She Means Business

October 15, 2020

Dollar signs. That's all any of us wanna see these days, right? Whether you're cashing in physical bills at the bank, transferring that Venmo payment, or mining for Bitcoin (is that how that works?), it doesn't really matter—we all just wanna secure the bag one way or another.

And being in isolation has shifted the economy toward the digital realm, on one hand closing the door to our old ways of making money, but on the other, opening up the possibilities of how we boost our bank account. Brooklyn based it-girl Dylan Ali and art director Demarcus Johnson portray this shift in their office-exclusive editorial entitled "She Means Business."

Text by Ivan Guzman
Photos & Creative Production by Stephen Velastegui
Art Direction & Styling by Demarcus Johnson
Hair by Lamesha Mosley
Models: Dylan Ali, Bennie, and Demmy

In it, Ali shares a sinister smile with the webcam on a Zoom call. She backbends amidst tangled up cables, computer keyboards, and documents. She stands boldly in between her male model counterparts, as they kneel beside her with dollar bill roses stuffed in their mouths.

In the words of Nicki Minaj, she's not a business woman—she's a business, woman!

Check out the editorial, as well as Dylan's exclusive mix, below.

Top left & right — Boot by DUALITY JUNKIE, all other clothing stylist's own

Bottom left — Dress by BOBBY DAY, chain thong by DUALITY JUNKIE, hair unit by STEPHANIE GEORGE

Bottom right — Gloves and tights by BOBBY DAY, hair unit by STEPHANIE GEORGE, top and boots stylist's own

Left — Bra by DUALITY JUNKIE

Fashion

TEMET: If Skims Met Skins

November 04, 2024

I often wonder where the first “afters” happened — whether it was right here in New York or somewhere else. The afters: that hazy, half-lit party that stretches into the morning, more intimate than dancing skin-to-skin with someone you just met, where the crowd thins to only those willing to let the night bleed into morning. Here, you get to watch the sunrise together too.

But today, no matter where you go in the world, if you're at a rave or DIY party, there's probably an afters. If you've never been to one, or don’t care to be, you’ve probably scrolled through your feed and seen that one story: morning sun flooding a cluttered living room, hot people still dancing, bodies tangled on a worn couch — lost in the aftermath of a night that refuses to end.

Creative Director Kiernan Francis
Designer TEMET
Photographer (Still) Alejandro Yullo
Director of Photography & Editor (Moving) Ava Papunen
Stylist Abby Bencie
Makeup Rory Alvarez
Casting Director Kiernan Francis
Lighting Director & Retoucher Lida Ramsay
Executive Producer Kiernan Francis
Associate Producer Ava Perman
Brand Producer Juanita
Soundtrack: "Revolution," Billy Doll (EXCLUSIVE RELEASE)
Makeup Assistant Kandi Milk
Fashion Assistant Jackson Prus
Production Assistant Peyton Nguyen
Production Assistant Emmanuel Delator
Production Assistant Axl Checho

This editorial for Chilean-based TEMET, a brand deeply woven into the underground music and nightlife scene, captures that noctural alchemy. Creative directed by New York’s own Kiernan Francis, the shoot draws inspiration from the afters’ electric liminality. Francis sought to celebrate the paradox of private and public life — where our truest selves might emerge within nightlife and fade into the versions of ourselves we show the world by daylight.

The cast was a mix of DJs, artists, and street-scouted creatives — some known to Francis from the scene, others discovered through social media. The styling leaned into shapewear as an experience, framed by a backdrop that evokes the afters: crowded couches, messy rooms, and the chaos of a night extending into morning. The result? A series that feels like SKIMS meeting Skins UK.

Watch the video below.

Fashion

Nikolaj Hansson Joins Diadora Legacy as Creative Director

October 31, 2024

Diadora's appointment of Danish designer Nikolaj Hansson as Creative Director for its Legacy line signals a fresh chapter for the brand. Known for his Copenhagen-based label Palmes, Hansson’s connection to Diadora began in childhood, admiring the brand’s iconic boots on Premier League defenders. Now, his deep respect for Diadora’s heritage and his vision for merging craftsmanship with progressive design will shape the brand’s premium Legacy line.

His first collection launching in Fall/Winter 2025, will blend his design ethos with Diadora’s storied history, tapping into both the brand’s past and a modern sensibility. Diadora’s CEO, Claudio Bora, shares Nikolaj Hansson's vision of sport as an emotional, daily experience, aiming to create apparel that resonates with the spirit of sport itself. As Hansson says, "the falling in love was mutual," and together, they aim to reignite that spark in a new generation of fans.