We are so humbled to introduce you all to vōx, a Musician and Visual Artist living in L.A. vōx will be chatting to us today about her new E.P This Body,  the effect on working during a pandemic and the importance in finding peace.

Original Magazine: Hello vōx!  Tell us a bit about yourself!  Where are you based and what are you currently working on?

 vōx: Hello Original Magazine. My name is vōx (pronounced 'wokes', the latin word for voice). I'm a musician and visual artist living in LA. I just released my new EP This Body.

O.M: How would you describe your art? There appears to be emotional motifs throughout your art and performances. Are these emotions stemmed from personal experiences throughout your life?

vōx: Definitely. All of my art is very personal. I began songwriting at a young age when I hadn't yet learned how to express my emotions in a healthy way, and so it's always helped me work through what I'm feeling.

O.M: Have you always wanted to be an artist? Was there a point in your life where you didn’t know what journey you were embarking on? 

vōx: I think I still often don't know what journey I'm embarking on! But I've always wanted to be an artist. I think aspirations are important for growth, but even more important is being open to growing in ways you've never expected.

O.M: Your E.P has recently been released (Congratulations, we’re big fans!) how was the creative process for you? It’s a hard time for musicians and performers at the moment due to the pandemic, has this had an impact on you and the way you work?

 vōx: Thank you! I actually wrote and finalized many of the songs in October 2019, and that November I went to Toronto to complete the production with my longtime collaborator Alexander Vincent. 

The pandemic has had a huge impact on the way I work. There are positives and negatives. Obviously, the most depressing part is losing the ability to perform in real life. It's important to remember that for most musicians live shows are the majority of their income. Especially artists like me who aren't yet on a big level! Many musicians lost all of their income this year, myself included. 

On the upside, having so much time at home is unusual for me. I'm often traveling 75% of the year, which I do love. I've gotten back into a quieter headspace with the downtime though, and I'm writing more songs than I have since I was a teenager! 

O.M: After viewing your OnlyFans page, we can see that you use this in a very unique way, what made you want to use OnlyFans to showcase your art?

vōx: I'm certainly not alone in being frustrated with the ways social media both helps and hinders artists. Platforms like Instagram are a sort of evil necessity these days, and growing an audience on them that you then can only reach by paying for ads is the norm. I've been dreaming for a while of a platform where I could commune with my audience without restrictions and in a way that gives both of us a deeper sense of connection. My followers on OnlyFans don't have to worry about algorithms showing only some (if any!) of my posts to them or censorship deleting the content that feels most free and true to me as an artist.

O.M: We were lucky enough to see you perform in ROBERTSWOOD presentation during London Fashion Week last year, how did this opportunity come about? Has modelling always been a part of your artistry?

vōx: Our connection was so fortuitous! I reached out to them once I knew I would be at LFW, and we found we held a lot of the same reasons for creating our art and were touching similar topics. 

I've loved modelling since I was a teenager, but I struggled with low self esteem and a lot of anxiety, so I spent quite a bit of my time taking self portraits. It wasn't until my late twenties that I gained enough confidence to start posing in front of other people's cameras.

O.M: And finally, if you could offer one piece of advice to any aspiring musician especially going through this pandemic, what would it be?

vōx: A key for me is finding peace in the place I am now instead of being frustrated with the things I'm no longer allowed to do. It's not an easy thing to do! Mindfulness can help since it brings you back into the present moment where gratitude lives. It's also been a prime time to figure out what things really matter to me and, for me as an artist, to work on disconnecting my self worth from the things I make. 

Thank you so much for chatting to us! vōx’s new E.P This body  is out now!! 👇👇👇

Interview with Musician and Visual Artist vōx

We would love to introduce to you to Maria and Pavel, who will be talking to us today about their incredible collaborative project ‘NOrmativity’; opening up about their experiences as an LGBTQIA+ photographer in Russia.

Original Magazine: We love your ‘NOrmativity’ project, could you tell us about your journey in creating this body of work and how your collaboration with Pavel Dyagilev came to life?

Maria Krugovaya: “First of all it was Pavel’s idea. He wrote to me and asked if I would take pictures of him naked in the sheer dress. I don’t shoot men much but I knew that usually the theme of ‘men in dress’ is revealed through the old-fashioned view on the «male photoshoot» just adding the dress. I wanted to show a more feminine and gentle point of view on men in general and men in dresses. I intentionally used the same lighting, angles, mood and post production as I use in my photoshoots with women. So I wanted to avoid the effect of ‘wow, this is a man in a dress’ and dig deeper. I think Pavel can explain this better as it is his concept and idea”.

Pavel: “I was going through a rather rough process of self-awareness during the pandemic. All I wanted was to get rid of all the things that pressed me. As a gay man born and raised in a small Russian town in Siberia I always was under pressure of heteronormativity, toxic masculinity and so on. I mean I always had to look like, behave, talk and think like ‘a real man’. But something inside me always knew that this was not ok. So, many years later the inner conflict between who I am and who I always pretend to be came to a peak. And the image of me naked in the sheer dress came to mind. I wrote to Maria and asked if she could make my idea real and she said yes. So while shooting I felt free. Free of everything! Of all the do’s and don’t’s. Free of time and space. I just was myself naked and vulnerable yet powerful and defended by the dress. That is why after I got the result of our work I decided to show it to the world and share my story”. 

Maria: “I just wanted to add. I believe that there is no sweeter and more truthful thing than a person that comes to me on the very peak of his self-expression, experiencing something extra important. I felt a great honour that Pavel trusted his vulnerable and personal idea to me. And I could relate to this  idea so the collaboration was as natural as breathing. Also, it is rather hard to answer this question because the whole process from discussion to the last shoot was like a flow”.

O.M: In your interview with Pavel back in 2019, you touch upon Instagram blocking imagery on artist profiles. Instagram censoring/blocking images is frustrating for many however, Instagram in now in the processes of changing their policy on nudity; do you think this will allow more creative freedom and expression online, especially within the LGBTQIA+ and BAME communities? 

M.K: The censorship affects any creator in the way of thinking about posting his/her work online as well as while making the content. I mean when I personally go to post this or that picture I always think whether it will be blocked or not. But in the long term perspective I think about it even while shooting. So, it becomes a background idea of the process. I think about the composition, lighting, pose, as well as whether it is going online or not. The thing is that Instagram toughens their policy on nudity and sexuality (that is what we’ve heard here in Russia), so I do not think that censorship allows more creative freedom and expression online in Instagram especially. However, there are many other resources for artists who work with nudity, porn and other censored content. Maybe these platforms will rise up besides Instagram. But still I do not think that censorship helps with promoting any kind of artistry. 

As for the LGBTQIA+ and BAME community, nudity as a part of body positivity is a part of expression of their artistry. Censorship affects them as well. However, discriminated groups always been banned from an open space so to say and always found new ways of expression and speaking out loud. Maybe it will be a bit easier for them to find more ways of bypassing the censorship or restrictions.

O.M: As an LGBT photographer, have you faced any challenges within the creative industry? How have you overcome these challenges, and have they shaped you as an artist? 

M.K: As a photographer I always worked with private clients. And that is why I never faced the discrimination in artistic sphere. But there was one story. Back in 2008 I worked full-time in a photo studio in a mall. When they got to know that I am a lesbian they forbid me to work with girls under age 21. So, when parents brought their children for a photoshoot (not nude) the administrators of the studio warned them that I was lesbian. I needed to hold the door open while shooting. Many people denied to get pictures from me. In my future work I began to keep distance with my models as I thought that it was wrong to be close to a woman. My friend who is a photographer told me that it was very noticeable on my pictures, so very gently I began to get closer with the models on the shoots and it worked. Now the only boarders that I respect are the personal boarders. And in my artistry it is very important to show the hidden parts of a person through the lenses of my camera. I need to be as close with my model as she or he allows me to.

O.M: Who inspires your artistry? What themes and motifs influence your work and thought process?

M.K: It may sound a bit cliché but a lot of my inspiration comes from life. I guess that there are two ways of inspiration. The first one is an experience that you get throughout your life, the second one is the ways of artistic expression that other artists used. So, for example, you can see in a movie someone spits in other’s mouth, it excites you and you decide to use this motif in your future shooting. Then you are to choose the way you can show it. You can refer to any artist you like or any picture you saw online for example. And when the motif and artistic media connects the satisfaction comes as a result of this inspirational work.

O.M: We have seen that you are sometimes in front of the lens yourself, has this always been a part of your artistry? As a photographer, does this shape the way you are in front of the lens?

M.K: Modelling in front of other photographers’ cameras was not always a part of my photography intentions. I started to get in front of the lens when I decided to improve my own work and the connection with the model and the photographer. Because most of my models are amateur or not models at all. I wanted to know what they come through on the photoshoots and I wanted to understand what they feel in front of the lens. I wanted to comfort them with the right words and intentions. As many photographers, I also thought that it is rather easy to just to stand in front of the camera. But I was so wrong. It is hard as hell. And it really helped me in my work even more than any workshops with famous photographers. So I strongly recommend young photographers to take part in photoshoots as models. Particularly naked as it is even harder. As a photographer sometimes it disturbs me to be a model because I think of the wrong lighting or angle that doesn’t compliment me and so on. Of course it sounds kinda crappy because you should trust your photographer. He/she has different point of view on you, than you have on yourself. The only thing for a photoshoot to be successful, is for me as a model to relax and trust.

O.M: And finally, where do you see yourself in three years’ time? What are your future goals and aspirations?

M.K: Frankly speaking everything is complicated. Living in Russia and making plans are absolutely polar things. So for now I live and work in a flow trying to speak up abroad. As in Russia it is kind of dangerous and not widely acceptable. But nevertheless I want personal exhibitions abroad in international galleries. And as for the dreams… I want my art, the themes and motifs I uncover and develop to be accepted here in Russia. To feel free to create and express myself and help my models to express themselves, their pains and problems.

https://www.originalmagazine.uk/home/interview-mariaandpavel

Interview with Photographer Maria Krugovaya and Artist Pavel Dyagilev

At the beginning of 2021, we released our first themed Open Call, with the theme “HOPE” and what the word means to us individually and as a collective. Hope can be interpreted and delivered to us in many different forms. We set this theme due to the turmoil year we have all been facing and right now, we need hope more than ever as majority of us face continuous hardships in 2021. 

What does the word HOPE mean to you?

“I am constantly looking for an intermediate state between figurative art and abstraction. I experiment with colour and texture as well as images of mysterious figures. As a reflective person with melancholic nature, I often reflect on philosophical issues such as the nature of man and the world and the basis of one’s existence.”

Lia Kimura – a Japan-born Polish painter and fashion designer. Kimura’s work is connected with her place of birth, search for identity and intensive feelings: the experience of death, alienation, hope and memories. Her paintings represent both the traditional form of expression and the experimental approach, in which the figurative body together with the abstract matter became the key themes of creative considerations. The artist currently lives and works in Warsaw, wherein 2016 she started her career as a professional artist. Her paintings belong to private collections and appear regularly at the auctions in Polish auction houses.

The painting series is under creation from 2020. Lia is continuing her previous painting experience but also enriching the structure of a painting, not only on special techniques of putting paint on canvas but also more symbolically - it is another layer of her experiences. From the very beginning Lia treated her art in a self-therapeutic way. Her works have met with recognition from the artistic community of Poland and other parts of Europe and the world; they belong to many private collections. Kimura's paintings make the audience sensitive, inspired and stimulated by unspeakable emotions. 

"I create works with which I can have a very close, even physical contact. It is symbolized by fingerprints left directly on the canvas. At the beginning, when the figure crystallizes, visualizes and becomes palpable, I feel the need to cover it with handwritten marks made with oil paints. This technique gives the effect of “moving”, the characters are clearer only after closer examination of the painting."
— Lia Kimura

@liakimura || liakimura.com

Artist Feature with Polish Painter & Fashion Designer Lia Kimura

Dessa Ely is a 17 year old artist based in Toronto, Canada and currently attending the contemporary arts program at Etobicoke School of the Arts, with an aim to hopefully going to an arts University when she graduates. Ely’s two primary mediums that she works with include chlorophyll prints and emulsion lifts, creating work about loss, healing and her individual experiences through time. 

When asked how Ely got into the creative arts industry she quoted; “Going to an arts high school definitely was a big motivator to take art-making more seriously. Etobicoke School of the Arts has a really incredible contemporary arts program that really focuses on teaching you how to be an artist. After attending there when I was 14, I started learning more and more about art, and what kind of role it could play in my life. Being surrounded by many other teenage artists is also really inspiring. Since my program is very individual based, everyone is always making entirely different work. Everyone inspires each other, which creates a really beautiful community that we’re all a part of. After I started taking art-making more seriously, I began to understand how my practice can benefit me in ways I didn't know art could do. I use art to process pieces of my life and understand myself as a person better, and art helps me find ways to connect to other people. This is really my true inspiration, to use art to understand and heal.” 

‘Best friends’ is a set of chlorophyll prints from a series about capturing the universal experience of growing up. Our beings are made up of small pieces, and as time passes, some of those pieces are left behind. I am not the same as I was as a child, nor will I be the same when I am an adult. These losses define us, and through the deaths of parts of ourselves, we become new humans. This is a process I replicate in art. 

“The process I use to make chlorophyll prints uses sunlight to naturally bleach an image onto a living leaf. Parts of the leaf die while others live, creating a balance of life and death and eventually forming an image. In this specific work I explore the loss of a relationship I had as a child, and the type of hope that one feels as a child. I use art to process loss I experience, whether that be the loss of my childhood, people around me or places I’ve occupied. This allows me to turn loss into something beautiful, and learn to move on. Due to the nature of my materials, the work itself is alive, and will eventually die. It is a loss in itself, and its impermanence teaches me to appreciate what life currently holds, because nothing is permanent.” - Dessa Ely

This balance of life and death creates a larger image, the same way parts of our identity are left behind, but are still with us in some way or another. Since I use life itself as a material, death is inevitable for my work. Eventually the work will decompose and return to the earth, and the work is impermanent. I use this to remind myself of the importance of letting go.

Artist Feature with Canadian based Artist Dessa Ely

We are super excited to share with you our first artist interview of 2021 with Fashion Designer Vee Hayward Discussing life after University, inspirations and Graduate Fashion Week!

Original Magazine: Hi Vee! Tell us a bit about yourself!  Where are you based and what are you currently working on?

Vee Hayward: Hey, I’m a fashion designer specialising in menswear and based in London. I graduated in 2019 and have since gained experience working in the costume and fashion industry. I’m currently working on a developing new collection as well as a small collaboration project. 

O.M: Firstly, could you tell us how you came about getting into fashion and where the inspiration first came about? What influenced you to take a path within fashion design?

V.H: Well, I initially studied illustration at university and after a year I changed to study fashion. It was so long ago now but I remember being inspired by Nick Caves soundsuits and Walter Van Beirendonck’s collections. I wanted to be able to create work like this. I was interested in the idea of being able to blur the lines between fashion, costume and art. At the time fashion was completely unknown to me; I didn’t even know how to use a sewing machine. However, I was fortunate to be accepted onto the fashion course and I was really focused on developing new skills and learning new ways of working. Although it was quite an impulsive decision to change courses as I had no background in fashion design, it felt like the right path to take. 

O.M: Did you attend University? If so, what was your experience like, did it have a positive or negative influence on your work? Reflecting back do you feel it was the right decision now? If you did not attend University what was the alternative route/option for you? 

V.H: Yes, I studied Fashion at the University of Brighton. The course most definitely had a positive impact on me and my work. We were taught a lot of technical skills, from pattern cutting, sewing, cad, etc; combining these lessons with design and making projects helped me to gain a well rounded skill set. With the help, guidance, encouragement and some criticism from the tutors and technicians, over the years I was able to discover and establish my own unique style and ways of working. As a result, my approach now combines both traditional and unconventional techniques and I have continued to develop abstract pieces as shapes that work in tandem with the human form. 

O.M: We are huge fans of your work and were lucky enough to both witness and photograph your collection at Graduate Fashion Week. What was this process like for you? How was the overall experience throughout, from being selected to backstage and seeing your work down the runway? 

V.H: Thank you, it was a pleasure to have you both photograph my work at graduate fashion week. The overall experience leading up to graduate fashion week was a rollercoaster. We had all been working solidly on our final collections for roughly 8 months and needless to say it was very stressful at times. Despite this, I actually really enjoyed working on my final collection and seeing the process evolve over the months. Being selected for graduate fashion week was really humbling and provided me the fantastic opportunity of being able to showcase my work. Seeing my collection go down the runway at graduate fashion week was bitter sweet as I was proud of what I had achieved but also saddened as it marked the end of my time at university. 

O.M: Your designs are very unique especially your BA collection. What was the inspiration behind these designs? What eras have you researched for inspiration? Why made you decide with this collection, to design them so that the face is covered? Has this been something you have always explored?

V.H: My BA collection focuses on an exploration of form, shape and silhouette. I started the process by working almost exclusively on the stand, experimenting with abstract drape and stand work to form unusual, sculptural and graphic silhouettes, specifically focusing around the head. Further into this study I referenced a variety of visual sources; ranging from the impactful silhouettes of Claude Montana to the works of artists such as Agnes Jones, Rene Magritte, Georgio De Chirico and sculptures by Max bill. 

In terms of garment and fashion research, I drew inspiration from workwear/ uniforms and womenswear from the 50’s to 90’s. I was heavily influenced by several designers, including Claude Montana, Anne Marie Beretta and Dior. Inspired by the use of exaggerated shoulders, impeccable tailoring, asymmetric cuts and sculpted and structured silhouettes. My specific reference to womenswear allowed me to approach menswear from a different perspective. 

The power of masks is something that has interested me since studying fashion but not something I had ever experimented with up until my final collection. My initial investigations and research lead me to look at how masks are used in a variety of cultures and different artistic disciplines. I was interested in how masks can obscure, hide, captivate and disturb-  how abstracting or removing the presence of identity can push a more surrealist narrative of the human form and allows the mask wearer to perform identity. Within my BA collection I wanted to explore this concept and create full monochrome looks with the use of masks.

O.M: It’s been a turmoil year for a lot of us, especially those within the creative industry. How have you been able to stay motivated and creative? How has the pandemic affected you, professional and personally? As we start the New year, have you got any exciting plans? Future projects, collaborations? 

V.H: Although at times it has been challenging to stay motivated, it has been important to me to try and stay creative by setting myself little projects. For example, throughout the second lockdown I made small collection with dyed textiles in collaboration with the very talented print and textile designer, Mimi Forrest. This collection helped us to keep creative and fill the void of boredom.  

Like many, I was made redundant towards the end of the year, which financially sucked.  But before this I didn’t have much time to make anything and hadn’t done much pattern cutting, draping or sewing since finishing university, I was mainly doing 2D design and cad work.  The silver lining of this was that I have been able to get stuck back into the areas I enjoy the most and focus on producing my own work. On reflection it has made me realise what I enjoy and where I see myself going forward. 

I’m not sure what the new year has in store for me, I’m currently working on the early stages of a new collection as well as working on another collaboration project with Mimi, involving natural dyes. Hopefully throughout the year I will be able to keep making work, collaborate with some great people and maybe sell a few pieces if I’m lucky. 

O.M: And finally, if there is one piece of advice that you would give to any future and currently fashion design students what would it be? Whether they are going freelance or at University?

V.H: Don’t compare your work to others, instead focus on developing your own style and your own ways of working. If there are any skills you think you need but aren’t confident in, try to learn and practice them rather than shy away from them. Also, internships are a valuable experience, but don’t let people take advantage of you, remember your time and hard work should be appreciated and respected- and PAID! 

Thank you for chatting with us Vee Hayward. Keep up to date on all our socials for more features coming soon! 

https://www.originalmagazine.uk/home/interview-veehayward

Interview with Fashion Designer Vee Hayward

We are super excited to share with you our first artist interview of 2021 with Fashion Designer Vee Hayward Discussing life after University, inspirations and Graduate Fashion Week!

Original Magazine: Hi Vee! Tell us a bit about yourself!  Where are you based and what are you currently working on?

Vee Hayward: Hey, I’m a fashion designer specialising in menswear and based in London. I graduated in 2019 and have since gained experience working in the costume and fashion industry. I’m currently working on a developing new collection as well as a small collaboration project. 

O.M: Firstly, could you tell us how you came about getting into fashion and where the inspiration first came about? What influenced you to take a path within fashion design?

V.H: Well, I initially studied illustration at university and after a year I changed to study fashion. It was so long ago now but I remember being inspired by Nick Caves soundsuits and Walter Van Beirendonck’s collections. I wanted to be able to create work like this. I was interested in the idea of being able to blur the lines between fashion, costume and art. At the time fashion was completely unknown to me; I didn’t even know how to use a sewing machine. However, I was fortunate to be accepted onto the fashion course and I was really focused on developing new skills and learning new ways of working. Although it was quite an impulsive decision to change courses as I had no background in fashion design, it felt like the right path to take. 

O.M: Did you attend University? If so, what was your experience like, did it have a positive or negative influence on your work? Reflecting back do you feel it was the right decision now? If you did not attend University what was the alternative route/option for you? 

V.H: Yes, I studied Fashion at the University of Brighton. The course most definitely had a positive impact on me and my work. We were taught a lot of technical skills, from pattern cutting, sewing, cad, etc; combining these lessons with design and making projects helped me to gain a well rounded skill set. With the help, guidance, encouragement and some criticism from the tutors and technicians, over the years I was able to discover and establish my own unique style and ways of working. As a result, my approach now combines both traditional and unconventional techniques and I have continued to develop abstract pieces as shapes that work in tandem with the human form. 

O.M: We are huge fans of your work and were lucky enough to both witness and photograph your collection at Graduate Fashion Week. What was this process like for you? How was the overall experience throughout, from being selected to backstage and seeing your work down the runway? 

V.H: Thank you, it was a pleasure to have you both photograph my work at graduate fashion week. The overall experience leading up to graduate fashion week was a rollercoaster. We had all been working solidly on our final collections for roughly 8 months and needless to say it was very stressful at times. Despite this, I actually really enjoyed working on my final collection and seeing the process evolve over the months. Being selected for graduate fashion week was really humbling and provided me the fantastic opportunity of being able to showcase my work. Seeing my collection go down the runway at graduate fashion week was bitter sweet as I was proud of what I had achieved but also saddened as it marked the end of my time at university. 

O.M: Your designs are very unique especially your BA collection. What was the inspiration behind these designs? What eras have you researched for inspiration? Why made you decide with this collection, to design them so that the face is covered? Has this been something you have always explored?

V.H: My BA collection focuses on an exploration of form, shape and silhouette. I started the process by working almost exclusively on the stand, experimenting with abstract drape and stand work to form unusual, sculptural and graphic silhouettes, specifically focusing around the head. Further into this study I referenced a variety of visual sources; ranging from the impactful silhouettes of Claude Montana to the works of artists such as Agnes Jones, Rene Magritte, Georgio De Chirico and sculptures by Max bill. 

In terms of garment and fashion research, I drew inspiration from workwear/ uniforms and womenswear from the 50’s to 90’s. I was heavily influenced by several designers, including Claude Montana, Anne Marie Beretta and Dior. Inspired by the use of exaggerated shoulders, impeccable tailoring, asymmetric cuts and sculpted and structured silhouettes. My specific reference to womenswear allowed me to approach menswear from a different perspective. 

The power of masks is something that has interested me since studying fashion but not something I had ever experimented with up until my final collection. My initial investigations and research lead me to look at how masks are used in a variety of cultures and different artistic disciplines. I was interested in how masks can obscure, hide, captivate and disturb-  how abstracting or removing the presence of identity can push a more surrealist narrative of the human form and allows the mask wearer to perform identity. Within my BA collection I wanted to explore this concept and create full monochrome looks with the use of masks.

O.M: It’s been a turmoil year for a lot of us, especially those within the creative industry. How have you been able to stay motivated and creative? How has the pandemic affected you, professional and personally? As we start the New year, have you got any exciting plans? Future projects, collaborations? 

V.H: Although at times it has been challenging to stay motivated, it has been important to me to try and stay creative by setting myself little projects. For example, throughout the second lockdown I made small collection with dyed textiles in collaboration with the very talented print and textile designer, Mimi Forrest. This collection helped us to keep creative and fill the void of boredom.  

Like many, I was made redundant towards the end of the year, which financially sucked.  But before this I didn’t have much time to make anything and hadn’t done much pattern cutting, draping or sewing since finishing university, I was mainly doing 2D design and cad work.  The silver lining of this was that I have been able to get stuck back into the areas I enjoy the most and focus on producing my own work. On reflection it has made me realise what I enjoy and where I see myself going forward. 

I’m not sure what the new year has in store for me, I’m currently working on the early stages of a new collection as well as working on another collaboration project with Mimi, involving natural dyes. Hopefully throughout the year I will be able to keep making work, collaborate with some great people and maybe sell a few pieces if I’m lucky. 

O.M: And finally, if there is one piece of advice that you would give to any future and currently fashion design students what would it be? Whether they are going freelance or at University?

V.H: Don’t compare your work to others, instead focus on developing your own style and your own ways of working. If there are any skills you think you need but aren’t confident in, try to learn and practice them rather than shy away from them. Also, internships are a valuable experience, but don’t let people take advantage of you, remember your time and hard work should be appreciated and respected- and PAID! 

Thank you for chatting with us Vee Hayward. Keep up to date on all our socials for more features coming soon! 


During December 2020 we launched our very first Open Call here at Original Magazine. Here is a collection of images from just some of the successful artists! 

In the New Year we are going to be launching more opportunities so please do make sure you follow us on our Instagram and check out our website below for much more to come :) 

www.originalmagazine.uk 

HAPPY NEW YEAR from the team @_original_magazine xx

Open Call Submissions: Dec 2nd - Dec 23rd

We would love to introduce you all to Judas Companion, a Designer based in London. Judas will be chatting to us about inspirations, her work process and her time at the Sarabande Foundation.

Original Magazine: Hi Judas! Tell us a bit about yourself!  Where are you based and what are you currently working on?

Judas Companion: Hello Original Magazine. My name is Judas Companion and I am an artist based in London. Originally I am from Germany and moved to London after my graduation from the Art Academy Düsseldorf in 2012. My studio is currently in east London. I work in different media to visualise the human inner turmoil’s and hidden emotions, often in a surreal, subversive way. I knit masks to photograph and perform in them, I create video performances to elaborate my characters and I also paint them.

O.M: . After viewing your website we can see that you have experimented a lot with textile design, sculpture, paintings, drawings and moving image etc. At what time in your life did you know you wanted to create and what were your early inspirations?

J.C: I always created! My dad studied art, and although he did not become an artist, we had all these different materials around the house, like paints, canvas, cameras, printing presses. My mum makes all her clothes herself, she learned this from my great aunt in the 1960s. That’s how I learned to sew, knit, crochet and everything that has to do with textiles. She also had a subscription to the Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture Magazine of which I ripped off pages and sticked them on my walls. Some of my first inspirations come from high end fashion and a mix of art, film and photography. Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut had a major influence on me and pushed me to start making masks. I always talk about one scene in the manson during the procession/orgy-like event. There were two masked people watching the scene from a balcony. When Tom Cruise was exposed, they suddenly turned their heads around simultaneously towards him. I found the violence generated through these “dead”, emotionless faces so powerful and identified completely with this: “The most inhuman expression is no expression”, I thought. And this became the starting point for me performing in masks.

O.M: For us your collection of knitted masks have really intrigued us. Could you talk a bit more about the concept behind your mask designs? We noticed also that in a lot of them, you are modelling the masks and nudity is a theme that is conveyed in this selection. Why the self portraits and nudity, do they tell part of the narrative?

J.C: The knitted masks are a kind of combination of my skills working in photography, sculpture and textiles. As my name “Judas” suggests, I am pointing out the inner strife, brokenness, duality within the human being. The transparent masks give me the option to be seen and be invisible at the same time. I mostly shoot myself naked to emphasise the vulnerability of the character, the persona I am acting as. Beyond the sometimes cruel, horrifying, strong, crazy, confident, experienced etc. surface there is a very sensitive human being. At least for me this is the case and I believe everybody, no matter how strong their appearance on the surface, is a sensitive and vulnerable being, seeking ways to deal with it, whether by hiding, pointing it out or fighting against it. The knitted masks give me the possibility to visualise this inner struggle. And it is remarkable that during shootings which are often outdoors, I feel invincible just by wearing a mask, even though my body is completely uncovered. 

My works tend to be self portraits. Although this is not a rule and I have some upcoming projects involving other people wearing my masks, I mostly come back to the self portrait. I think this is because the performing element is part of the work. I need to “feel” how it feels to shoot naked, outdoors, in winter, in public spaces, covered by a face mask only. I love pushing myself to the edge and every shooting becomes an exciting event.

O.M: We were lucky enough to see you model and take part in the performance presentation of ROBERTS WOOD at London Fashion Week. Has modelling always been part of your creative background? Has experiences like this maybe, inspired the self portraits?

J.C: Actually no, I have only started to occasionally model since I am in London. But the posing I do for a photoshoot and performing in my videos help me to feel just normal during the work I did for Roberts Wood. I loved working with them. We know each other and became friends during our residency at Sarabande in 2017/18.

O.M: You have been featured and exhibited your work across Europe for some high profile publications including Another, I-D etc. In 2017, you were supported by Alexander McQueen’s legacy Sarabande Foundation. Massive congratulations firstly, but also how did such an opportunity come about?

J.C: This was purely by chance! I found the open call for the Sarabande Foundation online. And since Alexander McQueen has been an inspiration since childhood, it was clear that I would apply. I received a one year studio residency in the Sarabande studios in East London, which was amazing. I got to know many great artists and also makers, jewellery and fashion designers like Roberts Wood, who were also residents

O.M: As for many, this pandemic has really challenged the way the creative industry and artists approach their own work. How was lockdown affected you (positively and/or negatively). How have you had to adapt to new ways of working and creating artwork?

J.C: Lockdown did not affect my working structure because I was lucky that my studio building remained open. At the beginning I even had more calm time to myself because exhibitions paused and I could focus on making only. But the impact became evident financially since people did not commission or buy as much as they did before Covid. Although museums and exhibitions spaces are back open now, the art scene, as any other, is still deeply affected.

O.M: And finally, if you could offer one piece of advice to any student and emerging designers, especially going through this pandemic, what would it be?

J.C: Stay true to your ideas, everything else will find its way from there. I have spend a lot of time trying to adapt my work to meet other people’s standards or expectations. That was a waste of time and your work becomes interesting especially through being different and (sometimes) difficult!

Thank you for chatting with us Judas Companion. Keep up to date on all our socials for more features coming soon! 

Interview with Designer Judas Companion

We would love to introduce you all to Lydia Jackson, a Freelance Designer based in Manchester. Lydia will be chatting to us about life after University, the fashion industry  and her creative processes.  

Original Magazine: Hi Lydia!  Tell us a bit about yourself!  Where are you based and what are you currently working on?

Lydia Jackson: Hey guys. I am a Freelance Designer, currently based in Manchester. I am currently working on a range of garments that are inspired by my childhood.

O.M: We were lucky enough to see your graduate collection go down the runway at Graduate Fashion Week back in 2019 (which feels like a lifetime ago!) How have things changed for you since Graduate Fashion Week? How has it been for you as a graduate student and gaining experience in the industry?

L.J:  I can’t believe is been over a year now since I have graduated, time has gone so quick and things have changed so much, once graduating I left to live in Stockholm, Sweden for 6 months where I was a Design Assistant at H&M. I really enjoyed this experience; I learnt a lot about myself in terms of where I can see myself in the industry. My time working with and for H&M allowed me to understand fast fashion behind the scenes, I decided as much as I enjoyed this eye-opening experience it wasn’t for me. Reflecting back over my University days it was creating my own work that really fore filled my passion for design and that is why I made the decision to develop myself as a Freelance Designer.

O.M: What are your inspirations for your designs and collections? Are there any concepts and stories you try to convey within them?

L.J: My main inspiration for my work related back to my upbringing and own experiences. As long as I can remember I have been experimenting with the vision of ‘what looks good’. Even as a young girl I was attempting to re-design my dolls wardrobe, testing different fabrics and colours, spending hours of fun and enjoyment styling, cutting and improvised cat walks, even at this early stage I had ambitions to forge a career in this global industry. My enthusiasm to develop understanding and skills continued throughout my education. Known for my bold use of colour, print and silhouettes, I am constantly trying to push myself and my work. My obsession with dolls has had a natural influence with the ‘smock style doll shape dress’.

O.M: You have recently had one of your garments featured on the Emily Atack show, (Congratulations!) How did this opportunity come about for you?

L.J: Thank you, I was contacted direct and asked to make a unique piece for the show. I love being given a brief; from there I was able to translate into my own creation!

O.M: Like many people in the creative industry, we have all had to adapt due to the pandemic by creating and showcasing work in different ways, do you think Fashion Weeks will ever be the same again? How has the experience of lockdown affected you; positively and/or negatively?

L.J: I think how fashion is constantly changing and the pandemic has highlighted for young creatives especially, it doesn’t matter where you are you can always create when you have time to focus. My lockdown experience has been mixed, I have really appreciated the time to work. I have found it hard in terms of gathering inspiration and being in that creative mindset to design and make, but it has definitely given me the time to realise what’s next for me on my creative journey. And I am really excited for next year and all the new opportunities yet to come.

O.M: It is a tough time for artists at the moment, has the pandemic affected the way you create your garments and find work? If so, how have you adapted to this?

L.J: In terms of creating my garments I haven’t been affected, with my home studio I am able to carry on! But it has massively affected my work in terms of shoots, but when things pick up, it’s going to be great fun and full on hard work- I can’t wait!

O.M: And finally, if you could offer one piece of advice to any student and emerging designers, especially going through this pandemic, what would it be?

L.J: Take time to reflect, and really think about what it is you enjoy. Try and avoid the pressures from the outside and do what makes you happy no matter what form this might be in. Do it for you and no one else because you will soon realise what’s important. I have spoken to a lot of recent graduates and friends who are living in the unknown about the fashion job market but I think it’s important for everyone to remember things will get easier and I hope the fashion industry changes for the better, with all these new and exciting emerging designing’s I hope to see small start-up businesses really boom.

Thank you for chatting with us Lydia. Keep up to date on all our socials for more features coming soon! 

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