In 2014, while promoting her fifth novel, Buzzfeed asked Helen Oyeyemi if she could share one of her personal superstitions. “I can recommend wearing blue mascara whilst writing,” she said. “I'm telling you, it really adds something.” Oyeyemi’s career reflects that superstition: like colored mascara, her writing is quirky and unconventional. As an author, Oyeyemi refuses to allow her words to exist within a singular genre, culture, or aesthetic.
Music producer and visual artist Brandon Deener has just about done it all. From his extensive background in music to his career as an artist, Deener’s journey as a creative is deeply rooted.
Deener grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, where he first started his musical career in church, singing in the choir and playing the drums. Developing a deep passion for music, the artist began trying his hand at music production. He knew almost instantly that he found his passion. His ambitious determination and pure love of production left the multi-talented creative hurdling through the music industry, landing him a position in the studio with Timbaland as a protégé.
Paris-based photographer Paul Binam is not one to settle into the normalities of societal expectations. In fact, the photographer, videographer and fashion influencer makes it a point to stand out not only through his photography, but also through his fashion.
Siyana and Andy Huszar, the husband-and-wife duo behind Marcella NYC, approach their company with a dual purpose: to create sustainable garments for working women who desire to embrace their inner New York City cool-girl, and to utilize their profits to uplift and educate women across the world.
Chicago-reared blues band The 806 is shaking up the Nashville scene in a memorable way. The 5-piece band of siblings has garage-rock influences, and they create stacked sounds through the usage of bluesy instrumentals and the type of vocal harmonies that could only come from siblings. The passionate grit in their voices combined with the jazzy foundation of their songs creates a unique sound that can be heard through their many releases.
