Earlier this year Saint Laurent introduced a project of theirs entitled SELF — a series of stories capturing several aspects of the Saint Laurent personality and underlining the complexity of various individuals through the eyes of artists selected by creative director Anthony Vaccarello. The latest version of the series is its fifth installation titled ‘A night in Shanghai’ and has been curated by Chinese artist Wong Kar Was and directed by Wing Shya.
A night in Shanghai tells a story about the introspective research of ourselves which begins from breaking balance. Ju Xiaowen is captured searching for the balance in life by comparing the past and the present while looking for who she is within .
‘Wong Kar Wai envisions individual feelings; his art is like a vivid dream projected into real life, which emphasizes the contrast between the fragile aspect of humanity and reality. It was a very instinctive process based on mutual respect and admiration, in the movie you can find and feel the Saint Laurent fantasy taking shape as natural consequence,’ comments Vaccarello.
The short movie will also be exclusively presents at the Yuz Museum in Shanghai art district, open to the public from the 22nd to the 24th of November.
For the 9th episode of their #MeAndMyPeekaboo series, Italian fashion house Fendi has joined forces with the exceptional genetic duo of the New York based creatives The Quann sisters. The short film, focuses on the strength of sisters’ bond and features the two — blogger and entrepreneur Cipriana Quinn and musician and music producer TK Wonder prancing around the streets of Manhattan with their Peekaboo bags in hand.
The #MeAndMyPeekaboo series began earlier this year featuring 10 iconic women across the world which included names like Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner and North West. Each episode includes versions of the Peekaboo bags which have been seen on the Spring Summer 2019 runways with an updated soundtrack of Mary J Blige’s Family Affair. To shop the Peekaboo visit Fendi.
Kasandra Enid Torres is a culture and fashion photographer based in Washington Heights, NYC who has been documenting the soulful inhabitants of her neighbourhood for the past three years. Her series titled “Wahi” — short for Washington Heights — diaries the vivacious poetic spirits of the busy district in ways which treasure the Old New York City aesthetic with a 21st Century twist. In conversation with the photographer , Twin discusses her inspirations and experiences throughout the process of the project.
When did you first start shooting in New York?
I moved to the city at the beginning of 2013 after graduating from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2011. For the first two years I didn’t shoot much, I was constantly working 24/7 and if I had free time I spent it sleeping. I was also on an artist block, I wasn’t sure what to shoot. I came from an art background making abstract photography and films. To get myself unstuck, I started to shoot anything and everything.
What inspired you to start the “Wahi” series?
Around 2015 I started to shoot regularly. At the time I didn’t have access to models so I decided to shoot outside in my neighbourhood. I am not the most extroverted person and having to go out to make pictures by approaching strangers was daunting to me. It was definitely a challenge. I slowly got more comfortable with it and found my flow. I got my hands on a Hasselblad Superwide C, which is a medium format camera with no viewfinder. It was fun experimenting with it and finding its sweet spot. It is a somewhat big and chrome camera. I liked shooting with it for this series because it attracts attention. It is also a conversation piece, people approach me asking me about it and allow me to take their portrait.
How do you select your subjects?
I walk up and down on St Nicholas Ave between 168th and 191st street, keeping myself open for opportunities. I am attracted by really interesting people, how they are dressed, how they walk, their expressions etc. I also choose things that speak to the culture of the neighbourhood, such as the supermarkets, the crowded bus stops, the chairs, domino tables, and the empanada carts.
What’s your favourite thing about Washington Heights?
My favorite thing about this neighbourhood is the people. I love being surrounded by other hispanics. Having lived away from my family for the past eight years, I like being reminded of my culture and roots. I like listening to the radio blasting salsa or reggaeton while walking to the supermarket. I like watching the intensity of people playing dominos. I love the sidewalk parties of people chilling on their lawn chairs, drinks in paper bags, puffing from hookahs and grilling up on barbecues. I love the wafts of food smells, such as pernil, mofongo, empanadas, and asopao. It feels like home.
What would you like people to take away from viewing this series?
I want these images to give the viewer a look inside this Old New York style neighbourhood. There really aren’t many places like this in the city. Majority of the city has been gentrified and franchised. I want them get an honest raw interpretation of this community. I want them to be able to see how interesting and cool the neighbourhood is, to feel as if they were there.
Can we expect to see more projects like this from you in the future?
Yes I will continue to document series like this one. I just wrapped up a series I shot near the Adirondacks in January of a Snowmobile drag race. I shot that one during an insane blizzard! I am also currently shooting a series at busy subway platforms like Times Square, documenting all types of people.
What’s next for you as a photographer?
I am always looking for new ways to challenge myself. With each new series I try to do something I haven’t done before, be it a camera technique, lighting technique, shooting a specific way or subject matter.
Where can one view more of your work?
Majority of my work is online. I have work published here on Twin (my Afropunk series), Document Journal, a couple of other indie magazines and my website. My Dependence series is published on issue 7 of Recens Paper, another of my favorite project. In the future, I aim to have a gallery show at a space in the neighbourhood. I want to give back to this community that has given me so much.
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