PHOTOGRAPHY Saskia Kovandzich
STYLING Elise Shauna
BEAUTY Ella Carter-Allen & Callie Foulsham
PRODUCTION Tori West & Louie Gordon
SHOOT ASSISTANT Odera Phil-Ebosie
The Portraits series has been a staple of BRICKS print issues since our inception. Founder and Editor-in-Chief Tori West has carved a space in each print to spotlight emerging creatives across the fashion industry and hear their stories and thoughts that can help us build a brighter future for all.
For The Age Issue, West has curated a series of creatives building their long-term careers in this tumultuous landscape for artists in the UK and asks them to consider what they’d tell their younger selves and what they hope will change in the future.
BAILLIE
Baillie Jones is a content creator and fashion multi-hyphenate. She has embedded herself in the heart of London’s second-hand fashion community and regularly posts charity shop hauls and days in the life. She has previously supported BRICKS as a social assistant at London Fashion Week and has worked with brands including Caspar The Label and House of Sunny.
“I think one of the biggest hurdles creatives face is that a lot of opportunities are found through the people you meet and connections you build,” she explains. “My advice to my younger self would be to speak to everyone you meet and put yourself out there. The beauty of social media is that we can share our work and ideas, and you never know who will notice what you do. ”
CHANI RA
Chani is best known for her series The Fashion Nap – offering fashion commentary and sustainable style advice via online videos recorded and posted while her young son is sleeping. This year alone, Chani has worked with Vogue, Mulberry and Coachtopia. “My journey as a creative has been long – I have turned my hand to many creative endeavours,” she says. “I think it’s in the working-class DNA to be very DIY because people aren’t handing us anything, so we have to be more creative about life in general. I was reading Vogue before I could talk, so for me it was always going to be fashion. I dropped out of college to go to fashion parties at 17 years old just doing anything I could to be near fashion.
She continues: “I worked as a nail tech the whole time to support myself. I distanced myself from my dreams for a while – I had a stint as a poet, used pure ‘gift of the gab’ to work at one of the world’s top design agencies with no experience, then quit. I got on TikTok after just having a baby and it just stuck – I am a self-proclaimed ‘ideas girl’ and love to talk so it makes sense. The bottom line is if you want to be a creative, if you don’t want to go to school, if you don’t want to choose one path, it is absolutely possible to be successful. It will take longer and it will be harder, but if you don’t care about that then good news – you can take my advice and do whatever you want.
JACQUES
Jacques Lasode is a model and visual artist. Having recently taken their creativity freelance, Jacques is now prioritising making the time and space to explore where their creativity and self-expression take them.
Music also plays a huge role in their life – with Jacques regularly sharing ‘Blue Sky Bangers’ (aka feel-good tunes) across their channels. This love of music has intertwined organically with their Graphic Design skills as they’ve recently been creating artwork for various artist’s EPs.
“If I could write a letter to my younger self, it would say ‘be yourself’. Stop trying to fit in with others’ perceptions of you. Finding yourself isn’t easy in a world that is constantly telling you who you are meant to be, remember a circle will never fit into a square! Be proud of that circle you are, believe in yourself more and all of that internalised homophobia (get rid of it!) is a waste of brain power.”
We love being the non-binary queen we are, so trust me, it gets better, life is fun. When you are authentically yourself you shine the brightest. Oh, and get rid of your hair sooner – do not wait until you are 25. Jump into fear, it will allow you to find you sooner. Your nanna is your ride-or-die. She accepts and loves you for all and everything that you are. Don’t stress too much about not being academic at school. You are not a failure for not succeeding at English, Maths and Science. Keep up your passion for art and everything creative because it will take you places.
Lastly, you don’t need something sweet after every time you eat something savoury.”
DODO
Dodo Wang is a well-known face among London’s fashion and queer communities – whether they’re modelling with Michaela Stark, on the cover of Metal and Perfect magazines, or making content of their favourite foods online.
“I definitely feel like the biggest hurdle for creatives is money,” they share. “Pretty much all of us are breaking our backs to stay in the creative industry, struggling to survive and it’s hard out here in these streets, especially if you’re working class and don’t come from money.
So many of us are working multiple jobs or are on universal credit just to earn the bare minimum amount of money to survive. It’s so hard when a lot of creative jobs don’t pay well or even at all, especially when you’re starting out. I know it’s such an overused phrase, but exposure truly doesn’t pay the bills and we shouldn’t have to act grateful to get a job that won’t even cover travel expenses, which is often the case. And on top of that, there’s so much time and labour that isn’t compensated like prep time and chasing invoices.
I’ve noticed such a difference between how my generation and the older generation think. Most of my generation understands the importance of being compensated for our time and work, whereas from my experience, a lot of the older generation fee like, ‘I was treated like shit as an unpaid intern so now I’ve climbed up the ladder, it’s my turn to treat unpaid interns badly’. I think a massive industry overhaul is definitely needed but even small things like being paid for our time and not having to fight to chase invoices for months at a time would make such a difference.”
FELICITY
Felicity Dunstan has become one of the most recognisable faces in the British creative scene, and it’s not just thanks to her distinctive freckles. The rising model has already worked with Depop, Hot Futures, Bimba Y Lola, ASOS and Marc Jacobs to name just a few.
“Being a part of the creative industry has been a real rollercoaster, if I’m honest,” says Felicity. “My personal experience with modelling full-time has made me realise how much work is dependable on “being on trend”, especially as someone with a predominant facial feature. I hope that this industry ends up being more open-minded to all types of beauty, no matter what ends up trending that year.”
TIA
London-born-and-based multidisciplinary artist Tia O’Donnell is making her mark in the art world with her illustration, painting, collage, and sculpting. However, she is perhaps best known online for her graduation protest, walking across the stage of the Royal Festival Hall adorning a banner reading: I Want A Refund. The performance piece quickly became a call to arms to students across the country who had received sub-par education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Below, Tia shares a letter to her younger self.
“To past life Tia,
Feeling like all the odds are against you is a part of your superhero uniform. In fact, scrap the uniform and make your own. You will be proud of who you become 11 years later, but you are yet to know that, so for now treat yourself with fairness. Kids are harsh. Teachers are unfair. The education system is not in your favour. You are yet to be diagnosed with dyslexia and bulimia. Do not blame yourself for being different, your differences are what makes you. All your ‘faults’ are classified as your superpowers – these are the reason you see the world in the way you do. Embrace them and use them to all your might. The kids that bullied you are the fuel for you to make. It might sound cliche, but your struggles are the reason why other people struggle less. You are sharing your journey to make others journey easier and do not at any moment feel afraid of doing so.
Being a woman in the art world is not an easy straw to pick, but alas you chose it so stick with it. Perseverance is the key, commitment to fulfilling your lifelong dream is doable no matter how many hurdles knock you back. Don’t stop journaling, ever. You will learn so much from 15-year-old Tia, more than you ever thought you would. Creepers, skinny jeans, temporary tattoos, and all. It is all relevant. Doodle at every given moment, – the Tube, the bus, awkwardly waiting in queues and in galleries. Do not take your pen off that page, Paul Klee says so. Tracey Emin is God, Bhupen Khakhar is Christ and you are next. Have faith wee Tia, and say so out loud. Never be afraid to be. Art is the reason you are here. You are here to make others aware of how art is a tool for freedom, it will all make sense in years to come and believe in your ethos.
Never give up kid,
Old Fart Tia O’Donnell.”
JAIDA
Jaida Blackwood is a model and creative based in London. “Writing to my younger self is a tough one because there is so much I would want to say to her,” she begins. “From the smaller things like ‘yes, SZA did release another album’ to the bigger things like ‘do not dye your hair red. It’s not worth it.’
I would definitely start by telling her I love her, and I think she is a wonderful little girl who may be feeling lost and unsettled, but she is working very hard to make her dreams a reality and it’s very admirable. I’d let her know that she doesn’t need to grow up so fast. There is beauty in her innocence, and knowledge comes with time and experience. Get out of your head, sometimes the safest option isn’t the best.
I’d warn her that being in the creative industry it can feel like there is this huge ticking time bomb above your head. This constant fear that you’re running out of time, and if you let that fear hold you back it could make you miss out on some of the beautiful experiences of your life. It can sometimes feel like you’re in this rat race, but to remember that your timing is unique to you. And that uniqueness is what will separate you from everyone else, in the best way possible! Although it may not always feel like it.”
YUNE PINKU
18-year-old Malaysian-Irish producer and songwriter Yunè Pinku is one to watch for 2024. The budding musician explores clubland past and present through her wry-eyed, voyeuristic lens. Utilising sounds from 90s acid house to UKG, she unites her rave sentiments with mournful, introspective lyricism and hypnotic melodies. The music is an ode to the urgent dancefloors that have so been missed, yet combined with the inner anxiety and weariness of its hiatus.
“I think artistry and un-policed creativity have been lost amid the internet age, and it’s the biggest hurdle creatives face today,” says Yunè. “In the age of constant cancellation and a militant moral code, the blurred meanings and morality that exist in creativity are often killed before they’re born, or at least create these borders around creation. It feels like the industry and artists are trying to catch up with social media and technology, constantly scrambling for ways to self-market without seeming inauthentic or overly influenced.
With the amount of music being released every day, accessible to everyone from the minute it’s live, it puts this unnatural pressure and competitiveness into the creative process, trying to toe the line of not becoming one in a crowd but also not being sonically derivative.
It feels like there’s a nostalgic wave happening now though, people seem to gravitate towards older, more familiar sounds and styles, and I think in that, there will come a reinterest in the creative process and artistic freedom. I think hybrid styles and genre blends are becoming more and more frequent, as it’s the only new or surprising thing to do! So, I’m hopeful about the future of it all, I think it’s just tricky to find your feet, and remain authentic in the current infrastructure. But we’ll figure it out eventually. ”
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