YOUTHQUAKE

Gen-Z creators are pushing the conversation forward in ways both awe-inspiring and audacious.

Simon Wick Is Bridging the Gap Between Workwear and Sustainability

Photo: Clement Mogensen

Denmark is consistently ranked one of the happiest countries in the world, and Simon Wick, co-founder of the work- and streetwear brand (di)vision, is one of the its cheeriest inhabitants.

“My most important value is being happy,” said the 25 year old on a call from the capital, “and with that comes doing things that make you happy, and with doing things that make you happy comes making things that you’re proud of making and you can look yourself in the eye.

Shay Zanco Is the Israeli Model Changing the Shape of the Industry

Shay Zanco is one of plus-size fashion’s fastest rising stars.

The 20-year-old Israeli model, who has over 180,000 Instagram followers and lives between Tel Aviv and London, has appeared in advertisements and campaigns for FarFetch and Asos; when we speak, she is just off the phone with her agents in New York about yet another contract.

The South African Pageant Queen Fighting for Trans Rights

In July 2021, Lehlogonolo Machaba made history as the first trans woman to make it to the top 30 finalists for South Africa's premier pageant, Miss South Africa.

While she did not make it to the pageant’s finale, her historical placement in the competition is one of Machaba’s favorite wins.

Not because of what it means for her career, but what it could mean for the future of South Africa’s trans community.

Momo Hassan-Odukale Is the Stylist With Trans-Continental Style

When stylist Morinsola “Momo” Hassan-Odukale returned to Nigeria in 2018 after nine years of studying in the United Kingdom, she decided to set a goal to see at least one new African country each year.

Her first trip took her to Ethiopia, where she was immersed in the country’s culture, and the experience changed her.

Almost four years later, she is still committed to this trip.

Shukri Lawrence Is Influencing the World With Middle Eastern Pop Culture

Shukri Lawrence, co-creator of the Palestinian label Trashy Clothing, has been a growing force in the Middle Eastern fashion world since 2017.

Lawrence and his co-designer, Omar Braika, have grown to viral popularity over the years with a combination of saucy fashion, cheeky pop-culture references, and political messages.

Meet Elodie Dérond, the Gen Z Cofounder of Buzzy Design Studio Ibiyanε

Photo: ibiyanε

Elodie Dérond’s creative process begins with a question simple in expression yet taxing in execution: “What do we want to share?”

For Dérond and her creative partner, Tania Doumbe Fines, that could be a bench made from laminated wood with curved legs or perhaps a stool with a leaf-like seat—anything that shows off “what we would like the world to appreciate, maybe more, or better.”

She’s already achieving her goal: this year, the 21-year-old’s work was displayed at Carpenter’s Workshop Gallery in New York City as part of their “New Guard: Stories from the New World” exhibition.

The 22-Year-Old Designer Flipping Thrifted Socks and Cables Into Heels

Blame William Shakespeare.

Early in lockdown, it became an adage—then a joke, then a cliché—that since he wrote King Lear during the plague, we could, too, channel our isolation into creative energy.

Model Jolie Alien Is Russia’s Youngest Rising Artist

Photo: Alexey Kiselve

Jolie Alien (Jenia Makarova) is no stranger to the modeling scene.

The 21-year-old Russian model has walked the runways of Valentino, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Simone Rocha, has appeared in campaigns for Fendi and Adidas, and has created artwork for Loewe.

While the young model has become a fixture on the runway, Alien has also become one of her country’s youngest rising artists.

Her artwork is packed with color, sometimes drawing directly from her experiences on the runway

Ashley Okoli Defines Lagos’s Coolest Subculture

Nigeria’s creative scene burst onto the global stage in 2016, when Drake’s song “One Dance,” featuring British singer Kyla and Nigerian afrobeats artist Wizkid was eventually named the “song of summer” by Billboard.

Since then, the community has thrived: Burna Boy has won a Grammy, Wizkid has received multiple global nominations, and Tiwa Savage has worked with Beyoncé, Brandy and more.

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