Meet Florence Kosky, the model bringing attention to youth suicide

Kosky has appeared in Burberry campaigns and countless editorials (Harper’s Bazaar, L’Officiel, Elle, Teen Vogue, etc.), and she’s spent the past five years filming her first feature film, To Tokyo. And impressively, her directorial debut, The Otherworld, recently won Best British Short at the London Independent Film Awards.

In addition to her creative pursuits, Kosky has been working closely with Papyrus UK, a charity dedicated to the prevention of youth suicides, an issue that she became deeply affected by after the death of two friends. Kosky launched an auction to benefit Papyrus, #DressForLife. It’s filled with designer goods, and sales are open until March 21st. We spoke to her about her charitable pursuits, movies, and how to look like Hannibal Lecter on an airplane.

What sort of work are you doing with Papyrus UK?

I’ve started an auction called “Dress for Life.” We’ve got loads of different donations from great designers, like Chanel, House of Holland, Paul Smith, which is really exciting. I hope that’ll make a big bundle of money for them! [Laughs]

A few years, I actually had two friends who died by suicide. It’s nice to be doing something to make a change, to work for a prevention charity, to hopefully make a difference.

You just made your directorial debut. Can you tell me a bit about The Otherworld?

I grew up in Dorset on the Jurassic Coast, and it’s sort of about exploring the mythology of the area: ancient history, Celts, old Gods. And it’s also about dreams, so it sort of combines those two things. It was awesome to go back to where I grew up and shoot in the amazing landscapes around here. Good to get back to the roots! [Laughs]

How do you compare acting and directing? Is there one you prefer, or do you like to combine them and direct yourself?

I directed myself in The Otherworld, and I don’t know if I’m going to do that again. [Laughs] It’s really hard to concentrate on acting when your brain is everywhere else. It’s really, really great to do both of them, but I think definitely separately. For the directing side of things you have to be thinking about everything at once, whereas acting is a lot more introspective. You’re thinking more about your character’s journey as opposed to the film as a whole, if that makes sense.

And I’m so happy—I have to have a little brag moment now. I found out like two weeks ago that The Otherworld won an award [Best British Short] at the London Independent Film Awards.

Did you study cinema in school?

Sort of. Alongside school, where I was doing a bit of acting and stuff, I was also shooting a feature film called To Tokyo. And that was kind of my cinema education. We were shooting it for like five years. It’s actually just gone into post-production, so hopefully you’ll finally be able to watch it by the end of the year!

Five years?! How did that work?

Err… hair extensions. [Laughs] I actually haven’t aged that much, facially.

Well that’s lucky. I presume it was shooting in Tokyo?

We did shoot in Tokyo, as well as the little villages near Kyoto. We also traveled to South Africa and shot all up and down the western cape. I think it was the most beautiful place I’ve ever been.

How did you balance that with your work as a model?

It’s a kind of a juggling act. It’s basically just trying to do as much as I can on one side without pissing anyone off, and then doing it again. [Laughs] It’s a balancing act, and I sort of don’t have a social life anymore. But it’s really rewarding and I really enjoy all of it. It doesn’t really feel like work.

I’m still trying to figure out what I want to do, you know? Working in all these facets of the media industry really help me figure out what I actually want to do with my life.

What are your favorite movies?

I really like Drive—classic answer. It’s just such a beautiful film. The cinematography’s amazing, the score is amazing, and Ryan Gosling’s incredible in it. It also doesn’t have too much talking in it, which I quite like. But then also recently, I’ve seen this film called Demolition with Jake Gyllenhaal. The opening to that film is so brutal, but so genius. And I think the little kid in it is going to be a huge star in like five years.

But I don’t know. I could talk about film for like five years.

Have you always loved film?

I think I’ve always loved stories. When I was younger it was more about mythology, Greek myths in particular. I’ve loved acting since I was tiny as well. And when I got cast in To Tokyo, the director [Caspar Seale-Jones] showed me all of these films I hadn’t seen before. It really opened up my imagination, and I fell in love with film, particularly. But film is just another way of storytelling.

With acting, if you’re thinking about what you look like, you’re not in the moment. Oh, that’s such a cliché.

Obviously you’re a very successful model. How did you come to it? I think I read something about a booker chasing you around a music festival.

It was my first weekend out with my new friends at my new school when I was like 16, at a music festival in London. And my old booker, Luca, who used to look after me when I was at New Faces, he harassed me around the festival. [Laughs] And I was super embarrassed, because all I wanted to do was be with my new friends.

Come on, what could be cooler than being 16 and getting scouted at a music festival?

I guess, in retrospect. [Laughs] But at the time I was I was super embarrassed.

How do you compare modeling to acting? I feel like in both cases you’re telling a story, making a picture come to life, bringing certain emotions to it.

There are definitely elements of modeling that are like playing a character, and I think especially when you’re in a crazy editorial and you get to move freely, when it’s not just about selling the clothes, there’s definitely that storytelling aspect to it. But I would say the main difference for me is with modeling, it’s all about what you look like, what’s on the outside. You’re portraying an image of that story. But whereas with acting, if you’re thinking about what you look like, you’re not in the moment. Oh, that’s such a cliché. [Laughs] But you’ve got to focus on what’s happening internally, on what’s happening with the other person, and the emotional truth of that connection.

What was it like getting the Burberry campaign?

I think that was probably one of the best moments that I’ve had, modeling-wise. I definitely screamed on the phone to my mum. [Laughs] Shooting with Mario [Testino] was amazing, he and the whole team are so lovely. I work with Burberry still now, and this is super cliché, but I feel like we have a little fashion family. And other people on the campaign, like Ella Richards and the boys from Hidden Charms, they’re still in my friendship circles today and I see them a lot. It was a really nice, solid introduction to a good group of people in fashion.

You work all the time. What do you do for fun?

Fun. Does that exist? [Laughs]

I guess I hang out with my boyfriend, and try to catch up on movies. And soon I’m taking a month off and going to travel in India. I’m really excited, it’s going to a nice adventure!

As someone who frequently flies around the world, do you have any jetlag tips?

Drinking a bottle of water on the flight! Even if you don’t think you need it, you will need it. I also love taking along those face masks that look like Hannibal Lecter, and making people feel really uncomfortable next to me on the flight. [Laughs] Even if you don’t think you’ll need it, you’ll need it.

On a final note, is there anything you think would surprise people about modeling?

Yeah! I think the fact that it’s really physically hard for us. You’re flying around all the time, you’ve got early call times. Especially during Fashion Week when you’re working at 6 A.M. and then you’ve got fittings until 3 A.M. And even just shooting, you’ve stood up in heels that probably don’t fit you for like 12 hours. I don’t feel glamorous. [Laughs] I think a lot of time people think oh you’re just a model, you fly all around the world and get treated like a princess. But it’s actually harder than it looks, and I don’t think girls are given enough credit for the work they put in. People say it’s just luck, but honestly some models I know are the most hardworking people I’ve ever met, and I think they deserve all the success that they get.

Florence's auction for Papyrus UK, #DressForLife, runs online until March 21st.

Fashion

BAPE Celebrates 30 Years

June 30, 2023

In light of BAPE’s 30th anniversary, the iconic Japanese brand celebrated streetwear and Nigo’s brainchild with the BAPE HEADS SHOW at Terminal 5 on Wednesday. Here, dozens of celebrities and streetwear lovers were endowed with the brand’s rich history and influence in the fashion industry.

BAPE debuted Fall/Winter 2023 menswear and womenswear, as well as the brand’s sub-labels BAPE BLACK, APEE, BAPY, and AAPE. In total, there were over 100 looks and notable figures on the runway including Jalen Green, Ajani Russell, and many more.

We spotted some familiar faces in the star-studded crowd like Fivio Foreign, Fiffany Luu, stars from Bling Empire, Jaylen Brown, Mia Khalifa, Trinidad James, Jalen Mills, and Pardi — all dressed in BAPE from head to toe. There were also highly-anticipated performances from Coi Leray and Lil Baby, with a surprise performance from Lola Brooke.

Text by Marisa Kalil-Barrino
Photo courtesy of BAPE

The show began with 25 looks from BAPE. This collection had three main themes; “Sport Mania,” “College Classic,” and “Denim Painter.”

“Sport Mania” explores ‘90s hip-hop in the West Coast and Y2K details with a modern twist. Here, they utilized the brand’s original camouflage motif and vibrant colors. “College Classic” coined American collegiate style from the ‘90s – a consistent inspiration since BAPE began. However, this time they added leather jackets, knit sweaters, outwear, messenger bags, and accessories. “Denim Painter” paid homage to American artist Jackson Pollock. They introduced a new brushstroke pattern and combined it with distressed denim.

Next was BAPE BLACK; the sister label that specializes in black and gold details, embroidery, faux fur, and outerwear like coats and knit sweaters. The theme for this collection was “The Retro Outdoor,” with lots of European-inspired looks. This season, the sub-brand consisted of more luxury and elevated garments like trench coats, colorful knit sweaters, blazers, cardigans, and slacks.

Following BAPE BLACK was AAPE; a sub-label that fuses with BAPE and includes more sportswear, jerseys, and functional fashion. Models emerged on skateboards as AAPE takes influence from skateboarding and hip-hop in the ‘90s. Here, we saw a lot of vibrant-colored, movable pieces such as tracksuits, cropped jerseys, Moonface Monogram, and AAPER graphic t-shirts, hats, and two-piece sets.

APEE was unlike any of the collections throughout the show so far. The womenswear sub-label presented an elevated, chic type of streetwear; two-piece denim sets, handbags, platform boots, legwarmers, micro skirts, and cropped tops. This collection, titled “Gen-Z Gyaru Winter,” honored Japanese Gyaru subculture and Gen-Z pop culture. While BAPE and most of its sub-labels consist of baggy clothes, APEE experimented (and achieved) with creating tighter, more revealing clothes.

Last but not least was BAPY; a dramatic, and unexpected twist to end the collections. “The Office Essentials” theme serves the “Busy Working Lady.” It gave a new meaning to the employed woman with a wide range of corporate chic looks. There was also evening wear for as soon as you clock out for the day. Down the runway were sharp-tailored suits, plaid motifs, opulent dresses (including a wedding dress), workwear denim, and modern accessories with quality materials all-around.

Just as we thought the show was over, giant Bape Heads came out in the signature BAPE tracksuit…this time with inflatable wings, BAPE chains, and sneakers.

There will be a limited edition merch to commemorate BAPE’s 30th anniversary available on July 1 in BAPE stores and online. The collection includes t-shirts, baseball caps, totes, towels, stickers, and badges.

Fashion

Lust Travels from Paris to New York

June 29, 2023

Love. Desire. Sensuality. Sex. “Lust,” as a concept, is a Dionysian display of queer power. Ludovic de Saint Sernin’s Spring/Summer 24 collection celebrates the joy and individuality inherent to the queer experience. In the face of societal attempts to push a censored, purist, and palatable vision of queerness, LdSS responds with “a wardrobe imbued with a libidinal elegance,” that celebrates sexuality instead of suppressing it.

The looks play on duality, reflecting Saint Sernin’s history in androgynous design. Gender lines are blurred and traditional fashion standards are uprooted. The mini skirt is no longer exclusively feminine, becoming the universal garment of hotness it was always meant to be. Shirts open, a sense of summery ease fills the runway, and collarbones become the erogenous zone of the season.

Text Izzy Capulong
Runway photos courtesy of Ludovic de Saint Sernin, Party photos by Christos Katsiaouni

After the show in Paris, Nick Vogelson, Ana Kirova, and Ludovic de Saint Sernin, who lead Document Journal, Feeld, and LdSS respectively, came together to commemorate Pride and celebrate LdSS Spring/Summer 2024 presentation. They, along with co-host Mia Khalifa, gathered at the Times Square EDITION, where they warmly welcomed a mix of familiar faces and new acquaintances.

Leather meets airy fabrics, with flowing see-through mermaid skirts paired with BDSM-reminiscent leather bodices. The Lust looks are meant to entice, transforming models into sirens emerging from the ocean, but remind viewers that softness does not always mean safety. “Look, but touch at your own risk.” The most striking look was the fully sheer gown, expertly bunched and perfectly mimicking a wet look; LdSS has this siren thing down.

Lust’s jewelry comes out of a collaboration with the brand Vagujhelyi, New York-based artist Diego Villarreal Vagujhelyi. Made of white brass, the pieces once again pull inspiration from BDSM, an often-shunned component of queer history and community. Discipline chokers, courtship cuffs, and knuckle rings remind us of the eroticism inherent in the trusting act of surrender, and the declaration of autonomy that comes with willingly submitting control. At its heart, Lust is an ode to those who refuse to abstain from pleasure, for those who refuse to censor themselves, for sirens, and for those who love to be wet.

Fashion

Jacquemus Fall 2023 Collection: Le Chouchou is Royalty Reimagined

For Spring/Summer 2020, Jacquemus paid homage to quaint country living by presenting at a lush lavender field situated in the South of France. For Fall 2022, guests were transported to what felt like a strange planet painted in white, the salt marshes of Aigues-Mortes — a nod to a new chapter for the brand, a carte blanche if you will. This season, guests arrived at the esteemed Palace of Versailles, where they were guided by boat to a cherry-red runway. This royal treatment only seemed fitting, as the collection revealed nods to some of the Palace’s most regal guests: Marie Antoinette and Princess Diana.

The “balletcore” trend has dominated social media over the past year, but where the fad often falls flat is in properly referencing traditional ballet elements, Jacquemus assured that the proper historic relevance was provided in each design, while still managing to permeate every look with a sense of modern playfulness. Coquette adornments ooze from every element, many of which are outfitted in lace and accented by elongated ribbons. These delicate details are effortlessly balanced by just the right amount of contrast: sultry sheerness and the sans-pants phenomenon that continues to prevail within many House’s collections.

Between a baby pink, red, and gentle white color palette, precisely tailored suiting, fanciful ruffled frocks, micro-tutus, square-toed ballet-slipper inspired pumps — and the literal cherry on top — imaginative cherry-shaped baubles, Jacquemus presented a new interpretation of regality that the Palace of Versailles has never seen.

Take a look at the entire collection below.