With Lycorises Reverie, Xin Lue turns her famed blend of art and science to create a digital masterpiece. With media artist and scientist Nan Zhao, the 30 under 30 Asia member invites guests into a conscious-bending garden in different dimensions (with hallucinogen music to match). Journeying through volcanos, cyberspace, and alien deserts, viewers are inspired to probe the complexities and unfolding of our lives- our constant change and growth.

For The Dalmore, this embrace of the passage of time is reflected through their whisky-making process. 184 years after its founding, the Scottish distillery has turned its world-renowned mastery, excellence, and craftsmanship to the art world. For emerging creative Lue, she honors the single-malt craft through the color palette. ‘We drew from the colors, especially the amber tones in The Dalmore’, she said to Arnet. ‘I was really inspired by fermentation, this color change in the microbes from green to yellow as they are slowly dying. We incorporated that color change in the show as part of the story, when the flowers are going through a transitional rebirthing process.’

This cutting-edge show will only last until the 8th of October, so be sure to drop by 161-197 Oxford Street if you’re craving a little art– or a lot of whisky.

_{Words By Alexia De Las Heras}

_{Header Image Xin Liu}

The post Art And Whisky Meet In A Brand New Digital Immersive Experience appeared first on Voir Fashion.

If you need inspiration or are on the hunt for a new book, then keep scrolling:

Romance

It Ends With Us – Collen Hoover

This book went viral on TikTok, even though it was released back in 2016. A raw and honest love story about finding the strength to end an abusive cycle and making the right choices. This book will break your heart and change your life.

Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up — she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So, when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true. As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan — her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

£ 4.50

It Ends With Us – Colleen Hoover

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Book Lovers – Emily Henry

A cold girl boss protagonist who doesn’t change her ways or mentality, is still appreciated for who she is and what she values.

Poppy and Alex have been best friends since college. Even though they are as different as two people can be, they just get each other. As life keeps them apart geographically, their only chance to catch up in person is to take an epic summer trip together every year. But two years ago, they had a falling out and haven’t spoken since. Now Poppy wants one more trip to fix everything.

£ 20.98

Book Lovers – Emily Henry

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Thriller and Crime

A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder – Holly Jackson

A small-town murder mystery that will keep you up at night. Honestly, you won’t be able to put this book away.

The case is closed. Five years ago, schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. The police know he did it. Everyone in town knows he did it. But having grown up in the same small town that was consumed by the murder, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn’t so sure. When she chooses the case as the topic for her final year project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden. And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth?

£ 14.78

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder – Holly Jackson

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How To Kill Your Family – Bella Mackie

You probably shouldn’t read this book in front of your family. But this humorous little revenge and mystery book will leave you speechless!

Grace Bernard, an emotional detached women who happily killed six of her family members, is in Limehouse Prison serving a sentence for a crime she didn’t commit but that doesn’t mean to say she hasn’t committed some! Out of boredom and conversations with cell mate Kelly she decides to write her astonishing story. This tell all explains exactly what she is guilty of!

£ 11.99

How to Kill Your Family – Bella Mackie

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LGBTQ+

If You Still Recognise Me – Cynthia So

Follow a bisexual, Chinese-British Girl through a summer of self-discovery, loss and friendship. On her way, Elsie is confronted with beauty standards, the fetishization of Asian women, and wondering if you are ‘enough’. A beautiful book that will not let you go.

Elsie has a crush on Ada, the only person in the world who truly understands her. Unfortunately, they’ve never met in real life and Ada lives an ocean away. But Elsie has decided it’s now or never to tell Ada how she feels. That is, until her long-lost best friend Joan walks back into her life.

£ 8.25

If You Still Recognise Me – Cynthia So

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Never Been Kissed – Timothy Janovsky

If you, too, thought All the boys I’ve loved before would be even better if it was gay, then this book is perfect for you!

Wren Roland has never been kissed, but he wants that movie-perfect ending more than anything. Feeling nostalgic on the eve of his birthday, he sends emails to all the boys he (ahem) loved before he came out. Morning brings the inevitable Oh God What Did I Do?, but he brushes that panic aside. Why stress about it? None of his could-have-beens are actually going to read the emails, much less respond. Right?

£ 7.39

Never Been Kissed – Timothy Janovsky

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Easy Reads

Daisy Jones & The Six – Taylor Jenkins Reid

Here at Voir, we adore Taylor Jenkins Reid! She creates the most realistic characters that every time we finish a book, we need to google the Characters just to find out they are fictional. If you want to completely dive into a book without realising what is happening around you, this book is for you.

A gripping novel about the whirlwind rise of an iconic 1970s rock group and their beautiful lead singer, revealing the mystery behind their infamous break up. Everyone knows Daisy Jones & The Six, but nobody knows the real reason why they split at the absolute height of their popularity…until now.

£ 27.54

Daisy Jones & The Six – Taylor Jenkins Reid

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Small Pleasures – Clare Chambers

A light and beautiful novel about how quickly life can change – a real comfort read!

Set in 1957, Small Pleasures tells the story of Jean, who works at a local newspaper – the North Kent Echo – as ‘features editor, columnist, dogsbody and the only woman at the table’. She receives a strange letter from a woman who claims her 10-year-old daughter was the result of a virgin birth.

When she follows the story up, she becomes close to the letter-writer, Gretchen Tilbury, and her family. At first this new friendship is a source of pleasure. In time, it becomes complicated: firstly, Gretchen’s claim proves more difficult to debunk than anyone suspected; secondly, Jean develops feelings for Gretchen’s husband Howard.

£ 24.40

Small Pleasures – Clare Chambers

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Words By Maxi Pfeifer

^{Header Image: @youneedaread}

The post Your Holiday Reading List Edit Is Here appeared first on Voir Fashion.

Following his surprise performance at Coachella, the Compton rapper just launched his 5^th album which follows the incredible DAMN. (2017)recompensated with Pulitzer price. The album was unveiled very quietly followed by the release of his single “The Heart Part 5”. In the music video, the 34-year-old rapper takes on the appearance of several legendary American personalities: the basketball star Kobe Briant who tragically died, Will Smith, a beloved and then controversial actor since the Oscars scandal, or Nipsey Hussle, the American rapper murdered in March 2019. Kendrick Lamar uses each of these figures to denounce violence and its trivialization but also questions his responsibility as a rapper in society.

He also revealed the intimate album’s cover showing his wife and two children. He appears wearing a crown of thorns, khaki trousers, a gun on his belt, and a child in his arms which surely implies a lot of significance. 

The album is composed of 18 tracks featuring guest artists such as Kodak Black, Baby Keem, Ghostface Killah, and Summer Walker to name a few. 

Kendrick was inspired by Michael Jordan’s comeback statement to announce the release of his new album. He has always cultivated a sense of mystery around his music, and this new album is no exception to the rule. Throughout the different tracks, he evokes several subjects such as grief, religion, family, love, and violence with a subdued tone and various frenzied rhythms still with political lyrism and captivating storytelling around the album. 

Known for his strong prose and lyrics, speaking out against the condition of Black people in the United States, while unhesitatingly delivering a subtle and elaborate flow. This album is by any doubt the biggest event in the rap scene. 

Kendrick’s comeback is already widely acclaimed! We let you discover now Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, available on streaming platforms!

Words by Mélodie Bitala-Samba

_{Featured Image: Kendrick Instgram}

The post Kendrick Lamar Returns With A New Enigmatic Album appeared first on Voir Fashion.

Women have undeniably reshaped the creative industry. In art, in music, in fashion, and behind and on the screen, women have continued to change the creative world, and now, more than ever.

Mexican multidisciplinary artist and designer, Hugo Huerta Marin, has spent 7 years and countless journeys talking to the women defying narratives, breaking barriers and shifting culture, celebrating these actresses, musicians, photographers, artists, and designers for their talent and story, in one book, ‘Portrait of an Artist: Conversations with Trailblazing Creative Women’.

Marin brings together almost thirty of the female subversives impacting the creative industry, from Vivienne Westwood to FKA Twigs, in this collective depiction of the impact of women on the creative industries, an impact that has inspired himself.

“I have always been inspired by women.” Marin told us, “Growing up in Mexico City – in a catholic and macho culture – where women are often treated as inferior to men, I was always surrounded by powerful women leading my way that helped me expand my consciousness. I believe that had a big impact in my life, plus movies like Repulsion, art pieces like Manifesto, songs like Magdalene. The idea of the muse. The concept of the portrait and where it sits nowadays. All of these things combined really. Patti Smith once said that most of her poems were written to women because women are the most inspiring. She asked: ‘Who are most artists? Men. Who do they get inspired by? Women.’ I think that says it all.”

The names and faces in the book, spanning generations, backgrounds, and creative methods, have each torn a hole in the narrative that has forever burdened women, in art and in life. 27 selected women are defiant in their work and outstanding in their industries, including thespian talents such as Isabelle Huppert and Julianne Moore, to such influential and prominent art forces as Tracey Emin and Marina Abramović, who Marin works alongside as an art director and collaborator. As an artist and designer, who focuses so much on culture and gender himself, Hugo’s selection is certainly a personal one.

“These women fractured the boundaries of what art can be, they challenged the status quo and opened the path for other artists. Marina on the other hand changed my life. She broadened my horizons on a personal and intellectual level and made my world immeasurably bigger.

There are countless female artists whom I look up to and who represent an endless source of inspiration to me. Their work speaks to me on a personal and intellectual level and because of this, the selection was straightforward.”

I couldn’t pick (a favourite) as all encounters had something very special in them. I can think about meeting someone as political as the Cuban artist Tania Bruguera… She really changed the perspective I had of contemporary art. She is using art as a tool for social change and that was enlightening to me. On the other hand, having the chance to meet Yoko Ono and witness her driving to get to her studio was quite something. And I can go on and on… It was a life-changing journey.”

Using polaroids to shoot his portraits, and travelling far and wide to homes, theatres, galleries and studios, Marin created an intimacy that is practically unprecedented, unparalleled, making these conversations much more than interviews, and these portraits much more than their size. Groundbreaking insights into these women’s values and work – Cate Blanchett speaking about the difference between acting on stage and on screen, Carrie Mae Weems about race and photography – connect the reader with the artists in new familiarity, new rapport.

“It was very important for me to flow between conversations that felt natural and authentic. More like two artists speaking to each other rather than having a journalistic approach. The polaroids on the other hand worked great because I think they really capture people in a very candid way. No artificial lighting, no retouching… The two elements go hand-in-hand and I think that, as a whole, made them feel comfortable and connected.”

These conversations had a very natural flow. They were authentic… I wasn’t afraid of asking Charlotte Gainsbourg what she thought of the concept of pornography and she wasn’t afraid to answer either. I believe authenticity was key”.

Even amongst inspirations in his own industry, and those of the same methods he was using for the book, Hugo still found the same intimacy and result: “There is a pressure” the artist said, “I can tell you that photographing Catherine Deneuve made me nervous. I mean, she has been portrayed by the greatest photographers of the century. But we actually loved the portraits at the end… Someone told me that as an artist you have to work from a sense of having no sense of consequence, and I think that is key.”

In a book capturing these women and their voices, about the way they’ve paved the way and reconstructed the world of art in all its forms, Hugo also explores the concept of portraiture, the way it has depicted the idols of ancient civilizations throughout history, and its importance in culture and art for thousands of years.

“It has been the territory of the sculptor, the painter, and the photographer. Yet the concept of portraiture has evolved its intricate character over time. I have always been interested in how artists have depicted history through portraiture; in the elitism and formality that is historically associated with the portrait, and the question of who should be captured in it. I also think artists are reflectors of what is going on in the world and I was sort of exploring that subject. To explore the ideas and concepts the artists I interviewed are and were reflecting as well as myself.”

The consideration blends well into the book as these phenomenal women, who are changing the creative industry and forming new narratives, are admired in these visual and written portraits, as trailblazers, as change-makers and as phenomenal women.

“I have a problem with the definition of the ‘idol’ and the ‘icon’…I don’t see them in that way, I see them more as artists that have shifted the world, my world at least, and therefore the world of many others. To me, it was more the desire to meet the artists that had a big impact on me. To answer some of my own questions, to explore some of my own desires, and so on and so forth.”

“Each of these encounters has left me with an intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and psychological inheritance that I will forever carry with me. These experiences changed me inside and out, forever.”

These intimate conversations, in photo and in writing, are together a single, powerful portrait of what female creatives are to art, past, present and future, of their impact on obsolete systems and structures, and what they mean for the generations of artists to come.

Hugo Huerta Marins exploration proves the power and centrality of women in art today more than ever.

Shop ‘Portrait of an Artist: Conversations with Trailblazing Creative Women’ now:

£ 26

Portrait of an Artist: Conversations with Trailblazing Creative Women by Hugo Huerta Marin

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Words by Daisy Greetham

_{Photo Credit: FKA Twigs, Photographed by Hugo Huerta Marin}

The post An interview with Hugo Huerta Marin: An Intimate Homage to The Women Defining Today’s Creative Industry – ‘Portrait Of An Artist’ appeared first on Voir Fashion.

Selena Gomez has been busy: she is returning to our screens in Only Murders In The Building and has launched the first mascara of her make-up collection, Rare Beauty!

Launched last September, Rare Beauty, is all about embracing your inner self. The products are not supposed to hide your unique features or transform you into another person, rather they enhance your natural beauty to imbue extra confidence – either through bold red lips and smokey eyes or through glowing skin and glossy lips. The products are simple, clean, and easy. They are a perfect solution for an extra confidence boost as you start your day. The Rare Impact Fund also means that 1% of all sales of Rare Beauty will go directly into local and worldwide organisations supporting mental health.

Selena shared via Instagram the new Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara, launching August 30th on Sephora and RareBeauty.com. The product is buildable which offers a lighter, more subtle look to a dark and dramatic eye. The packaging pairs with Rare Beauty’s minimalist aesthetic of gold and pale pink tones to create chic products.

Whilst shopping Rare Beauty, we can also get excited about Selena’s latest series, Only Murders In The Building. The show follows three strangers living in the same New York apartment block who share a mutual love of true-crime podcasts, leading them to begin their own. Things suddenly become real when a literal murder takes place in their building – will the group be able to solve it? Selena joins Martin Short and Steve Martin as the trio adopt roles of make-shift detectives in an unexpected group dynamic. Get the popcorn ready for August 31st, when this comedic, murder-mystery is available on Hulu and Disney+!

Only Murders In The Building Trailer

Words by Caitlin Sahin

The post Murder Mysteries and Makeup. What Has Selena Gomez Been Sneaking Up To? appeared first on Voir Fashion.

The Canadian artist who grew up in a small French-speaking town in Quebec, Rouyn-Noranda, has managed to mark a path of his own with his smooth melodies, expressive lyricism and an undeniable passion for hip-hop and R&B. His path started with covers that ranged from Drake to Kendrick Lamar, allowing him to build an online presence and introduce his voice into a vibrant, yet often overlooked, music scene. 

Zoya has now established his sound with unique and melodic productions that not only incorporate diverse genres but diverse cultures. The singer and songwriter takes inspiration from his South African and French-Canadian heritage, using his upbringing and exposure to multiculturalism to add one more layer to his musical stories. 

We had the opportunity to talk to Zach Zoya and find out more about his relationships with music and more. Read the full interview below… 

How would you describe yourself as an artist? 

I think of myself as a multi-faceted artist. I like to try new things and I always try to go in the opposite direction that I just went in musically. So, I end up with a healthy blend of slow RnB ballads and hype hip-hop records. 

How did you first get involved with music? And what does music mean to you? 

Music to me is like a diary. It’s where I open up, where explain my feelings and where I explore them. It’s a great way for me to stay in tune with my inner self. It’s therapy! Music has always played a role in my life, but I only really started working on it or considering making music when my friends started telling me how good and natural I was at coming up with melodies. 

When did you decide to dedicate completely to it? 

Probably around 16, right about when I moved out of my parents’ place. I remember saying to myself that I had to be serious about it and treat it like a career from the start if I was to go down this path. 

What was the hardest challenge that you faced when following this path? 

Money, of course. Not knowing if it’s even a sustainable thing, a real option, not knowing where it’s going to lead me. I was lucky to have overwhelming support from friends and family, though. It never felt like I was doing something stupid. 

What is the relationship between your music composition and your cultural upbringing? Would you say that it has influenced it? 

I think my music very clearly reflects the variety and diversity I was surrounded by while growing up. I’m from a French-Canadian/South-African household in a very remote part of Quebec. I think that’s a unique mix, and I try to showcase that through my music, expressions, what I talk about, and the different genres I incorporate. 

As a rapper and songwriter, what is the general message that you want to transmit through your lyrics? 

Maybe curiosity? I say maybe because I’m not even sure if there is a singular thing I’m trying to push forward, nor something specific I want to say. For the most part, my music is a collection of my observations and thoughts on life. 

Out of your current and upcoming releases, which one do you identify the most with and why? 

All of them! In many different ways. They all tap into a different part of me, and all bring up different memories. 

Who are your biggest influences in the music world? 

Isaiah Rashad, Kendrick Lamar, Earl Sweatshirt, Black Eyed Peas, and PARTYNEXTDOOR influenced my style in various ways. I learned how to rap by listening to Isaiah Rashad and Kendrick Lamar.

When listening to your music one can sense a very defined style, one that is complemented by fashion and visuals. What is your take on the importance of a strong style and sense of fashion in your career? 

I think it’s all complimentary. Fashion, and just what you give off visually, in general, adds an extra dimension to the music. The same way a music video can help intensify and expand on the vision and the meaning of a song. 

What would you say is your main prospect as an artist? Where do you see yourself and your music in 5 years? 

The dream would be to work with people I admire and feel like I’m part of the ecosystem. Five years from now, I can see myself having a substantial body of work out there and touring the world, up to no good. 

What can we expect from the upcoming releases and collaborations? 

Big, big stuff is coming. Big collaborations on this one! You can expect a summer playlist you’ll want to both chill and party to. Dope visuals are on the way too! 

Interview by Chiara Ferrari

The post Zach Zoya: The Artist of Sound and Stories appeared first on Voir Fashion.

_{Photo Credit: Donda Album Art by Kanye West}

Motionless, emotive, and still: Kanye West played snippets of his long-awaited tenth studio album, DONDA, to 42,000 fans in Atlanta – releasing on the 6th August. Dressed in a sheer, beige ski mask (recently a signature of West’s style) and a red, monochromatic YEEZY Gap round jacket and vinyl pants, West participated in what can only be compared to performance art. He did not address the crowd or interact directly with the music – he stood still or dropped to his knees or solemnly paced. Though impending divorce, Kanye’s ex-wife Kim Kardashian attended in support, matching the rapper in an all-red Rick Owen’s jumpsuit.

The DONDA-era aesthetic seems to return to 2016/2017 Kanye: oversized puffy jackets, with baggy jeans, and layered hoodies. While Kanye’s streetwear includes bold colours, the DONDA merch (exclusively available at the listening party but available on reselling sites) is earth-toned and a classic long-sleeved shirt, the typical silhouette of Kanye’s album merch. In the centre is the Mercedes-Benz logo (the namesake of the Atlanta stadium) and on the back is a childhood image of West’s late mother whom the album is named after. 

Kanye consistently integrates art, fashion, and music. His creativity is recognised in extending from music to designing for YEEZY and collaborating with renowned contemporary artists.

DONDA is no different to Kanye’s history of artistic influence: a reconstructed Louise Bourgeois drawing adorns the most recent cover. Bourgeois repeatedly considered the mother’s role and famously created Maman (1999), which she explained to Tate as ‘an ode to my mother’. Kanye and Bourgeois both had close relationships with their mothers which impacted their future creations, from Kanye’s ‘Hey Mama’ on Late Registration to Bourgeois’ six subsequent sculptures of the large-scale spider.

From Kanye’s early albums, his artwork adopts a biographical approach. The College Dropout, Late Registration, and Graduation followthe symbolic ‘Dropout Bear’: Kanye’s mascot which shares his decision to drop out of college to pursue music. 

Blending contemporary art, recognisable merchandise, and musical production is an aspect of Kanye’s album release process. Kaws’ cover for 808s & Heartbreak snaps a deflated balloon heart, pulling it apart by cartoonish, white, gloved hands. George Condo for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy merged aggression, shock, and creativity for a series of nine interchangeable covers. In a desert red, long-sleeve shirt reading in an Old English font, ‘I feel like Pablo’, Kanye first played The Life of Pablo at Madison Square Garden. The iconic emblem came to not only be associated with an album, but also with a moment significant to his fanbase. He incorporates his merchandise to become part of the album’s era, as a counterpart to the music.

Kanye West is one of the least predictable people currently in the celebrity eye. His album art constantly changes in anticipation of album releases, but once released, it maintains coherence with the music. For DONDA, we can expect Kanye’s consistent meticulousness in creating an album with an encompassing aesthetic from production to artwork, to clothing

Shop Kanye:

£ 234

Kanye West ‘Jesus is king’ Detroit crew neck sweatshirt

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£ 84

Kanye West Wyoming print T-shirt

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£ 76

Kanye West Houston Pablo Pop-Up We Young And We Alive L/S Tee

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£ 1,665

Kids See Ghosts Lucky Me Crewneck Sweatshirt

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Words by Caitlin Sahin

The post Kanye West and His Relationship with Art: From The College Dropout to Donda appeared first on Voir Fashion.

Calling all beauty aficionados – there is another way to get your daily beauty fix. If you weren’t already aware of the world of beauty podcasts, this is your sign to grab your headphones and listen to some of the industry’s biggest names bear their secrets and industry gossip. A literal fountain of knowledge you’d otherwise have to pay an arm and a leg for, these top dogs will lift the lid on whatever you are keen to know.  

Now that Boris Johnson has said we can now sit inside (yay!) a lot of us will be travelling around, making up for lost time. Whether you’ve booked that holiday to now green-list countries or travelling to meet your pals for their belated birthday, here’s our pick of the bunch to make your days more bearable.

Beyond The Beauty With Bobbi Brown

Leaving her eponymous brand after 25 years, Bobbi Brown has now released her own podcast. Talking about the beauty industry’s imperative shift towards clean beauty and other pressing issues, it is also a must-listen for budding beauty entrepreneurs. The OG will give advice about how to crack into the industry, grow your brand and changes that will affect your life.

Fat Mascara

Teen Vogue’s Jessica Matlin and Marie Claire’s Jennifer Goldstein come together to create this hilarious yet informative podcast. Together, they discuss strange beauty crazes, just-in trends and brands that you just have to know about, it covers all the bases of skincare/hair/makeup.

If that doesn’t sound good enough, they have a carousel of beauty legends on board. Guests include Bobbi Brown, Charlotte Tilbury and Jen Atkin, to name a few.

Full Coverage

A brilliant podcast for everyone; newbies and professionals alike. Hosted by professional makeup artist Harriet Hadfield and non-professional beauty lover, Lindsey Kelk, the podcast is the perfect mix of expertise and entertainment that will make you belly-laugh. From debating beauty topics, discussing diversity in the industry and interviewing household names, there is something for everyone.

The Glossy Beauty Podcast

This one is for the business and beauty-obsessed. Each podcast differs as the industry’s creme de la creme navigate through issues such as First Aid Beauty founder Lilli Gordon on the process for developing a clean brand to ReVive Skincare CEO, Elana Drell-Szyfer’s advice on how to deal with a crisis in the industry. Even if you don’t have a business, you’ll probably be inspired to start one after this.

Allure: The Science of Beauty

Michelle Lee and Jenny Bailly are asking tough questions and getting answers from cosmetic chemists (like Nikita Wilson), dermatologists (such as Dr. Pimple Popper) and others. So if you’ve ever wondered about the science behind beauty – like those pesky forehead wrinkles and how retinol will help – tune in to their weekly podcast.

Words By Rosina Findlay

The post 5 Beauty Podcasts You NEED To Listen To appeared first on Voir Fashion.

Sarah Bahbah’s photography has gained popularity all over social media and the art industry over the past years. You might’ve already come across her picturesque snapshots and subtitle-like captions featuring some of the hottest celebrities of our current times like Sonia Ammar or Dylan Sprouse.

There are various elements of Sarah Bahabah’s work that make it so appealing, for us it is all about the romanticism present in her work, the saturated colours of her images and the profound narrative present in all of her visual series. Her success cannot be tied to one single element, but if you ask us it is the latter – the narrative she manages to create through her stories – that differentiates her work from the mass and has led her still images to everyone’s Instagram feeds (and even walls).

The Palestinian-Australian photographer and writer uses her camera to explore personal themes and present them in a rather cinematic style. By combining images with words she creates images that evoke an experience similar to the one of watching a series, touching on topics ranging from female empowerment to abuse and heartbreak.

Bahbah’s latest project, “Fool Me Twice”, done with the support of WePresent, is a photographic series exploring the complexity of attraction between individuals, questioning why are we attracted to the people that we’re attracted to. The project features none other than the “Internet boyfriend” sensation, Noah Centineo, and Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why star, Alisha Boe. It follows the romance of a couple inspired by real-life events experienced by the photographer herself.

The story unfolds in Los Angeles, with the still images taking us around various locations across the city from The Brick Man to a reserved mansion. The movement present in the images and the fun composition that characterises them are in true essence of Sarah Bahbah’s photographic style and completed by her ironically toned captions.

As the photographer explained in a recent interview with Vera Papisova for WePresent, her relationship habits and personal characteristics are what guided her latest project and overall art.  

“I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve. I risk exposing myself to heartbreak…When my anxiety around relationships is activated, my inner dialogue pours out from me line after line. Over the years, I have learned to express myself more openly to my partners, but there are still things that go left unsaid. It is mostly those lines that I can’t let go of that make it into my art.”

However, this project is not just a mirror to her love experiences but also a presentation of her vision of the “attachment theory” by John Bowlby. It expands on the different patterns that can be present in any relationship, the walls that can be built or torn down by two individuals and the different attachment styles that exist.

This series is aimed at anyone who has questioned their own character when faced with love and attachment issues, for those who have felt like a “fool” in love.

To find more about it and enjoy a series of poetic images check out “Fool Me Twice” here.

Words by Chiara Ferrari

The post Fool Me Twice: The Retro Hue And Romantic Vulnerability Of Sarah Bahbah’s Latest Photo Project appeared first on Voir Fashion.

Sales of NFTs were said to have increased by 1700% between December 2020 and February 2021, with the average NFT selling for around $975 (£707). Locked in as the new Bitcoin-esque boom (but don’t be fooled, they’re not the same thing), NFTs are being hailed as the new token-based economy of the post-pandemic age.

We’ve heard through the virtual grapevine that an NFT can be pretty much anything digital. Think virtual art, JPEG files, audio clips, gifs – even Tweets have managed to be sold off for millions on the NFT market. However, the logistics behind an NFT – how it works and why its valuable – remain somewhat of a mystery. Surely a good ol’ copy and paste would do the job, right?

There’s a lot of confusion surrounding NFTs – and rightly so – but this shouldn’t make it something to avoid. We’ve put together a little starter pack to get our readers acquainted with the NFT: what it is, why it’s good, and why it’s not so good.

What the heck is an NFT?

Simply put, an NFT is a “non-fungible token”. Like Bitcoin, it has monetary value. Unlike Bitcoin, it’ not actually interchangeable currency. Rather than currency, an NFT is a token that acts as unique proof of ownership for something (that something being digital).

For example, if you bought a digital artwork as an NFT, that artwork would be tokenised to create a digital certificate of ownership. That certificate is the NFT – the thing being bought and sold. It’s a one-of-a-kind asset. So, what you’re really buying is the “authenticated original”, not the copy and paste version you can find anywhere on the internet.

This is where you find the resemblance to Bitcoin. Both Bitcoin and NFTs make a record of who owns what on a shared ledger known as a blockchain. A blockchain is an alternative database that is encrypted (made super secure) through a peer-to-peer network. In other words, it’s an extensive family tree connecting the owners of one NFT. This family tree can be used to track an NFT’s provenance and differentiate it from a copy and paste “fake”.

However, this is where the similarities to cryptocurrency end. Because an NFT is non-fungible, it can’t be used as currency. You can swap a Bitcoin with another Bitcoin, but you can’t swap an NFT for a Banksy artwork with an NFT for a pizza coupon – they aren’t the same value. NFTs aren’t money, they’re just very pricey collectables.

But as mentioned, this doesn’t stop the asset represented by an NFT from being copied, downloaded, or shared across the internet. And while the NFT can be sold on, the artist who created it can still retain copyright ownership – meaning they can continue to produce and sell copies of the same artwork. If anything, the NFT customer is simply buying bragging rights; they can say they own the “original” even as a million people download the same image, song, or whatever on their phone.

Still with us? Think of an NFT as owning the real Mona Lisa compared to the dodgy postcard you get in the giftshop. It’s unique, we know you got it from the creator, and you have the certificate to prove it. It just doesn’t exist physically.

So how do I buy an NFT?

There are multiple markets for NFTs, and certain NFTs are only available on specific platforms. For example, if you wanted to get your hands on an NBA Top Shot pack (think digital playing cards with licensed highlights from NBA games), then you would need to open an account with NBA Top Shot, create a digital wallet, and support that wallet with cryptocurrency.

But this doesn’t mean you can only buy an NFT with cryptocurrency – many markets will take real money too. More general marketplaces for NFTs include OpenSea, Nifty Gateway, Rarible, NFT Showroom, and Foundation.

The many possible uses for NFTs

The art market has arguably raked in the most benefits from NFTs so far. Back in February, a gif of a cat with a pop tart body, otherwise known as ‘Nyan Cat’, sold for 300ETH – which is roughly $561,000 or just over £407,000. The cat meme is thought to be one of the first items to open the NFT floodgates, with many artists since taking their work to the digital market in hopes of making it big.

In March, tech company Injective Protocol bought a physical Banksy artwork for $95,000 (£69,000), set it on fire over livestream, and then unveiled the digital copy as an NFT. The new digital token was sold for $380,000 (£274,000). That same month, a digital artwork by Beeple was sold at Christie’s auction house for $69m (£50m), making Beeple the third most valuable living artist in the world.

But as we’ve mentioned, an NFT isn’t just an artwork. It can be a video, a song, or even a social media post. An NFT of Twitter founder Jack Dorsey’s first tweet recently sold at auction for $2.9m (£2.1m), for example.

In the fashion world there has been a bit more hesitancy and uncertainty regarding how best to use an NFT. In an industry dominated by material products, the prospect of a digital product doesn’t seem to appeal so much. Or does it?

On April 4^th, luxury watch brand Jacob & Co. will be launching an NFT watch through an auction with ArtGrails. The highest bidder will receive a digital rendering of a new Jacob & Co. watch, as well as the physical accoutrements that would usually come with a physical one (namely a certificate of ownership and a case). The collectible is the brand’s way of introducing the NFT market to the wider industry.

Danny Parisi of Glossy has indicated that the possibilities for NFTs in fashion doesn’t end here, either:

“A brand like Prada could embed an NFT in every physical product it sells and, for example, embed a ticket to a Prada fashion show in 10 randomly selected pairs of shoes. Or a streetwear brand could pair NFTs with sneaker drops, the way sneaker brand RTFKT Studios did last week when it sold 600 digital art NFTs paired with sneakers for $3.1 million total.”

Additionally, the pairing of NFTs with physical objects could be a good opportunity to track an item’s purchase history and authenticity, preventing the sale of counterfeits.

Business of Fashion have also noted that NFTs can also provide royalties to the original creator; an NFT can contain a smart contract that give an artist a cut of any future sale of that specific token. In terms of fashion, the original brand that created a product can earn royalties every time that product is resold.

But are NFTs actually any good?

An NFT provides several new ways to make money in a (currently) open market. The people on top of their game are making millions through NFT sales, riding a high that is shaking the internet to its core.

With the possibility to earn royalties too, it has been argued that NFTs offer a more direct route to profits. Lindsay Lohan, for example, recently put her new single, ‘Lullaby’, on the NFT market via FansForever. Lohan has advocated her support for the digital market on numerous occasions, and in an interview with Forbes stated:

“With tokenization, the process is transferred onto the blockchain in such a way that every time the art, music, movie, etc. is used or shared, the artist would automatically receive royalties. I think it’s a great way to bridge the gap between the consumer and artist.”

But are NFTs as bright and shiny as they seem?

Underlying environmental issues surrounding the production of NFTs have recently come into the spotlight, highlighting the more unethical practices of the market. A lot of computer power is needed to encrypt the tokens that make-up NFTs, giving the process a much higher carbon footprint than might be expected. As noted by The Fashion Law, when musician Grimes sold a series of NFT animations on Nifty Gateway (from which she made $6m), an online calculator at CryptoArt estimated that the computations required to create an NFT for each animation produced around 70 tonnes of CO2 emissions. That’s enough electricity to boil a kettle 1.5 million times.

There’s also concerns over the possibility that we’re simply in a market bubble, meaning that when the hype for an NFT dies down, its value will plummet just as quickly. Like stocks or bitcoin, it may seem like a good idea to invest when there is a lot of publicity surrounding NFTs, but if people were to ever lose interest then the resell value of your NFT could take quite a big hit. In other words, there’s a very real risk you could lose a lot of money.

The most obvious – and most sensible – concern surrounding NFTs, however, is the fact that you can see most of these things over the internet at any time. All you need is a good Wi-Fi connection. Things like authenticity, originality, and ownership become tricky when they’re

put on the public domain of the world wide web. Copying, pasting, and remixing are an inherent part of the internet’s digital landscape. On social media platforms, the value of something is derived from the number of likes and shares it receives. Putting a concept of limit on the internet – in particular, a concept of one person owning one thing that everyone still has access to – just doesn’t seem to work on a platform that is known for its abundance of shared content.

Time will only tell how the market for NFTs will turn out. For now, we’ve decided to sit back and watch the madness unfurl across the internet.

But you never know, you might just see this article come up as an NFT one day.

Words By Charlie Colville

The post What the Heck is an NFT and Where Do I Get One? appeared first on Voir Fashion.