Vanishing Points

June 17, 2022

As I walk down the radiating sidewalk, the perpetual heat pulsating through the soles of my sneakers, I take in the now mundane but none the less perfect relentlessness of the city’s holographic simulation-esc landscape.

The almost silent wizzing of a passing Tesla, who’s driver is deep in their phone, as their semi-automated vehicle plummets down Figueroa Street, Alo yoga out fits made to make the body look what we are told is perfect, a skateboarder rides past in all Supreme struggling to balance, a person who clearly has no home is covered in a deep layer of soot from the city's atmosphere which reflects the general ethos of the city which reflects the general dreams of America which reflects the demise of humanity bathing in opulence and ignorance.

Photos and text by Yudo Kurita
Styled by Shaojun Chen
Talent Byron Rod

Everyone passing by has became so accustomed to ignoring this person that they actually have became invisible to all people around them despite the severity of their appearance and obviousness of the desperation of their situation. But what can be done?

Sometimes it feels as if we have reached a space that is so obsessed with the pretend that it now has devoured reality and now that we have reached a new existence based in abstraction rather than meaning, that we can only stare deeper into the “digital” and turn away from the “natural.”

“Reality” has shown to be less valuable than “Fantasy.”

Left: Dress KIMHEKIM, scarf BOTTER. Right: Shirts, pants, coat, gloves, shoes CRAIG GREEN.

Left: Dress NOIR KEI NINOMIYA, shoes CRAIG GREEN. Right: Jacket, pants, shirt KUSIKOHC.

Sweater and shoes CRAIG GREEN, skirt MAISON MIHARA YASUHIRO.

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.