Moncler unites emerging artists for a transatlantic exchange
To celebrate the launch of the Moncler x Alicia Keys collection, creatives from London and New York have come together for enlightening conversations on artistry, hustling and life in the big city.
In partnership with Moncler
Words: Olive Pometsey
Photography: Till Janz
Two cities, millions of dreams. New York and London may be almost 3,500 miles apart, but the spirit, the energy, the creative current that pulses through the streets is the same. It’s a dynamic of infinite possibilities and boundless ambition, inspiring the world’s greatest artists, from literary greats and subversive designers to chart-topping musicians such as Alicia Keys.
It makes sense, then, that the singer’s hometown serves as the inspiration for her new Moncler Genius collection. From the baggy silhouettes to the reflective vinyl textures, the spirit of the city is imbued throughout each piece, with a bold colour palette of green, silver, red and Key’s signature purple to ensure you always stand out on the streets. It’s a uniform for the city’s dreamers, an ode to New York’s diverse cultural history designed with the next-gen of creatives in mind.
But Keys isn’t taking centre stage here. The nine-times Grammy winner has instead passed on the baton to eight emerging creatives, four from both London and New York, for a shoot to celebrate the collection’s launch, separate from the brand’s main campaign. Think of it as a meeting of minds. From photographers to DJs, musicians to multi-hyphenates, each person has been matched with their artistic doppelganger from the other side of the pond, for a transatlantic exchange of hopes and ideas.
As they discovered when they met in London for the photoshoot, these creatives are separated only by geography. They all have the unrelenting grit and determination it takes to succeed, and an appetite for culture that thrives in the big city. But most importantly, they share the ability to dream the impossible – then make it happen.
Finding inspiration in the city
There’s no shortage of inspiration in New York and London. Creativity can manifest itself in a million different ways, from a melody hummed on the tube to a doodle inspired by sunsets in the park. Multi-hyphenate Briana Michelle and saxophonist Anna Adetiba know this better than most. Their artistry feeds off the vibrant communities in their cities, syncing with the rhythm of the streets to birth new ideas. The city is their canvas.
Briana Michelle
How has New York shaped who you are?
It just has a way of exposing you to so many people, personalities and ways of life. So it forces you to really figure out where you fit in and how to use that to your advantage. It grinds you into the person you’re becoming.
Where in the city do you feel most inspired?
I love to find places to people watch. There’s a few parks I like to go to around like the Flatiron building, especially in the summertime. There’s a little playground right on the corner of my street where I’ve been going and feeling the sun on my skin. Lately, as well, just like being in my home has been really helpful to my creative process. It gives me a chance to ground and centre myself. Some of my strongest messages come through my visual art and a lot of it comes through my experiences with modelling, and my travels themselves inspire different songs. I was in London two summers ago and [I have a song that’s] very punky, how I envision the energy of London.
How do you see New York evolving creatively in the next few years?
Personally, [I’m excited about] getting to see how Black creatives continue to make space and shine in their own ways. I look forward to seeing the ballet that Solange composed for coming this May. I’m feeling this fresh energy that gives me hope for my creative process.
What have you learned from working on the Moncler x Alicia Keys project?
It was really amazing. Getting to be at the event [in London during Fashion Week] – it was so imaginative. It showed me what people are capable of when you have an idea and you have that conviction. [During the shoot] I felt so strong in my purpose. It was really inspiring to be able to talk to the other models on set and have this shared understanding of our relationship with art.
What’s better: a New York bodega or a London bossman chicken shop?
Definitely a New York bodega! You can really get anything. One time I was able to find Jamaican jerk sausages from a local company. I was like, “where would I ever find this anywhere else?”
Anna Adetiba
In what way has London shaped who you are?
London’s my city. I’ve grown up here in Camden and I went to university here as well. I’ve bounced between different parts of the city and different communities. When you move around the city a lot, it shows you how much of a massive Metropolitan entity it is.
Where in the city do you feel most inspired?
I help to run a music collective called Common Sound. The whole ethos is about [having] conversations through music and being an egoless space for people to come and share their ideas. We run a jam every two weeks on a Wednesday at MAP Cafe in Kentish Town. That would be my space. It’s just always such a good vibe.
How do you see London evolving creatively in the next few years?
I’m really interested in the way Tom Misch and Marcos Valle, who’s a Brazilian artist, have done a couple of collaborations together and are bringing that South American sound to the UK. It’s happening in all directions, also with Afrobeats coming into the UK. There’s like a really nice play of UK artists reaching out to different cultures and countries and reinterpreting it. It will be really cool to see how that’s balanced with not ripping off artists – finding a way to bring everyone up through worldwide collaboration.
What have you learned from working on the Moncler x Alicia Keys project?
It was really cool to meet everyone from New York and see what the atmosphere and vibe was with us all brought together. I don’t actually know too much about New York – I’ve never been before – and it’s cool to see the little differences. It was nice to bring that all together. We were all kind of figuring out how we’re different and how we’re similar.
Favourite memory on the tube?
A few weeks ago, I was sitting next to a woman who wasn’t from London and we had a really nice chat. She told me about what she was having for dinner and I told her where I was going. In London, not many people have the balls to talk to people, or make eye contact. It was refreshing. It’s nice to think outside your own box and recognise that there are so many interweaving lives going on in a city.
Creative roots
Biologists still haven’t come to a consensus on the whole nature vs. nature debate, but singer-songwriters Annahstasia and Ilselena provide a pretty good case study. Their artistry was born at home, energised and nourished by the people who raised them – Annahstasia’s parents are fashion designers, while Ilselena’s dad is better known as musician Kid Creole. Freedom of self-expression is their heritage; the beat is in their blood.
Annahstasia
In what way has New York shaped who you are?
It’s forced me to be very intentional about my time and my energy, where I’m placing that and forming a community. But the great thing about New York is that if you’re looking for it hard enough, you’ll find it.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from your creative parents?
That being an artist is not easy! It’s not a chill job. My parents instilled in me that I had to in some way earn being called an artist through process, dedication and the execution of your ideas. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a fashion designer like my parents, but they advised strongly against it and told me to literally do anything else. The irony is that I entered the only industry harder than fashion.
What’s your favourite memory of growing up in a creative household?
Every Halloween and birthday, my mum would make some element of [my outfit] from scratch. I loved the children’s book The Rainbow Fish and one year she made a Rainbow Fish pinata from scratch and made everybody silkscreen T‑shirts with “Annahstasia’s 6th Birthday” on them as party favours. One year she made all of our dance costumes and we stayed up all night bedazzling and tie-dying them together. Everything was just so imbued with love.
How does your heritage and upbringing influence your songwriting?
I approach songwriting the same way – I put a lot of intention and love behind it. I see it as my future self talking to my present self. Sometimes I might not understand what the story is about, because it hasn’t happened yet. The way that I was brought up, [I learned that] the next step from accepting the creativity as it flows through you is to then hone it, craft it and mould it into something that will stand the test of time.
What are your life hacks for living in the city?
Be fluid. Don’t feel like you need to stick to a plan because New York’s gonna throw a wrench in it! It’s a balance between limiting your expectations and being open for anything to happen. Moving through life like water.
Describe New York in three words…
Invigorating, humbling, mysterious.
Ilselena
In what way has London shaped who you are?
I love how chaotic and busy London is. I moved from Denmark when I was about 10, which was the complete opposite. Everything was happening in London. That’s where [I felt like] I could reach my dreams and goals. It’s definitely working.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from your creative parents?
My dad has helped me with my whole journey so far, through thick and thin. He’s been on Zooms with me and he’s given me the advice I need to hear – he’ll just say it how it is. He always gives me these chats about the music world and the modelling world. He’s been there, done that, so it’s great that I’ve got that person to carry me through.
What’s your favourite memory of growing up in a creative household?
I’ve got a lot of siblings – I’m one of eight – so when we’d do holidays together, dad would get the guitar out and we’d all make up some random song. Whether it’s good or bad, it would be so much fun to all be singing, with my brother rapping, and harmonising with each other. And whenever my dad performs, we always try to get as many siblings as possible to go and watch him. We’re all together and singing his songs. It’s the best feeling.
How does your heritage and upbringing influence your songwriting?
I songwrite with my brother a lot of the time. I’ve always had a very open relationship with all of my family, so when I want to songwrite, if there’s a story I want to tell or something, my brother is there to listen and hear me out. I love that I have that bond with him. I’m very lucky to be able to share my music with my family.
What are your life hacks for living in the city?
London’s actually a lot smaller than you think. I’ve learned that everyone’s the same here: we’re all like hustling, we’re all trying as hard as we can to make it in the city. I always keep that in mind. It’s super chaotic, but I wouldn’t want any other way. The same with New York. I’m such a city girl at heart.
Describe London in three words…
Energetic, bright and chaotic.
Transatlantic moves
People travel from every corner of the world to get to London and New York. But the journey is just as important as the destination. Case in point: photographer and writer Ahmad Cisse, whose work unites influences from his upbringing in Senegal and Detroit with his more recent experiences as a New Yorker. London-based Randy Agyemang, on the other hand, keeps dancefloors moving with eclectic DJ sets, having trained his ear for global beats during his childhood in Germany. It doesn’t matter which city, country or continent they’re in, though. Creativity always follows.
Ahmad Cisse
In what way has New York shaped who you are?
It’s forced me to be very intentional about my time and my energy, where I’m placing that and forming a community. But the great thing about New York is that if you’re looking for it hard enough, you’ll find it.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from your creative parents?
That being an artist is not easy! It’s not a chill job. My parents instilled in me that I had to in some way earn being called an artist through process, dedication and the execution of your ideas. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a fashion designer like my parents, but they advised strongly against it and told me to literally do anything else. The irony is that I entered the only industry harder than fashion.
What’s your favourite memory of growing up in a creative household?
Every Halloween and birthday, my mum would make some element of [my outfit] from scratch. I loved the children’s book The Rainbow Fish and one year she made a Rainbow Fish pinata from scratch and made everybody silkscreen T‑shirts with “Annahstasia’s 6th Birthday” on them as party favours. One year she made all of our dance costumes and we stayed up all night bedazzling and tie-dying them together. Everything was just so imbued with love.
How does your heritage and upbringing influence your songwriting?
I approach songwriting the same way – I put a lot of intention and love behind it. I see it as my future self talking to my present self. Sometimes I might not understand what the story is about, because it hasn’t happened yet. The way that I was brought up, [I learned that] the next step from accepting the creativity as it flows through you is to then hone it, craft it and mould it into something that will stand the test of time.
What are your life hacks for living in the city?
Be fluid. Don’t feel like you need to stick to a plan because New York’s gonna throw a wrench in it! It’s a balance between limiting your expectations and being open for anything to happen. Moving through life like water.
Describe New York in three words…
Invigorating, humbling, mysterious.
Randy Agyemang
In what way has London shaped who you are?
My parents decided to move to London when I was 12. The city was always bustling. One day I’d be at a hip-hop party, the next day I could be at an alternative rock gig. It shaped me to appreciate different sounds and understand people from different backgrounds.
What was life like in Germany?
In Germany, there’s a massive Ghanaian community, which is my background. But even though there was diversity of race, there wasn’t a diversity of cultures. That parallel made me discover so much more sound when I first landed [in the UK], because I had been growing up with Ghanaian hall parties. Coming to the UK and meeting Caribbean people, people of all cultures [opened my eyes]. Recently, a person introduced me to Pakistani garage and that blew my mind.
How did growing up between two cultures shape your creative perspective?
Growing up in a sort of monotonous culture, when you move to London and you realise there’s so much more out there, it keeps you hungry. Sometimes when you grow up in a culture your whole life, you don’t appreciate its full value. But when you step into a place as fast moving and dynamic as London, it’s like, “Wow, this is the greatest thing ever.” I guess you chase the curiosity a bit more. It’s definitely affected my DJ style. DJing, for me, is 50 per cent entertaining and 50 per cent educating, like, “Yo, if you’re vibing with this, have you heard this before?”
What does “home” mean to you?
When I think of home, I don’t think of location. Last summer, as weird as it sounds, the club felt like home. It was never like, “this is my favourite club that’s home.” It was the atmosphere of being in the club and hearing a DJ you don’t know bringing a sound you don’t know. Home is ever changing. It’s wherever you feel comfortable and inspired.
Are you a Londoner for life now?
Londoner for life, 100 per cent. It’s the city where my heart lies, what keeps me inspired.
What do you do when you feel alone in the big city?
It’s so great to have creators and friends around you who inspire you. A lot of times in my support network, [it’s things like] going for dinner. To me, it’s knowing the support network’s around me and tapping into that, and also being there for them just as much.
Credits
Photographer Till Janz Creative Director, Commercial Sian O’Flaherty Creative Lead Cassandra Joseph Moncler Future Academy Creatives Lourice J Ramos, Marcus Austin, Tia Tierney, Quinn Lovero Strategist Leo Robins Stylist Matthew Josephs Make Up Fey Carla Hair Shamara Roper Movement Director Kane‑K Commissioning Producer Adam Lilley Producer Katherine Bampton Post production Till Janz Studio
