content with their life right now,
the same time, and they have many hopes for the future – including
has the energetic one, inspired by another iconic artist, which incor-
style that has at- porates solitude, drugs and helpers. “I want to go
tracted institutions on the Paul McCartney diet,” they say, “going to
and brands world- a farm far away, having a private chef, the right
wide to De Saboia’s work. Currently, they are work- drugs, and just creating everything I need to.”
ing on a range of projects with Comme des Garçons
including a campaign for the brand’s genderless

“I’ve done quite a few pieces on shrooms… My paintings

are like postcards of the places I’ve been, mentally”
87
From the
Ground Up
TEXT REVA-IFEOMA OCHUBA
Atelier Masōmī is the architectural
‘Indigenous’ is a term often used to distinguish a
group on the outer limits of conventional thought agency reaching back into a precolonial
from another larger, often over-represented group.
In American and western society, this readiness past to imagine new futures for west
to ‘other’ has not only been applied to aboriginal
communities; the subscription holds rank in con- Africa, brick by adobe brick
cepts, language, media, design, art and in Mariam
Kamara’s chosen field – architecture.
In colonial-era Niger, administrators of the
French imperial economy over-politicised the
existence of groups of people by deeming them
‘tribes’ to announce their incivility. “Are the French
grouped as tribes? How about Italians, Austrians or
Swiss-Germans?” says Kamara, who was born in
Saint-Étienne, France but moved with her parents
to Niger at an early age. Architecture can reproduce
such prejudices, representing traditional aesthetics
as primitive or underdeveloped to uphold reigning
narratives that completely ignore, if not override,
the purpose of architecture. Despite harbouring
an interest in architecture from an early age,
Kamara began her professional career as a software
engineer, before earning a masters in architecture
from the University of Washington in 2013. For her, themes to remove the ‘other’ from each architectur-
architecture is not only a creative occupation, it is an al narrative. At Atelier Masōmī, the climate, religion
opportunity to dignify her roots at a socioeconomic and traditions of the communities they serve are of
and sociopolitical level. While living in the US she primary importance.
co-founded the architectural group united4design, Kamara is frank about her disposition towards
and in 2014 she established her architecture and ‘vernacular architecture’ – a term used to describe
research firm, Atelier Masōmī. local architectural styles reliant on local materials
High-contact, convergent, trade-filled zones and traditions. Viewing west Africa’s specificity of
produce aesthetic hierarchies which decrease our resources as a precursor to innovation, not a limita- David Adjaye. Her team of 12 is growing to 20, and
need for nuance and knowledge. Buildings in these tion, she draws on her training as both an engineer will aim to bring a confident locality to all of its
settings package and pluralise social norms without and architect to unfold a portfolio of work based structures. As she told Cultured in an interview this
intrigue for the body experiencing them. In other on the present – designing structures that present year: “We all have value. It’s just a matter of tapping
words, why have a compelling plot when one can solutions to problems as they exist now – with into it.”
survive on synopses alone? Commercial archi- precolonial research and mystic histories embod- An ornamental expression like that of foun-
tecture can be erected as an attraction to promote ied. Because of this, Kamara tends to reject terms tains in southern Italy is not foreign to the west
productivity, dazzling with an overuse of natural such as ‘tribe’ and ‘dialect’. She finds them deeply African Sahel. Traditional Hausa, Yoruba and Man-
resources and deification of the author. “Not to say lacking in respect and devoid of curiosity. Kamara dinka architecture prioritise ornament as a necessity
that we can save the world or anything like that,” prefers to honour local tools undefined by Eurocen- vital to both function and form. The only difference
says Kamara. “It’s just about being mindful that tric ideals; her use of laterite stone and soil alone is these statutes of west Africa venerate a whole
what we do has an impact and making sure that, like proves that. It is this same commanding outlook different god, vivid and existing before whatever
doctors, we do no harm. First we do no harm, and that has scored the atelier an elite roster of clientele, history we often learn in the west. Niger’s climate is
then [we ask], what can we do better?” Kamara’s projects and awards, and won Kamara a mentorship one of the hottest in the world. Just as Islamic dress
focus on central and west Africa evolves these with world-renowned Ghanaian-British architect in hot terrains presumes to air out, condition and
photography JAN CARLOS DIAZ
“It’s about being
mindful that what we
do has an impact and
that, like doctors, we do
no harm. Then we ask,
what can we do better?”
– Mariam Kamara

free the body, architecture can add richness without rency – has a fixed exchange rate with the euro that spirit. “We really wanted to bring it back to where it
coercion or compromise. Structural compositions in keeps citizens indebted after exchange, just one leg- had been,” she said. “Essentially, the building was
the Sahel are to meet the criteria of a cooling, cir- acy of colonialism. Uranium is one of the country’s melting. It hadn’t been maintained in more than
culating standard. Atelier Masōmī’s commissioned most abundant assets, but the French own and run 20 years. The facade had completely disappeared.”
project for the Bet-Bi museum in Senegal utilises the its mining. This Nigerien-French uranium-industri- The use of ‘façade’ here underlines Kamara’s
chance to make architecture a tool for social change al-complex hints at the diffidence one is expected emphasis on forward-facing history. These mem-
and climate awareness. That social change can be to succumb to at the call of modernity. To work in ories drive her practice, often referencing the airy,
as simple as instilling citizens with the dignity to these mines, citizens must shed their natural sense cooling effects of adobe clay from her upbringing.
capture beauty through their own native lens. “The of reason to line the pockets of French companies: It’s a simplicity she was expected to unlearn while
same is true for our Niamey 2000 housing project, clearly, this is not what freedom should look like. studying in the US, a simplicity not rendered as
where our inspiration came from precolonial cities Time, trial and error have been valuable in the repair sophisticated, agile or considerably modern. What is
in the region such as Timbuktu in Mali, Kano in Ni- of a fragmented nation. In 2014, the annual estimate modern if not the use of pure logic? From Niger to
geria, or Zinder in Niger,” Kamara told Wallpaper of China’s involvement in Africa totalled approxi- Ghana, Liberia, Senegal, the US and UAE – rather
in 2021. “[With] the Dandaji Regional Market, we mately US$200bn. Soraz, a Niger-based oil refinery than exotic or vernacular, perhaps ‘boutique’ or
managed to achieve our goal to create a space that is 60% owned by the Chinese National Petroleum ‘couture’ are better etymologies to define the reach
projects a sense of confidence and aspiration for the Corporation, and 40% by Niger. But Niger is well of this firm. Whether precolonial, vernacular or tra-
current and future users of the market.” on its way to rectifying the imbalance, determined ditional, architecture will always be a reflection of
Yet, compromise does still sully the air of this to strike better deals with ‘investing’ countries to how society chooses to spread a concept of reality.
former colony. Postcolonial Niger is somehow tied empower the country and its citizens. Mariam Kamara and Atelier Masōmī are not out
still to its former country of dominion. In our in- In her work with Atelier Masōmī, Kamara to remain ahead of the curve. They choose, instead,
terview, Kamara is quick to point out the aftercare draws lines to further this reconstitution. When to be the arc of it.
required to fully release oneself from foreign inter- speaking with Dezeen about her transformation of a
vention. For example, the CFA franc – Niger’s cur- Nigerien mosque into a library, she evoked a similar
Rehearse
for the
Metaverse
TEXT GÜNSELI YALCINKAYA

Yes, folks! As you have probably

heard by now, the metaverse is
coming. But don’t listen to what the
corporations tell you. The metaverse
doesn’t have to be a digital replica
of the physical world, where people
attend work meetings as sexless
avatars dressed in fits plucked straight
from the Meta campus. Nor does it
have to be an uber-corporate space
overrun by Bored Apes, dogecoin
and brand sponsorships.
Dig a little deeper and you’ll find a
virtual wonderland brimming with
weird and wonderful possibilities
limited only by your imagination.
So, strap on your 3D headsets
and steady your motion
sickness, because we’re
riding that information
highway to new virtual
planes of existence.
Prepare now for the
start of a new civilisation.
Rehearse for the metaverse.
Here are a few suggestions:
Dazed
Open your mind
OK, so we’ve established that the metaverse sold to
us by big tech is nothing more than neoliberal drivel
designed to replicate the wrongs of society in the
digital realm. Unless you want to spend your virtual
existence buffering in line at a 7/11, or bowing to
the whims of the wealthy via corporation-funded
NFT activations, we urge you to open the doors of
perception and take some [redacted]. The metaverse
can literally be whatever you want it to be, given that
you have the right tools. Want to ride on the back of
a centaur through a buzzing metropolis? Or go raving
in a dungeon with a legion of furries? Dream big,
and remember this: the future is yours to choose.
Like IRL society, the metaverse is a melting
pot of many disparate communities, though it
admittedly favours the extremely online. Expect an
unprecedented number of internet subcultures
from the web’s undergrowth. Think: weebs, 4chan
bros, twitch streamers, e-girls and Discord music
fans. Enter with an open mind.

Find your e-folk

Become acquainted with anime nerds and gamer folk,
because their presence makes up the higher echelons
of the social hierarchy. Chances are they’ve already
spent countless hours crafting the various public and
private rooms within the metaverse, so they’re bound
to know the ins and outs. Remember the weird kids
at school with the quirked-up garms and an unhealthy
presence on DeviantArt? Not so weird now.
As the future of human communication, the
metaverse allows you to step into new bodies and
worlds in ways that haven’t previously been possible.
Assuming we find a way to evade IRL licensing laws
(arguably one of the biggest threats to metaverse
autonomy), it’s a place where you’re as likely to talk
politics with an anthropomorphic bottle of Hooch as
you are to befriend a boobie catgirl with the voice of
Hulk Hogan. Imagine a ketamine-induced brain-melt
filtered through a teenager’s brain dialled to the max
on Monster Ultra, and you’re pretty much there.

91
Be your ‘self’
Here we are: a hyper-technological and cynical
postmodern culture about to relinquish our meat
bodies for an eternity plugged into the matrix.
But, first of all, you must choose your avatar.
Unlike in video games, you won’t be looking at your
avatar in the third person; rather, you embody your
avatar. Whether you choose to resemble your IRL
self, an animal or something else entirely, you’re
about to spend a whole lot of time inhabiting it,
so you might as well look cute.
Befriend modellers. These digital vanguardists
are the unsung heroes of the metaverse, spending
painstaking hours on Blender building custom models
for players. Removed from the watchful gaze of
the in-game moderators, this largely underground
practice exists in back alleys and private rooms,
spread via word-of-mouth and secret Discord servers.
Each mod has their own unique style, like a tattoo
artist or fashion designer, so choose wisely.
Familiarise yourself with the concept of presence,
experiencing a virtual environment as real. This is
not an illusion or a gameplay, but another reality:
throw away your Descartes and forget any notion
of mind/body duality. His ideas might have flown
in the 17th century but, as anyone who’s lived in the
digital age will intuit, there is no separation between
our physical and online selves. Your avatar is a
projection of yourself and your desires, and vice
versa. Treat it accordingly.

Don’t lose touch

Beware of gargoyles, the perpetually plugged-
in inhabitants of the metaverse who, adrift in
the digiscape, have found their once-limitless
imaginations reduced to zeros and ones. Like the
virtually rendered descendants of Dorian Gray,
they have sold their real bodies in exchange for a
high-res existence on the bitmap, forever rendering
deeper into the vast web computer network,
and losing all touch with reality in the process.

Dazed
99 problems but a Drink your fluids
glitch ain’t one Drop your preconceptions. With the freedom to try
on and change your body on demand, the idea of
Practise looking in the mirror. This will remind gender is about to become extremely fluid. You will
you how your gestures are perceived by others, encounter players who don’t identify with the gender
but also yourself. Expect your actions to take on they’re presenting as online, such as men parading
new existential weight as you tread further into this as catgirls and enough big-titty goth GFs to fill an
pixellated world. Am I my avatar? Is my avatar me? entire reddit thread’s worth of praxis. It’s weird and
Prepare for ensuing crisis. confusing, but it’s unavoidable.
Beware of glitches. When exploring a virtual There will also be those who find gender euphoria
world, you might find that your clothes begin to in their newly pixellated bodies. This is the chance
disappear, or you might accidentally dislodge your to burn the hegemony of gender once and for all.
tracker IRL and find that your avatar has collapsed As Judith Butler said, gender is a performance – so,
like a crumpled marionette on the floor. Save yourself what are you waiting for?
the embarrassment, and stay alert. Kinks are about to get a lot more extreme, too.
Buffering time will be to the metaverse what With previously niche sexual preferences reaching
waiting for a bus is to the real world. Access to new, embodied heights, players can embody anything
the newest tech and software updates will no at all, from anime girls to animals and inanimate
doubt require access that only the rich can afford, objects. Forniphilia, objectophilia, bestiality – like it
condemning most of us to an eternity of long waiting or not, they will all become accepted forms of
times, especially as we move between the various intimacy between consenting avatars. Imagine a
holographic web terminals available to us. Use this Namio Harukawa illustration – only forget
to your advantage. Adopt an intentionally lo-fi pretending to be a couch, now you can be the couch.
aesthetic. Render yourself in grainy black-and-white. Walk around in full-body trackers as a way of
Or embrace being a ball of pixels. It screams DIY! practising online intimacy. Touch will manifest as
Effortlessness! Mystery! vibrations, so you must reassess the basic principles
of physical affection. We recommend head-patting;
it causes small vibrations to diffuse across the
headpiece like tiny haptic kisses.

Before you go...

There is a catch-22. Building a new society within
the metaverse needs tech, the same tech that’s being
built by corporations to assert growing control over
its users. Utopian or not, our existence within the
metaverse depends on the power of this nascent
technology to create deeper and more sophisticated
virtual experiences, which will only divide society
into those who have access and those who don’t.
But the metaverse also offers us a unique chance to
restart society without the problems and hang-ups
that exist in the real world – don’t fuck it up.

93
Trip to the Doctor
Once the pastime of bored teenagers and hippies,
magic mushrooms could now hold the key to
tackling the global mental health crisis. We took
a trip to Europe’s first psychedelic research lab
to find out more about the fungi
TEXT JAMES GREIG their diagnosis. There are also ethical considerations
here: you don’t want someone to be actively led
Psychedelics have been used as healing agents and by a therapist while in a suggestible state. Unless
in religious rituals for thousands of years. From the someone actively seeks to engage with the therapist
early 20th century on, they have occupied a place or seems to be in distress, they are mostly left to
within western culture as a site of inner exploration their own devices. The trained therapists spot early
and a gateway to mystical experiences. Their rela- signs of distress, which tends to happen gradually.
tionship to mental health research is also longstand- But when it comes to intervention, it’s important
ing: in the 1950s, psychiatrists would experiment to understand that there is a difference between
with psychedelics to mimic the effects of illnesses a psychedelic experience being challenging and
like schizophrenia in the hope of better understand- being actively distressing. It can be therapeutically
ing them. Even though the trials during this period beneficial if the former involves confronting and
found LSD to be extraordinarily successful in treat- coming to terms with certain traumatic experiences
ing patients, these efforts were curtailed as part of or negative thought patterns.
the backlash against the permissive counterculture There is a precise pharmacological explana-
of the subsequent decade. Up until now, if you want- tion for why psychedelic drugs benefit mental health
ed a shot at achieving hallucinatory enlightenment, treatment. The treatment can increase what’s known
you’d have to depend on knowing a guy who knows as ‘neuroplasticity’ – in other words, it can help you
a guy or possibly the dark web. But in the UK, to form new perspectives and change repetitive,
psychedelic research is experiencing a renaissance. negative thought patterns. “It allows people to build
It’s not inconceivable that NHS doctors could be healthier ways of thinking and new mechanisms to
prescribing psilocybin or DMT within the next five cope with whatever it is they might be dealing with,”
years for common mental health problems. says Dr Fisher. There is a long history of viewing
Founded by Sam Lewis, Tom McDonald and psychedelics as a way of profoundly altering one’s
Dr Henry Fisher, Clerkenwell Health is a new lab worldview: in The Road of Excess: A History of
which arranges clinical trials for psychedelic re- Writers on Drugs, academic Marcus Boon argues,
search, which will be the first of its kind in Europe. “Psychedelics point out in a very direct and dramat-
This is a highly specialised area: to carry out this ic way that consciousness is mutable – not just in
kind of research, it’s vital to have trained therapists the slow, seemingly continuous fashion of everyday
who know what to do with psychedelics. During the life – and that radical, rapid shifts in consciousness
trial, participants are given a dose high enough to are possible.” The effects of this can be long-lasting
provide a full psychedelic experience. Up to a point, and perhaps even permanent, which means there’s
the higher the dose, the more likely it is that some- a flipside: if you take psychedelics and have a
one will have an emotional breakthrough (which traumatising experience, you might end up further
often takes the form of some kind of mystical enforcing negative patterns or replacing them with
experience.) “Reaching a certain level is correlated new, even worse ones. This means the process is not
with having a positive therapeutic benefit,” says Dr without risk, which is why therapeutic support, be-
Fisher. It’s also important to understand how to forehand and during, is so important. It’s also why
create a setting conducive to a positive experience. people should think twice about self-medicating
Towards this end, the team drew upon research their mental health problems with psychedelics in
on relaxing interior design in healthcare settings, an unsupervised setting. “If someone isn’t taking
particularly in palliative care wards and mental the appropriate precautions, they could retraumatise
health spaces. Music is also hugely important. Every themselves,” says Dr Fisher.
aspect of the environment must be consistent in a What’s undeniable is that many people have
clinical trial, and the soundtrack must be condu- found psychedelic treatment to be profoundly
cive to a positive trip for everyone, regardless of beneficial. Ali partook in a clinical trial after years
their subjective preferences. For now, Clerkenwell spent trying everything to treat her depression and
Health’s primary focus is psilocybin (better known finding that nothing worked. “I guess it was just
as the active ingredient in magic mushrooms). Still, desperation that drew me to the trial in the first
they have also been granted regulatory approval to place,” she says. But the more she researched, the
research DMT as a treatment for depression. more promising psychedelic treatment sounded,
Each trial involves participants with the same and she wanted to be part of a collective effort to
mental health condition, such as treatment-resistant help people with depression. This was particularly
depression. Some conditions – such as schizophre- important for her as her best friend had recently
nia – are avoided, as they have the potential to be died after struggling with the illness. The clinicians
exacerbated by psychedelics. Some trials – particu- prepared her well beforehand, but she was still
larly ones which involve testing a new compound nervous. In all of these trials, half of the participants
– are conducted with participants who aren’t are given a dose so small it’s effectively a placebo,
experiencing any kind of mental health problem meaning that she didn’t know beforehand whether
Craig Boagey whatsoever, while others are aimed at helping she would even feel anything. As it turned out, both
Mushroom 3, Purple Cap (2020) people with terminal illnesses come to terms with of Ali’s doses were strong. “During the first one,
Oil, acrylic on canvas

95
there were lots of feelings of spaciousness and love, in hell, drowning in pus and blood. God, it was dis- All images courtesy of the artist. Craig Boagey’s show
wandering around and seeing beautiful things,” gusting,” she says. The therapists tried to help her, at LA’s Simchowitz Gallery will run from October 29
she says. “There didn’t seem to be a particular but nothing they did made the trip more bearable.
message; it was more that I was supposed to allow “The strange thing was, even though I couldn’t wait
myself to feel things.” for it to be over, it was still really valuable,” she says.
The second dose, on the other hand, was dif- “It made me realise that, in some ways, the world
ficult. Initially, she felt like she was breaking apart is horrible: there is war and starvation and scarcity,
or dying. It forced her to confront some difficult and people are suffering every day. Maybe there’s
things. But she also had an experience of meeting something about us as humans that can’t handle that,
her best friend, and the two of them flowing to- and that’s what depression is for me. It validated that
gether as a river. While this second experience was aspect of my negative thinking because I think there
challenging, the support of the two therapists in the is value in having people in the world who can ac-
room proved helpful. “When I started to have a trip, knowledge the bad things happening,” she says.
they helped me to work through all of the scary These negative or positive epiphanies have had
things.” This helped turn what might have been a a meaningful and enduring impact on her mental
wholly negative experience into something with health. “It sounds so trite,” she says, “but my main
therapeutic value. “You really need to turn towards takeaway from the first trip was, ‘I’m OK.’ I realised
the unpleasant things and embrace them,” says Ali. that, while I have my problems, I’m not broken
“The second session, while much less enjoyable, beyond repair. To a large extent, I’ve retained this
helped me more than the first.” After the trials, self-worth and the feeling that I belong on planet
she experienced a respite from her depression for a Earth.” Even two years after the experience, she
few months, which took away her suicidal feelings. still uses some of these insights as reference points.
In that sense, it was “lifesaving”. Even though her “Society, the way it is structured, supports a kind
depression eventually returned, she found she was of person – and I’m just not that person,” she says.
more resilient. “I just felt better equipped to deal “But looking at the way the current systems affect
with it,” she says. “The feelings that I experienced me has made me think about how best I can make
of loving and trusting myself endured.” my life work well within them, instead of letting
Ruth took part in a trial in 2019, having them drag me down.”
suffered from depression for years. Like Ali, she’d While psychedelics are an expanding area
tried everything else, and nothing had worked. of research, there are still some barriers that could
“It was a last resort,” she says. For years she had prevent them from being widely adopted. For a start,
struggled to decipher the underlying reason behind the UK’s attitude to drugs deemed ‘recreational’ is
her depression, hitting on different answers at dif- not exactly permissive. There’s a lot of stigma and
ferent stages in her life: was it her childhood? Her cultural baggage around psychedelics – which
brain chemistry? “If anything, this trial showed me people tend to associate with long-haired hippies
there are no simple answers. But something psyche- or people jumping off buildings under the delusion
delics gave me was an ability to take the onus of my that they can fly – which means that the burden of
mental health away from me as an individual and evidence has to be much higher than it is for other
look at it from a more structural perspective.” treatments. All the psychedelics being researched
Ruth was anxious before the trial (as with are currently ‘schedule one’, meaning they cannot
Ali, the worst part was not knowing if she would legally be prescribed or possessed. But at the same
be given the placebo), but felt supported, cared for time, the government bodies regulating these treat-
and safe throughout the experience. When she was ments are increasingly open to the idea they might
tripping, she didn’t speak much to the therapist in be effective, and the UK is becoming a global hub
the room, and her experience was primarily in- for this kind of research. Equally, although it’s ex-
ternal: she kept headphones and eyeshades on for citing to think such treatments could become more
most of the duration. The room’s design helped widely available, there is good reason to be cautious.
to make the experience more pleasant: it didn’t After all, the history of psychedelics has shown,
feel like a hospital room; there were lots of plants, time and time again, that there is danger in plac-
blankets and cushions. She was also invited to bring ing these drugs in the hands of the powerful. For
with her some personal objects; she took photos, instance, the Nazis and the CIA administered
her childhood teddy bear, and a selection of knick- mind-altering drugs in an attempt to control peo-
knacks with sentimental value. “It was nice to have ple’s thoughts and induce obedience. More recently,
this stuff with me as an anchor point for my life,” we have seen with both the opioid crisis and the
says Ruth. over-prescribing of Adderall that pharmaceutical
Psychedelic experiences are notoriously inef- companies are not always responsible in their pro-
fable. Many of the great writers who experimented motion of psychoactive substances. Is there a danger
with them – during the mid-20th century, this was that big pharma will usher in a Brave New World-
all the rage – struggled to describe the experience style dystopia, rendering people with mental health
in words. When Ruth closed her eyes during the problems – many of which will be in response to
trial, she visualised a temple with the two therapists external factors – docile and compliant?
standing like pillars on either side. When they ush- According to Dr Fisher, one key feature of
ered her through the entrance, it was like passing psychedelics makes this unlikely: it’s either a one-off
through a portal into a different dimension, repre- deal or administered exceptionally rarely. None of
senting her inner world. “It was my life, the people these substances has a high risk of addiction. Ali and
I’ve known, the places I’ve been to and would like Ruth said they would like to experience this process
to go. It was like a series of different rooms,” she again, but only very sporadically. Neither felt that
says. She went on a “wonderful journey”, visiting they needed to dose regularly to benefit from the
different people and places. The experience was insights they gained. As the philosopher Alan Watts
so positive that she didn’t want to leave when she once wrote of psychedelics: “When you get the mes-
began to come down. sage, hang up the phone.”
Craig Boagey
The second trip she experienced, on the other Russula Emetica (2021)
hand, was nightmarish. “I hated it. It was like I was Oil, acrylic on linen

Dazed
If you believe everything you read, psychedelics
are for people called Chad and Tom who spent
two hours in 1990 watching their legs become
Turner oil paintings, and the next three decades
telling everyone about the new world they had
‘discovered’. Here, three psychoactive travellers
share the trips that have turned a key in their
heads, and explain why it’s important to tap into
your own story. Want to know your iboga from
your psilocybin? It’s a trip…

INTERVIEWS NATASHA YOUNG The medicinal potential of psychedelics for wom- Important, need-to-know disclaimer: psychedelics
en’s health issues, from post-partum depression can be dangerous for people with a history of cer-
You’ve probably heard the trip tales that have to premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), also tain mental health conditions. If you have a family
become the stuff of legend in our new tech bro-ap- looks increasingly promising. history of schizophrenia, for instance, please avoid
proved era of psychedelic enthusiasm: white guy We won’t gloss over the extreme privilege taking them or talk to someone trustworthy and
gets too high, climbs a tree, is humbled by the component of these healing journeys for a medicine experienced before experimenting. The Fireside
epiphany of his own tiny insignificance in the uni- that has largely belonged to indigenous populations Project is one resource for non-judgmental trip sup-
verse, and changes his life. From modern myths for thousands of years, populations who are at port, and DoubleBlind is another (women-owned)
like Timothy Leary and Ram Dass (FKA Richard ever-present risk of exploitation. But the cultural great resource for education and community around
Alpert), to famed mycologist Paul Stamets, self- wave has already broken, long before lawmakers mushrooms in particular.
aware folk-rock hero Father John Misty and beyond, and medical institutions have been able to catch
the white American male looms large in modern up. From ayahuasca ceremonies in Peru to iboga
psychedelic legend. retreats in Costa Rica, psychedelic tourism is the
Here, we’ve endeavoured to collect stories of ultimate escape.
great trips that go beyond these perspectives. We But the real magic of psychedelics is that you
need a more diverse range of voices now that psych- can easily experience your grandest trip from the
edelics are transcending the taboo and gaining wide- comfort of your own home, and at no great cost.
spread acceptance, at long last, as medicine among Grassroots efforts and community connections
governments and public health bodies – thanks in remain essential to allow more people in access
part to popular demand, as well as the loosening the benefits of these largely prohibited substances.
of prohibition to create space for groundbreaking Wherever your trip takes you, the ultimate trip
clinical trials of psilocybin (‘magic’) mushrooms, happens within.
ketamine, LSD and more for depression, PTSD,
anxiety and therapies for the terminally ill.

Dazed
Iboga’s
Journey
to the West
The psychospiritual
trip to end addiction
and purge trauma
TEXT RYAN RICH are all creating our own suffering. He is an amaz-
“Life is not a healing journey and ingly articulate speaker who can clearly convey the
Bwiti teachings in a clear and direct way. He also
iboga is for those who want to finish happens to be incredibly animated and hilarious,
their healing so they can enjoy and could easily be a stand-up comic or
their life now. Iboga and the Bwiti professional storyteller. Most importantly,
he loves people and is one of the most
tradition [spiritual practice observed patient people I have ever met. He
in parts of west-central Africa] loves life and lives it to the fullest,
can be a powerful healing tool which is incredibly contagious.
We in the western world would not
for helping people with drug and have had such easy access to the tradi-
alcohol addiction as well as physical tional way of working with iboga without
and mental illness. We believe that Moughenda. He listened to the call of iboga and
came to the west with no money but complete
iboga is for everyone but hope that trust. While he struggled for many years, not
it will be used in the proper and knowing why iboga had sent him to America, it has
safe way, with the Bwiti tradition. now become clear as he has a deep understanding of
the western mindset. This has allowed him to adapt
The Bwiti tradition comes from the healing modalities to our direct needs and teach
iboga itself, enhancing the healing in a way we can understand.
potential and promoting a happy We had a Chinese man who had been indoc-
trinated in training camps as a child ‘deprogramme’
life afterwards” himself and take control of his life.
– Moughenda, Bwiti shaman
To the Bwiti people, iboga is known as the
“ He could feel iboga clearing this
out and felt like he had a complete-
ly fresh start when he left. I saw a
godfather of all plant medicines and has woman who was a descendant of
both a male and female spirit, meaning it high-ranking Nazis free herself
can match a person’s needs. In the healing and joke that she had vomited up
context outside of Gabon, it is the most
direct and effective healing plant medicine
on the planet, completely different from
” World War II. She is an awesome
woman doing good work and
thought she had made her peace
all other entheogens, AKA psychedelics. While also restore the brain to its pre-addicted state, and with this, but hadn’t realised how much it was still
the others tend to take you out and teach you via then give a person the neuroplasticity to more eas- affecting her. This is something that happens with
riddled visions, iboga takes you in. Iboga is a root, ily build a healthier new life from the point of this many clients, as ancestral trauma and challenges
and that’s exactly what it does. It roots you back fresh start. On a spiritual and healing level, when can be passed down through epigenetics.
into your true self by removing every- done properly, it can heal the root causes of their People are often helped by their ancestors.
thing that isn’t true about you. addiction and connect them to themselves. Since For example, we had one woman of Cameroonian
Iboga saved my life. Even after I have facili- the opposite of addiction is connection, this is the descent who had a beautiful healing experience that
tated hundreds of ceremonies [as the founder of the most effective tool on the planet. AA and other it actually scared us at first. We got scared because
Root Healing Iboga Retreat Centre], I never cease programmes work because people are connected to she started shaking and making weird noises,
to be amazed. People meet their ancestors. People others who can help them, but to be connected to which is abnormal. When we checked on her, she
meet their own souls. Every retreat, I see people themselves is a whole other thing. This is why my told us that her ancestors were clearing her out and
completely liberating themselves from their trau- main focus in this work is detox and working with giving her her own type of initiation. It’s crazy be-
mas and reconnecting to themselves. The success addicts, because the possibility to completely heal cause iboga is also used in Cameroon and she was
rate of this medicine is nearly perfect, when done in them is there. chanting in what sounded like a tribal language she
the traditional way. Moughenda has saved so many people and he had never heard before.
Iboga can completely detox someone from does it by bringing the truth to them, just like iboga.
opiates with zero withdrawal symptoms. It can In his fire talks he goes right to the truth of why we

99
The Magic
of Mushrooms
Making room for shrooms among marginalised communities
TEXT OPHELIA CHONG had been [spent] looking after her husband, who exchange stories. There are quite
had finally passed away. a few of us in the community. We’re

“The
I founded the first cannabis stock photography Her heart was so heavy not an industry yet, we’re a communi-
agency after being shocked at how photo agencies because all of a ty – cannabis was a community, then it

people who
would stereotype people with terms like ‘stoner’. sudden she had no became an industry.
We partnered with Adobe and grew to over 30,000 identity. The use We’re also seeing the ‘Goop

come to me
images – and I knew that, eventually, people would of psychoactive effect’, which is elevating psil-
need images of psilocybin mushrooms that also mushrooms ocybin to being the cure-all

aren’t about going

weren’t stereotypical. I started teaching myself didn’t give her heroic journey that will
how to grow my own so I could photograph them. her life back, solve everyone’s issues.

on hikes and seeing

I started growing mushrooms in my bedroom but it gave her It takes talk therapy
– I learned from reddit, the Shroomery clarity. She’s and building trust with

the sunset melt. They

[website] and Dr K [Mandrake]’s books. still on a jour- your psilocybin provid-
And I got really good at it. I believe it’s ney; however, er to retain safe, organ-

are about dealing

because I come from agrarian ances- it has given her ic mushrooms. That’s
try – Asians are farmers; that is very insight into what why I’m educating

with this really

deep in my family because we had a she needs to work people through Double-
lot of farms in China before the advent on. Because there is Blind to be able to grow

deep trauma”
of communism. Growing is some- no way she’s gonna their own. I’m fighting
thing that gives me so much pleasure. get the 25 years back, but against people marketing
When I was growing mushrooms, she now has to live her life this stuff for extraordinary
I just got better and better. Before for herself. But she needed that amounts of money, when we
I knew it, I had a grow-room full of help to understand that she is a singu- can teach you how to do this on
pink oysters, lion’s mane and reishi, lar being. your own. Of course, it’s gonna take you a while
and I also started growing [magic] I also work with a lot of people who are tran- to do it. But it is giving you the opportunity
mushrooms in small batches. sitioning. And they are discovering the strength to [to] have control over your own medicine
During the pandemic, I helped say, ‘I am this.’ It’s not that psilocybin gives them cabinet, and at low cost.
create the online course Mushrooms the courage – it just gives them the insight [they Learning to do it yourself also
101. Because I’d learned it, I thought, need to say], ‘This is why I’m doing it. And now I’m takes some of the fear and stigma
let’s do a Johnny Appleseed and able to explain to you, in my own words, who I am.’ out of psilocybin. The fear of
teach everyone else! Of For people of colour, psilocybin anything is immediately taken
course, you hear the an- is great for trauma because the away when you see some-
ecdotes: ‘I went to the trauma is ongoing. For oth- thing that comes through
forest and I saw things er people, your trauma your hands. And [there’s]
melt’, and things like that.
That is the spiritual level. But “Growing gives happened at x, y, z
date, right? But
the appreciation of it. The
love that you put into it
really, the people who come to
me aren’t about going on hikes me so much usually, for people
of colour, x, y,
[before] you put it into
your body, right? And
and seeing the sunset melt. They
are about dealing with this really pleasure” z the trauma is
every day: nuances
the passion that you get
from growing one bag,
deep trauma. For instance, one wom- of racism, or even and then two bags and
an had nursed her husband, who had outward explosive ten bags until you start
cancer, for 25 years. When instances of racism that sharing with your friends,
she came to me she you see. You’re always on your which was what happened
was 70, and all of guard for that. With Asian Americans, specifically, to me. I can give it away to
her produc- from the people I’ve talked to, it’s for healing. people who need it, because
tive life The Chinese have been using these mush- my journey in this life is to
rooms for 10,000 years that we know of. It is part be a provider. I am not a healer,
of all our natures, the mushroom. Every mi- I am here to assist those in need by
nority ethnic-group culture has providing safe, clean medicine. I’ve
mushrooms in their history, taught for six years at ArtCenter [College
in their plant guides. of Design, Pasadena], I’ve worked on Skid
I have met quite a Row, and I also created the first veterans’
few young, Asian programme for cannabis that provided space
American peo- and funds to learn how to grow indoor cannabis.
ple interested The programme was created to help veterans with
in growing PTSD [learn] to grow their own medicine and
them. And find work cultivating. A lot of what comes in goes
it’s really immediately back out.
great be-
cause we
Acid or Shrooms?
Choosing your path to lysergic bliss
TEXT NATASHA YOUNG I likened the LSD to a pipe-cleaning solution for the for the first time after stopping the Prozac, he said,
neural pathways in my brain. “I feel like I got my daughter back.”
That old song by of Montreal called “Lysergic As the sun rose, my friends and I climbed Microdosing helps me to not forget the clarity
Bliss”? Not wrong! Dropping acid with friends on some gigantic boulders to watch the unspoiled and joy of my past heroic trips. Seeing the world
one night in Joshua Tree, the night of a super-blood horizon turn colours, and it was then I experienced anew continues long after you’ve come down from
moon, helped me to dissolve depression’s grip in my a childlike clarity of perspective, best described a trip, from little epiphanies that make me laugh at
mid-20s. by the creator of LSD, Dr Albert Hofmann: “The the delightful absurdity of the world, to how rigid
I had tripped on magic mushrooms before, world was as if newly created.” and cruel our society can be. Private property, gas
just once, with friends in a borrowed cabin in the The memory of that trip is precious to me, but stations, credit cards, the performative manners of
woods of Quebec. That was when I first started to LSD has also resulted in a few dark nights of the strangers: I observed them all wide-eyed and felt
write fiction and live on my own in the world for soul. The drug is a powerful transformation agent, like an alien. What did I understand that I hadn’t
the first time. I grew up in small-town Maine, dealt but it’s not to be trifled with. I prefer psilocybin understood previously? It is all a game, but not a
with turmoil and depression at home all my life, mushrooms, for microdosing or for therapeutic game to be taken lightly. The world humans have
scraped by with good enough grades to get into a trips. Although I had dabbled in and written about constructed is a very serious game which it is im-
university in Montreal, moved there at 18, got into psychedelics, I hadn’t tried micro- perative to remember, as often as humanly possible,
my first serious long-term relationship, dosing until the winter of is only a game. If you forget for too long, so much so
moved from the dorm straight into a 2021–2022. It was that it becomes very real to you, the consequences
home with him, and had lived a cold, lonely of losing this game can be very grave. Therefore,
that way, smoking weed and lockdown in I realised it is critically important to be kind and
drinking and writing my Brook- compassionate. Unkindness is a symptom of forget-
way through school with lyn, ting the game, as is depression, as is violence.
my boyfriend, until and As a woman, this meant a lot to me, because
I got an entry-level being in my body and seeing my own image had
editorial job that become such a loaded experience, put upon by
moved me to New untold layers of programming that distorted my
York City. After self-perception and lived experience. The first time
a couple of years I saw myself in the mirror on acid, I was amazed
of feeling very to catch a glimpse of myself unvarnished by exter-
lost, I moved to nally imposed expectations. Only when I’m high on
Los Angeles, psychedelics do I actually feel my true size, which
connected with is: tiny! Tall, but tiny. I am like a skinny cat on the
a friend from high street, alert and a little frightened of everything, so
school who had also the rare chance to feel safe enough to lie down in a
moved out there, and end- I was unable to spot of sun, stretched out and belly exposed, is ca-
ed up doing acid for the first time with a group travel for the holidays. The thartic. I realised that, since I had been programmed
of fellow Maine transplants in a landscape that baggie of Golden Teachers to fear men, a necessary evil that parents teach their
amazed all of us for how foreign it was from my ex had gifted me months young daughters, my body had adapted to a rigidity
the world we’d grown up knowing. ago – weird consolation that, while effective at self-protection, had become
As the moon moved across the sky, prize, but OK! – suddenly an unhealthy imbalance and inability to feel joy.
looking closer than I’d ever seen it before, became my lifeline. Now, I use microdosing in tandem with
I didn’t need to hallucinate to feel like I was I had a coffee therapy (CBT, somatic experiencing and EMDR).
on another planet – the desert does that to grinder that I didn’t A more integrated state of being has been the most
me anyway – but I saw all around me a really use any more, powerful takeaway I’ve had from my psychedelic
three-dimensional grid of light, electric so I ground up the experiences. I truly believe psychedelics like psilo-
currents zapping through it. It was a vivid shrooms and found cybin and LSD are medicine, as studies such as on
and literal vision of the cliche-for-a-reason trip this online guide to veterans with PTSD and terminally ill patients all
epiphany that everything is connected. With the figure out how to dose support. It is truly a perspective-changing experi-
otherworldly desertscape, the infinite stars and the it. I began following the Paul Stamets protocol, ence to feel safe in your own body again after years
super-blood-moon in kaleidoscope vision, I lay by nicknamed the Stamets Stack: four to five days on, of feeling disconnected from yourself.
our campfire and watched in awe. two to three days off. Right away, I felt my winter The best part of any acid or mushroom trip
The acid’s dissolving of my ego was terrifying depression lift, and my creative energy and natural is the hilarity of how obvious this all is. This sense
as well as physically uncomfortable, and without curiosity was restored. I became hungry to learn all of knowing is part of the medicine: the truth has
good friends around me who’d been through it be- the new skills I’d been thinking about for ages but been within us all along, but the rigidity we pick up
fore, all that neuroplasticity happening in real-time had kept putting off due to pandemic-typical leth- through the wear-and-tear of life’s myriad stressors
could have taken a very different shape. After the argy. I pitched a new business venture and got it off can make us forget all of the wisdom, love and com-
writhing and grinding of my egoic resistance re- the ground. I started writing creatively after feeling passion within us. Psychedelics aren’t the only way
leased me, I melted into euphoric lightness. It was like I’d been blocked during most of the pandemic. to illuminate these core values or to find meaning,
exhilarating to be free from the old obsolete scripts After six months following this microdosing proto- but they’ve certainly helped me to feel more free
of my depression and anxiety bogging down my col, I gained the confidence to finally wean myself and to take things less seriously.
mind. It truly felt like a hard reset after years of off Prozac, which I’ve been on since around the
my internal system looping on errors and failures. age of 15 to treat PMDD. When I visited my father
Dreamachine
The power of mu-
sic to help us attain
mystical states is well
known by research-
ers in the field of
psychedelic therapy.
For Dreamachine,
an audiovisual ex-
periment designed
to induce hallucino-
genic responses in
audiences, producer
Jon Hopkins was
the man tasked with
soundtracking a high
with no supply
Dazed
for the project. “I’m
Hopkins has
TEXT JESSE BERNARD

There’s a lot of noise

being made about the fascinated by how
that’s impacted the
long explored
ways music is con-
sumed these days. The
use of psychedelics in
music spaces has been music I’ve made.”
“[Psychedelics] allow
the ties between
well documented, but
in recent years there’s
been growing conver-
sation around the use of us to [go] in search
of healing, to feel
music-making
psychedelics for thera-
peutic and creative pur-
poses, particularly since
the pandemic lit the reconnected to our
roots,” says Albert
and psychoac-
touchpaper for a global
mental health crisis.
Now we’re feeling
less disconnected, it’s Garcia-Romeu, as-
sistant professor of
tive substances.
in our nature to find
ways to come back to
ourselves, and better
understand the world psychiatry and be-
havioural sciences at
His sixth and
around us. It’s a curios-
ity that pulled crowds
to the Dreamachine,
a throbbing, tech- Johns Hopkins Uni-
versity in Baltimore,
latest album, last
no-pulsing audiovisual
experience at Woolwich
Market in London this
spring. Created by Maryland, a leading
centre for psychedel-
year’s Music
Collective Act in col-
laboration with a team
including Turner-prize
winning artists Assem- ic research. “With a
growing sense of al-
for Psychedelic
ble and Grammy-nom-
inated producer Jon
Hopkins, the project
was designed as a way ienation, anxiety and
despair with global
Therapy, was
to experience a deeper
level of consciousness
in a group setting, and
was inspired by an problems [such as]
wealth inequality, cli-
born from a trip
idea by late artist and
inventor Brion Gysin, a
close friend of William
Burroughs. mate change and the
pandemic, people are
to Ecuador and
The Dreama-
chine, which Gysin
hoped would one day
replace television sets feeling very discon-
nected and uneasy.”
his attempts to
in homes across the
world, invited people to
sit back and close their
eyes as a multisensory “I wanted to start a
conversation [beyond
create music
display using method-
ically deployed flick-
ering lights unfolded
around them. The idea just] music,” Hopkins
says. “It was about
to accompany
was to offer a new way
of seeing the world – or,
to put it crudely, a legal,
non-toxic trip without safe places you can
inhabit during a psy-
guided keta-
the risk of psychosis or
even a hangover. “I love
the idea of creating a
psychedelic experience chedelic [experience],
that don’t require you
mine highs.
with someone without
the need to ingest any-
thing,” says Hopkins,
who created the music to be on a substance.”
103
“When I’m are going through length of a ketamine
trip. “I didn’t know that

something quite in- an album would be born

from [these recordings],

writing albums tense and unusual. but it was inspiring to

write somewhere that

An early psychedelic was different from a

studio. It just naturally

in my studio, experience in my life linked with my own psy-

chedelic experiences.”

showed me I could For the album, Hopkins

reached into his inner

I don’t normal- look through a door well and pulled some-

thing profound from

for a few hours and the depths. “I was dis-

covering that you start

ly think about come back to where to perceive sound as

physical, which it tech-

I was. That’s what nically is. It creates a

landscape in your mind,

who is listen- inspired me to start and when it’s part of an

altered state, it becomes

a daily practice, and so tangible.”

My two trips to

ing to it, I’m when I came back to Dreamachine differed

wildly. I was in a

stronger psychedelics positive mood for the

first, and visualised a

listening to my in my mid-30s, I was kaleidoscope of col-

ours – a brilliant rush

better able to navigate of imagery produced

entirely in my head. It

intuition and that internal space. felt like my mind was

floating in space, and

I found they could I was experiencing the

full spectrum of the

what music is illuminate [the fact] universe. For me, it was

a reminder that we exist

that there is more to as part of a larger eco-

system – one we have

trying to come this reality that we very little control over.

The second was at 8pm

can see.” on a Thursday evening,

36 hours after a long-

through,” he The producer’s trails haul flight. I was in

such a dreamlike state

in the making of Mu- I ended up sleeping for

40 minutes, though I’m

says. “But [that sic for Psychedelic blaming that on the jet
lag. “[In Dreamachine]

Therapy took him on your brain is creating

imagery in response

record] had a a journey to a cave to sound and flashing

lights,” says Hopkins,

network beneath the whose soundtrack was

created specifically for

purpose: it had Amazon rainforest, a 360º speaker array

intended to immerse

the Cueva de los Tayos audiences entirely. “It

was a fascinating pro-

to be a welcom- (Cave of the Oilbirds). ject to be a part of.”

For Hopkins, the

There, he made the exhibition was a chance

to introduce the sober

ing experience field recordings of among us to the possi-

bilities of psychoactive

nature that formed experimentation. “This

is for people who aren’t

for people who the basis of the LP, already in the conver-
sation about ‘internal

which is timed to the landscapes’,” he says.

“The idea was to make

Dazed
labelling his original
realise that plan-
something broad and
accessible for people
who might just come
out of interest. They invention as the “first
artwork to be experi-
ning any of it
might leave [with a
different sense of] what
consciousness is, or of
how we’re all different enced with your eyes
closed”. For Garcia-
is futile – your
or similar in our inter-
nal experiences.”
Despite this, the
stigma around psyche- Romeu, we need to
drop our assumptions
subconscious,
delic drug use remains
pervasive. Most live
music environments
have strong policies altogether, and trust
the science. “The way
deeper self has
against possession
and consumption
(rules which, in turn,
statistically increase people used to think
about this type of
got a different
the risk of misuse).
Some regions of the
UK have been trialling
what are known as substance was main-
ly informed by how
plan,” reasons
‘drug consumption
rooms’, where illicit
drugs can be taken in
a supervised setting. it can be dangerous
or abused,” he says.
Hopkins. “I
It’s a harm-reduction
approach to addressing
drug abuse, often used
by those who take “Now we’re coming
back to it with fresh
don’t even think
opioids. Already in
operation in countries
across Europe and
North America, there eyes, and people who
were born post-1960s
about what I’m
is heavy resistance to
the idea in the UK,
where harmful policies
affect all types of illicit have a very different
view on how these
making any
drug use. An area such
as Woolwich, which
has been historically
overpoliced, has a states can be help-
ful in a therapeutic
more, I just fol-
racial disparity in drug
policing compared to
more affluent neigh-
bouring areas. There’s sense, even from just
a creative or spiritual
low my instincts
a certain irony, then, in
an exhibition that mim-
ics the effects of illegal
drugs appearing – with standpoint.”
Hopkins and Gar-
and make it.
no entry fee – here.
These experienc-
es certainly are not for
everyone, but what art cia-Romeu are unit-
ed in the belief that
It’s really about
is? While Hopkins is
clear that he wanted
the exhibition to be
as accessible as pos- psychedelics can re-
veal unseen paths into
getting yourself
sible, Dreamachine
doesn’t exactly lead
with the idea that the
experience is akin to the maze of the hu-
man mind. “I’ve been
out of the way.”
taking a psychedelic
drug. Perhaps the or-
ganisers were worried
the wider narratives releasing albums for
around illicit psy-
chedelic experiences 22 years now, and the
would be a turn-off for
many, despite Gysin older I get, the more I
105
Ever wondered what zero-gravity parties in
space might feel like? How aliens might dance
to time-warped BPMs? What about CBD
vapours dispensed via the frequencies of a
multidimensional soundsystem? With the help
of some of planet Earth’s best parties, including
House of S(Punk) and Days Like This, we present
our vision of what clubbing might look like in
galaxies far, far away. So strap on your Mugler
robo-drip and 3M reflective sweat - protector:
here’s how to get your kicks in the exosphere

The
The Mirage
Mirage Mirror
Mirror Mothership
Mothership
Brunch
Brunch by
by DLT
DLT
London
London events
events crew
crew Days
Days Like
Like This
This (DLT)
(DLT) gave
gave WHAT TO EXPECT: On
On entry,
entry, attendees
attendees are
are served
served
Black aa special
special brewed
brewed tea
tea containing
containing extracts
extracts from
from Jupi-
Black millennials a vibrant, joyous space to see
millennials a vibrant, joyous space to see ter: this results in hypersensitivity for the
Jupi-
immer-
themselves
themselves inin the
the party
party scene.
scene. In
In 3022,
3022, they’ve
they’ve tak-
tak- ter: this results in hypersensitivity for the immer-
en sive
sive experience.
experience. The
The brunch
brunch isis aa highly
highly advanced
en that
that up
up aa few
few galaxies
galaxies to
to predict
predict aa hypersensory,
hypersensory, simulation,
advanced
psychedelic
psychedelic event
event that
that makes
makes clubbing
clubbing thethe most
most simulation, taking attendees to their most desired
taking attendees to their most desired
personal of experiences. restaurants
restaurants where
where they
they will
will eat
eat their
their most
most sought-
sought-
personal of experiences. after
after meals.
meals. The
The party
party segment
segment brings
brings us
us to
to the
the
LINE-UP: Mirror ‘mirrors
‘mirrors and mirage’ theme – attendees will see
and mirage’ theme – attendees will see
Mirror images
images of
of the
the night’s
night’s attendees,
attendees, their
projected
projected on
on to
to the
the stage
stage –
– so
so everyone
everyone feels
feels seen.
seen. their mirrored
mirrored images
images asas the
the best
best versions
versions of
of them-
them-
selves
selves to dance with, surrounded by their hopes
to dance with, surrounded by their hopes
SOUNDS: Scent-infused and desires.
and desires.
Scent-infused Afrobeats,
Afrobeats, physically
physically
textured
textured R&B and colour-spectrum dancehall
R&B and colour-spectrum dancehall –– for
for
the ultimate synaesthetic effect. Afrobeats
the ultimate synaesthetic effect. Afrobeats sounds sounds
release
release scents
scents refl
reflective
ective ofof food
food and
and nature
nature in
in Afri-
Afri-
ca, giving a feeling of home. When dancehall
ca, giving a feeling of home. When dancehall plays, plays,
colours
colours areare released
released toto match
match the the vibrancy
vibrancy and
and
energy of the room. For R&B, a variety of
energy of the room. For R&B, a variety of textures textures
–– rain,
rain, feathers,
feathers, satin,
satin, leathers
leathers –– fall
fall on
on attendees
attendees in
in
small particles to reflect the genre’s sensuality.
small particles to reflect the genre’s sensuality.
DRESS CODE: Silver
Silver and
and 3M
3M Refl
Reflective
ective Materials,
Materials,
traditional
traditional Arrakis
Arrakis attire.
attire.
VENUE: A A mirrored
mirrored ship
ship adorned
adorned with
with African
African
and
and Caribbean flags in the planet Arrakis’s atmos-
Caribbean flags in the planet Arrakis’s atmos-
phere.
phere. The
The interior
interior is
is covered
covered in
in mirrors
mirrors from
from top
top
to bottom.
to bottom.

TEXT ANNA CAFOLLA

Lanji’s Sound Dream (LSD)
Festival by Hungama
LSD Festival expands on the inspirations behind WHAT TO EXPECT: Liberation and joy with a
east London’s seminal queer Bollywood club night generous dollop of chaos and hints of debauchery.
Hungama, and the elastic sounds of Swana (south- Come and experience the ultimate in euphoric,
west Asian and north African) club kids. Like the hedonistic celebration, safe in the knowledge that
Matrix, it’s everywhere, bringing zero hangxiety this entire festival takes place in – and is steered
and new personalised meaning to the rave. by – your subconsciousness. What does that mean?
Well, when you exit LSD Festival and call time on
LINE-UP: My Panda Shall Fly, Shivum Sharma, the rave, you’ll find yourself waking up, fully rest-
Aisha Mirza, Aran Cherkez, Chippy Nonstop and ed, with razor-sharp and colour-saturated memories
many more south Asian and Swana legends. of the entire experience. The perfect trip, without
the comedown.
SOUNDS: Swana and south Asian sounds remixed
by your own heightened state of consciousness –
Hungama for the IRL Matrix crowd.

DRESS CODE: Punk fashion of the past, present

and future, customised with NFTs.

VENUE: An undisclosed, Inception-style landscape,

where the venue will fold in on itself as the DJs play.
Your own subconsciousness will control where you
dance, chill and engage with other patrons – every-
one’s experience is unique.
Freak-uency
by House of (S)Punk
Barcelona’s House of (S)Punk is a night born from
the repression and resistance of the marginalised
– women, queer, trans, migrant people – where sur-
vivor’s pride stimulates the community’s clubbing
experience. Taking from the past and projecting
into a faraway future, its location is inspired by the
legendary Spanish rave route, La Ruta del Bakalao.

LINE-UP: The uploaded minds and souls of La Fra-

icheur, Manel De Aguas, Drazzit, Lola Kay, AC2,
Euyinn, LeDuq and Störung, with special guests
including trans-species creatures and cyborgs.

SOUNDS: Music is not defined by genre any more,

but by sensations and frequencies activated. DJs and
club rooms are labelled as follows: ultra- and infra-
sound, electromagnetic waves, atmospheric con-
ditions changes, bio-generated electrical impulses
created by interconnected alien flora. Think TEDM
(Transcraneal Electronic Dance Music), ultrasonic
supernova trance, infrasonic techno and old-school
hardstyle – because even in the future, nostalgia still
looms large, and people love the classics.

DRESS CODE: Anything from nudity to techwear is

seen on the dancefloor. Ravers are spotted in flowy,
bio-reactive textiles that pulse the music into their
bodies through the touch of your skin, virtual fash-
ion sees IRL clothes swaps, and some aliens lend
their ‘skin’ in exchange for a tentacle-job.

VENUE: The carcass of a wrecked vintage space

station in the Great Milky Way Garbage Patch,
powered by bioenergy in a 24D dome with portals
to the next clubs, home to future ‘Urb-Ex’ raving.
A stop on La Ruta de la Via Lactea, an interplane-
tary route uniting parties of the Milky Way.

WHAT TO EXPECT: In the new millennium, the

tribal essence of raving will hark back to its begin-
nings 1,000 years ago. But the human species is not
the civilisational reference point any more – club-
bing is designed for the wide spectrum of lifeforms
in a diverse society impacted by hybridisation,
genetic mutation and cybernetic implants. It breeds
the deepest empathetic experiences.
Club culture now offers multisensory experi-
ences beyond sound and light, where the audience
itself is an integral part of the creation. Visuals
emerge from the crowd’s minds and become
embedded in the club architecture, reacting to the
heat, aura and emotional state of ravers. Think cy-
borg artist Manel De Aguas’s weather sensory fin
implanted on his head – partygoers will be able to
hear the atmospheric pressure, humidity and tem-
perature of the rave. CBD is audible and airborne.
Telepathic monitoring of people’s hydration, energy
and comfort levels will ensure everyone’s safety.
Xenomorph strip club Apokalimba
by Harpies by Wekaforé Jibril
Xenomorph is the mutant daughter of the UK’s first Experience the transcendence that comes before
and only LGBTQ+ strip club, Harpies. A tentacled oblivion with Wekaforé Jibril’s speculative club
lapdance with biologically enhanced sounds for a night for the future-doomed. The designer’s Voodoo
turbo-queer tour of the future you’ll never forget. club is an essential ritual for African-Spaniards in
2022 – so go out with a bang, and celebrate culture’s
LINE-UP: Arca, Megan Thee Stallion (Now in her hottest and most absurd aspects before the apoca-
Terminator-style hot-girl final form), Queen Xeno- lypse hits.
morph, SOPHIE (Rest in Power </3), the rogue AI
from I, Robot, Lady Gaga (On her Chromatica Ball LINE-UP: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
100th interplanetary anniversary tour, under very B2B with Hypnos.
strict direction from Nicola Formichetti’s avatar),
Xenomorph-Predator Spice, Sigourney Weaver SOUNDS: Omnipresent surround-sound, end-tech-
(in the robo-suit), the opera chick from The Fifth no (an ominous version of tech-house where the
Element, COBRAH, Blade (a Wesley Snipes strip- outro is king but the end of the tune never, ever
tease), the Engineers from Prometheus. comes), and middle-ages trance music, inspired by
field recordings made in time-travel expeditions.
SOUNDS: GOO! HISSING! INDUSTRIAL
THUMPS! BIOLOGICALLY ENHANCED DRESS CODE: The Zara x Gap x Nike collabora-
SOUNDWAVES! XENO-CORE! tion, and the most cursed, absurd brand collabora-
tions through the last few decades and centuries.
DRESS CODE: Mugler. Black and green, latex and Balenciaga’s merger of their AI atelier with Celine,
PVC, big metal robo-suits. Think wet. Think indus- and Facebook’s 100th couture collection featuring
trial. Think fierce. Think intimidating. Think sexy. the wearable, body-embedded chameleon chip that
clothes you in a holographic outfit of your choice
VENUE: Harpies strip club (the Planet XE5-III when activated.
branch).
VENUE: The Great Wall of China, the entry point
WHAT TO EXPECT: The facehuggers from Alien to all the galaxy’s rental portal, to avoid Earth’s
come to wrap around your face, lay eggs in your congestion and seriously bad vibes because…
chest and burst out from your insides – and you’re apocalypse cometh.
paying for it! It’s hot! That’s right! The only place
on Planet XE5-III where you can get private WHAT TO EXPECT: Apokalimba is the hottest night
lapdances and strike-you-dead sexy experiences of the impending apocalypse, where you can forget
from the xenomorphs, all while being entertained about the afterlife for a few hours – dance into the
by the most sensual of cyborgs and immortal pop limbo of oblivion. The DJ booth is in the clouds,
stars. All sets and costume design by HR Giger and the soundsystem stretches to the moon, and the only
Thierry Mugler. bouncer is in the outer atmosphere.
Explore ANSIE boots at vagabond.com
Autumn / Winter 2022
Silly Steps Section VSCO-graphy 3000
by Avtomat by David Chan
DJ and producer Avtomat created open, safer David Chan’s Brooklyn party sksksks offers solace
spaces for Polish queers with clubbing collectives from the queer club night sonic binaries – the pure,
and nights like Oramics and Ciężki
Ci ki Brokat – in the saccharine pop or pummelling hard techno. The
future, our collective ideals and values for clubbing club night centres a queer community whose raving
and community mould our dancefloors more than sensibilities bloomed in quarantine, tastes expanded
gravity and the laws of the land ever could. on internet forums and Zoom-room raves. Looking
ahead, things only get more bombastic.
LINE-UP: Every artist you can think of who exceeds
4/4 time signatures and makes you dance in a differ- LINE-UP: Scholars of SOPHIE, academics with
ent way than the usual foot-to-foot shuffle. a focus on AG Cook’s musical anthropocene, hyper-
pop alumni, Chelsea Manning.
SOUNDS: Ranging from electronic global club
music to minimalist classical and math-metal. SOUNDS: The ancestral threads of hyperpop
Hyperpop is a treason-worthy offence which sees and digicore, as well as the musical umbrellas and
you flung into a black hole. genres that were birthed in the 2091-92 lockdown:
sulphuric pop, catastrophicore.
WHAT TO EXPECT: Leave your judgment at the
door, because this is a space for the very silliest of WHAT TO EXPECT: A super-extended daytime rave
dance moves. The night’s vibe is super discom- – due to climate change, the north-eastern United
bobulated, there’s a voice-activated floating drone States are bathed in the light of several small planets
drinks service, and a chillout zone where the air that continue to encroach on the Earth’s atmosphere
is as thick as beanbags to sink into and relax in. for 23 hours a day.
The gravity-bent dancefloor is a raver’s assault
course, with light-up, Twister-like fields to use while DRESS CODE: Hautepop. We’re expecting latex,
you’re partying. The winners gain immortality. pineapple leather and bulbous silhouettes. Ravers
can be spotted in Marine Serre bodysuits with the
DRESS CODE: Dress codes? We abandoned them real-time, moving image of the moon stitched into
hundreds of years ago. the fabric, archive pieces from Chet Lo and Hood
By Air, and disintegrating Rick Owens.
VENUE: A giant glass cube standing on its corner in
the middle of the Atlantic ocean, spinning at speeds VENUE: A waterpark abandoned in the last century,
that slow time and suspend gravity. seized upon and souped up by rave crews during
the sixth summer of love. Each flume and half-pipe
ends in a bowl with a different aesthetic and sound.
The headliner plays in a DJ booth on top of a 168ft-
tall platform.
ghfdka98712140_--..%
by Jorge Juan B Wieneke V

Manila-formed Club Matryoshka first found life on

a pulsating private Minecraft server, where the un-
orthodox mutants of the underground music scene
gather. Its sensibilities for mind-melting music,
radical reimagining of socialising and club spaces,
and serving of a marginalised community under-
pin co-founder Jorge Juan B Wieneke V’s unpro-
nounceable manifestation for the future of clubbing.

LINE-UP: A machine-learning GAN (Generative

Adversarial Network) – AI bots designed to com-
bine the seminal experimental musical minds of
each generation. Bots have been trained on the fol-
lowing music:
GAN bot #1: Skeemask / Aphex Twin / Float-
ing Points / Boards of Canada / Drexciya / Morton
Subotnick / Autechre / Four Tet / Tarsius / Gabber
Modus Operandi / Foodman / Meuko! Meuko! /
Yosi Horikawa / LSDXOXO / Brian Eno / Ryuichi
Sakamoto
GAN bot #2: Lee Gamble / VTSS / Pan
Daijing / Little Snake / iglooghost / Emily Glass /
Slikback / 33EMYBW / Alex Wang / Alva Noto /
Eprom / Swan Meat / DJH / Dirty K / Corin / Holly
Herndon / Kai Whiston / sv1
GAN bot #3: umru / ecco2k / Blackpink /
LOONA / Frank Ocean / Bladee / Tohji / Parkgolf
/ Seiho / Metome / The Beatles / Michael Jackson /
Prince / Daft Punk / Flume / Aïsha Devi / Senyawa /
SOPHIE / Arca / Rosalía

SOUNDS: Genre mutations, endless earworms and

groove traps. The bots are designed to track the
crowd’s mood and vibe.

WHAT TO EXPECT: All raves now exist multidi-

mensionally. Humans have evolved to a higher in-
tellectual and spiritual level with access to multiple
versions of themselves, depending on what they
want to experience: (a) Physical dimension: A phys-
ical holographic club space for people to converge
around. Sound, performers and venue are shaped by
common aesthetic preferences. The club is shaped
by the dominating factors of each crowd, making no
single club iteration the same. (b) Digital dimension:
In the future’s sprawling, reality-defying metaverse,
the music is plugged straight into your conscious-
ness and a digital network allows you to emotion-
ally connect with clubgoers telepathically. The club
space, drinks and attractions morph continuously
according to ravers’ thoughts. Digital drugs are
readily available. (c) Spiritual dimension: Participate
simply by meditating in ways we learn from birth
in the new world, and access your higher powers.
The club is similar to a super-collectively shared
DMT trip.

DRESS CODE: Come as you are, or come as whoev-

er you want to be – dimensions dependent.

VENUE: Physical dimension: Meat Space. Digital di-

mension: 1337 Space. Spiritual dimension: Om Space.
pence1979.com
Blown Away

All clothes and accessories worn throughout KENZO AW22

photography CARLIJN JACOBS
styling IMRUH ASHA
Hair RAMONA ESCHBACH at TOTAL, make-up MASAÉ ITO at
MA+, models JADE RABARIVELO at FORD, JAN BAIBOON at
SUPREME, ROUGUY FAYE at THE CLAW, TARA HALLIWELL
at MODELS 1, set design SOPHEAR at ART + COMMERCE,
photographic assistants MAYA ZARDI, FRÉDÉRIC TROEHLER,
styling assistants ANDRA-AMELIA BUHAI, AROUA AMMARI,
WENDY TRUONG, hair assistant ALAN ANTOINE, make-up
assistants YIN LIU, set design assistants VICTOR LEVERRIER,
GUILLAUME YABA, production CHARLY FORIN at CINQ ÉTOILES,
production coordinator JULIEN NACCACHE, production assistants
ÉDOUARD PRADEL-DELAMAZE, THOMAS NÉAUME, casting
ANITA BITTON at ESTABLISHMENT NY
Grounded

All clothes and accessories worn throughout PRADA AW22

photography JUSTIN FRENCH
styling GLEN MBAN

It’s been five years since Kelela’s

first album, Take Me Apart,
carved new futures for
Black electronic music.
Now, after steeling
herself with a crash-course
in misogynoir and Black queer
philosophy, she’s back to raise the
bar once more

Veil stylist’s own

TEXT AMBER J PHILLIPS KELELA: This has really only been a break asks, like, “How are you creating a more
from social media. You know that’s all we’re talk- equitable environment for people of colour,
This is not a comeback tale; instead, it is nothing ing about. Because I’ve definitely been living a life especially Black people? How many Black
short of the revival of Kelela. A jubilee, of sorts, for outside of the internet, but also fully on the internet! people are in positions of power at the company
a beloved artist who hasn’t been gone at all – she’s As many of my audience members have noted on- besides yourself? What about dark-skinned
been listening. Since dipping ever so slightly beyond line, liking all kinds of shit! femmes? Or gender non-conforming people and
our reach, she has been setting the conditions under those with disabilities?”
which she constructs her world and creates her art. Facts. One time, I had just returned home from
This has been her way since the release of her first being at an event with an open bar. I felt cute, K: [People] shared with me that they were
mixtape, CUT 4 ME, in 2013 up until her last re- and one of your cuts came on my playlist, so initially really put off by the letters. And then they
lease, Take Me Apart, in 2017 and the remix album I decided to record myself on my Instagram reread them. They had to keep rereading it to really
that followed. stories dancing in the mirror under the blue digest what I was saying and get past their initial
In 2019, Kelela created her own reading light in my bathroom [for you]. In the morning, reactions. Everyone seemed to be responsive on pa-
primer filled with articles, books, podcasts, videos I read her reply: “So the bar went up!” I have per. However, I’m no longer at IMG. I’m no longer
and documentaries and started to send it out to her no shame, and it’s always a sweet reminder that with my business manager. And, through the letter,
friends, family and business partners. She included you are very much active in a way that works I have been able to be released from my [publish-
resources like Reader on Misogynoir by Kandis for you online. ing] contract with Sony. It’s an act of self-care. It’s
Williams, The will to change by bell hooks and just something that makes me feel more healthy
Algorithms of Oppression by Safiya Umoja Noble. K: I value social media as a form of commu- and in alignment with my values. Ultimately I’m
She sent links to the Seeing White podcast and IGTV nication, but I also don’t feel the need to be on it all working to be in alignment with myself. What that
videos from Sonya Renee Taylor about Black labour the time. In terms of this hiatus, I actually wanted to has looked like for me is speaking up to make sure
called, Are you stealing from Black folks? and More read and study for part of that time. I wanted to give I’m in partnership with Black people. Over the last
on Stealing from Black People: Right Relationship myself time to think about these things and talk three or four years, I have also been paying atten-
Beyond Capitalism. She even included work from about them with the people in my life. I didn’t have tion to the ways that Black people are gatekeepers.
Black men like Heavy: an American Memoir by a lot to share in those moments. I think it was better I don’t want to be what one of my friends and
Kiese Laymon and Damon Young’s viral article for me to listen. I need to take some time to figure I call ‘the only ones’. The goal is to look around and
“Straight Black Men Are the White People of Black out how everything I was learning was operating see more of us, not less. While I was writing this
People”, adding personal notes like “Only thing for me to get clear on what I was internalising and music, I was listening to The will to change by bell
I would add is that cis gay Black men are also the what was actually fully outside of me. hooks. A thread in a lot of my work right now is
white people of Black people, especially in the cre- my experience with misogynoir. While all of this
ative industries where they are often allowed into While conversations about racism tend to focus was happening, I had also hit a real hard wall with
positions of power right after white women.” on systems of oppression and society at large, men. I needed some renewal. I don’t want a Black
Additionally, she included documentaries colourism is a familial issue. Colourism dictates Liberation movement without as many Black people
that tied these radical texts back to her genre and who we love and how we love them. It takes an as possible. I care about these people in my life but
medium of choice, dance music, through recom- uncommon amount of courage to talk about I have just been so disappointed by so many men
mendations like The Last Angel of History (1996), colourism in any room because it’s not only as friends, family members, in professional partner-
which features interviews from the late Octavia E white people who are colourists. Black people ships and as lovers. I’m saying I don’t care and just
Butler and Greg Tate. Reading through these letters and people of colour have innovated on this yelling and leaving it there. But I do care. When I
took my love for Kelela as a person and artist to a very specific form of anti-Blackness as well. go to the music to write, I find out what I’m actually
deeper level of unconditional love and appreciation, I’m eager to ask you how colourism impacts feeling about something. Because I come to my mu-
because I know this fight. you as an artist and how you are seeing it play sic candidly, I would step back and it was apparent
It is why she is often the soundtrack to every out specifically in the music industry? to me that I was expressing being completely over
Black queer function, especially here in Los Angeles. experiencing a sense of dissatisfaction. Even in
Her voice, synths and beat loops pulsate through K: Out of all the creative industries, I would the longing, there’s still something that’s not being
rooms under the groove of DJs like Sevyn of Fluid say that music feels like one of the most democra- reciprocated.
Radio, Terrell Brooke from the Cuties Color Party, tised industries because of the power of the audi-
or Bae Bae at Hood Rave. Let’s not forget those ence. However, there are people in the industry who I love sending you memes from fans like me
seminal sex scenes in both of Issa Rae’s hit TV control what the audience is even able to engage begging you to bless our speakers with some
shows, Insecure and Rap Sh!t. Despite being one of with. Because colourism exists within those ‘power new beats and vocals. I must admit, one of the
the few prominent Black women in the electronic players’ and also within the minds of the audience, dopest parts about spending time with you is
dance music industry, Kelela’s impact on the culture it makes it so that everyone is a little bit less inter- being in earshot of you singing to yourself.
is undeniable and honoured by those who have de- ested in somebody who has darker skin. So it looks I hear your influence in a lot of the music I’ve
lighted in walking through her packed live shows, like me having to do more. Whether that’s doing the been listening to. When it comes to current
where she commands her audiences to create a path most with live shows and fashion [in addition to the popular Black music, we are sonically living
for us Black, queer and femme folk to take up space music] in order to reach the same milestones that in the future that you’ve imagined for us.
at the front. the light-skinned girls are really just able to breeze
After spending a 90-degree Sunday together through. And it’s been that way since the beginning K: It’s such a beautiful feeling. I’m just gonna
for the first time in LA, making a URL relationship of my career. And because colourism and internal- sit in that. I know that you mean it, and I think that’s
IRL official, she asked me to conduct her first in- ised misogynoir are also present, if I express those why it feels so good. It also resonates with me and
terview in three years. So, with that, we rolled up, observations, I can be seen as just being bitter about the work that I know I put in, and how isolated I’ve
ordered lunch and jumped on Zoom for another few my results as an artist. So at the end of the day, always felt in this space as a Black femme artist in
hours – this time, to publicly talk about her return there’s a way that I have been forced to internalise dance music. When I came into the space, it wasn’t
to music, and everything that comes with opening those feelings by thinking, ‘Oh, I need to work giving the amount of variety that we have right now.
yourself back up to public consumption. harder. I need to do more.’ I’m experiencing so much relief around that because
there are so many Black artists who have filled in
You cannot outwork colourism. You can’t this space. It was not giving that six or even eight
outwork misogynoir. Misogynoir determines years ago. Now, it feels so very sweet receiving these
Black women’s worth long before we sit words and also having the experience of listening
down at the negotiation table. As artists who to other people’s music and hearing the influence.
carry historically marginalised identities, our It’s exciting. I also feel like this moment in music is
strength is in building better communities and the result of the 2020 [Black Lives Matter] uprisings.
partnerships with each other. What was the It feels like a lot of people letting go of their inter-
response to those letters that featured direct nalised homophobia and racism. You know, just

127
letting go of a lot of bullshit we have been taught rooted in being part of a club where everybody
to believe about ourselves for decades. White peo- wears their hearts on their sleeves. It’s very smart in
ple didn’t change much. But n***as! Black people! a way that is specific to queerness. A type of queer
We’re doing the work of expanding. I witnessed my commentary where you are seen even in the mar-
peers and myself actually allowing ourselves to get gins. It’s loaded with knowledge that holds a special
sick of the shit. Giving ourselves permission to feel kind of tenderness and holistic consideration. I can
more emboldened and more unruly and vehement. only know what I’ve built through these types of
And that is where I think a lot of the power of the responses and feedback. I am being made aware
last few years lies. We’re in this moment where a of the type of world that I’m building because my
lot of people are wanting
to make dance music;
there are people who
feel inspired by it and
people who are ready to “‘Washed Away’ is a
receive and embrace it.
I think that’s a result heart check-in… It’s like
of us starting to reckon
with the self. There are a baptism, it makes me
a lot of implications for
historically marginalised think about all that we’ve
artists with big-name
artists wanting to make collectively been through.
electronic dance music.
My hope is that it leads
to something concrete for
There’s hope in it”
dance music and the his-
torically under-resourced
artists who are and have been making dance music. audience is giving the thing back to me. It feels
I want more people to develop a sense of pride in the like it’s coming from such an honest place and not
artform as a whole. For me, that’s a really impor- a trendy one.
tant thing. Because Black dance music is a healing
knowledge, you know? Your music and visuals are made possible
through the radical imagination of Blackness.
When this article comes out, your new single I’ve watched one of those clips you sent over
will be released right behind it. What can we to me, and it has a feeling of… how the hell did
expect from your new sound? you do this? What strain of weed is this?!

K: “Washed Away” is a heart check-in. I think K: I’ll frame it like this – there are the aesthet-
it’s important to me to start with a real check-in, ics of Afrofuturism, and then there are the actual
like, how’s everybody really doing? Rather than feelings, experiences and politics of Afrofuturism.
coming out the gate on a party tip! We are building our relationship with visual and
narrative signifiers through these images. For me,
But it wouldn’t be a Kelela takeover without the the end result is creating images that make Black
party tip popping out too! We will be dancing people feel like we are actually this big! That we are
and crying! worthy, and this is how large and expansive it can
get. This feeling of expansiveness is what I’m trying
K: There are a lot of moments where I’m just to give my people, and that’s what is at the centre
improvising on the song. And I started thinking of all of this for me. I’ve never really named that
about why. Where is this coming from? Why am framework in that way. But I think it’s an ethic I’ve
I saying, “Far away. Washed away”? And it just been really striving for this whole time. I’m grateful
feels like a cleanse. It’s like a baptism for me, and to have been building this out over time, especially
it makes me think about all that we’ve collectively through the music I will be putting out. I like pair-
been through. That’s the feeling, and it gives me a ing the music with a visual language that produces
sense of triumph having made it through. There’s a catharsis for Black fans specifically. It can work
hope in it. I was talking with my friend about what for all marginalised people if it works for us, but I’m
this music feels like. I want to send out a clear mes- really thinking about us.
sage to Black people, who are my core audience and
who I intend this music for, that you n***as are wor- I’m so excited for Kelela fans and the people
thy. This time away has shown me that I have been who will get to experience your work for
very slowly building my world [the whole time]. the first time in an age of accessible social
Which is funny, because I feel like the dominant commentary and music history because of how
music business framework says that, if you go away, lovers of music keep expanding their use of
people will forget you. For me, it feels like the op- technologies like TikTok. We deserve to
posite. Because the way that I’ve been consistently feel all of it. The anger, the dancing, the
vulnerable in sharing my real self through my art pleasure and the love that is housed in Black
has kept me present with my audience. Over this creative practices.
time period, it’s almost like the volume has turned
up. The world that I’m building has been made ap- K: Yes! It’s time for us to dance. For everyone
parent through these memes and tweets and other else, it’s not vibes right now. It’s clean-up time! The
expressions online, where people are either making fact that they get to listen to some cute music should
a joke or saying something really sincere about me really be enough. But stand on the edge!
and my work. The undercurrent to it all is that they
remember, and it’s based on a value system that’s Beam us up, Kelela!

Dazed
Underwear stylist’s own
131
“This feeling of expansiveness is what
I’m trying to give my people, and that’s
what is at the centre of all this for me”
Hair MATT BENNS at CLM using ORIGINAL & MINERAL, make-up RAISA
THOMAS at E.D.M.A using DIOR and YVES SAINT LAURENT, nails SOJIN
OH at FUTURE REP, set design OLIVIA GILLES at JONES, photographic
and lighting assistant BENJAMIN CALLOT, photographic assistant MANDO
LOPEZ, make-up assistant EUNICE KRISTEN, production AMY GALLAGHER
at WE FOLK, post-production STUDIO PRIVATE, casting MISCHA NOTCUTT
at 11CASTING
“Magic is a
tool to survive
and to help you
as a human
being as well”
– Senithemba
Bawuti, college
learning and
development
officer and
graduate
“I drive and go to faraway areas like Paarl, Stel- a volunteer whose son completed the programme,
lenbosch and Atlantis, just to develop kids,” agrees. “I’m a firm believer that this is not just about
says Bawuti. At school sessions, he looks for chil- magic,” he says.
dren with potential and finds transport to get them For Gore, it’s important that “in the South
to the college. Similarly, the institution has also African context, magic is also portable”, enabling
negotiated with minibus taxi drivers to bring stu- “our young folk here” to be able to take it anywhere.
dents directly from Blue Downs, Gugulethu and In South Africa, performance can be found in many
Khayelitsha to Claremont each Saturday. different places, including at traffic intersections,
“We have got one student who comes which regularly morph into spaces of tumbling,
from as far as De Doorns,” says administrator dance and sales transactions. It’s an expression
Noma Macheke, telling me how the pupil and of multiple realities, including lineages of
his father wake up at 4am and street dance, protest and what it means to
hike to Claremont, which is survive in an environment of near 34.5%
two hours away. “You will national unemployment, which leaps to
see the passion of magic 63.9% for 15-24-year-olds, and 42.1% for
and, yho [wow], that is people aged 25-34. “There are a lot of attrib-
something else”, she says, utes around magic which make it ideal as a
explaining their long route tool for empowerment and development with
from the Hex River young people in South Africa,” says Gore.
Valley’s winelands, While some alumni might go on to become
where many are sea- performers, like comedians Stuart Taylor and Riaad
sonal farmworkers. Moosa, ventriloquist Conrad Koch and film direc-
Magic is a very tor Jenna Bass, others will go in different directions.
special medium for many “The truth is that many of our graduates will not
reasons, says Gore, noting go into magic,” says Gore. “It’s the skillsets they’ve
that it’s also “a very misun- gained through magic which allow them to do
derstood term. When people well in other careers. They all come back and talk
talk about magic, I think it [about] that. I think one of the greatest skills in the
means different things to 21st century is creativity.”
different people.” In the breakroom, as students pick up jug-
For some it might gling balls, buy sweets from the shop and show
conjure ideas of the each other newly acquired skills, Anele Dyasi
‘Davids’ – Blaine and tells me how going abroad twice for magic
Copperfield – Vegas, competitions and winning a bronze trophy
circuses and stage in Beijing in 2015 “was a huge experience”.
acts, and for others it’s “In South Africa, magic is sort of like a
trickery or a world of second option to us – we have school, work,
fantasy far removed from and then there is magic,” she says. “With
everyday realities. The stu- the other guys [overseas] they do magic
dents explain how they grew full-time.”
up with ideas that magic was As he speaks, Dyasi points out an
“fairies and mermaids”, walking image of himself on the wall, from his
through walls, or witchcraft among their early years at the college. Like Mkwela,
families, churches and communities. Dyasi’s brothers were also students
“But then I was like, this is art, OK?” here. Now, he is one of around 30
says 11-year-old Lulo Stofile, from the volunteer teachers, mostly made up
township of Nyanga, a natural jokester of former graduates, who David
with a face that cracks into a smile in an explains are “the backbone of the
instant. The course-two student says that organisation”. They teach magic and
magic helps him be “positive when I’m “allied arts” like “juggling, miming
on stage, because I wasn’t really like that and clowning, puppetry and ven-
at first. I was, like, shy – now I’m good!” triloquism”, says another graduate
he says, bursting into laughter with the and volunteer, Luzoko Bedi, while
other pupils at his clearly unabashed patiently coaching jugglers on
confidence. the lawn.
“Magic is a tool to survive and to For Dyasi, it’s about passing
help you as a human being as well,” says these skills on to a new genera-
Bawuti, who says the school can help tion. “I mean, the college gave
steer kids away from gangs, drugs and us the skill, now it’s our turn
“stuff like that”, a sentiment echoed by to show it to the young ones,”
multiple students who share their realities he says. Bedi and Dyasi work
and aspirations. The college’s programme is together at Hoi Ploy, a lighting
designed to nurture eight core values: honesty, company owned by another
respect, responsibility, initiative, excellence, em- graduate from the college,
pathy, humility and wonder. “We will not just and practise magic when and
teach you magic here, we are teaching life skills where they can.
through magic.” Nakhane Ntame has similar
Gore is also keen to emphasise the extracur- plans for the future. Her pink bowtie,
ricular benefits of magic as taught by the school. skirt-suit and perfectly gelled baby hair and
“Magic is an artform which stimulates a creative braids are “giving right”, she shares, whirling for
way of working, problem-solving and critical a photograph. The 14-year-old relentlessly pursued
thinking,” he says. “And I think that translates well magic, and wants to eventually volunteer here,
for anybody getting into any career.” Stephen Best, alongside being a lawyer. “I used to watch magic
shows online and on TV. And then I decided to do
some research,” she explains, telling me she had to
know how the tricks were done. While scrolling,
Ntame came across the college, but “never knew
that it was around Cape Town”. Supported by her
parents, Ntame enrolled and is now two years into
her course.
“There’s just something about the art of con-
necting with magic, connecting with your audience
– doing something [and] they don’t know how it’s
done,” says Ntame. “I love the mystery around it.”
She recently performed the lead role in the college’s
production of The Magic Key at the Artscape Thea-
tre, and when I ask how she feels about the college,
she says “I looooooove it” with intense passion,
a grin spreading across her face. The college has
given her the “ability to interact with people,” she
says, and “confidence”, which echoes across the
cohort I speak to.
At the start of the day, Asanda Fedese from
Khayelitsha enrolled her daughter, Okuhle, at the
college. Shy and quiet, Okuhle stood to the side,
watching the wonder around her unfold on the
lawns. Observing her, I wonder what person
I would meet in six years, once Okuhle
has been through the college’s pro-
gramme; all the kids I speak to
tell me about the evolution
of their personalities,
ideas and dreams

“I think one of the through

being here.

greatest skills As Ntame and

I step into the sun, seeking

in the 21st century warmth and a selfie. I tell her

that Nakhane is also the name of a

is creativity”– South African musician, now based in London.

“Do you know what [the name] means?” she asks,

David Gore, then tells me. It means ‘build each other’. It’s this
work of building that the College of Magic is doing,

college founder daily and reflectively.

“It’s about finding different ways of providing

and director an opportunity,” says Chad Findlay, a project man-

ager and former creative director for the college.
They key is to intervene and reach young people at a
formative stage of their lives. For Dyasi, “it’s good,
finishing the day knowing that you’ve changed
someone’s life. It’s a good feeling.”
Like the magic learned within the school’s
walls, change requires imagination. It’s about trying
something out and constantly practising and honing
it until you perfect it. There are no illusions here,
only the insistent and expansive work to bring won-
der, joy, skills and more to as many of Cape Town’s
youth as possible.
As the day’s programme enters its final hours,
the students cycle through their last lessons. “It’s a
cool place,” I say to Ntame, moving towards a group
of jugglers on the lawn. “It’s dreams,” she replies.
“When you’re
on stage, it’s like
you’re in this
world [where] it’s
you alone, where
you can control
everything”
– Lutho
Mkwabana,
student
Rock Steady performance photography ISABELLE WENZEL
styling MIRKO PEDONE

This page: all clothes and

mesh leather sneakers
worn throughout THE
ROW, cotton socks
UNIQLO, polyester sequin-
embroidered open headpiece
VAQUERA, natural latex
rubber cap JO MILLER,
sequin-embroidered silk hat
with straps worn underneath
ERDEM

Opposite page: fringed wool

cape TOD’S, coated cotton
blend jacket and trousers
KASSL EDITIONS, fringed
skirt, dress worn underneath
and headpiece made of
deadstock fabrics CDLM
X MAGGIE PAXTON,
shoes as before
Fringed cashmere and silk
blend jumper DIOR, lace
dress ANIYE RECORDS,
fringed dress, skirt worn
underneath and fringed
headpiece made of
deadstock fabrics CDLM X
MAGGIE PAXTON, rubber
latex stockings ELISSA
POPPY, shoes as before
Nylon twill coat and wool
mini skirt LOUIS VUITTON,
knitted wool jumper
TRUSSARDI, embroidered
metal mesh dress worn
underneath PRADA, rubber
latex stockings HOUSE
OF HARLOT, cotton socks
UNIQLO, shoes as before
Smock knitted jumper
and cotton dress worn
underneath DIESEL,
fringed viscose mesh cape
worn as skirt ANDREAS
KRONTHALER FOR
VIVIENNE WESTWOOD,
fringed skirt and headpiece
made of deadstock
fabrics CDLM X MAGGIE
PAXTON, rubber latex
stocking HOUSE OF
HARLOT, cotton ribbed
socks MIU MIU, shoes
as before
Silk georgette dress worn
on head ALEXANDRE
VAUTHIER HAUTE
COUTURE, velvet gown
ADIDAS X GUCCI, denim
trousers PENCE 1979,
polyester sequins open
headpiece VAQUERA
This page: synthetic fabric
fringed dress NOIR KEI
NINOMIYA, nylon jersey
dress worn underneath
BALENCIAGA, shoes as
before

Opposite page: wool coat

JIL SANDER BY LUCIE
AND LUKE MEIER, fringed
silk dress ACNE STUDIOS,
recycled cashmere scarf and
knitted bag CHLOÉ
Collaborative photography
MICHEL WENZEL,
styling assistants
ARIELLE NEUHAUS
GOLD, MARINA DE
MAGALHAES, JAHNAVI
SHARMA, production
ROSIE DONOGHUE
at UN/PRODUCED,
production manager ANGIE
SHERBOURNE, production
assistant HANNAH GAGE,
special thanks DEIN
STEINBRUCH
photography OSMA HARVILAHTI
styling ALBA MELENDO

She’s the walking, talking, living

doll whose TikTok catchphrases
have ricocheted off the internet and
into real life. Now, NYC travel
blogger Hal Baddie is manifesting
a future on the fashion runways
– and calling for ‘more bitches like
me in all types of spaces’ All clothes and accessories worn throughout LOEWE AW22

Dazed
Opposite page: cotton
catsuit, custom-made
hair accessory and
balloon feet coverings
stylist’s own

This page: cotton

catsuit worn
throughout stylist’s
own
Catsuit as before
TEXT TREY So, I have to start this with a doll check-in. would be the first of its kind to see a transgender
woman talk about fashion, history and art. It could
It’s the crack of dawn when I log on to my Zoom HB: Doll check-in!!! be a cultural reset, and we must have diverse
call with Devin Halbal, the New York multi- representations of trans people in the media. Also
hyphenate known to her 380.6k TikTok followers as How is the doll doing today? happy behaviour, joyful behaviour, nature-girl be-
@Hal.Baddie. The sun is still on annual leave, but haviour. I think it’s important for trans people to see
the second Halbal enters the chat from Denmark, HB: I’m doing great. I went for a walk and had themselves and for others to see them in educational
wearing a baby-yellow tee with her brown curls some juice; I’m not too hungry today. But how are experiences outside of transness.
framing her face, an immeasurable amount of you, what is your doll check-in today?
sunshine is bestowed upon us. At just 24, she has Google is free!
captured the hearts of her followers – or ‘dolls’, The doll check-in is, I’m up, it’s early, my ring
as she calls them – with her humorous videos that lights are on, OK! The baby hairs are laid; we HB: Google got it. But that’s what I’m hoping
blend spirituality, wit and travel vlogging with an have on just mascara and a gloss. I am feeling for, an educational talk show. A trans moment, a TS
effortless style. She proves time and time again blessed and highly favoured. We are the same moment!
to be a master wordsmith. Her phrases, including age, and I think our world would have been a
“Met Gala Behaviour” and “Elevate, Activate, much more iconic, positive place if we’d had We are smart and educated, and it’s essential
Appreciate”, are embedded in the Gen-Z lexicon. someone like you growing up. I want to know: for people to see that we are more than Ryan
Through her videos documenting her adventures as did you always think you would be a star? Murphy.
a trans woman travelling alone, she inspires a new
generation of dolls to live, love and laugh their way HB: I always kind of knew it. Growing up, HB: Right. Also, I want transgender women to
through their best lives. Over Zoom, we spoke about people always gravitated towards my energy. I was make space for themselves and, [as] you said, also
travelling solo, the perks of being a Cancer and how always very outspoken, and I always knew there be smart. We haven’t seen trans women speak out
to create a positive social media experience. was something special about me. In some way, on education outside of transness or trans trauma.
shape or form, I [knew I] was destined to do great I can be trans and speak on 18th-century art in
things, [but] I didn’t know what that would look France. I used to be an art educator at a museum,
like. Even though I was a doll, even though I was and it was interesting because I was the only bitch
on my LGBT, people knew there was something up in that museum that looked like me and was
special about me. actually passionate about art. We need more bitches
like me in all types of spaces: art, education, history,
It’s giving Mariah Carey, ‘Make It Happen’. publishing. Stay tuned, stay tuned!

HB: Period, thank you, LOL! The second Pussycat Dolls album is called
Doll Domination, but honestly, that is exactly
I know you’re a Cancer – happy belated what you’ve been doing: you’ve been on
birthday. I just want to confirm, is your European tour, getting your first croissant in
birthday July 16th? France, [visiting] ponies in Denmark. What
have been some of your favourite moments on
HB: Yes! Wait, when’s your birthday? your travels, and where in the world are you
right now?
July 16, 1998!
HB: Right now I’m in Denmark. I’m going to
HB: Oh my God, that’s so cool! Twin dolls. see some ponies today, and I’m going to a little farm
Happy belated birthday to you too. with my friend this weekend, so I’m excited about
that. I have loved having a spontaneous life. It’s not
Are you a Cancer Sun, Aries Moon, Virgo for the weak, because I don’t have a daily routine,
Rising? but I think that’s how life should be lived – going
to new places, trying new things, eating new foods.
HB: Let me check – my sun is in Cancer, the I took a risk when I decided I wanted to be a ‘travel
moon is in Aries, and the rising is Aquarius. I don’t blogger’. I wanted to see the world, and I couldn’t
know what any of that means. All I know is Cancers afford to live in New York – it was so expensive.
are really sweet and loving, and I believe that. Instead of living with strangers and roommates,
I went to go live my life. Thank God, now I can
I’m curious, what is your favourite thing about make money off social media. Luckily, that’s how
being a Cancer? I’m paying for this. My favourite moments have
been meeting strangers, [like the] 80-year-old cab
HB: As a Cancer, I know that kindness is driver from Bosnia talking about life before com-
important, and I feel this innate love for myself and munism. And also people learning about me being
others. I’m very connected to my feelings, and I do trans and learning what trans is. Many people in so
believe that is because of my zodiac sign. I think the many parts of the world know trans through their
stars align and that it rings true. Also, when it comes countries’ perspectives of trans. ‘Oh, trans is not
to being a water sign, I love water, I love swimming, common, it’s not normal.’ But when they see me,
I love the beach, and I think maybe that’s my Can- I shift people’s perspectives.
cer energy jumping out.
Normal doll!
You turned 24 this year; I’m wondering what
‘behaviour’ is in the pipeline? HB: She’s a normal doll; she has dreams, ideas
and things to say too. I think so many trans people
HB: Let’s see… Hopefully, more high-fash- around the world are dehumanised, and interest-
ion behaviour, more doll behaviour, maybe show ingly enough – I mean, I’m dehumanised as well.
behaviour? Let’s see if a show will be manifested. I think that’s a part of being a doll, and it allows
Talk show host behaviour! I would love to have an people to see that I exist. But I was a little TS girl in
educational talk show where I go around the world Turkey walking around with a selfie stick. Like, she
and show people how fashion is made. I think it was iconic!
“Just know that, as a trans
person, you have so much
more to you than trauma.
You are your joy, your
ideas, your happiness.
You are your beauty.
You’re not pigeonholed
by your identity”
This spread:
custom-made
flower headpiece
stylist’s own
You give so much inspiration to young people One of my favourite TikToks of yours is As you become a bona fide fashion darling,
who want to travel. What is your advice for “Some call me delusional, I say I’m a dreamer!” what changes would you like to see in the
people who wish to travel alone and build a How important is it being a bit delusional to industry?
community? achieve your dreams? HB: We just need more types of dolls in
high-fashion advertisements. Like, two girls aren’t
HB: We live in this amazing world with social HB: I mean, I’m somebody that believes that cutting it. Also, people who aren’t passing need to
media. I make friends everywhere, and I’m friendly anything [is possible]. One of my favourite quotes is be actively centred. Why don’t we have more covers
to everyone. It was out of survival. Because of my by Pablo Picasso. He said, “Everything you can im- all over the world with trans [people]? Why don’t
experiences, I learned to be very loving. Making agine is real.” It’s like we as people have such amaz- we see more trans women in airports all over the
friends, I would say, ‘Girl, thanks to the muthafuck- ing ideas. We have the capability to do whatever we world in advertisements? I still don’t see that, and
ing TikTok.’ I made friends from Berlin to Denmark want. You can’t do anything if you don’t believe in that’s an issue. Let’s get it together.
and all over the place. People invite me to come over your wildest dreams, and that sounds fucking crazy
and sleep there, so now more than ever we [trans but it’s true. Met Gala behaviour is [saying] that What advice would you give to people looking
people] have been able to find community in ways you don’t need to be of any socioeconomic status. to create a positive social media relationship
we have never before. And how TikTok works is the You don’t need to be of any clout level, you can just with their audience?
For You page is based on your algorithm and sends it be you with no money, no opportunities. The reality
to everyone who is within your area if it goes viral. for girls like us who aren’t famous, who are trans HB: Just know your worth and see the value
I was in Georgia and these girls would have seen and who are of colour, is that we don’t have access of your ideas. You are powerful, you are beautiful,
my videos. Or when I was in France, someone in the to the same employment opportunities, the same you are strong. And the fact that you can even ac-
same exact town I was in was like, ‘Sis, let’s hang job opportunities, the same fucking everything that knowledge your identity and be proud and express
out,’ and she showed me around. It was amazing. would allow us to be modern-day fashion icons. I’ve that is so beautiful and amazing. So just have a great
I’m always open to new adventures; also know your always had dreams. I’ve always known I can do experience, have a great time, and see it as a creative
boundaries. I think honestly how I survive is I love whatever I want. I can put my mind to it and make it space to explore yourself and your ideas. Just know
alone-time. happen if I envision something. that, as a trans person, you have so much more to
you than trauma. You are your joy, your ideas, your
Cancer energy! And the proof is in the pudding. I think that’s happiness. You are your beauty. You are not pigeon-
what the youngins need to see. holed by your identity.
HB: Right, the Cancer [energy]! I think the
other reason I travel alone is that I’m trans, and I HB: In one of my videos, I say “manifestation That was so beautiful; you’re a true Cancer.
don’t have a boyfriend because many of these boys is elevation”, and I do believe that. Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
are colonised. One day I’ll find a man who can travel
with me. I would also say, [in terms of] staying open “Elevate, Activate, Appreciate.” You honestly HB: I feel like that’s up to the universe, but I’m
to new adventures, a good way I find community is are a master of language; I know you’re definitely more on my fashion shit. I would love to
once I find a restaurant I like I will deadass go back a writer, but rapping could so be in your attend shows in the future. I would love to do that.
all the time and form friendships with them. Also, future. Could we ever get the track “Met Gala
let’s just be real – she’s a cute bitch. *SKSKSKSK* Behaviour”, and who would feature on it? Walking.

Period! You better let these hoes know! HB: My friend was saying that we need the HB: Walking! I mean, I’m a 5ft 3in queen, but
doll single. We need the doll anthem. I’ve always let’s work. Let’s demolish these beauty standards.
HB: She may be a clocky bitch, but she’s cute! been very playful with words, so stay tuned.
Listen, Loewe make their samples for Kim
So if you are reading this and want to travel Who would it be if we could get one rapper on [Kardashian]!
alone, have good energy! Be a doll with the track?
manners. HB: OK! Work, though, right? I see myself
HB: I’m not sure, I’ll have to get back to you living someplace really quiet and remote with a pet
HB: With good manners people will gravitate on that. I have some problematic faves... or two, just relaxing and, like, minding my business
to you! away from the noise of the world.
NEVER THE BLACK CAT, MEOW!!!!!!
What have you learned about yourself And with the ponies.
travelling alone? HB: PERIOD, I’M WEAK!
HB: And the ponies!
HB: I’m very spiritual, and I have this nice con- This issue is all about fantasy. For so many
nection to myself and the world. I’m always interest- LGBTQ+ people, fashion is such an intrinsic
ed in learning. Every day I see as an opportunity to tool to help our self-expression. What are you
discover something new about myself and the world. learning about your style as you continue to
And that sounds so fucking corny, but I am forever come into yourself?
a student. I get to experience new things every day.
I would also say being alone has made me realise I’m HB: As I’m growing into myself, I feel much
smart, talented and beautiful. So many things people more comfortable in more modest stuff. I still feel
don’t feel in their day-to-day lives, you just sit with dysphoric about my arms, and certain things trig-
yourself [and realise]. When you just have you and ger me. I still love quirky stuff – my penguin bag,
your thoughts you can realise the beauty of your and random colourful things. I will never be the
abilities and capabilities and share them with others. basic, whatever-the-girls-are-wearing-on-Instagram
I don’t think I would be having these ideas – “doll [person] – like, nope, that’s not me. I love playing
check-in”, “slay my loves” – if I weren’t alone and with shapes, I love playing with colours. And I hope
didn’t have that space and time to be creative and to continue to, you know, have more high-fashion
not feel judged. I feel like my alone-time has given moments where I’m playing with shapes and mak-
me the strength and the courage to be myself 100% ing pretty looks that are interesting and architectur-
because I have done the work to sit down and hone ally beautiful.
who I am. I don’t necessarily have the outside
pressures of my friends, family or the outside world And you’re a Loewe doll.
bothering me. I don’t think I would be able to be
creative for myself, truly. HB: Oh, yes. I love Loewe!
“One of my favourite
Custom-made flower
earrings stylist’s own

quotes is by Pablo
Picasso. He said,
‘Everything you can
imagine is real’”
catsuit as before
Hair YANN TURCHI at BRYANT ARTISTS,
make-up VANESSA BELLINI at MA+ using
GLOSSIER, nails MARIE ROSA, set design ANNE
AUBERT, photographic assistants FRANÇOIS
BRIENS, VALENTINO BIANCHI, styling assistants
FERNANDO GÓMEZ, CARLA RUIZ, LAURA
GIMÉNEZ JIMÉNEZ, hair assistant JASON
THOMAS, set design assistant FIRAT,
production MARGAUX DENIS at KITTEN,
post-production THOMAS GEOFFRAY
Space
to
Inspire

Space travel is taking giant leaps towards a more

diverse future, thanks to outreach programmes
like Out Astronaut and Space for All Nations.
But with so many problems down here on Earth,
why should we care? Across these pages, a new
generation of aspiring astronauts makes the case
for space, revealing why, on issues from climate
change to technological innovation, we should all
be looking to the stars
photography MICHAEL HAUPTMAN
In a probing conversation between Hello to you both! You are both pioneers of
the future of space travel. But I want to take
two generations of astronaut, it right back to the beginning – when did you
SpaceX pilot Sian Proctor suits up first know you wanted to explore what lies
with Alyssa Carson, 21-year-old beyond Earth?
space influencer and likely future SIAN PROCTOR: My dad worked in the
explorer of Mars, to discuss their space industry during the Apollo missions. I was
lifelong obsession with the stars, born eight and a half months after Neil Armstrong
took those famous first steps on the moon, so I
the problem with colonising consider myself a moon celebration baby. First I had
planets – and why, when you solve this love of aviation, just the idea of being up in the
problems in space, you solve sky. I grew up during the [space] shuttle era and
I got to see shuttle launches on TV. I feel like my
them for Earth entire life I’ve been chasing space in some form.

TEXT ELLEN PEIRSON-HAGGER ALYSSA CARSON: I don’t remember a time

I wasn’t interested in space. Me and my dad have
Sian Proctor and Alyssa Carson may be 31 years no idea where I would have even heard the word
apart in age, but they share the same core belief: ‘space’ as a young child – my family was very far
that space travel, if made genuinely equitable, is a from the science industry. Our best guess is an epi-
fundamental endeavour for humanity. sode of the Backyardigans, which was a cartoon on
Proctor, aged 52, is a geology professor and Nickelodeon, because they had a “Mission to Mars”
science communicator who in 2021 became the episode. My dad remembers me coming and asking
first African American woman to pilot a spacecraft questions like: “Have people been to space before?
when she was launched into Earth’s orbit on the Is space real?” From then on I was constantly ask-
SpaceX Inspiration4 flight – the first orbital space ing to go to the library, looking for books, maps and
flight with only private citizens aboard. Previously, videos. I was super-fascinated by [the rovers] Spirit
in 2009, she had made it to the final round of Na- and Opportunity landing on Mars. I was soaking
sa’s astronaut selection process but was rejected. it up like a sponge. Obviously, space is a very
Instead, she went on to work as an analogue broad field. From that age, I was like, OK, what
astronaut, carrying out research experiments in do I do now?
space simulations, in which she lived for up to four
months at a time. Finally achieving her goal of space So much of what you’ve described is filled
flight has instilled in Proctor an even greater am- with awe and childlike wonder. In what
bition to inspire the next generation of astronauts, ways does space still fill you with that sense
particularly women of colour and people from the of amazement?
global south. She believes that the future of space
travel must take a Jedi – just, equitable, diverse SP: After going into space last year, I can
and inclusive – approach, and travels the world to say I’m still amazed. The view of our planet from
promote her mission. that perspective is stunning. We went up 595km.
At 21 years old, Carson is not yet a profes- I was looking at Earth and I could see the moon off
sional astronaut, but she is something of a space to the side, and it was this little pale dot. Now I think
influencer. Currently studying astrobiology at the about what it’s going to mean for humanity to go
Florida Institute of Technology, she is the only per- back to the moon and put the first female footsteps
son to have attended every Nasa space camp and is there and the first person of colour. And then there’s
a likely future explorer of Mars, a mission to which the gigantic leap to Mars and what that will do for
both Proctor and Carson agree is likely in the next us! I think about Alyssa and the fact that she is
10-15 years. With more than 500,000 Instagram well-positioned to be a future Mars walker, and how
followers, Carson is an influential young voice and awesome it will be to see that in my lifetime.
proponent of women in science, technology, engi-
neering and mathematics (Stem) industries. During AC: The possibilities for space travel are so
her summer break, she was practising her flying in exciting right now. For the first time ever we’re
order to renew her pilot’s licence. Her final year at able to do more than one thing in space at a time:
university – and a crucial decision about which grad we can have aspirations of going to the moon and
schools to apply to – awaits. eventually Mars, while also possibly being able to
When we spoke over Zoom in June, Proctor send scientists up to suborbital space with their own
was at home in Arizona and Carson was in Louisi- experiments. We can make space more accessible
ana. Both scientists – one just on the cusp of begin- and send a variety of people who have never gotten
ning her professional life, the other well and truly to experience space before, from all sorts of differ-
excelling in it – were filled with excitement about ent backgrounds.
the future of human space exploration and the part
the other might play in it. SP: Yeah, I think that’s one of the things that
excites me too, looking at how the commercial
space industry has really helped us move forward
with what I call Jedi space: just, equitable, diverse
and inclusive. Just last year we flew the oldest per-
son, the youngest person, a childhood cancer sur-
vivor with a prosthesis, I became the first African
American to pilot a spacecraft. You think, “Wow!
From one year, so much diversity, and where are we
going next?”
AC: Space is truly connected to every single EPH: Alyssa, you’re often named as a likely EPH: How, in a hypothetical, dream world, do
one of us. The technology we gain from space candidate for the first Mars mission. Where did that you imagine that humans might settle on Mars?
travel, the knowledge, means it is a resource for fascination come from?
everyone. AC: When I think about living on Mars
AC: Growing up I had an interest in Mars spe- I think about a pretty normal life. There are going
SP: I grew up with Star Wars and Star Trek, cifically. That was mainly lining up my age and my to be the extremes of working around the surface of
and I have a little plush doll – I took Nichelle Nich- time-frame. At that time, to become an astronaut, the planet, but at the same time you’re going to have
ols [Star Trek’s Lieutenant Uhura] to space with you were typically in your mid-30s. It’s been really so many mundane tasks, like watering the plants
me! When I was younger, even Alyssa’s age, the cool to see an interest in Mars develop over the next or brushing your teeth. Wherever we are, humans
first Black female hadn’t gone to space yet. Dr Mae few years, and we’re probably on the way to getting are still going to do the very normal things that we
Jemison didn’t fly until I was in my 20s. I thought, there 10-15 years from now. The role of astrobiology always do.
“When are we going to have that Star Trek genera- ties into Mars a good bit, whether that’s looking for
tion that is diverse and inclusive, and has people that life on Mars, or for technologies that help improve SP: I’m most excited as to what humanity
look like me?” Now I feel like we’re finally on that the lives of the astronauts who will go to Mars. has to become in order to survive the moon, Mars
path, but we can’t let up. We have to keep pushing I’ve found my way into a career where, no matter if and beyond. We are biologically designed to live on
and opening up access. With the cost of going to I’m chosen to become an astronaut or not, I will still Earth in 1G. But how do we permanently put people
space coming down, because of things that SpaceX be working within the realm of Mars. I feel pretty on the moon, which has a tenth of Earth’s gravity,
and other companies are doing, all kinds of people happy that, whether from down here or up there, and on Mars, which has a third of Earth’s gravity?
can be involved. I am still able to have a part in the mission. We have some real challenges ahead, particularly
in the reproductive realm, because if we can’t re-
EPH: Some people might argue that we should EPH: Space is so often represented in popular produce out in space or on the moon or Mars, then
focus our energy on solving the climate crisis on culture – in books, and films. How important are we’re going to have all kinds of problems when it
Earth before we venture further into space. How these forms in exciting a new generation? comes to being a multi-planetary species. Do we
would you answer that? have to become augmented in some way to be able
SP: It gets us to imagine possibilities. There to live up there, and what does that mean for the
AC: People don’t typically think about climate are a lot of people my age who grew up with Star idea of what it means to be human?
change as being a conversation in the space indus- Trek and Star Wars. It fuelled their imaginations and
try. But it is. We are looking to see if it’s possible made them want to pursue Stem careers and create EPH: What are your personal, wildest space
to make Mars more habitable for humans. One of that technology they saw in these shows. When dreams?
the biggest issues with Mars is that its atmosphere is I think about why science and the imagination go
mostly carbon dioxide. If we want Mars to be more hand in hand, it’s because you need that imaginative AC: I do not think space exploration ends
habitable, then we need to work out how to clean up quality. This is why the arts are so important: they with Mars. Humans are constantly going to be
the atmosphere there – and that’s something we’re enable us to dream of possibilities. I was fortunate to curious. I really do hope to see space travel become
researching in terms of Earth too. go to space as an artist and a poet. I literally won my more normalised. When I talk to kids about some
seat through a poem that I wrote. The arts move us: of the jobs they might be able to have in the future,
SP: The reality is, when you solve for space that’s the human side that is so important to bring I always love throwing out some funny jobs, like
you solve for Earth. Space is all about efficiencies with us as we go to the moon, Mars and beyond. being a space-flight attendant, or taking people on
in food, water, energy, waste and shelter. I want vacations to space. It could be possible in the next
young people to know that, if they are passionate EPH: Future space exploration lends itself to few years! I think it’s really fun for little kids to start
about climate change or the oceans or problems the possibilities of world-building in space. But how thinking about their wildest dreams and what that
with food scarcity, they should also be champions can we make sure that space exploration doesn’t just could look like as we start to make some of our own
of space, because space is one of the leading ways in become a new kind of colonisation? wildest dreams a reality now.
which we’re going to build the technology to solve
those problems. One of the things that I really love SP: That’s one of the reasons why I’m a big SP: I love it! For me, I personally would love
is freeze-dried technology. We have people starving advocate for creating a Jedi space. We don’t want to see Earth rise from the moon, maybe while also
today because we have a food preservation and to repeat problems of the past. Even thinking about eating pizza. But then, for humanity, I just really
distribution problem. One of the first things that “colonisation” versus “settling”, those terms bring hope we can get that Jedi space – as we move
they figured out for space exploration was how to up different ideas in our heads. I think if we go in forward, I really want space for everyone. If we
freeze-dry coffee. For disaster relief, famine and with the right idea and mentality of where we want can achieve that, boy! That means our future is
times of crisis we can ship food in a much more eco- humanity to be – if we want to create that Jedi space really bright.
nomical and shelf-stable way if we use freeze-dried before we actually go – then that will be the frame-
technology. work for laying the foundation and, as a result,
we will do an amazing job of advancing humans
AC: People use something every day that’s throughout the solar system.
connected to space and we don’t even think about it.
Our phones are a massive example of that. AC: I’ve always hoped it wouldn’t be that
one nation or one company was going to Mars,
SP: Yes! The technology, cameras, the cir- it would be the world that is going to Mars. It should
cuitry. Everything has had to get smaller and more be a global endeavour because Mars is a possibility
efficient because we’re trying to send it to space. for future generations of everyone on Earth. But it
We rely on satellite technology – think of our will get complicated fast. We even have this debate
weather reports. when talking about aliens. We haven’t found aliens
yet, but a big topic is: who represents all of human-
AC: There are so many inventions – and it kind? If we had to send one person to go debate with
may not be the invention itself, but the idea or the the alien leader, who represents us? That’s what we
technology that goes into that invention – that come talk about in astrobiology class!
from us trying to figure out space problems. I firmly
believe that a big part of that is because space pushes SP: You’ve made me think of my favourite
us to think outside the box. We’re not constricted to movie, which is Contact. Who do we send to repre-
what we typically think about down here on Earth sent humanity? I love the fact that Jodie Foster said:
because we’re up there! “They should have sent a poet.”
ALITA REGI: “I believe diverse communities
in space travel could open up new arenas
in learning about ourselves as a species,
and in building new technologies”
‘Our generation needs a future
worth fighting for.’ More than half
a century on from the first moon
landing, the new era of space travel
looks different: highlighting the
need for diversity in the industry,
aspiring astronauts from all
corners of the known universe
speak out in support of a space-
faring future for all

TEXT ELLEN PEIRSON-HAGGER

When growing up in Maryland, Brian Murphy
could look up at the night sky and see “thousands
upon thousands” of stars. The Milky Way is no
longer visible to a third of the world’s population
due to light pollution, but Murphy’s rural upbring-
ing allowed them to experience what a diminishing
few have the chance to. Aged nine, they bought an
old telescope and spent countless hours outside,
just looking up. When they saw craters on the
moon’s surface and nebulae cloud formations in
deep space, they would rush inside to Google what
these things were and what they meant.
At first, the experience made them feel
small – “smaller than a speck of sand on all the
Earth’s beaches and deserts,” Murphy, now 22,
recalls over Zoom. But it also made them feel part “It’s a grassroots
BRIAN MURPHY:
of something greater, they say, remembering some- effort, but perhaps in ten years the
thing the American astronomer Carl Sagan said: space industry will look completely
“We are made of star stuff.”
“I was able to recognise that I’m a part of this different: it might not be this
huge, crazy universe,” says Murphy, “but in a way heteronormative, straight, white,
that is more profound than I could have ever im- male-dominated industry. That’s what
agined. It’s due to stars exploding billions of years
ago that I have the molecules that make up my body. we’re working towards”
We are star stuff, and instead of feeling small I feel
connected, because the different parts of me come
from all over the galaxy.”
Murphy, who identifies as a non-binary gay
individual, has just graduated with a bachelor’s de-
gree in planetary sciences from the Florida Institute
of Technology and will soon undertake a PhD at the
University of Edinburgh. Despite taking an interest
in space from an early age, as a teen they didn’t even
conceive of the idea of attending space camp – a terraforming Mars beckon, a new generation of coaching. There are sessions underwater – where
residential programme offering educational courses astronauts-in-training is emerging, and their vision the effect of neutral buoyancy simulates the expe-
in topics such as space exploration, aviation and of the future of space travel looks quite different. rience of floating in space – and where participants,
robotics. “I just didn’t have the exposure, coming Before they have the chance to be selected wearing diving gear, carry out tasks including
from a rural community,” Murphy reflects. “I didn’t for a space mission, young astronaut hopefuls must changing satellite panels and launching rockets.
know these camps even existed.” prepare. Complex scientific and practical training They also learn how to ‘don’ and ‘doff’ (put on
In 2021, Murphy won the Out Astronaut is offered by institutions such as the Polar Subor- and take off) a space suit, and how to pressurise it,
competition, which awards a grant to one talented bital Science in the Upper Mesosphere (PoSSUM) perform safety checks and move in it.
LGBTQ+ astronaut candidate to fund their train- academy, the aeronomy research programme of But it is a first encounter with weightless-
ing at the International Institute for Astronautical the IIAS. The academy runs three outreach pro- ness that is often most memorable for a student
Sciences (IIAS), and to fly on a suborbital flight. grammes – Out Astronaut; Space For All Nations, astronaut. Murphy has experienced zero-G twice.
“I think there is something called the human story for budding astronauts who come from countries “The first sensation is a slight turn in the stomach
and also something called the human monologue,” that may not have space agencies; and PoSSUM 13, as your most recent meal enters microgravity,”
Murphy says. “Currently we are in an era of the for women and girls with an interest in Stem sub- they say. Then, as you begin to float, your seatbelts
space industry where there is this human mon- jects. It is also known for training Alyssa Carson, tighten over your shoulders and chest, and your
ologue – of only one story being told. But we’re who, aged just 15, became the academy’s young- limbs hit the side of the cockpit of the vessel you’re
changing that right now.” est-ever participant. Now 21, and with more than in. Murphy recalls experiencing a “slight difference
The history of space travel, as in so many 500,000 Instagram followers, Carson is a likely fu- in pressure due to blood redistributing behind your
fields, is dominated by straight, white, western men. ture explorer of Mars, and, even more importantly, eyes and in your head”.
The industry remains elitist, typically requiring a vocal and influential advocate for the staggering “I felt like a flexible jellyfish,” Priya Abiram
an expensive postgraduate education, a CV full of opportunities space travel offers her generation. says of her first experience of weightlessness. An
space camps and internships, and maybe a military In training, students are introduced to sub- Indian-born 18-year-old based in the US, Abiram
or piloting background. But today, as dreams of orbital space flight simulation and altitude mission is currently carrying out an internship at the

167
WANJIKU KANJUMBA: “The International
Space Station has contributions from
different countries around the world with
one central goal in mind: to support
scientific research and other activities
requiring the unique attributes of humans
in space, and establish a permanent human
presence in Earth’s orbit. The keyword
there being, human”
ACHINTYA BAIRAT: “What
excites me the most about
space is the opportunity
LUÍSA LEÃO: “Space to invite people from all
travel brings a utopic corners of the world towards
feeling, almost like one challenge that [tests]
everything related to it the ingenuity of humankind”
is sci-fi. But it is
reality, not fiction. Our
future is out there”
ALEEZA BATOOL: “I dream of
inspiring women and kids
who look like me to believe
in themselves and their
abilities, and to reach
for the stars literally
and metaphorically”
American woman on Mars, not only so she can
count it as a personal achievement, but so that lit-
tle girls in Latin America will know that they too
have a place in Stem, if that is what they dream of.
“Learning about how man went to the moon is very
inspiring,” Hernandez says. “But we want not only
boys to be inspired, but also girls. I would like to
open those doors for them.”
Wanjiku Kanjumba was born and raised in
Kenya, a country whose national space agency was
established as recently as 2009. Now 26 and based
in the US, Kanjumba was the first Kenyan-born
person to complete the advanced PoSSUM Sci-
entist-Astronaut candidacy course. She believes
that an international approach is key to the future
of space travel. “We have to rely on one another to
make strides towards greatness,” she says. “Apart,
we can’t accomplish much; history is a testament
to that. But together we can contribute to space
exploration in tremendous ways.” The International
Space Station is an example of this: launched in
1998 as a multi-purpose research laboratory, it is a
collaboration between the space agencies of the US,
Russia, Japan, Europe and Canada.
The purpose of space travel is not just to jour-
VINCENT RUBIO JR: “As long as the people ney deeper into the unknown, but also to bring back
chosen to go to space are the best of the the ideas and technological advancements developed
for missions for use on Earth – and so collaboration
best at what they do, it shouldn’t matter of all kinds is vital. “I think a lack of multicultural-
what race, ethnicity or religion they are. ism on the final frontier represents a lack of novel
Space is for all mankind” opinions, novel backgrounds, novel ideas,” says
Abiram, who also advocates for better inclusion of
professionals from a variety of fields – agriculture,
medicine – outside of traditional Stem subjects.
Space travel is particularly appealing to the
young people of today, who will inherit a planet dev-
astated by the effects of the climate crisis and polit-
ical unrest. Terraforming Mars, for example, might
be an opportunity to hit the reset button – though
Kanjumba points out that, in all likelihood, only
the ‘elite’ of the global north will be able to afford to
escape. And it is of course these people who are pri-
marily responsible for the misuse of Earth’s natural
resources. Scientific study into the ongoing climate
crisis remains crucial. On the PoSSUM course,
Reimuller says, students learn about the chemical
composition of the Earth’s upper atmosphere, so
they can address questions about climate change,
specifically the increasing concentrations of carbon
dioxide and methane in our atmosphere.
Boeing aerospace company. During her studies at Jason Reimuller founded Project PoSSUM, Murphy is not convinced that space travel is
the IIAS she trained in aerobatic flights, learning whose main base is in Florida, in 2012. He believes a means for a reset, either. “Rather, it is a vital tool
how to manoeuvre her body in zero- and low- inclusion is crucial for the industry. “Space unifies that can help solve every issue we have on Earth,”
gravity. “I completed parabolas, loops, barrel rolls, us, even across the sharp divisions we see now in the they say. “I don’t believe in a future where we hop
hammerheads, spins and more.” At zero-G she felt US,” he says. “As access to space grows, we want from world to world, polluting and ravaging as
like she was “floating effortlessly – even the slight- to make sure everyone can see themselves in a space- we go. I believe in a future where we explore new
est movements resulted in considerable lengths of faring future and that it isn’t just seen as something frontiers, discover what we can from them, and use
movement. There was no resistance or pressure on for the entertainment of the rich or influential.” those discoveries to inform practices on Earth. By
my body.” There is a distinct tranquillity apparent His belief rings out among this group of gaining insight about how worlds like Mars and
when observing people experiencing zero-G, even astronaut hopefuls. “I like how representation can Venus have evolved over time, we can better under-
via online videos – a sense that, though they may change people’s minds,” says Ivanna Hernandez, stand how our home planet is evolving right now.”
be feeling disjointed or perhaps even queasy, their 19, who in 2019 led her team of school friends to Understanding their role in space at a young
bodies are being occupied by a power that is bliss- victory in the first International Flight Microgravity age encouraged in Murphy a fascination with plan-
ful, almost supernaturally so – despite, of course, Challenge, run by PoSSUM 13. Hernandez, who is etary science, as well as a sense of comfort – that
the state’s legitimacy in space. from Colombia, won a trip to Canada to experience they belong in this vast and unruly world. “Our
Weightlessness is a sensation that only a select a microgravity flight, the first of Canada’s National generation needs a future worth fighting for,” they
few people on Earth will ever know. By sharing this Research Council (NRC) to be made up entirely of say. “I can think of no future more exciting than one
rare experience, these young aspiring astronauts are women. “I was very proud of that,” she says. among the stars.”
unified in their dreams of space travel. The sense of Hernandez grew up in La Guajira, a region on
community they have because of these shared – and the Caribbean coast of Colombia “best known be-
in many ways, un-human – experiences will be cause it has a lot of poverty and not many resources,
important if they travel beyond this planet. To stay like water and food”, she says. Now at university Ellen Peirson-Hagger is assistant culture editor at
sane in space, human connection is crucial. in Bogotá, Hernandez aims to be the first Latin the New Statesman

Dazed
PRIYA ABIRAM: “When I was nine I visited
the Kennedy Space Center, where a tour
guide told me that rockets were the
hardest thing man has ever built, and that
it’s even harder to fly one. Later that day
I met an astronaut. That sparked an idea:
if he can do the hardest thing man has
ever done, then so can I”

Special thanks JASON

REIMULLER
In the Mind’s Eye
photography JACK DAVISON
styling IBRAHIM KAMARA

Opposite page: Madlin

wears encrusted cotton
dress LOUIS VUITTON

This page: Jacob

wears cotton shirt
ERNEST W BAKER
Clockwise, from left: Jacob,
David, Madlin and Chi wear
wool felt hats HOUSE OF
FLORA X NEIL MOODIE.
Jacob and David wear wool
coat UNITED COLORS OF
BENETTON
Gai wears sequin-
embroidered silk blazer
DOLCE & GABBANA,
cotton shirt ALEXANDER
MCQUEEN, chrome scales
wig DIVAMP COUTURE
David wears Mackintosh
scales helmet ILARIUSSS
From left: David wears
jacquard blazer and trousers
DOLCE & GABBANA,
cotton shirt DSQUARED2,
chrome scales wig DIVAMP
COUTURE. Gai wears
sequin-embroidered wool
blazer and trousers DOLCE
& GABBANA, cotton shirt
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN,
chrome scales wig DIVAMP
COUTURE
From left: Khadim wears
lamé coat MARIE SCERRI.
Chi wears crystal and
stud-embroidered satin
dress ERDEM. Talib wears
laminated polyurethane
jacket GARETH PUGH
ARCHIVE
From left: Madlin wears
technical Lurex shirt
SHUDAI YOKOYAMA.
Chi wears crystal and
stud-embroidered satin
dress ERDEM
From left: Madlin wears
technical Lurex shirt
SHUDAI YOKOYAMA.
Emmanuel wears Lurex
shirt ANNA-LIVIA
POUPAUD. David wears
all clothes GARETH PUGH
ARCHIVE. Khadim wears
lamé coat MARIE SCERRI
From left: Khadim wears
Lurex shirt ANNA-LIVIA
POUPAUD. Jacob wears
acetate and metallic
fibres tinsel dress MOLLY
GODDARD, cotton shirt
ERNEST W BAKER
From left: Jacob wears
all clothes VETEMENTS.
Chi wears faille gown
VALENTINO. Emmanuel
wears cotton and wool
knitted dress and balaclava
GCDS. Khadim wears
faux-fur coat and hat
DOLCE & GABBANA
From left: Emmanuel wears
faux-fur coat DOLCE &
GABBANA. Talib wears
all clothes EGONLAB.
David wears all clothes
MAITREPIERRE, leather
lace-up shoes CHRISTIAN
LOUBOUTIN. Khadim
wears wool coat BALMAIN,
cotton shirt MARC
JACOBS, wool felt hat
HOUSE OF FLORA X NEIL
MOODIE. Jacob wears
leather strap vest and faux-
leather trousers BALMAIN,
cotton shirt DSQUARED2.
Asha wears cotton poplin
dress ALAÏA
Gai wears quilted cotton
cape SIMONE ROCHA,
cotton shirt ALEXANDER
MCQUEEN
From left: Jacob and David
wear wool coat UNITED
COLORS OF BENETTON,
wool felt hat HOUSE OF
FLORA X NEIL MOODIE.
Jacob wears cotton shirt
ERNEST W BAKER.
David wears cotton shirt
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN
This page: Emmanuel
wears cotton ribbed dress
MELITTA BAUMEISTER,
PVC beret HOUSE OF
FLORA

Opposite page: Emmanuel

wears faux-fur coat DOLCE
& GABBANA
This page: Gai wears
all clothes and accessories
OFF-WHITE

Opposite page, from left:

Madlin, Jacob, Chi and
David wear wool felt hat
HOUSE OF FLORA X NEIL
MOODIE. Chi and David
wear wool coat UNITED
COLORS OF BENETTON
Hair MARI OHASHI at LGA MANAGEMENT using GHD,
make-up HIROMI UEDA at ART + COMMERCE using SUQQU,
models KHADIM THIAM at CHAPTER, DAVID IKUEPAMITAN
at MILK, GAI and TALIB at MODELS 1, JACOB ADOLPHO at
TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY, EMMANUEL ADJAYE at
NEXT, MADLIN LOKITI at VIVA, ASHA YUSUF at PREMIER,
CHI LINH PHAM at M&P, set design RACHEL THOMAS,
lighting PEDRO FARIA, photographic assistants MAXWELL
TOMLINSON, DAVID GILBEY, TAMIBÉ BOURDANNÉ, styling
assistants FELIX PARADZA, MARK MUTYAMBIZI, ANDRA-
AMELIA BUHAI, EMILY GLEESON, GRZEGORZ BLAŹEWICZ,
hair assistants NAO SATO, SHARON HAYFORD, make-up
assistants PIA GARTNER, CZAR JOSHUA VENTURA, JANA
REININGER, set design assistants ALICE RIGBY, HELEN
ZARKINA, LEANNE WORSLEY, production MINI TITLE,
casting HOLLY CULLEN
The
Upper
World
For Daniel Kaluuya and physicist Femi Fadugba,
imagination was a powerful tool for survival
growing up. Now, the Oscar-winning star is
bringing Fadugba’s first sci-fi novel to the screen
– here, they talk about marrying ‘road stuff
with thoughts on alternative universes’, and
thecosmic connection they share

TEXT CALEB FEMI captures all of this in his debut book, The Upper DANIEL KALUUYA: How are you, bro?
World, a thrilling YA story following two south
On my eighth birthday, I wished to have special London teenagers, a generation apart, who must FEMI FADUGBA: I’m good, man, I’m writ-
powers when I blew out the candles on my cake. work together to rewrite the future and prevent the ing. I’m trying to make the sequel slap.
I woke up disappointed every day until my ninth deaths of their loved ones. Fadugba’s book is com-
birthday when I realised I’d had them all along; they pelling and original, making huge waves in the pub- DK: Come on, man. We’ve got to have that
were my imagination. It sounds trite, but growing lishing world even before its release in August of last Home Alone 2, Toy Story 2 level.
up on the North Peckham Estate, a marginalised year. A bidding war for film rights soon followed,
underclass community, my imagination helped me with Academy Award winner Daniel Kaluuya, who Femi, are you writing a follow-up to The Upper
to navigate a world of poverty and crime. I would will produce and star in an adaptation for Netflix, World?
imagine that the sprawling estate was an interna- eventually winning out. As someone who grew
tional space station, and I was the youngest astro- up in an environment similar to Fadugba’s and my FF: Yeah. I’m trying to go big with it as well;
naut in human history. It wasn’t just me that did own, Kaluuya learned to harness the power of im- it’s quite ambitious.
this; the whole endz keyed into the power of their agination from a young age, making him an ideal
imaginations, using them to douse the hardship of candidate to bring the novel’s sci-fi framework and When did you finish the first book?
their current situation, imagine parallel realities and discourse on social issues to the screen. In conversa-
conceive alternate futures. Some used music, some tion for the first time, Kaluuya and Fadugba offer a FF: In mid-2020. We sent it out to publishers,
used film, some told surreal stories, some drew art rare insight into two creative minds as they embark and it went [crazy] pretty quickly.
and some wrote fiction. For us, the ability to imbue on a time-warping project.
our realities with fantasy was an essential tool to DK: It was fucking nuts; Femi is being
survive and maybe even thrive. humble. All these LA people were hitting me up,
Author and physicist Femi Fadugba, who INTERVIEW KACION MAYERS AND saying, ‘Yo, have you heard about The Upper
also spent some of his formative years in Peckham, JACK MILLS World?’ Everyone, everyone. Obviously, they know

Dazed
“Simplicity is a symptom of understanding.
I wanted these complex theories to be digestible,
without sacrificing the potency of the idea”
– Daniel Kaluuya
about projects long before they come out, so it must FF: It’s quite different. I published a paper on that. You get a bump and you kind of get shook, be-
have hit the wire, and they shouted me. I had to read quantum computing when I was at uni. It was the cause now you’re thinking you’re perfect, and you
it in ten seconds. It was the pandemic, so I had time pinnacle of my intellectual career; I was so proud of have all these eyes on you. My self-esteem is not
to read, luckily. There were certain references in it; myself. But the truth is, no one really reads it. I bare- tied to you liking it or not, but I do it for you. It was
I was like, ‘Wow, I would have read this when I was ly understand it myself, because I have been out of a hard balance, but I’ve had a lot of bumps and it’s
16 and loved it.’ I was flirting with quantum physics the field for a while. On the one hand, a small group been quite a surreal experience. It’s new territory.
as a teenager. [The book offered] a really easy way of people love this stuff and they might mess with it,
to understand some of the theories, and that’s how but that’s different to having Penguin back a book Tell us about your interest in sci-fi, Daniel.
I got into it. as a lead title for the genre, and it’s completely dif- How far back in life does this passion reach?
ferent to Netflix saying that they are going to turn
FF: It’s the first time I’m hearing Daniel tell this vision, this story I came up with in my head, DK: I fucked with it. I was broke; I didn’t re-
that story, actually – I didn’t know how it got into into something that is going to exist on potentially ally have the money to be, like, ‘I’m going to buy
his hands. We basically sent it out to publishers and millions of people’s screens. Daniel is probably a bit a comic.’ When I was older, I got into 1984. I had
it leaked out. I started getting emails from film stu- used to this level of exposure, though. more time and headspace to sit down and read and
dios. I had a week of Zoom calls because a bunch of take things in. I realised that the films I loved were
publishers were bidding for it. It was back to back, DK: It’s nuts, bro. I can’t lie, there’s part of it always sci-fi-leaning. I think the first series of Black
which was all completely new to me. The highs of it, that is a bit addictive, because your work is being Mirror is sci-fi, and one of my favourite films, The
but also the fear of it… it was like, ‘What world am received well and you get recognition. There’s a dif- Prestige, is kind of a sci-fi, as is Memento, on a cer-
I stepping into? What is happening?’ ference between success and recognition that people tain level. I love that kind of cinema; it makes you
do not realise. I had a similar situation to Femi when see your world in a different way.
You’ve written academic journals, Femi. I wrote an episode of Skins at 18. All these indus-
How did the fear of publishing fiction compare try people were like, ‘Write for me’ and I was like, There’s a lot of freedom in science fiction to
to publishing fact? ‘Nah’. It took me ten years to get back into it after tackle real-world issues like class and politics.

193
“It’s not like the universe is just out there – we manifest
the universe by interacting with it”– Femi Fadugba
Your novel explores a grey area between fact theories and analogies and formulas to be digestible studied quantum physics in my 20s to be able to
and fiction: is this what excited you about it? to the common man or woman, without sacrificing explore these topics, but my life has led me in a dif-
the craft and potency of the message or the idea. ferent direction. So Femi is saying it, and I’m like,
FF: What’s that phrase? Most fiction is largely well, I want to help you say it. For me, it’s about pro-
autobiographical, and most autobiographies are Femi, explain how you first became interested tecting the integrity of it, making sure there’s a clear
largely fiction. To an extent, it was an opportunity in physics – is it true that your school caretaker intention to connect with an audience, and ensuring
to explore how the world works, how society works, first piqued your interest? the craft level is the highest it can be. I have high
how I work and how the universe works. You could standards; I expect a lot. I want people, cinemago-
argue that the Book of Genesis is the first sci-fi FF: Do you know what, it’s funny. I always ers, to have a great experience, and I want people
novel, because they’re explaining how the universe hesitate to tell the story, because (a) it sounds like to understand these theories and apply them to their
came to be, how the human condition came to be, I’m chatting shit and (b) it sounds like I stole the lives. I think a lot of the time the big problem is that
and they use the narrative to tell two parallel stories. plot from Good Will Hunting. In my school, I had there are not a lot of producers who look like us,
One involves things that you can see in real life – a janitor and I must have said something that sug- to protect our vision and our words: to know what
animals and creatures – and another describes a gested I was interested in physics. One day, he gave to cut and what not to cut.
hidden world that motivates the things that you me a book called something like Quantum Physics
could see. That’s the beautiful thing about science for Dummies. I read it front to back and was like, The story flips between both the past and the
fiction; you get to thread two different worlds to- oh, this is interesting because we’re talking about present and different perspectives – it’s quite
gether: one is kind of obvious and another is fantas- the fabric of reality. Unfortunately, maths is the complex. How did you discuss how this could
tical, and that’s what draws you in. It’s a spectacle, language of physics. There are some fantastic maths work on screen?
and there’s a deeper world going on that’s packed teachers out there, but the subject is packaged in a
with meaning. That, to me, is the essence of sci-fi. way that feels abstract, irrelevant and boring. But DK: We’re figuring it out now, and that’s
when you actually deep it, not only do you have what’s exciting. We are trying to create a new visual
The Upper World is aimed at readers aged a better understanding of reality, it expands your language, essentially. I’m working very closely
13 and up. Why is it important that these mind. Maths isn’t about what you’re learning, it’s with Femi to make sure everything is aligned and
messages are accessible to the broadest possible about how you’re learning to think. I was just really accurate, but also that it’s big, cinematic and out-
demographic? lucky; I had a teacher who saw something in me and there. We’ve been given a lot of freedom because I
he wasn’t even a real teacher. Apparently, the janitor think Netflix gets that Femi and I are intimate with
DK: If you can say something simply, it means had been in academia in a past life and wanted to the subject. They give space for the story and the
you can understand it. Simplicity is a symptom of give back. I’m sure all of us on this call could call scope. I started reading books on quantum physics
understanding. I love kids’ films that work well. I’d out people who came into our lives and took a bet during the pandemic. It was like being 13 again,
say Dragon Ball Z is a kids’ show: it’s very simple on us. going, what’s this? What’s that? I’m still learning
to understand and it crosses demographics. Every and growing.
generation can take something from it. I’m a firm DK: How I see my career is that there are
believer in accessible excellence, but I think a lot of things I want to say and things I want to help people FF: The fundamental theory of quantum
excellence is inaccessible. I wanted these complex say, and it’s as simple as that. I would need to have physics is something called superposition. Super-

Dazed
“Once you understand the hidden world, you can better
understand the world you can see”– Femi Fadugba
position is something that can be two contradictory FF: I’ve lived in a lot of different places. I’m people are stuck because they don’t realise they have
things at the same time. So you can flip a coin, and not a Peckham expert per se, but I moved there when a choice. That’s what I’m really understanding: spe-
it can be both heads and tails at the same time. It I was nine and it’s been the one consistent place in cific choices will mean I don’t repeat patterns in my
exists in this weird state of both-ness until you look my life. When you’re forecasting the future, there life that don’t serve me.
at the coin. So before you observe things, they exist are three things that can happen: one is that trends
as possibilities, but once you observe them, there’s we know today continue; two is that they get set in It’s cosmic that you found each other; you share a
a connection made, and the act of observation con- reverse; and three, they run in cycles. So I just picked similar cross-section of interests and approaches
nects the observed with the observer and manifests whatever I thought would be the funniest to home in philosophically and artistically.
into reality one definite option. So it’s not like the on, to be honest. For example, in the future [in the
universe is just out there – we actually manifest the novel], there’s a conglomerate that was originally a FF: I feel blessed to have [Daniel] on this
universe by interacting with it. Before we interact chicken-and-chips shop. Just random stuff like that. project. He’s younger than me, but I look up to him
with it, it can be anything; heads or tails. In fact, And [really I’m] saying that corporate culture has in many ways. He has a rare combination of intelli-
it’s both until we engage with it and decide which advanced so far: back in the day, you had a million gence and relatability, [with an] ability to understand
one it is. This is the beauty of maths; you’re drawing banks operating in England and now you have four. people. He’s bilingual when it comes to culture.
answers from your own intuition. There’s a concentration of power. I wrote this for both my 16-year-old self, and for the
16-year-old version of myself I would have been had
You have described quantum physics as a blend Daniel, your work has often explored parallel I not gotten some of the opportunities I did. It’s one
of maths and metaphors - can you expand on dimensions. Are you a dedicated believer in the of the reasons the book is so contrasting: on the one
this idea? potential for alternate realities and time travel? hand, you have all this high-concept physics and on
the other, a proper kid in a concrete environment.
FF: Imagine you have two magnets, north DK: Sometimes, the idea of parallel realities I wanted to go as far left as I could. I’m not using this
and south. They attract each other, but they’re makes sense because ‘here’ doesn’t make sense. For word ideologically: I mean appealing to somebody
not touching. Something is deeply hidden within example, what’s happening with abortion [rights in who is furthest from thinking this way, marrying
reality that is influencing how the world operates. America] – that shit does not make sense, and you road stuff with thoughts on parallel universes. I was
And so mathematics says, ‘OK, what’s going on in realise that paradigms are things we have construct- staying at my aunt’s house on the same floor as this
that hidden world? What’s going on in that upper ed, anyway. Many of the parallel realities we create 15-year-old kid: I asked him whether he read books
world, and what does that look like?’ And in order in storytelling are ways to make sense of what’s and he was just, ‘Nah’, and started laughing. I said,
to describe that, you can use metaphors to help you happening, and push negatives to the extreme to see ‘Have you watched Top Boy?’ And he said, ‘Yeah,
understand the texture and geography of this hid- the negative for what it is. There is quantum phys- Top Boy is hard.’ I was like, ‘If Top Boy was a book
den world. Once you understand the hidden world, ics at play from the powers that be, in order to feed would you read it?’ He was like. ‘Yeah, 100%.’
you can better understand the world you can see. your subconscious and trick you. I go into different I wanted to make the kind of book I could trick that
worlds and realities... If you go to the ice cream kid into reading. Halfway through, he might realise
The story is set in a future Peckham. Can you shop and say, ‘I’m gonna get an orange-flavoured he understands the science of it. The story of life is
elaborate on how you envisioned this world, ice cream,’ you’re gonna have a different experience bigger than ourselves, right? You’ve got to be sure
and how it might look on our screens? than if you’d gotten a chocolate ice cream. A lot of you’re part of the chain that’s making it better.

195
Badlands
photography TOM JOHNSON
styling OLA-OLUWA EBITI

From left: Moussa wears polyester and viscose hooded jacket and shirt worn underneath COPERNI, wool silk trousers DUNHILL, leather loafers FENDI. Mouhameth wears all clothes FENDI,
wool felted hat JIL SANDER BY LUCIE AND LUKE MEIER, leather boots DUNHILL. Amara wears wool knitted turtleneck PRADA, wool trousers STEFAN COOKE, leather belt with plate buckle
MONTBLANC, leather loafers VAGABOND SHOEMAKERS. Malaha wears wool tuxedo jacket HENRI HEBRARD, cotton poplin shirt worn underneath MARGARET HOWELL, wool jacquard
trousers GMBH, leather shoes MARSÈLL. Bangaly wears wool hooded coat COPERNI, wool trousers ANN DEMEULEMEESTER, leather moulded loafers JACQUEMUS. Ajah wears wool
moulded top and leather sandals LOEWE, mohair and wool wrapped trousers ENZO DAL MAS
Opposite page, from left:
Mouhameth wears wool
jacket and silk jumpsuit
PRADA, cotton shirt and
leather lace-up shoes
DUNHILL, socks stylist's
own. Malaha wears wool
jacket PRADA, cotton
shirt KIKO KOSTADINOV,
linen skirt JACQUEMUS,
cotton socks DIOR,
leather boots VAGABOND
SHOEMAKERS. Wool top
hats with organza sails and
wood masts GOODE HATS

This page, from left:

Bangaly wears all clothes
stylist’s own, leather loafers
COPERNI. Amara wears
jacket and trousers stylist’s
own, cotton shirt DUNHILL,
leather derby shoes
MARSÈLL
From left: Malaha wears
cotton canvas jacket
DIOR, cotton shirt worn
underneath MARCO
RIBEIRO, cotton tartan skirt
ANTONIO MARRAS.
Amara wears cotton shirt
GUCCI, wool cotton
trousers JACOB COHËN,
leather boots VAGABOND
SHOEMAKERS.
Mouhameth wears
embroidered technical
tulle shirt DIOR, cotton
pleated skirt MARCO
RIBEIRO, cotton sock boots
ANDREAS KRONTHALER
FOR VIVIENNE
WESTWOOD, earring his
own. Mahawa wears cotton
top FIDAN NOVRUZOVA
From top: Mahawa
wears cotton top FIDAN
NOVRUZOVA, cotton
poplin shirt and cotton
trousers MARGARET
HOWELL, leather ballerinas
MARSÈLL. Bangaly wears
cotton gathered shirt KIKO
KOSTADINOV, wool
silk trousers DUNHILL,
leather moulded loafers
JACQUEMUS
From top: Moussa wears
cotton trousers CARHARTT
WIP, wool felted hat
JIL SANDER BY LUCIE
AND LUKE MEIER.
Amara wears technical
cotton hat STRONGTHE
Ajah wears polyester cape
ROKSANDA X FILA,
tights stylist’s own,
cotton and leather boots
ALEXANDER WANG
From top: Ajah wears
silk roses dress and
sequin-embroidered silk
scarf ERDEM, sequinned
leggings stylist’s own,
sequin-embroidered cotton
bandana worn as belt
CHARLES JEFFREY
LOVERBOY, leather and
rubber boots MARINE
SERRE. Bangali wears
leotard stylist’s own
Grooming STEPHANIE FAROUZE, models AMARA
CAMARA, BANGALLY SYLLA, IBRAHIMA SORY,
MAHAWA SYLLA, MOMO BANGOURA, MOUSSA
CAMARA, AJAH ANGAU JOK and MALAHA CAMARA
at THE CLAW, MOUHAMETH N’DIAYE at ROCKMEN
PARIS, photographic assistants JACK TENNANT, SACHA
KAMER, styling assistants HOLLY BARTLEY, MANVI
BHATNAGAR, grooming assistant CECILLON, production
LOCK STUDIOS, casting NACHUM SHONN
Burning
Up

photography KRISTIN-LEE MOOLMAN

styling IBRAHIM KAMARA
chance to know who I am, and that’s what I tried
The ‘Thanos of Afrobeats’ swaps politics for peace to do,” he explains. For his new record, that all
changed; on the closing title track, for example, he
on Love, Damini – but, the morning after a seismic delivers a heartfelt ode to the people who have been
influential in his life, while reckoning with some
show in Barbados, he proves his powers to bring of his own demons. “This is just how I cry, I don’t
know how else to do it and that’s how it’s always
continents closer together are undiminished been,” he says of the track. As Burna suggests,
Love, Damini is the singer’s most honest account
TEXT JESSE BERNARD audience, before Outside established him as a titan of his life to date; he’s not interested in giving us
of the genre. It was an added bonus that the project a rose-tinted portrait. “I’ve got to the point where
When you step off the plane, arrive at a new desti- featured two enduring hits with “Ye” and “Sekkle I don’t even care. Whoever it’s meant is who it’s
nation, and the veil of night is slowly being pulled Down”, the latter featuring regular collaborator meant for,” Burna says with the naturally laid-back
across the sky, the new morning often feels like J Hus, who helped introduce him to UK audiences. cadence of a true Nigerian, his accent suddenly at its
an experience that awakens a part of you that had The night before we sit down to chat, Burna thickest. He’s much more comfortable than he was
been sleeping before. The night before the morning Boy’s first visit to a Caribbean island had been a big 15 minutes ago.
after, Burna Boy headlined Tipsy, one of Barbados’s success. Much has been made of Afrobeats vying In the dining room of the villa, he sits at the
premier soca festivals – and today, it really does feel for supremacy with dancehall, but these reductive head of the table, wearing a Boston Celtics jersey.
good to feel the grass beneath your feet. and often asinine arguments fail to acknowledge Naturally, I shift the conversation towards the NBA.
All it took was 24 hours in Bridgetown for how Black music moves across borders, especially Burna tells me he considers Greek-Nigerian player
the boy out of Port Harcourt, Nigeria to realise he in the internet age. These exchanges existed long Giannis Antetokounmpo an African giant also.
dreamed of one day owning a house a stone’s throw before dancehall and Afrobeats, and have done Antetokounmpo, who has expressed strong pride in
from Rihanna’s family home on the island’s pres- so since the movement and displacement of Black his Nigerian roots, had his surname changed from
tigious Sandy Lane. It wasn’t the palm tree-lined people from Africa. At this point, Burna Boy’s Adetokunbo by Greek authorities on his arrival to
boulevards that swayed him, but the view out on to name is being used as cannon fodder for an issue Europe as a young child. Now, he’s an NBA cham-
the vast nothingness of the Caribbean Sea. “I could that quite simply doesn’t really exist. Still, Burna’s pion and two-time MVP, an example of the same
really live here one day, I might have to make it appearance at Tipsy was a moment of celebration unstoppable will to succeed as Burna.
happen,” he says. for all those in attendance. If Burna was looking for On the intro monologue to another track on
It made sense as I looked out on to the ocean reasons as to why he does this, he found them in the the album, “Whiskey”, a Port Harcourt resident
from his villa. Confronted with such a view, all of festival crowd’s euphoric response; “Last Last” was speaks candidly about the pollution suffocating the
the meaningless things in life we worry about daily reloaded five times before he continued to perform city, which is Nigeria’s oil capital. Burna talks softly
fall away like dead leaves in the autumn. Here, there the whole song. If that’s not telling of the global in- about people drinking milk as it’s believed to help
are no debates about which sound Burna is inspired fluence of his music, I’m not sure what is. reduce the impact of the soot from oil pollution in
by or the incessant churn of the digital rumour mill. Back at Burna’s villa, a bit of conversational the air. “There’s no exaggeration in the song – the
Just stillness, and a beautiful quiet. chess is required to break the ice. The musician air is black, everything is dark because of oil and
There’s no easy way to write a profile on a man looks composed, though his experiences with the gas. That’s what this album is, it’s a really personal
who is as enigmatic as he is charismatic. The truth media of late haven’t exactly been positive: there’s album as a human being.”
he gives you has to be taken at face value, no matter been a lot of contortion as to what he has and hasn’t Moments before I arrive, Burna sits at the
your perceptions. Access to artists in contemporary said. It begins lightly. “This album was coming head of the table with his boys, smoking, talking
music journalism is much more controlled and from a personal standpoint, and it was about me, and taking his surroundings in. If anything, Burna
guarded in today’s media landscape. He laughs as d’you understand?” he explains. “Me talking to imagines a world where he doesn’t have to address
he says that interviews tend to be a lose-lose situa- myself and in the process talking to you. It’s prob- sociopolitical issues in his music. While he’s still
tion most of the time: “Whatever I say, even if it’s ably one of my most important [statements] because very much wedded to his hometown, as he reckons
the truth, you guys will spin it.” it felt like I was in school writing something and with his past on Love, Damini, he’s also clearing
An artist’s journey to peace isn’t a straight putting it in a time capsule.” room for a new, illuminating future. Besides, he’s
road, perhaps even less so for someone of Burna’s Burna Boy’s audience is so broad, globally already played a crucial and monumental role in
status. In an Afrobeats-fusion sense, he is unques- speaking, that even his fans haven’t yet come to an creating clear pathways between Afrobeats and
tionably a legacy artist, but to the wider world, it was agreement over what his music is inspired by – even dancehall, learning from those that came before to
2018’s Outside and especially African Giant (2019) when he’s been open and transparent on the sub- help guide global Black music into an unmapped
which propelled him into a higher stratosphere. ject. He’s referred to himself as an ‘African giant’ tomorrow.
But if you asked anyone in the dance ten years ago, on multiple occasions;
you knew the time was coming, just not when.
The villa the musician is staying at during his
symbolically, it has an
empowering effect and, “The only time it matters
short time on the island feels a world away from
the rest of Bridgetown; this is a place where you
if anything, it’s not to be
taken as something po- for me to tell my truth
truly come to play and relax. The drive up around
the winding private roads of Sandy Lane offers a
litical. Just this summer,
police escorts attached to is my music; otherwise it
sense of peace, which Burna Boy suggests is what
he wants and needs. The ocean feels endlessly wide
the singer were charged
with attempted murder just gives people more
and deep enough for all the bullshit to sink in.
For someone only recently arrived at the cusp
of global stardom, Burna Boy is already fed up with
after shooting two people
at a Lagos nightclub. His
camp hasn’t responded
to misunderstand”
this aspect of the business. This is not news, and to claims from a woman
he’s made it clear in the past that he’s not fond of who was with the victims that the altercation was Burna Boy stresses that he doesn’t want
interviews. The way he sees it, his new album, Love, escalated by the security detail. But Burna Boy has to be considered political any more, and never
Damini, offers a more graceful window on to his never been shy about his life and what goes on in really wanted to in the first place. If anything,
mind. “I tried to use this album to allow people to it: indeed, he touches on his prison time when he Burna Boy may be better described as an antihero
get closer to me,” he says. lived in the UK during our conversation. He says within the global conversation of Afro-fusion
Burna’s fanbase has been growing for over that the public can decide who he is because Burna and Afrobeats, and there are many shades to his
a decade now. Someone joked on Twitter that he Boy, by all accounts, has come to terms with his interior world – some more enviable than others.
was the Thanos of Afrobeats – not because he’s a own mortality. “My thoughts don’t matter around that,” he says,
galactic despot, but because, like the Marvel char- “I tend to be misunderstood and the reason when asked about #EndSARS and 2020’s uprising
acter, Burna was teased for years to a mainstream why is because I’ve never really given anyone a of young Nigerians against police corruption.
“Nothing is going to change. It just is what is… I’m

207
Previous spread:
wool twill trousers
BURBERRY, leather belt
JESSIE WESTERN, all
jewellery worn throughout
Burna’s own

This page: wool coat with

faux-fur detail PRADA

Opposite page: leather

jumpsuit PRADA,
cotton tank top
IBKAMARASTUDIOS,
earring and watch as before,
leather loafers TELFAR
not going to encourage any young people to lose
their lives senselessly any more, d’you understand?
When something is ready to happen, it will happen.
I understand that now. You can’t jump into some-
thing that you don’t fully understand, even with
our country. With understanding comes readiness
for action.”
After we’re briefly interrupted by the chef
reading out the lunch menu, Burna Boy jokes that
he can’t wait to see how people, and the media spe-
cifically, spin what he just said. When the protests
were unfolding in 2020, Burna called them “the
most important moment in Nigeria’s history” – but
two years on, it’s truly hit home that the compar-
isons with his idol, Afrobeat pioneer and political
activist Fela Kuti, will always be a disservice,
because of how the role and perception of an artist
have changed since the height of his popularity in
the 1970s. Burna Boy is now much more concerned
with working quietly and speaking his truth.
“The only time it matters for me to tell my truth is
in my music; otherwise it just gives people more to
misunderstand or turn into entertainment.”
The release of the album, Burna’s sixth to
date, was timed around his 31st birthday cele-
brations – for him, an opportunity for reflection.
“Track one [“Glory”] and the outro [from the
album], they’re really letters to my future and past
selves,” he confesses. “I’m shedding light on per-
sonal things that I haven’t really touched on before,”
he says. At this point in his career, Burna doesn’t
have to be bold in his approach to crafting a themat-
ic album, but it’s arguably his most well-received
project in recent years. The universally loved “Last
Last” is reflective of the artist’s success recently;
Burna’s melodies hit harder backlit with deeply per-
sonal insight like this. Still, it’s a daring strategy to
use a Toni Braxton sample from a song about ‘ain’t-
shit’ men and find a way to make it hit.
As time passes in our meeting, Burna Boy
lets his guard down a little; on occasion, you can
even see the sparkle in the smile (sometimes quite
literally – he has a couple of gems decorating his
teeth). An artist like him doesn’t get to where he is
without a level of charisma that can hold an entire
festival, let alone a room. In those small pockets of
time, where that sparkle shines, he seems to find
some peace.
From our brief time together today, it’s
clear that how Burna presents himself publicly is
his authentic self. If the past couple of years has
taught him anything, it’s that joy and peace are
paramount – and that the pursuit of it is a lifelong
journey worth taking. “My music will be here long
after I’m gone, even after my children’s children’s
children. It’s a stamp in time for those who have a
reality like mine,” Burna Boy says. “That’s what
I care about.”
Burna Boy believes that legacy is important,
especially in light of what he’s already achieved
with his music (“Afrofusion started in a treehouse
in Port Harcourt, so you never know where it’ll be
tomorrow”). He thinks about death a lot, and what
you leave behind as an artist. “Everyone will move
the fuck on when I die,” he says. “This will be OK
without me.” And after a conversation about life
with someone he’d never met before, in a setting
he’s not entirely comfortable being in, Burna Boy
is as open, and existential, as he gets. The great
beyond powers his music – and he’s not about to
spoil the ride.
Destroyed denim and
tapestry jacket LOUIS
VUITTON, wool knitted
cardigan with faux-fur
collar BLUMARINE
“My thoughts don’t matter
[on SARS]. I’m not going
to encourage young people
to lose their lives any more.
When something is ready
to happen, it will happen.
With understanding comes
readiness for action”

Opposite page: gabardine

wool jacket GUCCI, wool
knitted top AV VATTEV,
watch as before

This page: wool twill

trousers BURBERRY, leather
belt JESSIE WESTERN
“My music will be here
long after I’m gone,
even after my children’s
children. It’s a stamp
in time for those who
have a reality like mine”
Opposite page: faux-fur
coat and jacquard velvet
zip-up top ERNEST W
BAKER, ripped denim jeans
VETEMENTS, leather belt
JESSIE WESTERN, ring
as before, varnished leather
boots LUCAS BRUNNER

This page: cotton tank top

IBKAMARASTUDIO
Hair JASMINE DALE, make-up MARIE BRUCE using CLÉ DE PEAU BEAUTÉ,
barber ADAM HONEYGHAN, nails SIMONE CUMMINGS at CLM, set design
MAX RANDALL, photographic assistants FELIX TW, LEWIS ROBINSON, styling
assistants FELIX PARADZA, ANDRA-AMELIA BUHAI, EMILY JONES, EMILY
GLEESON, ARIELLE NEUHAUS GOLD, digital operator NEIL BENNETT, set
design assistant GRACE SNELLOCK, production 360PM
Destroyed denim and
tapestry jacket and jeans
LOUIS VUITTON, wool
knitted cardigan with faux-
fur collar BLUMARINE, ring
as before, leather lace-up
shoes JORDANLUCA
photography NICK SETHI
styling MARION B KELLY II

All clothes and accessories worn throughout DOLCE & GABBANA AW22
He’s commanded the internet to ‘walk’,
stolen Madonna’s material-girl crown,
and is on pranking terms with Lil Nas X,
a future collaborator. Soon, we’ll all be
seeing the world through Florida rapper
Saucy Santana’s eyes
Mesh top worn
throughout
and boots
stylist’s own,
cross pendant
necklace and
bracelets worn
throughout
Saucy’s own
TEXT NICOLAS-TYRELL SCOTT ILoveMakonnen – the sphere has yet to see many that this is abnormal to people is when I realised
queer, outwardly femme rappers traits grace covet- that we were breaking down barriers.”
As a child, Saucy Santana and his brother were ed spots among the apex of the genre. (Lil Nas X is Trax’s production played a key role in estab-
fixated with wrestling. Beaming as he broaches an exception: more on him later.) In Latifah’s case, lishing Santana’s sound, a swaggering amalgam
the subject, the rapper’s eyes flutter – his volu- her sexuality was an open secret; Young M.A is ofof southern bounce and Miami bass topped with
minous false lashes darting back and forth – as ten viewed in the realms of fetishism. With men in flagrant, vociferous flows. The two have estab-
he recalls watching the sport and recreating its the space, there is frequent tension when reckoning lished a close friendship that sees them frequently
moves at home: “I used to love wrestling real bad. with identity lines on the grounds of heteronormal finish each other’s sentences – “I just have to look at
I used to make my brother lie down and do all sorts identifiers. [Saucy] to know what he’s thinking,” Trax shares.
of flips and jump from high on top of the house.” Tennessee rapper Isaiah Rashad, who iden- Santana grew up listening to Jacki-O, Gucci Mane,
Santana’s speed picks up, a marker of excitement, tified as sexually fluid after a series of sex tapes Mannie Fresh and Trick Daddy, and also credits
but also of precision as he rattles off a list of each were leaked on the internet this year, was met with tracks like Trina’s “All My Ladies” and Crime
and every childhood idol in his wrestling utopia. questions about faithfulness and sobriety in relation Mob’s “Knuck If You Buck” as influential on his
“I used to love Trish Stratus, The Hardy Boyz, John to his queer encounters by Joe Budden, emphasising sound. As for the echoes of New Orleans bounce
Cena, The Rock… there were so many.” a lack of understanding and resistance that persists on deep cuts like “Workin”, Santana acknowledges
Today, Santana shares plenty in common with around varying sexual identities. Santana faces the link, but says they weren’t there intentionally.
the wrestlers he grew up watching: he’s audacious, similar challenges manoeuvring as a contemporary “It’s only more recently I started noticing the beats
expert at encouraging crowd participation and rapper championing his identity. Existing overtly in and productions resembling some of that, but I
favour, and fervent in his outward display of seizing his intersections as a femme and plus-sized queer didn’t go in with the idea of, ‘I wanna create New
victory. Now 28 years old, Santana is every bit the rapper, he is political before he even opens his Orleans records’,” he says. “It’s more of what was
self-assured juggernaut personality he portrays on mouth. His music challenges the status quo and, around me at teen parties in Florida; we even heard
social media. We meet on screen over Google Meet, whether it’s through his performances for Jimmy dance music back then.”
as the rapper prepares for his debut appearance at Kimmel and Rolling Loud, or his magnetic ability With the 00s came a flurry of southern
Rolling Loud festival in Miami. “I’m giving rock- to connect with people on and offline, he continues women like the aforementioned Trina and Khia,
star vibes,” he laughs, flashing his cream-coloured to overcome latent perceptions that success for primed with an audacious and abundantly vulgar
nails back and forth in sync with his speech. people like Santana is limited and/or impossible. brand of lyrical prowess. On tracks like “Don’t
“It’s gonna be me. Viral.” Santana, thus far at least, “I wanna see a future where every other day a new Trust No N***a” and “Nasty Bitch”, these rappers
is accurate in his assertions. Today, he is traversing gay rapper is popping up,” he says. But with Santa- reflected the hard-bitten realities of the region with
the realms of social media and music with ease. na’s immersion in an arena that still doesn’t accept fun, provocative flows primed for the free-flowing
Whether it’s his now iconic line “Caresha, please!” or propel queer rappers to wider attention, it can be Miami bounce that steered every party, BBQ or
or commanding men and women to “walk”, in and difficult to project or quantify his success. car ride that Santana would take across the city.
outside of the booth, Santana is a force of nature “It’s like, ‘Woah, a gay boy rapper, we’ve “It didn’t matter which part of Florida you were
etching his name on hip-hop history day by day, never seen that before,’” he says. “A lot of people from,” he says, while detailing his upbringing in
moment by moment. didn’t understand the vision.” When pushed, he Perry. “Florida as a whole taught me how to pop
If you thought that the bravado felt on admits that this inability or unwillingness to engage my shit. Whether it was before school or in my free
screens worldwide was a performance, you were with his artistry extended to labels – he won’t name time, rappers like Trina and Khia gave me my loud,
mistaken: Santana’s swagger is something that’s names – and figures in hip hop. “People didn’t know I-don’t-give-a-fuck, ratchet energy. That’s what
been intrinsically bound to his persona as long if I was going to sell and
as he can remember. “This has always been me,” how to package me as an
he explains. “It’s easy waking up being yourself;
it’s harder being someone you don’t wanna be.
artist.” One musical peer
who gravitated towards “I didn’t want to be
People who knew me before [the] fame, who I went
to high school with, will always say that I’m real.”
the rapper’s oozing cha-
risma was producer Tre trapped. I didn’t wanna
Even as he brings up his corroborators, Santana’s
exchange doesn’t feel defensive; it translates as
Trax, the architect behind
be caged internally.
a lion’s share of Santana’s
someone comfortable in who he is and assured of
his perception of that. But Santana’s ease in his own
rapidly growing discog-
raphy. Their first musicalWhatever Saucy puts
skin took root in adversity, as his recollections of his
teenage years reveal.
“I had to have the mindset of ‘I’m being
exchange resulted in the
single “Material Girl”,
a viral hit in 2019. “Our
his mind to, he does”
happy, I’m doing me, fuck what y’all [are] talking chemistry was instant;
about’,” says Santana, the south-easterly drawl of he just understood me, I understood him. [Tre] took people love about me.” Like Saucy Santana, con-
Perry, Florida inscribing itself into his cadence, a chance on me when no one else did, he didn’t have temporary female rappers like City Girls and Tokyo
making him roll his words as he speaks. “Me and to do that.” Jetz draw inspiration from these 00s trailblazers,
my best friend at the time, Malcolm, would go to Over Zoom a few days after our interview, ratifying the importance of southern and Floridian
the mall and get our girl clothes together, strutting Trax echoes Santana’s comments. “I just felt femme infusion in hip hop.
across the city with our short shorts. We were on the comfortable enough to take that chance, comfort- During the pandemic, Trax amplified Santa-
same type of time. I knew that’s what I wanted to do able enough to do what other people wouldn’t do,” na’s ability to go viral. Chloe Bailey, Kylie Jenner
and I came out to [my parents].” Recalling his moth- he says, nodding implicitly to his decision to work and a plethora of pop-culture mainstays are among
er’s retorts about following her rules while being in with a queer rapper. In 2022, the overt support for the 350k-and-counting TikTokkers to sample
her household, Santana moved out. Not because of queer hip-hop musicians is still muted and, in some “Walk” in their videos. But the ubiquitous cultural
rejection from her, but because he wanted to live cases, frowned upon, so much so that Trax details phenomenon arguably came with “Material Girl”.
on his own terms, embracing his happiness to the a plethora of experiences he has faced in response As Covid-19 lockdowns eased continent by conti-
full. “I didn’t want to be trapped, I didn’t wanna be to being Santana’s central producer and on-stage DJ. nent over the past 12 months, the song grew a new
caged internally. Whatever Saucy puts his mind to, “I had a real big industry friend curse me out for life of its own outside the realms of short-form
he does.” like an hour for working with [Saucy]. I had to go video platforms like TikTok and Instagram and on
Santana’s tenacity shines through not only in through hell on my side with people calling me for to the runways of New York’s AW22 fashion week.
his personal endeavours but in his newly adopted hours, telling me what I’m doing is wrong.” Trax LaQuan Smith flew the rapper into the city to dress
vocation as a rapper. Prior to the pandemic, he doesn’t see what he was doing as a sociopolitical act, him, and attendees partied to the song as models
segued into the realm of hip hop by way of “Walk but is cognisant of the fact that new norms still need continued to flaunt the latest collection. “It was like
’Em Like A Dog”, his debut single, in 2019. While to be erected within the wider rap field. “[Saucy a party,” gushes Santana. “I was telling everyone to
there have been plenty of queer rappers in US hip Santana] being gay was never a thing to me, he was be quiet because it was a show, but it was so surreal
hop – Queen Latifah, Young M.A, Big Freedia, just cool and real and not a lame artist. Realising to me.” After the performance, veteran rapper and
bona fide rap icon Lil Kim was introduced to Saucy commitment of his label, RCA. “They understood
Santana, by way of surprising her daughter Royal. I would need that development as an artist, that
Together, the pair tributed “Material Girl” and its major-label push in the right direction,” he says.
success, with Royal posing with money – given to “Booty” is indicative of where Saucy Santa-
her by Santana – reinforcing the single’s cross-gen- na’s road ahead lies. He teases that another single,
erational impact. as well as a new project, is currently in the works.
Today, hip-hop heavyweights make a thing “Of course music is coming this year. Even before
of citing the gods of the game, their spiritual fore- the fourth quarter,” he says. “A body of new mu-
bears. At the BET awards in June, Latto presented sic is in the works. I don’t like to leave [the people]
Mariah Carey with flowers during a performance waiting for too long.” As he readies himself for his
of “Big Energy” – a nod to Carey’s own “Genius next feat – opening for Summer Walker on her new
of Love”-sampling “Fantasy” – and Jack Harlow tour – he’s also engaged in what he calls ‘album
brought Brandy on stage for a rendition of his “First mode’. “‘Booty’ was a great example of a crossover
Class”, formally burying the hatchet after an online record. I’m still giving my audience twerk songs,
controversy. For Santana, in the wake of his “Ma- Santana-heavy songs, but I want to reach new audi-
terial Girl” success, the inverse happened. Weeks ences and spaces too.”
prior to our call, in June, he returned to New York At this point a corporate Saucy Santana en-
to perform at the city’s Pride weekend launch as a ters from stage-left, switching from fun to deadly
serious as he continues
to illustrate his creative
canvas. “I’m loving being

“It’s easy waking up able to elevate the recre-

ation of songs I grew up

being yourself; it’s harder on, I’m in my bag,” he

says. “Now I have a label

being someone you don’t to help me clear the sam-

ples, the possibilities are

want to be” endless.” He does clarify

that he can’t rush the pro-
cess, however. “Album
mode means adjusting,
and that’s what I’m try-
special guest of Madonna, where he performed a ing to do now, get myself ready for this moment.”
remixed version of the song (subsequently released ‘Mainstream Santana’, as the rapper says of himself
online) with the original material girl. “I found out, in third person, is one that will dabble in singing
like, three weeks prior,” says Santana, who wore a and explore the outer limits of his songcraft. “Being
jumpsuit iteration of Madonna’s now-iconic Norma better is exactly what I’m striving to do, in every
Jean pink dress for the performance. “To have a sense.” Reaching back to his childhood, he reveals
legend like that ask you to do a rework of a song, he used to sing as part of the Christian Tabernacle
that was enough for me.” The track even got an choir during his years in Florida. “Don’t expect no
official release in August, renamed as “Material Summer Walker, though!” he jokes, leaning back
Gworrllllllll!” into his chair.
Madonna aside, it has mostly been women in Of his current peers in rap, Santana cites both
rap who have helped enable Santana’s growth as himself and Lil Nas X as “top two” in elevating
an artist, championing and platforming his talents. the contemporary visibility of queer men in the
He got his first taste of the industry in 2018 as the genre. “Meeting [Lil Nas X] was cool, it was fun,”
City Girls’ make-up artist, while long-term friend he gushes. “We were already following each other
and RCA-labelmate Latto featured him on her and supporting one another online prior to meeting.
North American tour this year. In her Instagram He’s so funny, he’s a jokester.” True to his own
post announcing the #777 tour, she called Santana digital persona, Lil Nas X pranked Santana with a
‘gang’. Both appreciative of their friendship and of lyrically subpar song for them to “collaborate on”.
the business opportunities Latto has brought him “I said, ‘I like the beat, you know, but the rest…’
on to, he agrees she has been an intimate part of his and everyone busted out laughing.” Basking in
success. “Recognising that all I needed was an extra the surreal glow of two Black, hypervisible queer
push, I can’t not be thankful to her for that,” he says, men co-existent in pop culture inspires Santana.
adding that he was the only opening act invited “It’s great to show the girls that it’s possible.”
back on stage to perform their own songs together. Santana also recognises the need to continue
As well as the queer community, Santana’s music “pushing the door down” in order to see more of
harnesses the women’s gaze. “I grew up around himself and other iterations of the LGBTQ+ com-
women, so even ‘Walk ’Em Like A Dog’ referenced munity in pop and rap. Even in his intersections as,
men in that context. I feel comfortable around them in his own words, “dark-skinned” and “fat”, there’s
too, so it’s only natural.” no wavering on the odds of a Santana breakthrough
His latest single with Latto, “Booty”, is a in his eyes. “It’s gonna happen,” he says, simply.
chiselled, more robust take on Santana’s sound to “It was always going to happen. When I was look-
date. Produced by Trax and marinated in the pair’s ing for a deal, I said to myself ‘it’s gonna happen’
signature bounce-infused rhythm, it’s also a subtle and now, breaking through, it’s [the same]. I have to
but cunning flirtation with pop turning on an inter- have this belief in myself, because I always have.”
polation of the Chi-Lites’ “Are You My Woman?” It’s this unshakable self-belief which has, time
“I was inspired by Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Avril and again, parlayed what might have been fleeting
Lavigne and Christina Aguilera,” says Santana of viral moments into something altogether deeper.
the song, which trended on YouTube and garnered The rest, as they say, is immaterial.
500,000 views within 24 hours of the single’s re-
lease. Santana is pleased with the result and with the
Top and necklace as before
Opposite page: necklace as
before, belt and platform
sandals worn throughout
stylist’s own

This page: stockings and

shoes stylist’s own
Jewellery and shoes
as before, lace headpiece
stylist’s own
Corset, gloves and boots
stylist’s own
Opposite page: Lycra top
and fishnet sleeves stylist’s
own, necklace as before

This page: shoes as before

Hair JUNYA NAKASHIMA, make-up KUMA at
STREETERS, photographic assistants PAIGE LABUDA,
FALLOU SECK, styling assistants TAIJA WILLIAMS, TAMIR
HORNES, JOHNNY HARRISON, GRACE WAGONER,
BRAELYNN BRASWELL, production CAROLINA VOGT,
NATALIE O’MOORE at SECOND NAME, production
assistants SAJI ABUDE, ANDY MARTINEZ, special thanks
PUBLIC HOTEL
Motion Detected
photography THIBAUT GREVET
styling GEORGIA PENDLEBURY

From left: Lorenzo wears custom-made cotton and jersey t-shirt and baseball cap CESTAINSI, denim trousers, metal chain necklaces, bracelet and ring worn on index finger stylist’s own, metal,
resin and strass earring and metal, resin and leather pendant necklace CHANEL, metal beaded necklace PEBBLE LONDON, gold and diamonds ring worn on pinky finger EÉRA, gold-plated ring
worn on wedding finger DOLCE & GABBANA, leather sneakers LANVIN. Manyuon wears custom made cotton and jersey t-shirt and baseball cap CESTAINSI, denim trousers LOUIS VUITTON,
metal beaded necklace PEBBLE LONDON, metal, resin and leather pendant necklace CHANEL, silver and gold metal chain necklaces and silver rings worn on index and middle fingers stylist’s
own, gold and diamonds rings worn on wedding and pinky fingers EÉRA, gold-plated and crystal bracelet VERSACE, leather sneakers LANVIN
From left: Manyuon wears leather coat PRADA, cotton shirt and tie CHARVET, cotton socks FALKE, (top to bottom) metal, resin and strass earring CHANEL, metal and crystal earring and
crystal lace-up shoes DOLCE & GABBANA, sequin-embroidered tweed bag GUESS. Belle wears wool and silk blazer and wool trousers SAINT LAURENT BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO, cotton
shirt and tie CHARVET, metal sunglasses BOTTEGA VENETA, gold-plated silver and diamond earring PANCONESI, gold and diamond ring EÉRA, patent leather sandals DOLCE & GABBANA
From left: Lorenzo wears oversized fleece jumper and bio-injected nylon and metal sunglasses BALENCIAGA, oversized silk skirt JEAN PAUL GAULTIER ARCHIVE, georgette boa PHILOSOPHY
DI LORENZO SERAFINI, PVC rubber boots LOEWE. Mina wears denim patchwork dress ACNE STUDIOS, cotton knitted turtleneck ROKSANDA X FILA, Grilamid and nylon sunglasses RICK
OWENS, faux-fur bag BLUMARINE, knitted boots GUESS. Manyuon wears crystal net polyester dress 1017 ALYX 9SM, metal sunglasses DOLCE & GABBANA, brass earring and leather bag
COURRÈGES, cotton sock boots ANDREAS KRONTHALER FOR VIVIENNE WESTWOOD. Belle wears lace dress ANIYE RECORDS, silk trousers JOHN GALLIANO ARCHIVE, acetate
sunglasses COURRÈGES, brass flower pendant earring JACQUEMUS, gold-plated ring DOLCE & GABBANA, leather platform shoes MARC JACOBS
Nyawurh wears all clothes MARC JACOBS, hair
clips stylist’s own, metal bracelet Y/PROJECT, leather bag VALENTINO GARAVANI, embellished leather and rubber boots KIKO KOSTADINOV
Nyawurh wears python vest and boots RICK OWENS, checked silk shirt DSQUARED2, tartan wool skirt and leather belt MIU MIU, bio-injected nylon and metal sunglasses BALENCIAGA,
silvered metal bracelets PEBBLE LONDON, shearling leg-warmers KNWLS
Belle wears printed viscose dress STELLA MCCARTNEY, goose and aluminium earring and aluminium and resin rings HUGO KREIT,
studded leather bag THE ATTICO, leather boots MOSCHINO
Nyawurh and Manyuon wear all clothes and sneakers BURBERRY, acetate sunglasses CHANEL.
Right: Manyuon wears plexiglass earrings COURRÈGES, chenille tapestry bag FENDI
Mina and Nyawurh wear all clothes ADIDAS X GUCCI, cotton socks ADIDAS ORIGINALS.
From left: Mina wears plastic and metal earring MM6 MAISON MARGIELA, denim and crystal bag AMINA MUADDI, suede sneakers ADIDAS X GUCCI.
Nyawurh wears silver and enamel pearl earrings PANCONESI, satin and crystal bag AMINA MUADDI, leather loafers GUCCI
Hair RAMONA ESCHBACH at TOTAL using R+CO, make-up PATRICK GLATTHAAR at TOTAL using SHISEIDO, nails LORA DE SOUSA, models MINA SERRANO, BELLE VANDERKLEY,
NYAWURH CHUOL, LORENZO DELGADO, MANYUON DENG, movement direction JORDAN ROBSON, styling assistants ANNINA LUOMAHAARA, MICHIEL HEEMSKERK, NOUR
EUGENE, EMILY GLEESON, hair assistant ROMAIN DUPLESSY, make-up assistants DENISE BAZAAR, nails assistant JESSICA MALIGE, lighting assistants FRED BARLET, GUILLAUME
LECHAT, digital operator ANTOINE BERNARD, production GWENDOLINE VICTORIA and ANNE-SOPHIE DUJON at DIVISION, unit location CELINE POMME, post-production INK
RETOUCH, casting MOLLIE DENDLE at MINI TITLE
Fields
of Thought

All clothes and accessories worn throughout THEORY PROJECT BY LUCAS OSSENDRIJVER
photography PAULO ALMEIDA
styling GEORGE KRAKOWIAK

Aheem wears leather

shoes THEORY
WOMEN’S SS22,
earring his own
Goy wears leather
shoes THEORY
WOMEN’S SS22
Xie wears leather
shoes THEORY
WOMEN’S SS22
Hair ELIOT MCQUEEN at FUTURE REP, make-up ELAINE
LYNSKEY, models XIE CHAOYU at PREMIER, MARTHA
CLOUGH at PREMIER, JUDITH ONAH at MILK, GOY MICHAEL
at PRM, AHEEM SOSA at IMG, photographic assistants
LUKE JOHNSON, BEN TURNER, styling assistant VANESSA
ALLER, hair assistant VIKTORIA KOSTRUK, make-up assistant
TINA KHATRI, production KERRY DANSON at DANSON
PRODUCTIONS, on-set production STEPHANIE LAWLEY,
casting ROXANE DIA
The
Stack
photography RAFAEL PAVAROTTI
styling IBRAHIM KAMARA

Opposite page: crepe

couture top and tights
VALENTINO PINK PP
COLLECTION, patent
leather platform pumps
VALENTINO GARAVANI
DISCOBOX PINK PP
COLLECTION

This page: shearling

coat MICHAEL KORS
COLLECTION, sequin-
embroidered viscose
dress worn as top N21
BY ALESSANDRO
DELL’ACQUA, coated
leather trousers MSGM,
gold-plated pendant
earrings LARUICCI,
patent leather belt
with crystal buckle
BLUMARINE
All clothes and tights
VALENTINO PINK PP
COLLECTION
If the UK’s nightlife scene is a grenade, Ms Carrie the genre-mashing party that became, over time,
Stacks is the pink-hued pin saving it from the beating heart of outer-limits fashion. Nowadays,
exploding. From London (with love) the artist, DJ Stacks makes luscious, flowering post-electronica
and musician brings a hurricane of hedonism to that stands as fitting music for the metaverse. As she
cities all over the globe, able as she is to bring even gears up to release new music in the autumn,
the deadest of dancefloors to life. Her personal Stacks drills into her timeline, and the fantasies
journey through the night started with PDA, that power her forward

What is your earliest impactful What's your fantasy?

musical memory?

Describe your sound in three words.

How do you get your lashes on with

your nails?

What advice would you give to the next

generation of cultural & nightlife tastemakers?

In a parallel universe, what would

you be doing right now?

What would you tell your younger self? If you could have any three wishes come true,
what would they be?
Opposite page: jacquard
jacket and sequin-and-
feather-embroidered
skirt made of deadstock
fabrics ANDREAS
KRONTHALER FOR
VIVIENNE WESTWOOD,
lace bra MAISON CLOSE,
black stockings worn
throughout Carrie’s own,
vintage Chanel gold-plated
earrings REWIND VINTAGE
AFFAIRS

This page: taffeta gown

MOSCHINO, vintage
YSL gold-plated and stone
earrings 4ELEMENT,
recycled leather necklace
SO-LE STUDIO, leather
sandals JIMMY CHOO
Oversized faux-fur
coat BALMAIN
Sequin-embroidered silk
dress GIVENCHY, gold-
plated and enamel earrings
SUSAN CAPLAN, wood
necklace MONIES, leather
sandals JIMMY CHOO
Devoree silk gown with
embroidered collar
HALPERN, lurex tights
FALKE, vintage Chanel gold-
plated earrings REWIND
VINTAGE AFFAIRS, gold-
plated metal bangles SAINT
LAURENT BY ANTHONY
VACCARELLO, leather
sandals JIMMY CHOO
Crystal-embroidered jersey
bodysuit MICHAEL KORS
COLLECTION, jersey bra
with metal detail DAVID
KOMA, viscose dress worn
as skirt ANDREÃDAMO,
vintage Miu Miu crystal
earrings 4ELEMENT,
crystal choker ANDREAS
KRONTHALER FOR
VIVIENNE WESTWOOD,
leather garter belt
BLUMARINE, patent leather
shoes HAUS OF HONEY
Crepe couture dress and
tights VALENTINO PINK
PP COLLECTION, patent
leather platform pumps
VALENTINO GARAVANI
DISCOBOX PINK PP
COLLECTION
Faux-fur coat SAINT
LAURENT BY ANTHONY
VACCARELLO, stretch tulle
jumpsuit ANIYE RECORDS,
studded leather belt GUCCI
Faux-fur coat, silk dress
and bra worn underneath
KNWLS, stretch satin bolero
SUPRIYA LELE, leather skirt
GUCCI, vintage Christian
Dior gold-plated, crystal and
ruby necklace 4ELEMENT,
vintage Chanel gold-plated
and Swarovski pendant
necklace SUSAN CAPLAN,
leather platform shoes
MARC JACOBS
All clothes and tights VALENTINO PINK PP COLLECTION and VALENTINO PINK
PP COLLECTION #BLACKEDITION, patent leather platform pumps VALENTINO
GARAVANI DISCOBOX PINK PP COLLECTION
Hair VIRGINIE MOREIRA at MA+, make-up AMMY DRAMMEH at BRYANT
ARTISTS, nails LAUREN MICHELLE PIRES at FUTURE REP, set design IBBY
NJOYA at NEW SCHOOL, photographic assistants FELIX TW, VALDRIN REXHEPI,
styling assistants ANDRA-AMELIA BUHAI, ROSIE BORGERHOFF MULDER,
GRZEGORZ BLAZEWICZ, SULYKA ABUKAR, JENSON KAY-POLLEY, hair assistant
CHARLES STANLEY, make-up assistant QUELLE BESTER, set design assistants
AXEL DRURY, SAM EDYN, digital operators PAUL ALLISTER, JACOB GLOSSER,
on-set retouching THOMAS LEIGH, production assistant PHOEBE ASKER,
MISCHA NOTCUTT at 11 CASTING
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This spread, from left:

Lyul wears all clothes
ADIDAS X GUCCI, silk
tie GUCCI, leather boots
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN.
Baba wears all clothes
and coated canvas and
leather bag LOUIS
VUITTON, wool felt and
silk hat MAISON MICHEL,
canvas sneakers LOEWE.
Akiima wears all clothes
and leather loafers GUCCI,
tie stylist’s own.
Mohamadou wears all
clothes BOTTER, leather
boots PRADA
From left: Rachael
wears taffeta gown
GIAMBATTISTA VALLI
HAUTE COUTURE, gold,
onyx and black lacquer
necklace and bracelet
CARTIER PANTHÈRE DE
CARTIER COLLECTION.
Akiima wears embroidered
double-duchess silk satin
coat MAISON MARGIELA
ARTISANAL DESIGNED BY
JOHN GALLIANO, felt cap
ANTHONY PETO.
Fatou wears silk gown
LANVIN, headpiece stylist’s
own, crepe satin gloves
VALENTINO GARAVANI,
gold, diamond and
metal watch CARTIER
LA PANTHÈRE DE
CARTIER COLLECTION.
Pasha wears draped satin
dress and gloves JEAN
PAUL GAULTIER HAUTE
COUTURE BY OLIVIER
ROUSTEING, metal
and onyx ring SAINT
LAURENT BY ANTHONY
VACCARELLO, leather
shoes PHILOSOPHY DI
LORENZO SERAFINI.
Ali wears all clothes
MAISON NATAN
COUTURE, patent
leather shoes ALAÏA
From left: Fatou wears
tulle dress stylist’s own,
patent leather boots
NODALETO. Ali wears
archive MOLLY GODDARD
dress stylist’s own, patent
leather platform pumps
VALENTINO GARAVANI.
Akiima wears archive
MOLLY GODDARD dress
stylist’s own, earring her
own, patent leather and
plexiglass boots ALAÏA.
Rachael wears tulle
dress MOLLY GODDARD,
socks stylist’s own,
leather loafers GUCCI
From left: Baba wears
sponge dress JW
ANDERSON, felt cap
ANTHONY PETO, socks
stylist’s own, canvas
sneakers LOEWE.
Akiima wears
silk embroidered
dress and rattan vase
headpiece MOSCHINO.
Ali wears silk car dress
LOEWE, patent leather
boots NODALETO
From left: Pasha wears
printed silk kaftan dress
EMILIO PUCCI, rhinestone-
embellished satin sandals
SAINT LAURENT BY
ANTHONY VACCARELLO.
Ali wears printed
polyester kaftan dress
RICHARD QUINN.
Akiima wears printed
silk kaftan dress EMILIO
PUCCI, leather sandals
LANVIN
From left: Pasha wears
all clothes and leather
platform shoes
MARC JACOBS.
Lyul wears pile knitted
hooded top CRAIG
GREEN, leather trousers
and shoes PRADA.
Mohamadou wears pile
knitted hooded top
CRAIG GREEN, recycled
fabrics and viscose
trousers BOTTER,
leather boots PRADA
From left: Pasha wears
viscose dress and leather
shoes PHILOSOPHY DI
LORENZO SERAFINI,
headpiece stylist’s
own, leather gloves
HERMÈS. Fatou wears
silk asymmetrical corset,
velvet skirt and rhinestones
embellished lacquered heart
pendant SCHIAPARELLI
HAUTE COUTURE,
gold zamak earrings
MOSCHINO, leather gloves
with metal fingers JEAN
PAUL GAULTIER HAUTE
COUTURE BY OLIVIER
ROUSTEING, patent leather
shoes ALAÏA. Akiima wears
velvet kaftan dress and
leather bra LOEWE, leather
gloves PHILOSOPHY DI
LORENZO SERAFINI,
leather loafers GUCCI
Hair RAMONA ESCHBACH at TOTAL, make-up MASAÉ ITO at MA+,
movement direction ERIC CHRISTISON, models AKIIMA AJAK
at OUI, ALI HONCHARUK at LE BUREAU, FATOU DIAWARA at
ELITE, PASHA HARULIA at VIVA, RACHAEL CARRUTHERS
at STORM, LYUL IM at MARILYN, BABA DIAGNE at STUDIO PARIS,
MOHAMADOU DIAKHITE at SUCCESS, set design SOPHEAR at
ART + COMMERCE, photographic assistants MAYA ZARDI, FRÉDÉRIC
TROEHLER, styling assistants ANDRA-AMELIA BUHAI, AROUA
AMMARI, WENDY TRUONG, CARLA RUIZ, hair assistant ALAN
ANTOINE, make-up assistants YIN LIU, XIAOYUAN YANG, set design
assistant VICTOR LEVERRIER, production CINQ ETOILLES, production
coordinator JULIEN NACCACHE, production assistants ÉDOUARD
PRADEL-DELAMAZE, THOMAS NÉAUME, post-production STUDIO
RM, casting BEN GRIMES
SPECULATIVE FUTURES

Zarah Sultana
With the government still MIA on the spiralling cost of living crisis,
the Labour MP for Coventry South shares her vision for Enough Is Enough,
a campaign to tackle inequality and create a fairer future for the UK
TEXT DIYORA SHADIJANOVA Thanks for joining me today, Zarah, it’s very ZS: The Iraq War, 2008 financial crash, aus-
exciting to talk to you, especially during Hot terity and now the pandemic and cost of living cri-
Zarah Sultana’s political journey began soon after Strike Summer. Let’s cast into the future of sis – all of these things we have lived through have
the Cameron-Clegg coalition government tripled democratic politics – what does it look like? felt absolutely unreal. People keep saying that we’re
university fees in 2010. She was 17 at the time and living through unprecedented times, records keep
due to start studying international relations and ZARAH SULTANA: The UK is one of the breaking, and every month is the hottest month on
economics at the University of Birmingham. “I saw most centralised countries in Europe – everything is record. I look towards movements across the world
politicians appeal to young people for their votes, concentrated in Westminster. Though we have de- that are inspiring me, like in Chile and other parts of
and then throw it back in their faces,” she recalls. volved assemblies in Scotland, Wales and Northern South America, which provide hope and inspiration.
Angered, she joined the free education movement Ireland, when you come to look at policy, a lot of it is The work that we need to do in the UK has to meet
and edged closer to Westminster. done in Whitehall. The future absolutely has to have the needs of the people here and internationally.
Today, the 28-year-old Labour MP for Coven- decentralisation of power, and the Tories will give We have to stick together and stay organised and
try South is front and centre of some of the country’s lip service to it, and talk about levelling up, but we that requires the left to exist within the Labour
most forward-thinking political movements. As a know that doesn’t actually mean much. There’s an Party; it requires there to be a solid left membership
young socialist in parliament, Sultana has recently imbalance of investment in funding and research. within our democratic structures and it requires
helped launch the ‘Enough Is Enough’ campaign, We see that in higher education with the ‘Golden us to be supporting pickets and organising in our
which aims to tackle the cost of living crisis by Triangle’ [Cambridge, Oxford and London] that’s communities.
slashing energy bills, ensuring meaningful pay rises concentrated in the south-east of the country.
and taxing the rich. Elsewhere, she has joined picket The pandemic showed the importance of local Right now a big chunk of the Labour party
lines up and down Britain in support of underpaid response and using councils and local infrastructure seems to be MIA, especially as the cost of living
railway workers. to deliver services using the NHS, for example with crisis squeezes millions of families up and down
The country might be in turmoil right now, but the vaccine rollout and school meals during holi- the country. Where does Labour go from here?
Sultana seems energised and answers-driven – her days. With the cost of living crisis and the housing What is the party’s future?
solutions are often brave and always radical. In crisis, we know that we just don’t build enough
conversation, her passion for the future is unfal- council homes, and at the moment, councils don’t ZS: We’ve seen that things change very
tering, a conviction that feels miles away from the have the power to do that. quickly in politics. And we can change the Labour
stage-managed press tents of her workplace. Party, if there are enough of us. It’s the same with
How do you think our voting systems could the saying around the NHS, “as long as there are
improve? Should we make a move towards people who defend it, the NHS will continue”. When
proportional representation – and is first past people give up, that’s the worst point. When they’re
the post [FPTP] simply outdated? hopeful – and they channel that hope – incredible,
amazing things can happen. But when there’s de-
ZS: FPTP is far from ideal, but I would argue spair and despondency, we’re in a really dangerous
the problem is much deeper than just our voting place because the alternative is frightening.
systems. Democracy in this country is very limited, The future is what we make it. I know that
so thinking of it purely in an electoral sense is quite sounds really cliche, but I don’t think it can be writ-
reductive. In the UK, institutions of democracy are ten off. For me, politics isn’t just this kind of debate
corrupt. We’ve seen that through the Covid-19 con- in the Oxford Union. It’s not all manoeuvrings and
tracts, the influence of lobbying, political donations 4D chess. It’s policies that affect people’s lives and
and the cash-for-honours scandals. It’s in politics, deaths. Austerity killed people, [and] if we don’t
in business and in the media, some of which basi- address the cost of living crisis with real policy
cally pushes out Tory press releases from CCHQ change, people are going to die. The same goes for
[Conservative Campaign Headquarters]. the climate emergency. We’ve already seen it with
We now have voter ID legislation which heatwaves in the UK and the fires. That’s how
will mean that working-class communities, poor seriously the fight within the Labour Party has to
communities, trans people and travellers are heav- be treated. It’s a fight between transformative change
ily and disproportionately [prevented] from even or maintaining the status quo.
taking part. Adding to that, there is a small class
of wealthy people who dominate public life. They This year, abortion rights have been eroded in
always go to the same schools, know each other, America, and now a number of other human
work together, are the best man at each others’ wed- rights are at risk there too, such as the right to
dings, godfathers and so forth. It is that incestuous contraception, and same-sex marriages. How can
relationship that fundamentally needs changing. If we best counter these shifting narratives?
we’re not challenging that and are just talking about
proportional representation versus FPTP, we’re just ZS: We can’t take anything for granted here.
scratching the surface. Any rights or freedoms we have were fought for,
they were never just handed over because the polit-
Many people in the UK seem to have lost faith ical elite felt [like it]. What happens in the US affects
in democracy. How can we restore hope in the everyone across the world and that’s not just because
system? it’s a global superpower, it’s because there are inti-
mate relationships between the right-wing in the It’s not something that just affects London or
US and the right-wing in the UK, and across Coventry, it’s something that is affecting every town
Europe. We see it with the promotion of Islamopho- and city in the country.
bia, transphobia and the ‘war on woke’ in general. Dealing with the housing emergency requires
A lot of money comes from the US to Europe and state power and working with those people that
the UK through think tanks, organisations and know what is happening in our communities: those
activists. You’ll see Nigel Farage in the US, and far- who are renting, those who are working for these or-
right figures coming to the UK to give conferences ganisations. It requires working together to develop
and speeches to radicalise the masses. Even when that policy knowing there will be things that others
we look at the example of the NHS: yes, we have know more about.
an NHS, but the institution – one of the proudest One of the most exciting things I was involved
achievements of the working people of this coun- in during my time in the Labour party was a com-
try – is under attack. There are people actively munity organising unit. People know their lives
working every single day to take it away from what better than anyone else and know the solutions better
it was meant to be, and to some extent they have than anyone else. They can tell you what’s needed
succeeded through privatisation by stealth. So even in their communities. This is why it’s essential to
those things that we think we still have, we have to decentralise policymaking to some extent, because
fight to protect. That extends to our rights as women people know what they need to improve their im-
and workers in the workplace. mediate environments, what they need in terms of
investment and better access to healthcare, transport
I’m glad you’ve mentioned the privatisation and so on. As a bare minimum, we need things like
of the NHS. In the long term, do you think the rent controls, we need to have hundreds of thousands
government should regulate the private sector and of council homes built that are well insulated in the
renationalise industries? winter but also have measures for when it gets warm
in the summer. Essentially, the developers at the
ZS: I think of the climate emergency when this moment are the ones writing policy: when we think
question is presented, because there isn’t a market of the Conservative government and their close
solution to the climate emergency and you’ll have relationship with developers, they’re basically able
private companies who will invest in research and to draft the policy and it’s implemented. We need to
development and will say ‘just leave us to it, we completely flip that on its head.
will do what’s necessary’, but that hasn’t been the It’s a future where people have the ability
case. The scale and speed of what we require needs to live their lives in ways that they want. We are
government to take the full lead on it. The market not entirely beholden to a life balance that is just
and that profit motive that the private sector is built working, working, working, and not having time to
on and benefits from will never deliver climate spend with our families, friends or doing the things
justice and that’s because their interests are very we enjoy the most. There is space to love, appreci-
different – they’re aligned to the wealthy few. We ate communities and enjoy the countryside, all that
need that democratic economy, we need to bring wholesome stuff. We also have a higher education
industries [into] public ownership and that includes system that isn’t beholden to the market, and educa-
rail and mail as well as water and energy companies. tion is seen as a social good that we can benefit from
It’s not just a Woolworths pick and mix of industries at any point in our lives. There is guaranteed access
that need deprivatising, it requires a widespread to healthcare. There are no worries that you can raise
economic transformation. your family in the town you grew up in. Housing
issues are addressed, jobs are well-paid and when
Time for some science fiction: Imagine it’s we’re old, we can die in dignity. Food banks are a
2032, there is no longer a housing emergency, thing of the past, and we only think of them as case
landlordism has been defeated and a left-wing studies when studying history.
government is in power. What kind of changes
would you bring in if you were elected? What
does Zarah’s utopia look like?

ZS: [We’ve got here] through organising and

building those relationships that have broken down
in our communities. It’s about working with organi-
sations that are doing the everyday work of tenants’
defence, like Acorn and the London Renters Union.
They are fighting for each other, against evictions
and against landlordism. This is the stuff that is
meeting the housing crisis now, but this is a nation-
al issue that needs to be resolved in the long-term.
SPECULATIVE FUTURES

Nabil Al-Kinani
Growing up in Wembley, Nabil Al-Kinani witnessed the effects of
gentrification first-hand. Now, he’s written Privatise the Mandem, a radical
blueprint empowering people to reclaim the streets from developers
TEXT EMMANUEL ONAPA NABIL AL-KINANI: For years, the narrative is also falling apart. Labour has significant issues
around the ends has always been that [they] are full when it comes to Islamophobia and anti-Black rac-
As a poor welfare state falls short and social housing of drug dealers, killers and gang-bangers. The build- ism, and so forth. These state systems are now be-
fades away, the working-class people who have in- ings are poor in quality, and everyone there is up to coming obsolete. And the book touches on how we
dustrialised the nation’s cities are being priced out. In no good. The notion is that everyone living there is need to save ourselves through collective action and
place of these necessities, they’re being promised the fatherless, lacking guidance and direction, which is a community ownership. Your book allows young
class-dividing horrors of ‘regeneration’ – or gentrifi- mischaracterisation. people to dream and think… what will happen?
cation, as the process has come to be known. Council What if we collectively owned our estate? And what
estates are demolished in anticipation of a flurry of EMMANUEL ONAPA: One hundred per if we could do whatever we wanted with it without
new money relocating to the area. Wembley Park is cent! These notions cause harm to our communities, the government having control? And that goes into
a prime example of this. On first glance, one might and the state reacts to these arbitrary racist notions [the idea of] hood futurism and the ability to envi-
believe that the revitalised district is a blossoming through over-policing in Black and brown commu- sion ourselves and our current state.
cultural hub for all. But residents are increasingly dis- nities. We see this daily on working-class estates. The
illusioned by a shifting landscape and demographic, irony is that it’s the working-class minority ethnic NAK: Hood futurism is what follows from
as familiar sights are replaced with something unrec- groups who contribute most to creating these [new] privatisation. That’s the way I would frame it. It’s a
ognisable and polarising. buildings that are subject to these harmful notions. genre, it’s a form of speculative (futurism), and in
Nabil Al-Kinani, a local resident and author The people at the bottom and in the most precarious a way it’s like philosophy. It is a vision for the fu-
of Privatise the Mandem – a radical blueprint and workforces face gentrification, and they barely get ture, the same way there is a speculative future in
manifesto detailing how inner-city communities can any gains from the process. dystopian (futurism): Ratchet & Clank and Blade
reclaim their neighbourhoods – greets me as I exit Runner. And there’s a speculative form of futurism in
the station barriers. He wastes no time exposing the NAK: Don’t get it twisted; the mandem are Afrofuturism, with Noughts & Crosses and Wakan-
crooked ways gentrification marginalises migrant hurting. Clearly there is a problem, but we are da. Hood futurism is attributed to the mandem.
and working-class communities. “They built Wem- breaking. Our behaviour isn’t because that’s how we So specifically, a person in the UK who comes from
bley Park around the history of the British empire are genetically built to be, these violent and thuggish the ends, who is too Black or brown to be English,
exhibition in 1924,” he says, pointing at a map that people. It’s a response, a reaction to our condi- and too foreign to be from their country of origin.
stands in isolation on the side of the walking path. tion – and our condition is very much racialised, a Hood futurism looks at how the ends would operate
“Why do you think they called it [road approaching product of racism in this country, a product of its as a fully functional and self-sustained city. It asks
Wembley stadium] Lakeside Way? There are no policy direction. But no one wants to talk about that; questions. What would it look like if the ends were
lakes there! But looking at the 1924 map, there were no one wants to fix that. a series of cities? So, if Church Road was a city, if
lakes right along. This whole park is named after the Stonebridge was a city, how would they interact
British colonial project, like they’re celebrating its EO: This has been happening for years. These with each other and keep prosperity and economic
works.” degrading narratives were ingrained in British growth happening within those cities? But they’re
Nabil, a self-described cultural producer and culture way before the Windrush generation, and not just [linked] with one another. How would they
“built-environment professional”, uses his creative Asian and Black communities have rebelled against interact with other types of cities? And then, going
practice to create change-making projects that the state because of it, [like in] the Brixton and Tox- further, how would you interact with Barcelona and
explore the relationship between stories and space, teth community uprisings. The state also claimed Cape Town and Mombasa? And it’s also [about]
with an emphasis on sustainable development that Black people were biologically inferior through how this new city would be governed. Traditionally,
and the politics of space. On an informative stroll the school of eugenics. But ultimately [it is] a prod- capitalism looks at extracting value from land, and
through nearby Chalkhill Park, he meditates on uct of state failure when we are underinvested, how a city can be governed can feed into that model.
how working-class experiences intersect, his debut unprotected and over-policed. But we don’t want to be extractors of value from
book, housing for the youth and his speculations on land that we live in because we occupy that land.
‘Hood futurism’. NAK: Exactly! Privatising the mandem is to And if we extract value from it, we displace our-
privatise away from the state and usher in collective selves. That’s kind of what gentrification is. So how
community ownership, so we don’t have to rely on do we look at new forms of governance? That’s why
them any more. The primary objective of the work I said it’s a genre because there are mad questions
is to inspire people to independence. There are a lot that need to be answered in the process, but it’s all
of different ways we have gone about doing this. under this umbrella term.
It’s in the presentation. I was designing things to
look strong, bold. And the punchy narrative – like, EO: People in marginalised communities are
who the hell talks about privatising the mandem? subject to surveillance, continuously over-policed,
The title itself is strong. In the last chapter, I quot- over-represented in the criminal justice system
ed Tupac in his interview, where he said, “I’m just and low-funded. And I think that’s where I see
here to spark the mind that will change the world.” Hood futurism – envisioning a new world where
I’m very aware that I can’t do things by myself. these oppressive systems are no longer [in place].
And so I need to inspire people. The book adds to a [growing body of] literature
and movies that are already there regarding Hood
EO: The book is very important, because futurism, such as Wakanda in Black Panther.
our communities need to understand that the state Over the next 20 years, we could see the idea
will not come and save us any time soon. When we branching out even further, possibly becoming
look at how the NHS is falling apart, social housing a whole field of study.
NAK: But it’s not something I want to lock acquire it, that’s where justice comes in. Justice isn’t
away in universities. It needs to be an active form us being given the same powers as our oppressors
of study because it will take a collective effort rather and doing the same things they are doing, it’s [about]
than an educated few. It’s not just the doctors and being protected by legislation from them and then
PhD scholars that will make this happen. Every looking at restorative and sustainable ways to live.
person [who comes from] the ends, be it our mil-
lionaires or whoever, makes mad capital through EO: Yes! Going back to gentrification, we
their craft – [whether it’s] music, athleticism, politics know its effects and how it’s ripping apart our
or fashion. Even the average earner who may work families and communities. Pushing people to the
in finance, law, tech or arts and culture can contrib- outskirts of London or even further to commu-
ute. The vulnerable in our communities, who have nities that aren’t their own. I’m trying to figure
needs and difficulties in being economically active out whether it is possible to privatise the mandem
– we also need their support because they’re part over the coming years in big cities like London and
of our community and we’re a tribe at the end of Birmingham, where gentrification is almost in its
the day. complete form.

EO: It links back to the youth centres. We will NAK: I think there’s a real possibility for the
end up owning these spaces under Hood futurism, mandem to acquire ownership of the ends before it’s
so we can dictate what these spaces are and look too late. And yes, I know we are in a race against
like, and how we can employ the mandem. time, but it’s not all doom and gloom. The ends is
the capital of arts and culture in this country. When-
NAK: Yeah, fam! If you own the ends, you are ever we release a song, it goes up to the Top 10 in
the landlord, and you call the shots. For instance, if every chart in the country – we’re making millions.
I know we will need to maintain our facility as a When our clothing lines drop something, it sells out
building, that’s natural. And so, if someone’s got an instantly, all the athletes that come from the ends
uncle who’s been a carpenter for years, that can help are gold or silver medallists, and our communities
support the building. Everyone knows a plumber are killing it. We have the most amount of influence
or an electrician from our community, and we can in this country. Every time we speak, the nation’s
employ them to keep capital circulating within youth mimic our vernacular. We are also one of
them. Do you know what I mean? What if we can the most valuable contributors to the global scene.
keep money circulating within our network? The And so, with that influence comes the opportunity
more money we have circulating, the more influ- for capital generation, and all it takes is the reinvest-
ence we have nationally because our GDP is locked ment of that capital into our spaces and Privatise the
into our spaces, and we own those spaces. So, we Mandem is a toolbox, it’s a manual. It’s a blueprint of
must be given a seat at the table and invited to lobby how we can do that. I feel that ,within the next ten to
because we’ve got a certain percentage of the GDP 20 years, we could start to see the first set of blocks
[cornered]. Everyone knows youth who patrol being privatised and protected, operating as fully
the ends for free: we could hire them, give them functional cities, which will spur on and inspire
uniforms and SIA [Security Industry Authority] other ends to do the same. [Let’s] create a domino
badges, and they’d be the security, instead of us effect, because we have the capacity for it now,
relying on policing. privatising before we get displaced and removed.
I guess that’s what this conversation is about – to
EO: The good thing about Hood futurism is push the message out there and inspire people quick-
I feel like anybody can do it, and it’s free. You must ly enough and with urgency. It’s a collective effort,
envision and think of your local community and put and the way the finances are set up, one person isn’t
it down on paper. Hood futurism can be expressed expected to take the bill for a whole building. It is
in a photo. People can express it in a painting in a the whole group pulling their resources together.
novel, a film script, a music video or an album.
As you said, it is an idea that can be expressed in
so many ways, and it’s limitless. It’s the accessibility
for everyone to dream of a future that could hap-
pen in the spaces they live in and identify with the
most. The people of that community protect Hood
futurism while envisioning what they want for
themselves.

NAK: But it’s also vital that we don’t turn into

the oppressive force that keeps us in poor social and
economic conditions. We need to look at new forms
of land ownership and governance of land. Once we
SPECULATIVE FUTURES

Holly Herndon & Debit

The next ten years could see an explosion in artists exploring the ‘insane and
creepy and wonderful’ possibilities of AI, say producers Holly Herndon and
Debit. But could that spell trouble for mere mortals looking to get paid?
TEXT JACK MILLS Holly, the tagline for Interdependence is DEBIT: For me, it’s a similar solution on the
“Approachable AI for Music”. How would you creative end – an application with AI tools, and
It’s 1961, and actor David Wayne has sat down to define approachable AI? In terms of usability, also the possibility of sampling features so that
watch SAGA, the debut play by TXO, a new comput- or, as with an image-generating AI like these vast sets of information can then inform any
er that was set to become the TS Eliot of artificial in- DALL-E, fun, shareable, even gamified? aspect of the creation. And I think that’s where I’m
telligence. “I am concerned with the world in which at on my AI journey. I’m interested in the sampling
we are going to live tomorrow,” he says in the MIT HOLLY HERNDON: In the last five to ten of these features that can be sort of taken from the
documentary “The Thinking Machine”, “a world years, we went from an AI winter to a kind of AI collective. Everything seems to be accelerating,
in which the digital machine may be of even greater hot girl summer [laughs]. A lot of research papers but it will be just a little bit more interesting to see
importance than the atomic bomb.” Wayne went to were released, and a lot of software was made pub- a couple of years ahead, when all of this has been
MIT University in Massachusetts to draw up a mor- lic – which is really cool, but a lot of it was really fully unleashed.
al compass for this new technology – a tinder flame difficult to use: you had to go on GitHub or install
he ruled “the closest thing to magic I have ever weird janky software to figure out how to make Delia, can you explain how machine learning
seen”. One boundary established was that machines things work. So I guess a more accessible machine was used as a new kind of instrument in the
can’t truly be intelligent until they had offered the learning approach would be tools that are a little bit making of The Long Count?
world a new idea, planting a flag in unseen territory. more plug-and-play, or ready for a wider audience.
“Until then,” said professor Patrick D Wall, “I will I like the difficult, nerdy stuff, because that’s where D: With machine learning, it’s project-specific
not agree that machines think.” a lot of the ideas start, but I also find it exciting when depending on the material that you’re working
Sixty-one years later, in Barcelona, not one more people can be involved. That’s why, when we with, and also the sort of results you’re looking
Holly Herndon showed up for her first-ever Ted did the first season of Holly+, we wanted to make for and the role it’s playing in the creative process.
Talk, but an invisible army of them. The musician the interface the easiest thing you could possibly In my particular case, I was working with an
had come to demo the second series of Holly+, an imagine, so you could just drag any sample or audio archive that I turned into a data set. I was making
AI-powered tool that magicks any sound submit- file on to a website and convert it into a comput- these applications for archaeology, and automating a
ted to a website into a wheezing, somersaulting er-generated version of my voice. People came up lot of work that previously would need to have been
Herndon vocal. She was joined by a choir, who with really cool things, like the sound of their train done manually. So thinking of Holly+, for example,
performed alongside synth lines chewed up and pol- commute, which was turned into a kind chorus of you didn’t have to do Python in order to apply the
ished through the tool, elevating Herndon to some Hollys singing back all these crazy timbres. technology… [laughs]
kind of mythical, machine learning Hydra.
Herndon has long looked to AI for creative There’s a lot of fear and hysteria around AI. HH: My philosopher friend Anil Bawa-Cavia
possibilities. Her third LP, 2019’s PROTO, used In terms of music-making, why is it important taught me this term ‘Centaur AI’, which means
machine-learning methods to play havoc with her that we see the future as a creative collaboration ‘human-assisted’ rather than ‘human replacement’,
musical identity (on the track “Godmother” with between humans and machines? and I just love the image of this badass centaur!
Jlin, Herndon sounds like either a 12-year-old I think that [both Delia and I] weren’t interested
on Ventolin or a 90-year-old with a baby voice). HH: When I think about collaborative systems in this idea of automated composition – which
But while AI is a useful tool, Herndon is also in AI – usually when you’re dealing with a public has dominated so much of the discourse on ma-
conscious of the dangerous financial implications training set such as DALL-E or JukeBox – these chine-learning research, where it’s like, ‘OK, let’s
it poses for artists. With her partner Mat Dryhurst are usually trained on publicly available media use a data set from Beethoven or Bach or whatever
she runs Interdependence, a pod exploring, among that’s scraped from the internet. Anything you’ve and teach a machine how to make endless Beethov-
other things, possible funding models for musicians produced – sound, image, video – can become part en or Bach.’ It’s helpful if you’re a data scientist
as the AI gap closes around the future. of the same kind of training canon as soon as it’s trying to figure out if your machine works properly,
Born in Mexico, Debit AKA Delia Beatriz, is released into the world. That opens up all these but if you’re an artist, you’re figuring out where
another musician tinkering at these edges. For her questions around who has ownership of that media you fit into all of this. That’s why I find the idea of
second LP, The Long Count, she buried herself in an – how do we deal with remuneration and accredita- applying it to archaeology so fascinating, bringing
archive of ancient Mayan flute recordings, using an tion? We’re moving into web 3.0, and an advertising to life so many instruments that are no longer with
AI tool to bliss them out. The resulting frequencies model where large companies sell advertisements us, that we could only imagine. I was really focused
are ambient to the point of psychosis, a walk along off the back of your data. We’re starting to see that as well on this idea of timbre transfer, which is
an elongated sonic sea-bed. The Mayans used flutes this is probably not the best way to run our entire where you take the sound quality of one sound and
not only to communicate to each other, but to birds global communication network... The other thing map it on to the performance of another sound. It
and other species. As AI pulls us closer to the ma- that I think about often is sampling, and how it enables you to literally perform as someone else,
chines and we think of ways to create dialogue, the unlocked this ability to create entirely new genres or as another object or resonant body. It’s not like
album reminds us that humans have always tried to of music. It was amazing, but there were also a lot trying to create a machine so that I don’t ever have
reach into the beyond. of people who were left out of the [transaction]. to write music. Rather, the goal is to expand the
The relationship between AI and creativity Probably the biggest name is Gregory C Coleman, musician’s toolkit, so that we have more to play with
has come a long way since SAGA, and Herndon and who played the original “Amen” break [the most and can create new sounds and genres and modes
Debit are footnotes in its evolution. For Herndon, popular drum sample ever] – he never received any of expression.
these are the wild-west days of machine-learning, remuneration for that. With this new era of machine
where anything seems possible. It’s within all of us learning, where you’re kind of trading on all of this D: It’s a really nice thing when you create
to carve a path forward. public information, how can we learn from our mis- something that leaves you with even more questions
takes? It’s a fucked-up problem but it’s also exciting to explore, rather than giving you all the answers
to try to figure out. that you needed.
For those of us less familiar with this type of can’t – it’s way too fast and I can’t beatbox! It’s kind D: Especially now that it’s becoming much
software, what are the simplest AI platforms of fun in that way, because you can have a digital more part of the everyday conversation, it can lead
for making music in 2022? version of yourself do things that you would never to conspiracy theories, which is also part of the zeit-
do. If things are too difficult or too cringe, you can geist – but that’s a whole other topic.
HH: Holly+! [laughs] Well, it was pretty damn ask your digital twin.
easy to use… I’m working on season two right now, HH: Yeah! There are so many narratives
which is insane. The first season was this kind of It does have a kind of a Linda-Blair-on-a-bad- [flying around] about what it could lead to – these
polyphonic timbre transfer that I worked on with day energy that I enjoy. fem-bots of the future or something. It’s a really 80s
never-before-heard sounds. The new version is a kind of narrative that’s maybe fun for a TV show
hyperrealistic model of my voice that can read D: I think it obviously really helped that it or something. But what we can do right now is ac-
scores and texts, and also has a real-time compo- was audiovisual [“Godmother” was accompanied tually really cool and impressive. We don’t have to
nent. Don’t laugh at me – I’m laughing at myself – by a short visual in which the musicians’ faces create goofy narratives that are already decades old.
but I just did a Ted Talk. I was demoing the sounds merged into one], and how the whole piece was so
and worked with this vocalist from Seattle, who meta-reflective of the process, you know? I think Don’t give humans an excuse to speculate on
sings a duet with himself and through my voice in that was one of the first times I understood that kind what’s real or not…
real time, through a microphone. I think we’ll see of process – and how it could end up sounding at a
other vocalists – probably really famous vocalists deeper level. D: Well, I feel like it’s speculative and creative,
– performing through them too in the near future, not redundant. I love new futures, please give us
and that’s really weird and exciting. But for people HH: I think my label was like, this is your new ideas!
who want to just engage, I would probably look at single? Delia, tell me, how do you put a live perfor-
Google Magenta. mance together? HH: Yes, please: speculative, and sometimes
hopeful, futures.
D: Yeah, I just did a panel for the Audio En- D: One of the main things I tried to do for this
gineering Society, and one of the other panellists project was to work out how to actually perform
was one of the main engineers for Magenta. Some it live, rather than just doing a playback. That’s why
of the ideas that were behind those tools I think are I incorporated other instruments – I don’t know if
really incredible. I think having the resources of you’ve seen footage, but I perform with a piezo mic.
a lab like Google is helpful in developing tools to It was one of the closest things I could find to an
become more seamless and user-friendly. There’s electronic synth that is breath-operated. If I’m not
this company called Aviva that generates melody or singing on stage, how do I make this compelling
bass, sort of like DALL-E – you input your prompt. emotionally? It was me attempting to communicate
It’s cool just to see some of the results, but I think with the sounds that I feel I’m still discovering.
really it just reinforces the idea that the tool itself is In doing so, I’ve been able to access emotions that
not enough. It’s part of a creative process. are profoundly painful. It’s not even biographical –
it’s not something that has happened to me in my
HH: PROTO was exploring a variety of differ- lifetime, but in that respect, I think that’s where it
ent machine-learning techniques. I started writing moves away from the tech. It’s something that I still
it in maybe 2016, so I was dealing with visual sys- think we need in music. It’s about breathing life into
tems because a lot of the audio systems hadn’t been it – giving life to something. I’m still thinking about
developed yet. I started out doing style transfers this idea of AI consciousness, but in the artistic
on spectrograms, and then turning it back into sense, the act of bringing something to life is one of
sound, which, of course, sounded like shit, because the things we can accomplish through art.
any time you go from image to sound, it doesn’t
sound great. Over the course of the album creation, HH: I’m interested in this idea, the Chain
the fidelity got better and better. I put together a Opera, about the choreography that we are all learn-
group of vocalists and I trained on their voices with ing from each other, leading to tool development.
their consent, and we created this AI child that we It acknowledges that the sophisticated systems and
called Spawn, who was our additional ensemble technologies we build came out of ourselves, instead
member. Spawn learned all of our voices and sang of being this kind of alien-other. I think that’s par-
along with us. Now, it’s kind of a timestamp of how ticularly important with machine learning. It’s prob-
scratchy and lo-fi everything sounded then, because ably really annoying and pedantic, but that’s why
now everything sounds super hi-fi and realistic. I keep calling it ‘machine learning’, because people
Especially the new version of Holly+, which sounds think of it as an alien intelligence, like it’s from
exactly like me singing – it’s totally insane and somewhere else. It’s important that we view it as an
creepy and wonderful. aggregate human intelligence that has created this
“Godmother” was one of the tracks on the new kind of inhuman intelligence – but ultimately
album that I believe is just trading on my voice. it’s all from us. Seeing the tools that we create as
So it’s kind of like a really early proto-Holly+ and coming from human culture I think is really impor-
she’s performing stems by Jlin from a track that tant. We’re there with it and in it, rather than being
we collaborated on. I have tried to perform it and at odds with it.
SPECULATIVE FUTURES

Animal Collective
From dogs on speed-dial to cats that can haz cheezburgers, researchers
believe that AI could unlock the future of interspecies communication –
with potentially huge implications for animal welfare
TEXT JACK MILLS Diana, what is the Interspecies Internet? shaping up, in terms of AI and interspecies commu-
nication. It also fits very nicely with my worldview.
For four decades, Dr Diana Reiss has tapped the DR DIANA REISS: Interspecies Internet was The Interspecies Internet has been a moonshot,
frontiers of technology to mend language barriers the brainchild of one of the [think-tank’s] cofound- but it’s a worthwhile one that is being addressed
between members of the animal kingdom. “I’d like ers, [musician] Peter Gabriel, who I knew because from many perspectives. In the near-term, the real
to think I’ve had close encounters,” she said at a I’d been working in the field of decoding dolphin advances we are going to see are in more limited
Ted Talk in 2011. “Not with ETs, but with other communication as well as finding interfaces for contexts, where we can collect meaningful examples
kinds of minds. Remarkable minds.” In 1981, Reiss exchanges [between species]. Peter had been quite of interaction and data. Then we can use some of
installed a keyboard into the wall of a swimming interested in non-human primate communication these modern AI approaches that have been devel-
pool and watched as dolphins used their snouts with human primates. He had this idea that the oped with commercial apps in mind. We’re starting
to ask for food and toys, as if thumbing through Interspecies Internet might bring together scientists to see the confluence of our understanding of ani-
a dessert menu. with mutual interests, but also a wider forum of mal behaviour and communication, as well as the
Later, her experiments with underwater people we could work with to create new ideas. So hardware and sensing modalities that are necessary
mirrors prompted a revelatory response from the it’s sort of transdisciplinary, if you will, and it was to collect data about animal communication, to the
mammals – whom she affectionately called ‘The an interesting idea. We do workshops for scientists, point where it can run on people’s cellphones and
Mentors’ – who wheeled, burped and winked at and it’s been kept small so we can work together. be mobile, rather than via massive data centres that
themselves like they were headed out-out. For Reiss, We’re always interested in getting new people in- require expensive computers. As a community, we
her research isn’t for those of us wanting to chat when volved and it’s been growing; we have Slack chan- are starting to solve a lot of these challenges that
no one else is up, but about giving animals choices nels that are emerging. We kept thinking that what take this work out of the research lab and into the
– and a voice – in the world we share. In 2013, she we really need is a Google Translate for other spe- real world. I think this is key to making big progress
cofounded Interspecies Internet, a global network cies. It’s going to require a lot of hard work, meaning towards this Rosetta Stone: the ability to unlock real,
of artists, AI scientists, computer systems engineers we need to collect large databases of vocalisations. true interspecies communication.
and biologists who, like Reiss, have dedicated their I’m hoping to do this with the dolphin database that By way of metaphor, I remember watching my
lives to decoding animal dialects. my colleagues and I have collected over the years. one-year-old crawl to an iPad on the floor and make
Since Reiss’s retro-futurist keyboard arrived, it do stuff very intentionally. There’s obviously no
the internet has shifted the conversation virtual. How do these approaches tie in with your education to facilitate that, but there’s a very natural
Last year, the University of Glasgow’s Dr Ilyena research into dolphin comms – what did you paradigm in terms of perception and action, sensory
Hirskyj-Douglas launched DogPhone, a ball that, discover, what are you still discovering, and motor skills that allow young children to pick up
when bitten, sends a signal to the owner’s phone what are you on the verge of discovering? an iPad and do things. We don’t yet have that for
that lets the pair video-chat. “It became very excit- animals, but I think this kind of technology is go-
ing to get calls from [my dog] initially,” she said in DIANA: Imagine you and I were sitting in a ing to be the thing that really unlocks the future of
2021. “It became a bit more anxious for me near the restaurant talking, and an alien species was trying interspecies communication, when there are natural
end, because sometimes I wouldn’t get a video call. to decipher what we were saying. We might not be interfaces that allow non-human animals to interact
I would be thinking, ‘Aw, he usually rings me at showing much external behaviour that would be in- either intentionally or unwittingly with technology
this time!’” dicative of what’s going on, but they could perhaps in such a way that they can communicate seamlessly,
If the internet shunted humanity into hy- learn from the patterns we produce. And one of the and understand the results of that communication.
per-connectivity, AI is the event horizon for inter- ways in is finding a cipher, something that you de-
species communications. Over in North Carolina, termine is meaningful in some way, and then trying Ilyena, you’ve said that your dog was ‘calling’
computer scientist David L Roberts runs Ciigar, to apply that. I’ve been doing this for 40 years and you via DogPhone fairly frequently towards the
a games research lab that develops dog-training it’s been hard – I thought it was going to be simple! end of your trial – can you describe a typical
technologies via machine learning. In the mid- Many years ago, when we offered [dolphins] an un- conversation?
2010s, the lab built a harness that detects posture derwear keyboard system with symbols they could
changes, indicating hunger and other needs. Sim- push to get objects and activities, and correspond- DR ILYENA HIRSKYJ-DOUGLAS: Orig-
ilarly, at Northumbria University, senior lecturer ing whistles that were novel to them but within their inally, I thought about screen tech for cats and
Dirk van der Linden uses automated video sensors frequency range, they started using them actively. dogs that they could control in their own home.
to analyse canine movements, and better understand We saw that they not only mimicked the sounds Then I read a paper about dogs using the internet
the personalities we love to humanise. Locked in a quickly and with great fidelity, but used them to communicate with other dogs, because all my
Zoom-kennel of their own, Reiss, Hirskyj-Douglas, with the associated objects and symbols without background was in this dog tech. I started to think
Roberts and Van Der Linden swap perspectives on training or reinforcement on our part. We reported about ways that animals could communicate with
the future of animal-human conversation. the emergence of self-organised learning by giving each other online, what this online space for dogs
them choice and control over this system – and by would really look like, and how we could really start
doing so, we could see how they used these signals. to build an internet for dogs. Exactly as Diana and
But we are [still] in the infancy of all this. David say, there are so many unknowns in this area.
For instance, we don’t always know if the animal
David, can you explain your work with Ciigar? intends to use the computer, and we don’t always
How is AI being used to understand how know the meaning behind that communication.
different species connect? [But] the more we learn, the more we find out, the
more this is going to grow.
DR DAVID L ROBERTS: The [Interspecies I went right back to the basics: What does an
Internet] fits beautifully into the world that I see internet device even look like for a dog? I started
to look at how dogs interacted with the world. DAVID: In a couple of companies that I’ve We’re not interfering, we’re just monitoring or
Much like Diana looks at dolphins with more founded I work specifically on the use of AI to delivering what they’ve requested or hit a symbol
intuitive interfaces, I ended up testing lots of dif- train animals with no human involvement. We’ve for. You don’t know when it becomes meaningful to
ferent devices with my dog, seeing how he would trained dogs to push buttons with their noses with them, but you can see that if an animal continues to
use them and building the technology around his no human input. To me, the exciting role of AI is use it, over time, when they’re fed, they’re not doing
behaviour. Whenever he was home alone, I would in accomplishing this at scale: to train hundreds, it to get food, for example. When they’re doing it to
give him the DogPhone. It was a big unknown: what thousands, or even millions of animals to do these ask for a tickle from us or for a particular object and
does my dog really make of this device? I can’t just things. It’s a different use of AI: it’s not about decod- it matches their preferences, you start to see patterns
ask him to fill in a survey, you know? What does ing behaviour, it’s about shaping behaviour. If you that look like they are meaningful. That changes
my dog make of the internet? Was he aware that he think about the development of new technologies, over time. In the beginning, it’s very much like what
was online? Was he even aware that I was there? often there are competing standards: think about we see with children, learning first words and how
I mean, he could equally just have avoided the de- AC versus DC power or different standards for they use them: playing with an object and producing
vice altogether, because I never reinforced him to internet communication early on. And, you know, words. There are so many ways we can start giving
use it. The next step is looking at networks between early in the development of these technologies, you animals choice and control, and I’m really excited
different species and within the same species, have these competing standards that are pushing about the possibility of how we can apply technolo-
to build this into a larger network – into David’s to accomplish the same shared grand vision. Over gy to monitor animals as well as interface with them
phrase, the Rosetta Stone. time, the benefits and drawbacks of these different and improve their health and welfare.
approaches reveal themselves and the community or
DR DIRK VAN DER LINDEN: I have a the market ends up embracing one – and that’s when ILYENA: If we throw the whole idea of what
weirder angle on all of this. I teach AI-building things really start to take off. That early competi- a computer is out, and restart from the beginning,
and machine-learning models to masters students, tiveness, I think, is crucial. And I think it’s worth what does a computer really look like for an animal?
because they want to get nice jobs at Google and acknowledging that we are in that early phase when Especially now we know so much more about the
use the latest technology. What I always tell them is we think about interspecies communication. behaviours. This might mean that for some animals,
there’s really no intelligence in artificial intelligence. touchscreen is the easiest way or them to interact,
I think that’s one of the big issues we have with the In the future, if animals can be tracked and but there are so many ways that animals interact
way we popularise it. With AI, it’s literally just rea- monitored in the ways humans can online today, with the world: they play, they chew, they bite, they
soning: ‘Hey, it’s raining. Oh, now the sidewalk is surely there will be security and safety concerns. smell. If we start developing computers that explore
wet outside my house,’ and then, eventually, ‘Oh, the all the ways that they communicate, you can open up
sidewalk is wet, it must have rained.’ AI finds these DIRK: I try to raise [my students] to become the possibilities of what they look like for animals.
patterns, but that’s not really the kind of intelligent responsible engineers. In the first year, I tell every
human reasoning we use. For example, I might see student to look at Oppenheimer reflecting on the DIANA: We built a screen that was big enough
the sidewalk is wet, but instead of just dumbly go- development of the atomic bomb. The fear I have, that dolphins could see other dolphins in real size.
ing, ‘Oh, it must have been raining,’ I might know I think, with the scale of AI and an interspecies in- What we found was how readily these non-tech-
that there are kids in my neighbourhood, and it’s ternet, is that it is going to lead to a complete mass nological animals zoomed in and started using the
super-hot today – they might have water pistols. loss of privacy for any non-human species. Let’s say screen. They looked at animated fish: they had never
In my work with AI, it’s really just admitting there is we managed to translate every kind of animal lan- even seen live fish because they were born in cap-
no real intelligence there, but we have a lot of [prob- guage: if we can understand everything that animals tivity. When it started, they hit every fish like it was
lems] when it comes to classifying animal behaviour are communicating to each other and are trying to whack-a-mole. We just did it to see if [the screen]
or dealing with animal welfare where it’s more of communicate to us, but they don’t have the same would detect their touch, but we’ve since given them
a skill issue. So I do a lot of work with behavioural [agency we do], that is a massive power imbalance. different videos to watch of objects and animals, to
veterinarians where, for them, it’s really not that dif- How are we going to build that infrastructure in a analyse how closely they view the screens, telling
ficult to identify when a dog is suffering from, say, a way that the animals will be able to retain control? us something about their visual acuity. There’s so
hyperactivity disorder, or anxiety. That kind of stuff much we can learn, but at the same time, we haven’t
is fairly straightforward: we can scale it up, we can DIANA: I totally agree with your fears about moved into giving them control over the system.
use artificial intelligence to tag them and give them a this, but I don’t think that’s necessarily the way it I think animals in shelters or, say, monkeys in zoos
fairly accurate reading of what’s happening. has to go. Imagine if we could understand when could, with a shared toolbox, be granted some con-
I would like to build platforms that engage animals are in distress by using machine vision, trol to indicate when they want to eat, if they want to
animals. I want people to have links to the animal and can discern the differences between isolation call someone over, if they’re feeling pain. It’s the first
world, but I want the animal world to be as separate calls and distress calls [because isolated animals step in giving animals a voice.
from human power as possible, especially domesti- may not be in distress, they may be socially isolated].
cated or captive species. When it comes to dogs, it’s For instance, an alarm goes off in your house when
weird to think about a species that we’ve domesti- your animal is in distress vocally. One of my dreams
cated – I mean, we’ve basically shaped their physi- is to find a way of giving animals more control.
ology and their mentalities over thousands of years. We’ve created a dolphin touchscreen now – well,
So they’re kind of not a separate animal species, more of an optical sensor than a touchscreen.
they’re really a human creation. I want to think What we found was, at least with dolphins, you can
about how we can build systems to see them as inde- afford them the opportunity to learn to use a code.
pendent individual animal groups that just want to I would never want to work with an animal where
communicate with us. How can we build technology I withheld food: we don’t train the animals, we give
that actually gives power back to animals? them opportunities to use [technology].
Sky High
Pop escapology, no apologies:
Sky Ferreira’s fantasy lens
has kept us wonky since 2013
and now, nearly a decade on,
her long-awaited new album,
Masochism, is nearly here.
So what’s in the stars, Sky?

All clothes and accessories worn throughout THOM BROWNE

photography & styling JOSEPH LOKKO

Ring worn
throughout
Sky’s own
TEXT DOMINIQUE SISLEY bad relationship with someone.” She thinks for a
while. “People are like, ‘You should probably see
I’m waiting for Sky Ferreira. Three days and two that the problem is you.’ And it’s like ‘Oh, trust me,
cancelled interviews after our first scheduled meet- I thought that for a long time.’”
ing, I’m hit one afternoon with a breathless flurry of Ferreira’s exposure to the music industry
WhatsApps from her PR saying that she is finally started early. Her grandmother, who raised her,
ready for an interview. He goes on to describe worked as Michael Jackson’s hairstylist for three
Ferreira’s last few days in heart-racingly stress- decades, with Ferreira spending much of her LA
ful detail: a red-eye flight; a series of trundling, childhood coolly mixing with high-profile industry
sleep-deprived car journeys; a sudden illness, and figures. While growing up, she would record and
a drama involving lost luggage (hours before this rewatch music videos from VH1 and MTV on to
shoot, and hours after landing in the UK, Ferreira old, glitchy VHS tapes. Her goal was to learn as
was forced to haul herself back to Heathrow in an much about the industry as possible: how to get
effort to find her missing belongings). When we do in with producers, how to write songs like Fiona
eventually meet, in an empty pub in London’s Stoke Apple, how to be a star. By the time she was a
Newington, her glowing face – as delicate and ethe- young teenager in the late 00s, she’d already set a
real in real life as her impressive modelling résumé plan in motion, sharing home recordings on her
would suggest – belies a deeper weariness. “I’m Myspace page and embedding herself deep in the
getting acne,” she says, sweeping her majestic mane blogosphere. “I just read everything you can read,
of bleached hair to one side and pointing to a couple and I would buy literally 20-year-old magazines to
of coloured, Starface Acne Patches on her chin. read about [artists’] history,” she remembers. “I was
“I started picking at them because I was never told like, what did they do? And it worked.” At 14, in a
not to. No one told me I wasn’t supposed to!” flash of brazen confidence, she reached out to Rick
Despite the airport drudgery and star-cov- Rubin and Parlophone’s A&R team for a meeting.
ered acne, Ferreira is known for her glamorous, Impressed, they signed her almost immediately.
darkly feminine mystique. Earlier this year, to the “I basically was kind of a brat and a bitch and it
delight of fans, she returned with her first single in worked. It was cute then – until it wasn’t cute.”
three years, “Don’t Forget” – a woozy, swerving Her early songs from this period – now only
cavalcade of bellicose synths and angry, off-kilter found on the fuzzier depths of YouTube – are al-
drumming. The lyrics, like the rest of the song, are most unrecognisable. These are crisp, punchy pop
vengeful – “I won’t forget, I don’t forgive / Oh no, bangers about fake IDs, secretive underage girls,
I won’t forget” – in an apparent jab at her record and her powerful obsession with Free Willy star
label, Polydor, whom the singer has been warring Michael Madsen. In the accompanying videos,
with for years. It is because of them, she says, that a self-possessed, glossy-haired Ferreira stares down
her new album, Masochism, has been delayed for the camera with her penetrating, widescreen gaze
nearly a decade. And although there have been and a sullen expression. To Parlophone, this 14-year-
some false starts over the last nine years (social old was a glistening goldmine; a malleable young
media posts teasing possible release dates and some woman who could potentially be the next Britney.
sporadic single releases), Ferreira has promised that Until, suddenly, she lost her lustre. “The gears were
2022 will be the year the record finally sees the light turning in their minds,” says Ferreira, “in a more
of day. “I just had a lot of shitty things happen to perverted way, to exploit.” After receiving a flood
me, like textbook shitty things,” she says, mindless- of money for her first two singles, the funds – she
ly jabbing her straw into her soda. “I literally halted claims today – quickly dried up.
my career, and it’s fucked up because there are, like, Fortunately, Ferreira found friends in other
rumours about me or whatever … [but the label] high places. Her gamine good looks and sultry,
literally blocked me from being able to work.” Indie Sleaze magnetism attracted the attention of
Two things immediately stand out about both aesthetically minded tumblr users and the
Ferreira when we meet. The first is her gentle, fashion world, securing her contracts with adidas,
awkward politeness. Over the course of our two Calvin Klein and Hedi Slimane’s Saint Laurent.
hour meeting she apologises constantly: for cutting And when her record label finally lost all interest,
off the end of my questions; for being too “woe is she opted to take her music career into her own
me”; for dwelling too much on a specific subject; hands, moving from Parlophone to Polydor. She
for not saying cheers when we receive our drinks. also met the man who would become her long-time
The second is her quiet, righteous rage. Often, collaborator, Ariel Pink, by chance in New York.
our conversation will end up circling back to her (Ariel was performing “Round And Round” while
treatment by manipulative label bosses, an overly being “circled by a group of miniature ponies”;

“When people keep projecting things

judgmental media, and
the industry misogynists

on you, you’re made to feel like you

who refused to take her
seriously. She has been

have to prove yourself. It’s like being

wronged, repeatedly. She
likens the effects of this

in a bad relationship with someone”

abuse, sustained over her
16 years in the business,
to PTSD. “I’ve been stuck
in this cage,” she explains. “I keep thinking that Ferreira, already a longstanding fan, approached
I’m getting closer to it, to getting back to where I him after the show.) The pair eventually began
was, to having control over my life. But the thing working together, producing Ferreira’s self-fund-
that’s frustrating about [making music with a label] ed, era-defining Night Time, My Time in 2013 – a
is that you have to rely on people to do it for it to crackling, soul-baring medley of DIY 80s pop and
work properly. And when people are repeatedly thrashing grunge. The album’s Gaspar Noé-shot
projecting things on you, then you’re made to feel front cover, which shows Ferreira recoiling topless
like you have to prove yourself. It’s like being in a in the shower, served as an additional mission

297
statement: to make music on her terms, with her was before #MeToo, when it was even less acceptable
own carefully chosen, leftfield collaborators, for no for women to speak out against their abusers. That
one’s gaze but her own. said, even now, she doesn’t think much has changed:
But what followed was, in Ferreira’s words, “The women of #MeToo, you don’t see them being
a dark period. Despite a successful foray into act- celebrated for [speaking out]. And they literally
ing, with roles in David Lynch’s Twin Peaks reboot risked their lives to do it, and had their careers
and Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver, her music output ruined. They sort of made a spectacle out of them
stagnated. “My early 20s were way better, so much instead of helping them, you know?”
easier,” she says today. “My mid-to-late 20s were Much of the problem with Ferreira’s kind
just tortuous, they really were.” Her relationship of femininity is that it’s so unknowable. In a world
with Polydor started to strain, with the singer accus- that likes to neatly categorise women, she refuses all
ing them of actively trying to sabotage her career. palatable labels. She’s a world-famous artist, but she
Despite the success of Night Time, My Time, money can barely look people in the eye. She’s beautiful, but
became increasingly hard to come by. “I felt less her make-up looks like it was put on while driving,
confident in mid-20s than I ever did in my early at night, down an off-road trail. She’s coquettish
20s. I felt a little more defeated, more insecure. The and seductive, but she refuses to submit (in most of
more I kept trying to adapt to everyone else, the less her videos, she ends up in a tryst of some kind, but
it worked. But then I was also being told I wasn’t something’s always off: her eyes look bored of her
doing that the whole time.” partner, or she ends up stabbing them in the throat).
Ferreira skirts around the issues of exactly Ferreira has been called “weird” all through her life
how Polydor enacted this sabotage, but funding for this reason. “It’s never been a compliment to me,”
seems to be the main issue. She claims to have been she says. “There’s a point where they can no longer
locked out of her Soundcloud account, given no fetishise you or make it ‘cute’, and everything that
money for press photos, production or music videos makes you unique or eccentric in some way starts to
(post-Covid, the label apparently encouraged her become the reason why they resent you… [It deter-
to self-shoot on her iPhone). “They were already mines] who gets heard in these situations, and who
cheap, like I couldn’t get a cent out of anyone be- gets fucked, basically.”
fore, but now I really can’t,” Ferreira says, shaking Does she wish she could be stronger, more
her head. Any money she did make was allegedly of a bitch? “I don’t look at people like chess pieces.
withheld for frustratingly long periods of time – I’m just not wired that way,” she reasons. “I actually
unacceptable, she says, for a “billion-dollar” com- am stupid in a way. It’s not like I feel morally superi-
pany. “They don’t give you the money, they hold or to people, it’s more like I would feel wrong about
it over you. They make it as difficult as possible. it. It would bleed through [into] what I made.”
You’re at their mercy.” Today, Ferreira seems to be in a better place
There was also the misogyny. Despite – or at least more optimistic. While she doesn’t give
self-funding and producing all of her own work, much away about the status of Masochism, she en-
Ferreira regularly found herself being talked down sures that the long-awaited album is basically done,
to: told to comb her hair, put on more make-up, save for some final finishing touches. Once again,
speak less, rethink her creative process. “I’ve been she has joined forces with Ariel Pink for production,
made to feel demanding for wanting to have a room as well as Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie and
to change in on shoots, rather than change in front Mexican Summer’s Jorge Elbrecht (the mastermind
of, like, 30 fucking guys.” Even now, she adds, mem- behind “Don’t Forget” and her sweeping, 2019
bers of the studio team will still come in and care- chamber-pop single “Downhill Lullaby”). A video
fully explain to her how the volume dial works, as if for “Don’t Forget” is also “definitely” on the way, but
she’s too stupid to know. “I never really knew what Ferreira grows visibly frustrated when talking about
gaslighting was when I was younger,” Ferreira says. it – there’s still work to do. “It’s my first music video
“It happened to me, but I was oblivious to it.” It’s not in, like, seven or eight years, I just can’t let it just be
just in the studio, either – on YouTube, comments OK,” the singer says. “It makes things weird for me
under her music videos and live performances because some people are just bound to be disappoint-
often tear into her mental state, her looks and her ed.” The label, she adds, are also continuing to make
sobriety (Ferreira’s awkward manner and heavy, things difficult. “Don’t I deserve it to be exactly the
smudged make-up have seen her repeatedly get way I want it to? And why is everything such a bat-
accused of being a drug addict, despite the singer’s tle? I just feel like a ten-year-old sometimes.”
constant denial). Despite this, Ferreira is happy to leave the hells-
When Ferreira speaks out about these expe- cape of her 20s behind. Weeks before our call, she
riences, though, she finds that they’re often swiftly turns 30 – making her, for the astro-heads, a Cancer
dismissed. It’s a dynamic that has been on loop in sun and a Scorpio moon. After a brief joke about our
her life since the singer was a teenager – she speaks star signs, we muse on the Scorpio archetype: an in-
out, she gets shut down, she doubts her own reality. tensely sensitive and intuitive sign known for its lust
The worst example of this comes in the form of for vengeance and its propensity for life-shattering
her own sexual abuse: Ferreira has previously said metamorphosis. Every time you strike them down,
that she was abused “over and over again”, includ- they’re supposed to come back stronger. “I feel like
ing one attempted rape by a neighbour. When she I’m an intuitive person, I would say that’s the only
reported it to police, they accused her of not being thing I’ve had going for me,” she says, with a low
assertive enough. Much of Night Time, My Time laugh. “That’s how it always was before, but when
addresses the trauma of these experiences, but even I started doubting that is really when things got out
in their retelling, she found herself being criticised of control.” Now that she’s 30, does she feel like she’s
all over again. “I’m not even asking for sympathy, ready for her metamorphosis? “I’m not, like, 18 years
but it does require a lot of bravery,” she says. “Peo- old and I’m not gonna pretend I’m 18 years old,” she
ple didn’t like it, they thought I was being a brat says, her voice trailing uncertainly. “But I would like
about it, because I was being fairly direct about a fair chance for once. I earned it. I earned it.”
[what happened]. How dare this 20-year-old be
critical over these things?” She reminds me that this

Dazed
Tights stylist’s own
“There’s a point where
they can no longer fetishise
you or make it ‘cute’,
and everything that makes
you unique or eccentric
in some way starts to
become the reason why
they resent you”
Hair AYA KURAOKA, make-up JOEY CHOY at PREMIER using SHISEIDO, nails CHRISTIE HUSEYIN, lighting and digital technician WILL CORRY, styling assistant
MARTHA RALPH-HARDING, production GRACIE YABSLEY at LG STUDIO, production assistant SACHIN GOGNA
Chrysalis
‘Chrysalis’, an image by Tyler Mitchell, portrays a
young sleeping man under a mosquito net. Eyes wide
shut, he seems to be navigating the complex folds
of a dream, the past and present in surreal collision.
Mitchell is intrigued by compositional layering like
this. His work, he tells Rianna Jade Parker, is coated
in a barely visible atmosphere, a strangeness that tugs
it back decades, to the nostalgia of youth, family
and our natural surroundings. His debut solo show
in London presents images that tap at the history
of Black life in the American south, speaking to a
‘fundamental resilience, radiance and full human
agency’ in its people. The netting, invisible or not,
through which his work is filtered is there to be
overcome and broken through
Dazed
TYLER MITCHELL,
CAGE, 2022
Archival pigment print
127 × 101.6cm
Edition of 3 + 2 AP
© Tyler Mitchell
Image courtesy of the
artist, Jack Shainman
Gallery and Gagosian
TYLER MITCHELL,
CHRYSALIS, 2022
Archival pigment print
127 × 16.4cm
Edition of 3 + 2 AP
© Tyler Mitchell
Image courtesy of the
artist, Jack Shainman
Gallery and Gagosian

Dazed
INTERVIEW RIANNA JADE PARKER Your first solo exhibition in London, Chrysalis, tell them otherwise.
will add some much-needed colour to the flurry For you, what are the good and maybe not-
You’re most known for your fashion and that is Frieze. You’ve said that we can expect to see so-good differences between presenting your
documentary photography, but you are also a “varying states of self-protection, repose, struggle photography in a white-walled blue-chip gallery
fine art photographer. What are the markers of and self-determination.” I wonder, what are you compared to high-fashion editorials?
distinction in these genres for you, and do you protecting yourself from these days?
have a preference? TM: I am certainly interested in my images
TM: In this new world that we’re in, which is existing both on the published pages of magazines
TYLER MITCHELL: I think that for quite a sort of on the other side of a pandemic, mortality is and in a commercial context, as well as in gallery
long time, there’s been external pressure from the much more apparent, but also, socially, I feel like museum contexts. And certainly, I want it to be
outside world to make a decision and stick to that. everyone’s in more of a protected zone. I’m indulg- acquired by people who want to have a serious
I have this long trajectory of being from Atlanta ing myself in the way that making pictures for me and valuable dialogue around my work. All those
making skateboarding videos and some music vid- is a form of protection. I’m able to create and live things, I think, are possible. You know, I think that
eos, which got me up to New York for film school. out these little moments or small figments of dreams battle of asserting photography as an artform was
I wanted to take on photography in all its many in which Black people exist within the space of a one [challenge] in the past, [because] those artists
forms, but I had anxiety about deciding what was frame where they are unencumbered. They’re not would not be able to work commercially for fear of
more important; a picture printed on a magazine having to be hypervigilant about social and political curators looking at them a certain way, and of being
page or a picture exhibited in a gallery or museum dangers, the hypothetical threat of a white gallery regarded as ‘less serious’. But my assertion right
space. I still think that, in people’s minds, photogra- space, or any of these things that remind them to get now is that as a photographer, this work that we do
phy is burdened by the issue of facts and biography; out and stay out. is a deeply enriching craft.
it always has to explain where the picture was made,
who’s in the picture, and all of those documentary You have a very distinctive style and sense of
aspects. Our experience of an image we know is purpose when you’re pointing your camera.
universal, we know it is so all-encompassing. And What or when would you consider ‘your peak’?
what I’m realising now is that both excite me equal-
ly and that hopefully, with the position I’m in at this TM: The main goal for me is to be compul-
point in my life as an artist, [I can] continue to level sively prolific. I want to have a career in making
the boundaries and the borders. images, still and moving, for the next 30 years.
I’m not saying all those images are going to [meet
You have said previously: “I’m a concerned with] equal degrees of success. I’m open to the idea
photographer. There was a ladder for the people that the following periods of my work may not be
who came before me, and there’s a ladder as great as others, or they may be even better. The
now – it’s just a new ladder.” This also rang most important part for me is to continue being pro-
true for photographer Gordon Parks who, in lific. I’m in this place that is both emerging and not
the preface of the second edition of his 1966 emerging at the same time. I’m emerging into my-
autobiography A Choice of Weapons, wrote: self, and this body of work is a new step, a stronger
“I didn’t set out to preach sermons or deliver and more defined step. I’m sitting squarely within
profound messages. I simply wanted to get a my world that I’ve created photographically, at the
few things off my chest that weighed heavily intersection of commercial and conceptual, and I’m
upon it for too many years.” advancing with a new language.

TM: You know, I did the Gordon Parks Foun- What are the building blocks of this
dation Fellowship, and you can see threads of his new exhibition and how did you begin to
work in my own. I’m absolutely hoping to get things conceptualise it?
off my chest in the way that Parks felt he needed to,
to sort of utilise his camera as a tool to talk about TM: In the new body of work, you will see a
the way Black folks lived. But there is something variety of lightly staged scenes in which I tell short
else going on in my work as well, a sensibility of narratives about young
just pure leisure I suppose, almost frivolity. In this
way, a theatrical or childlike nostalgia of surrealism
Black life. You will see
an image of a boy covered “I’m emerging into myself,
enters the work. by a mosquito net lying
on top of layered, quilted and this body of work is a
You’ve come a long way since your first camera,
a Canon 7D, and your degree from New York
bed sheets. In another
frame, a young woman stronger and more defined
University, but any artistic practice is always
in flux and malleable. With time and access to
is tucked in an idyllic,
seductive, but also some- step. I’m sitting squarely
resources being less of a barrier for you now,
what technological advancements are you
what threatening wall
of white picket fences. within my world that I’ve
looking forward to exploring? We also see young boys
wading, swimming and created and I’m advancing
TM: I feel like a luddite in this way. In the
early 2000s, there was this big push towards
everything going digital – like, forget analogue,
struggling through mud.
And so, in one way, this
show becomes about ele-
with a new language”
forget chemicals and figure out how to use a DSLR ments, seductive and threatening, that were present
camera. And that’s precisely the point at which I throughout my upbringing, but also foundational
was a teenager. There’s been a bit of a reverse where elements of southern American or global diasporic
older photographers have now taken up digital and life. Water, specifically, as a sort of baptismal el-
don’t look back, but actually, photographers in my ement in the sky. All of these elements appear in
generation, I sense, are picking up analogue camer- the exhibition, both artificial and real, as symbols
as and going the [other] way. So my hope is to be of spiritualism, aspiration and transformation.
the best at operating any camera, to pick it up and I think the images suggest [a] core fundamental
make an amazing image with a point and shoot as resilience, radiance and full human agency that
impressive as a four-by-five large format. Black folks command, even in environments that

307
TYLER MITCHELL,
A GLINT OF POSSIBILITY, 2022
Archival pigment print, 127 × 101.6cm,
Edition of 3 + 2 AP
© Tyler Mitchell. Image courtesy of the
artist, Jack Shainman Gallery and Gagosian

Dazed
TYLER MITCHELL,
TENDERLY, 2022
Archival pigment print
50.8 × 40.6cm
Edition of 3 + 2 AP
© Tyler Mitchell
Image courtesy of the
artist, Jack Shainman
Gallery and Gagosian
Hot Boxing
What is your ten-second elevator pitch?
JOE WILKINSON: HEAT is a gen-Z fashion
platform revolutionising the off-price space by in-
jecting a seasonless mindset. This is over ten seconds
already, but... we want customers not to think that old
Sustainable, luxury streetwear stock is not good stock; we take pride in our old stock
now comes in a neatly packaged because we believe that the best pieces come from
parcel, delivered to your door – the older collections.
KARMEN TSANG: It’s a luxury mystery box
catch is, you have no idea what’s in brand. Currently, it’s [aimed at] that gen-Z consumer,
it. We speak to the team behind cult but we’re growing with the customer. I guess we
fashion start-up HEAT about the want to be part of the community in all the top cities
in the world and be that go-to brand with that luxury
mystery box that keeps on giving offering to help people style themselves.

TEXT KACION MAYERS How would you explain it to a toddler?

MARIO MAHER: I’d say it’s like Christmas
180 The Strand, the brutalist building bordering the come early!
bank of the Thames, is a hotbed of London’s creative
milieu. Behind a sea of metallic shutters, notable What excites you most about HEAT?
faces comprise its community, with an exasperating JW: For me, the exciting part is the discovery
waiting list of talent eager to get their names on the phase of receiving the box. When we get someone to
coveted studio doors. put trust in us and give us money to curate a mystery
You’re as likely to catch Tremaine Emory in box for them, we want to make sure that everyone is
these corridors as you are a group of suits from the pleasantly surprised when they open it.
Kering HQ on tour. Rumour has it that, after posing KEVIN ADOM: We introduce people to brands
by tables constructed from rescued and repurposed they don’t know about or brands they’re familiar with
old Celine store tiling, Sinitta was caught fencing at but haven’t gotten their hands on before. I think the
the Alex Eagle health club in a pair of six-inch heels, [mystery] unboxing experience is an awesome feel-
no less. The likes of Samuel Ross, TikTok, Julian ing. You almost want to capture that moment; that’s
Knxx, New School Represents and Alaska Alaska one thing we are thinking about. It could even be a
have all found bases here, dictating styles in their campaign, especially in this culture.
respective fields from within the seemingly ever-
expanding walls. For its residents, strangers become How are these boxes curated? Who is behind the
familiar faces as walk-bys in the corridors turn to selections?
smiles and head-nods, until an inevitable conversa- MM: We still do all the packing. We were
tion ensues. This was how we first encountered Joe [packing] yesterday for next week’s drop and [seeing]
Wilkinson, CEO and founder of HEAT, alerting us to how we were going to curate certain brands. It’s very
our new neighbours warming things up in a discreet much hand-selected. We’ve got the invoice and we
corner office. can see, for example, this guy’s from Germany in this
This should come as no surprise considering size. We look at what we’ve got available, and we put
their recent £3.6m investment from Antler and together products that we can merchandise together
LVMH Luxury Ventures. HEAT, the Sheffield startin terms of brand alignment. We don’t want to put
up with its sights set on international expansion, random pieces in a box. If we can, it’s always good
seeks to disrupt the luxury fashion market. Boxes of to try and get a full fit. It’s sometimes hard in terms
curated luxury fashion, typically old-season goodies of retail prices, but we try and put products in the box
destined for discount retailers, are bought for a fixed that feel like you can throw them on straight away.
price, with no indication of what is inside. Though It’s actually very exciting because I’m like, “I want
sneak peeks aren’t permitted, we certainly can that box, I want that box!”
catch a glimpse of the future of our shopping expe- JW: It’s grown to be a favourite time of the
rience – curated, conscious and a complete mystery. month for those who are involved. The curation of
At the time of print, they’re already on track to sell- the packaging is a key aspect of what we do, and
ing upwards of 30,000 boxes since operations started we still want to be there to make sure everyone gets
in 2019. a good curation of products. It’s difficult to let go of
Seated amid an intimate cluster of desks with that part of the job.
co-founder and chief merchandising officer Mario
Maher, head of growth Kevin Adom, head of special What does HEAT offer today?
projects Karmen Tsang and product manager Tom MM: HEAT is very streetwear today, but
Wilcock, Wilkinson, the man behind it all, rises to from September onwards, we have new and exciting
greet me. He swings past a pair of Olaolu Slawn’s things coming, including co-branded boxes. Brands
childlike characters graffitied on a canvas and will have their own box and take part in the activa-
welcomes me with a warmness only those from the tion, the packaging and design process. There will
north can muster, before the team brings us up to be some exclusive items in there, some newness in
speed on swap shops, new launches and the HEAT there as well. We also have the super brands offering,
box of the future. where a lot of the top tier-brands are going to be at a
much higher price point, with a lot of leather goods
and outerwear pieces.
JW: Our streetwear offering is focused on JW: We want to be focused on relationship-
big logos and heavily branded jerseys, which is building, having a laugh and having fun. Because we
almost where we see the beginning of the fashion are all northern guys at the end of the day.
life cycle. Now that we have so many doors open in KA: I feel like when you grow the community,
terms of new brand partnerships, we want to break the business should be secondary, almost. Building
out into more categories. It’s like a bird’s eye view a somewhat cult-like following where you have the
in a department store, seeing how those brands are people who love it and will tell everyone about it
separated and mixed with one another. In September, simultaneously.
we launch the contemporary box which is, like,
Jil Sander, OAMC, Our Legacy, so more of the ad- What does the future of HEAT look like?
vanced brands. We wanted to really make the space KT: I guess in [terms of] talent, influence and
fun. You could order one with a friend and see what everything, we just want it to grow. And I want it to
each of you got. And that’s something we’re looking be the best it can be because it’s got so much potential.
at in the future as we develop our community: how We want to be working with all the top brands in the
can we build in this swap-shop angle? world. Not only the super-brands, but also the up-
and-coming designers. I think it’s important that we
How are you thinking of going about that? help educate our audiences and customers on style,
JW: So we have an app launch later this year, fashion and trends. I would love to be that voice in the
and it’s something we want to use to push circularity industry but approachable to everyone.
a lot. When people get a mystery box, for example, JW: I want to build out the experience to a
there might be two pieces, they love one piece, but level that includes scent and touch, so it’s all about
the other is “not quite my thing”. We don’t want to finding new ways of going crazy on the packaging.
leave them stuck with that product or have them sell Heightening the smell of things and potentially even
it on a secondary marketplace. We want to build a introducing some lifestyle pieces. We don’t see the
community that’s linked to, and at the core of HEAT limit on the box as being just ready-to-wear fashion.
as a platform. One person’s trash is another person’s I feel like there is, of course, a Web3 angle there that
treasure. HEAT has taken that mentality and think- could come into play.
ing, like in Facebook groups back in the day. MM: I think [the future is] a massive play on
tapping into other senses. What’s projected on the
That’s how you first met Mario, right? ceiling? What’s there when you open the box? What’s
JW: We knew of each other through these the smell? Is it a different texture in the box? Is it a
Facebook groups where I was finding out about different humidity in the box? There are so many
the Yeezys. It was back in the 2013-2015 era where things we can explore in that sense. Is it literally hot
people were using Facebook to buy and sell stuff. We when you open it up?
knew of each other but never really connected. When
we did, we had very similar interests, so we came up What does your own personal HEAT box of the
with the concept of HEAT and launched soon after. future look like?
KA: I imagine that it’s definitely floating.
What new technologies are you looking to explore? It’s would have a holographic vibe to it. Inside are all
TOM WILCOCK: In terms of what you can do the lifestyle essentials you can fit in. Almost like a
with a website or a mobile app, it’s getting very 3D Mary Poppins bag where you can pull out anything;
and immersive. We’ve done a lot of 3D in the past, you can literally pull a whole sofa out of it. It’s this
but [we want to] integrate that into the website so it’s endless box.
interactive, and the user can really control what they MM: I would probably ask for a Mario Bell-
want to do: I’m getting nerdy, but it’s called WebGL. ini sofa. My mystery box is huge, and I’d want it
We’ve also got the NFT space growing a lot at the delivered in a crate as well. I think one of my grails
minute. We’re just making sure that everyone loves is the Raf Simons Sterling Ruby trenchcoat. I think
what they get and is happy with the product. I’d maybe put 180 Strand in the box because it has
everything you need.
Do you think about HEAT in terms of physical
space as well? Who would your dream collab be?
KT: I would love HEAT to do a whole 360- MM: I would love to do something with Kanye.
degree kind of immersive customer experience. JW: We’d do something pretty epic. I feel like
I think it would be cool if we had a physical space. he’s one of those people where if he said, “I’m gonna
An immersive concept space where we could collab- sell you a box of whatever”, it’s not guaranteed to be
orate with artists or designers in some way. clothes, it’s not guaranteed to be anything. But this
MM: I’m almost thinking about it in terms of box is made by Kanye. He has made this specifically
temporary spaces where it’s very activation-driven curated box for you. Even without saying what’s in
and immersive, experience-driven, whether that’s it, people would buy it. If Everything But the Dog,
even from the smell or the visual side of things. the Instagram page, did a mystery box I’d buy the
It is always good to touch base in real life with the mystery box with them, 100%!
community. Online is obviously amazing for our
communities where we grew up, but we would love We simply couldn’t resist teaming up with HEAT
to interact with them face to face as well; that’s where on a custom mystery box of our own. Naturally,
we want the community to feel more involved with we can’t reveal what’s inside, but for a chance to get
each other, where they can meet up and see it as a your hands on one of the 32 up for grabs, sign up
hangout spot. over at dazed.heat.io
Stockists
Autumn 2022
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SUR In 1924, the surrealist manifesto unleashed
the forces of the subconscious on a world
Real traumatised by war and a deadly pandemic.
Nearly a century on, a new exhibition explores
Life how the movement got its castrating claws into
everything from fashion to design
TEXT JUDITH WATT In this, the centenary of the movement’s fledg- was inspired by the movement, but it is perhaps
ling moments in Paris, there is a similar context. her collaborations with Salvador Dalí that remain
In 1938, the London Underground launched its new There is a war in Europe with ramifications for her most prominent link to the surrealists. There
poster, “KEEPS LONDON GOING”, by surrealist the entire planet, a devastating pandemic, potential was her shocking ‘Tear’ dress, based on the idea of
artist Man Ray. It was a black and white Rayograph famine in parts of Africa thanks to a blockade flayed skin; the black crêpe ‘Skeleton’ dress whose
depicting two objects seemingly on a collision of the Ukrainian grain supply, democracies are moulded ‘bones’ stood out and altered the silhou-
course, the tube’s roundel-and-bar logo tilted in threatened, and then there is the absolute certainty ette; and the drawer suit based on Dalí’s sketch
motion facing its inspiration, the planet Saturn. This that humanity is hurtling towards oblivion unless “City of Drawers: Study for Anthropomorphic Cab-
chance meeting in outer space had all the dream climate change is halted. Surrealism is particularly inet”, in which six ‘drawers’ are meant to indicate
logic that was central to surrealism, a word coined apposite today as it is a “shared means of revolt the smells of a woman. Finally, there was the white
in 1917 by writer Guillaume Apollinaire to describe against the status quo, adopted and adapted by those organdie dress worn by Wallis Simpson shortly be-
a new kind of art concerned with the unconscious who value its promise of freedom”. fore her marriage to the former king Edward VIII
mind, dreams and repressed sexual desires. It was So write the respective directors of the Metro- in 1937, photographed by Cecil Beaton for Ameri-
heavily influenced by Sigmund Freud’s The Interpre- politan Museum of Art’s groundbreaking exhibition can and French Vogue, with a huge print of a boiled
tation of Dreams (1899), particularly with regards to Surrealism Beyond Borders, recently held at Tate lobster on the front. Dalí was a rank misogynist.
his theories about the symbolism of objects. Modern in London. Its catalogue, edited by curators The lobster’s Freudian ‘castrating’ claws (stand it on
Through understanding dreams, the surrealists Stephanie d’Allesandro and Matthew Gale, demon- its tail, with claws in the air, and it looks like the
believed there was enormous potential to unbottle strates that surrealism was and remains to this day reproductive organs of a human female) here speak
creative forces repressed by rational, orthodox codes a fluid art movement, significant around the world, volumes about Simpson’s hostility to the then-very
of ‘civilised’ behaviour imposed by religion and “that enabled artists to imagine a position beyond respectable British royal family.
society. They were anti-bourgeois and anti-art es- their present artistic, cultural, social or political Schiaparelli independently embraced Breton’s
tablishment, arguing, like the dadaists before them, situation, globally”. In Vienna, the Sigmund Freud statement on the marvellous and lived by it, pro-
that the concept of what an artist could be needed Museum’s SURREAL! Imagining New Realities, gressing to perfection in making the world marvel
to be challenged and broken down. The result was, exhibiting till October, explores the relationship at her. She frequently made use of objects and bi-
ultimately, freedom. ‘Poetic’ objects, often found between psychoanalysis and surrealism. And the zarre juxtapositions – from coffee-bean buttons to
and juxtaposed, could disturb, mirror or unnerve the Design Museum’s forthcoming Objects of Desire: hats folded to look like female genitalia, masks with
viewer; they could also have sexual connotations, Surrealism and Design, 1924–Today exhibition will false eyelashes and dresses cut to reveal a breast
symbolism that Dalí repeatedly explored in his work. include not only historical pieces but contemporary (referenced heavily by Maison Schiaparelli for
The movement’s founder, writer and poet André surrealism in art, design and fashion. It’s a focused AW22). Today, like Charlie Brooker, she would have
Breton, wrote in his Surrealist Manifesto of 1924: exploration of the movement’s pervasive influence a lot to say about the black mirrors we carry around
“I believe in the future resolution of these two states, on diverse creative fields that will feature, among in our pockets; it’s hardly a stretch to imagine her
dream and reality, which are seemingly so contra- other things, pieces by the relaunched Maison cooking up TikToks, waiting to pounce on the latest
dictory, into a kind of absolute reality, a surreality... Schiaparelli, founded in 1927 by Elsa Schiaparelli, fad or pretension to tweak and send up.
and that “the marvellous is always beautiful, any- the most avant-garde fashion designer of her day. Just as artists Leonor Fini and Leonora Car-
thing marvellous is beautiful, in fact, nothing but the Typing ‘surreal’ into Google brings up 130 rington were perceived as somehow being ‘less’
marvellous is beautiful.” And, hopefully, shocking. million hits. The word is ubiquitous, part of Kar- than their male counterparts, so Schiaparelli was
There was no trigger warning for the thou- dashian-speak, a prosaic shorthand for saying that regarded as the worst of all things in French fashion
sands of Londoners who probably just caught a something is rather odd. It’s the beat of the irra- culture: an eccentric. “That Italian artist who makes
glimpse of Man Ray’s poster as they made the com- tional mind embodied by the ‘clock of doom’ from clothes,” sneered Coco Chanel as she tweaked
mute to and from work. Reading their newspapers Stranger Things, the forces of the id represented by another of her lovers’ anglophile tweed jackets
on the tube, people would have been anxious enough the Upside Down. It’s about the most primal and into something bijou. “Her imagination knew
already with headlines on the Spanish civil war, ancient myths in human cultures: entering the un- no bounds,” wrote her friend, the late Yves Saint
Sino-Japanese war, Nazi Germany’s annexation of derworld and beating it; good versus evil. Perhaps Laurent, in 1986. “There is no equivalence to be
Austria, and the mobilisation of German troops that is why surrealism’s house magazine in the found. When she died, Chic closed her eyes.”
against Czechoslovakia. And, in keeping with the 1930s was called Minotaure, after the mythological Surrealism, regarded as a bit of a fad in the 1930s,
theme of space and alienation, in December, Orson bull-man of ancient Crete, imprisoned in a labyrinth near-finished by the second world war, sublimated
Welles played a trick on the American public with by his father, who fought the legendary Theseus and by elements of abstract expressionism and pop art,
his ‘live’ radio dramatisation of HG Wells’ The War died a grotesque, feeding on the bodies of young has survived, as relevant today with its introspec-
of the Worlds, making it so marvellous, so lifelike, boys and girls. Schiaparelli and many others linked tion and trauma as it was when Breton ordained
that people thought it was happening in real life. to the surrealist movement, it’s important to re- that the marvellous is always beautiful. As Prospero
Fashion editor Diana Vreeland noted with hind- member, had experienced the cataclysm of the first said in The Tempest, “We are such stuff / As dreams
sight in her memoir DV that “we were going into world war and the ravages of the 1918 flu pandemic are made on, and our little life / Is rounded with a
the most appalling war in history, and you felt it in that followed. Surrealism embraces the monstrous; sleep.” Dream on, sister.
everything… we were heading toward rien”. War it knows that most people have to fight their own
began in Europe on September 1, 1939, when Hitler minotaur in life and that there are many perspec-
invaded Poland. Many of the surrealists whose work tives from which to view these struggles.
was considered ‘degenerate’ by the Nazis later fled Schiaparelli, described by Cristóbal Balencia-
German-occupied France as refugees, including ga as “the only real artist in couture”, had known Objects of Desire: Surrealism and Design, 1924–
Leonora Carrington, Max Ernst, Salvador Dalí and Man Ray and other surrealists since the early 1920s. Today is at the Design Museum in London, October
André Breton. Her first collection of trompe l’oeil knitwear in 1927 14, 2022-February 19, 2023

315
Give Me
TEXT TREY

a Sign
Capricorn It’s Aquarius Do you Pisces “Mr Xan Aries “Nobody wants Taurus Do me a Gemini Note:
time to open up, frens. get tired of wanting Man, bring me a to work”, says Kim favour. Look in the Three of Dazed’s editors
You get called cold, everyone to think dream…” or whatever Kardashian, but YOU mirror and ask yourself, and my best friend
dismissive, heartless, you’re different? Does the lyrics are. Pisces DO! It’s time to channel “Do I look like a sample (in my head) Naomi
soulless (this is not always trying to be are known for being all that unnecessary at the food court?” thee Campbell are
a read, I swear). “not like the other girls” dreamers and creators, demonic energy into If you do not look like Geminis, so I have
But you’re all some leave you with chronic but the straight male something positive. a pretzel bite or a paper nothing to say here.
caring muthafuckers. fatigue and IBS? Pisces is just an What world are you cup of wheatgrass juice This season is yours.
You sometimes see Well, I invite you to emotional war criminal. trying to create? Where (gentrification), ask Be blessed, be well,
vulnerability as a be EXACTLY like the Anyway, I digress. are you going? To the yourself, “Why am and have a great
weakness, but there is other girls this autumn. Delusion in a straight Met? To the mall? It’s I allowing myself to be autumn. Wear The Row
strength in being open Buy that I.Am.Gia man is a terrible trait, time to look at the tried, tested and thrown because the Olsens are
and confiding with your top you saw Kendall but sometimes a little Google Maps of life and away like a sample Geminis. If you like the
people. You don’t have wear. Do your make-up delusion for everyone decide where you are at Jamba Juice?” horoscope of another
to be a grey cloud all like the TikTok else is vital to make heading. Y’all are so You are such loyal, sign, cross out the name
the time. You can be a girlies. Embrace your dreams come true. chaotic and unhinged caring, iconic partners, and take it; it’s yours.
sunny sky. Heck, you interests that you may Some of the best for free, but now it’s lovers and friends that Thee end, this will
could be a tree, a bird think are naff. Enter inventions start from time to elevate from people continuing to NOT be my last
or a butterfly with the your Basic Bitch era. dreams of grandeur. an agent of chaos to disrespect you is a sin commission!
right shrooms. Moses, When coming home Your ability to see an agent of change. against humanity.
even! People want to to yourself, you must magic in the things not Some of music’s finest Tell your haters to play SONG OF
love you and be there embrace every part of yet created makes the divas are Aries: Diana with their Words With THE SEASON
for you, but you have to yourself. The good, the world brighter. Take Ross. Mariah Carey. Friends; don’t play with (FOR ME):
show yourself love and bad, the basic and the billionaire Pisces queen You will probably you! You have to show “Jobs” by City Girls
let your hoes know that lowbrow. Especially Rihanna, releasing a never be them. But people how to treat
you need some help. the lowbrow! When beauty range featuring channel them! Use their you. Are you a matt at SONG OF
they go low, go lower. 40 shades of foundation, fierce determination Home Goods ready to THE SEASON
SONG OF The world is literally an unheard-of number as inspiration. Again, be stomped all over, FOR GEMINI:
THE SEASON: burning; enjoy it while that created a radical don’t try to be them. or are you that bitch?! Whatever you want!
“Open Up” by you can. change in the beauty That’s not realistic – but If someone wants to act
Daniel Caesar (he is space. Be like Ms try to get close! You like a bird, tell them to
uncancelled because SONG OF THE Oh-Na-Nah, and shoot can do it, put your back fly out of your nest.
Giveon ain’t it) SEASON: “Copy Cat” for the stars. into it!
by Skream ft Kelis SONG OF
SONG OF SONG OF THE SEASON:
THE SEASON: THE SEASON: “B R Right” by Trina
“Dream On” by “Work Bitch” by ft Ludacris Bonus song,
Aerosmith Britney Spears ’cause y’all need it:
“Like That Bitch” by
Flo Milli

Dazed
*Warning* The views expressed in these horoscopes are not those of Dazed
magazine. In fact, they are barely even Trey’s. If following this advice results
in loss of jobs, friends, clarity or hair, none of the above parties are liable.
These statements have not been approved by astrologers, the sun, the moon
or any of the stars. The Astrological Association was too busy to verify the
integrity of these claims, so, like Mariah Carey says, proceed with caution

Cancer In the words Leo It may have felt Virgo IT’S YOUR Libra Lovely Libras. Scorpio My sisters. Sagiterrorist
of future Nobel Peace like your season came BIRTHDAY, FRENS! This season it’s time to You all have the worst Nicki Minaj, Tina
Prize winner (and Real and went faster than How will you celebrate? stop being undecided rep for no reason. You Turner, Marisa Tomei,
Housewives of Atlanta Farrah’s tenure in Will you stop criticising and gain autonomy over have beautiful hearts Britney Spears: I send
star) Marlo Hampton: Destiny’s Child. But if yourself and other what you want. Is it a and, yes, you can be love to my queens.
“Get out your feelings there is one thing you people unprovoked new cut, a new colour? suspicious, but if you’ve Ben Stiller, you can
and into your bag, sis.” Leos know how to do, long enough to have a In friendships and in lived on this planet for get it any day of the
You've been sipping it’s taking something cocktail outside before love, you often put more than six months week. Jay Z: the north
on pickle juice like it’s that has nothing to do the weather turns to others before yourself, and aren’t wary of remembers and will
a rum and coke for with you and making it utter glum despair? but take this time to be human nature, you are never forget. I wish
too long. It’s time for a about yourself. So while I encouraged Leos selfish. Having needs either extremely dumb the rest of you well in
reality check; that shit this Virgo season is for to take this season doesn’t make you a bad or on phenomenal your endeavours. But if
is nasty! This season the Virgos, treat it like and make it about person; it makes you drugs. Having no you plan on following
is about coming into a fashion collab and themselves, but fight human. Just because self-awareness indeed in the footsteps of any
yourself and choosing rename it ‘LEEEE-o them for it! Give us you bust out the makes life fun, but you fellow Sags, be a Katie
peace. This is the season season’. Hijack it. Take a little drama, a little robot at a throwback want more from the Holmes, not a Tyra
of healing. Healing is Virgos off the schedule mess! Stand your party doesn’t make world. And we thank Banks. Look chic and
difficult, it isn’t linear, like a washed-up brand ground and enter you WALL-E, bitch. you for it! I, too, would be unproblematic.
but you will become at fashion week. Be your b-day season as Embrace the fact that like to just vibe with Stop terrorising people
better and stronger in the shiny new thing. warriors, not worriers. you can’t be a provider the currents of life, but and then acting like
the head. The iconic Does your sister have a What did Michael to everyone all the here we are! When you the victim!
prophet Sky Ferreira wedding? Wear white Jackson say? “You time. What would life see some shit that irks
once said, “everything to it! Is your friend Wanna Be Startin’ look like if you had you, call it out. Life can SONG OF
is embarrassing”, buying a house? Buy a Something” ? Well, no responsibilities and sometimes feel like a THE SEASON: n/a,
but you know what’s bigger one! Be so toxic now is the time to start. were open to doing Darkchild song so, baby, because Kanye refuses
universally em-BARR- that you must show Choose to take up whatever the fuck you let them know that their to put “New Body”
ass-ING? Not having up to the function in space and fill up your wanted? You don’t behaviour Isn’t Right on streaming services
self-esteem! Put on a a hazmat suit! By the cup (with something need ayahuasca to and It Isn’t OK.
K18 mask, revive your time the season is over, strong)! You need some figure it out. Just stop
roots and rest! It is you should make Future excitement, and so do listening to everyone SONG OF
never too late to begin look like Mother Teresa the people who have to else’s opinions instead THE SEASON:
your journey. Let today in comparison. be around you. I’m not of your own. It’s nice “No More” by 3LW
be the day. liable for any mess you to be considerate but
SONG OF make, though. Call me to completely ignore
SONG OF THE SEASON: Mr Clean, because my your desires for the
THE SEASON: “I’m Coming Out” hands are spotless! sake of everyone else is
“Private Party” by Diana Ross clown behaviour. And
by India Arie SONG OF last time I checked,
THE SEASON: clown-core is NOT
“Live Your Best Life A TREND!
(Do It Like It’s Yo
Bday)” by Joseline SONG OF
Hernandez THE SEASON:
B-day bonus song: “First” by
“Hit ’Em Up” by Tupac Lindsay Lohan

317
FW22 CAMPAIGN
ETHEL CAIN AND VITTORIA CERETTI
PHOTOGRAPHED BY NICK KNIGHT

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