“I’m always thinking of new ways to style my hair. Sometimes I’ll dream of hairstyles and re-create them when I wake up.” —@tarachandra_ (Tara Chandra)
“I learned how to braid my own hair when I was 5. I remember practicing on a plaiting board every day at school. My signature elements are my two plaits that frame my face and the two lower, back plaits,” says the fashion and beauty creator, whose style extends to her eyeliner wings and love of accessories.
“My style, hair and makeup are a physical expression of how I feel each day — that’s why my style is always changing. I wear what I feel like wearing, and that’s how I show up in the world.”
Reel by @tarachandra_
Music by Kesh Kesh
Location: Sydney, Australia
“Emotionally naked and visually embracing” — that’s how @frankdorrey (Frank Dorrey) describes his art.
Using an editing app on his phone, Frank creates distorted and blurred collages that are a visceral exploration of color and form, and have an intimacy and immediacy born of a creative process — which means he can work whenever and wherever he wants.
“I’ve been making things my whole life, but I started doing digital works around 2018 and it’s stayed with me since. I think the moment that changed my process was when I realized how to reference my life in my work and that’s what took it from mindless fun to soul searching,” says the 23-year-old Haitian artist who is based in Linden, New Jersey. “I try to navigate as organically as possible while creating the works because I feel the digital aspect of things can easily depersonalize a lot of what I’m doing.”
“I’m really inspired by conjunctions. The work for me is so many things at once, but I ultimately see it as a catalyst to bring people together. The overall message of the work is to seek community and trust they will see you. The endless possibilities are what really excite me. My imagination can’t help but wonder what has yet to be discovered. It blows my mind how we can now manipulate digital work into something that feels beyond where it comes from.”
Art by @frankdorrey
Just checking my socials 🐦💙
Meet @lovebirdsandconures (Pico), a black-masked lovebird.
“Pico loves to watch videos of himself or other birds on Instagram,” says his human, Marchien. “He also gives little kisses or licks the screen if he sees something he likes.”
#WeeklyFluff
Reel by @lovebirdsandconures
Music by Dustin and Genevieve Ahkuoi
Location: Hemrik
“Laissez-nous rêver.” ✨💭✨
Let us dream. That’s the message of France’s @impulstar (Impulstar) Finale, which just celebrated its 11th year.
The annual street football event gives 14- to 16-year-olds from the suburbs the opportunity to have an audience of some of the country’s leading names in sports, music, dance and content, making way for those dreams to become a reality.
Join creators @mr_boris_becker (Boris Becker) and @jenybsg (Jeny Bonsenge) as they go head-to-head to see who should host. Then learn more and see highlights from the Impulstar Finale on today’s story. ⚽️ 💫
#HelloWorld
Artist and motion designer @v5mtv (V5MT) creates seamlessly looping animated GIFs that channel 80s/90s vibes with a street style aesthetic.
“I’m obsessed with experimental techniques of animation and expressive semi-generative drawing,” says V5MT, whose creative moniker refers to a part of the visual cortex, specifically a region of the brain responsible for the perception of motion.
“I have always been drawn to computer-generated art, but my breaking point was when I set up a blog back in 2010 and started making online art. Those art experiments were a motivation for me to learn new skills, especially 3D design and animation. Coming to the NFT space, I’ve learned about so many new things and reunited with old artists friends from the net-art years.”
V5MT’s recent work includes an NFT project generated from a series of GIFs inspired by old-school computer graphics, retro gaming and manga. “My idea was to have the algorithm shuffle my GIFs randomly and spread them on the canvas in defined ways generating unique compositions and with some rarity rules.
I think I will always keep on exploring new ways of creating animation and learning new tools and techniques and watching what is going on in the field.”
Videos by @v5mtv
“Never doubt the power of your unique voice. Your passion and authenticity resonates and reshapes reality. It’s the goal of oppressive systems to make us feel tired, and hopeless, to forget who we are. Joy, and recognizing your power, is an act of rebellion.” —Environmental and climate activist @mayasideas (Maya Penn)
At age 8, Maya started her journey as an activist. Today, all her work, including her role as the founder and CEO of an eco-fashion brand and her independent animation studio Upenndo!, merges grassroots activism, global change and the power and magic of art.
“I’m a solutions-based activist,” says Maya. “It’s so important for people to know what can be done because that fuels action, empowerment and hope. I grew up in an eco-conscious household, so environmental stewardship is all I’ve ever known. Also growing up in Georgia, a heart of the civil rights movement, I’ve had the honor of receiving wisdom from elders who paved the way for voices like mine to be heard.
We need societal, systemic and corporate change to reach a more sustainable and equitable world. The power of community, focusing on adaptability and intergenerational collaboration, is what will drive change.”
Photo by @mayasideas
🖤💗 @blackpinkofficial (BLACKPINK) is nominated for Group of the Year and is the first female K-pop act EVER to perform at the @vmas (#VMAs). ✨✨✨
Watch JISOO, JENNIE, ROSÉ, and LISA get ready and count down ahead of their big night in NYC.
Music by @blackpinkofficial
Location: New York, New York
“Gingerton”
@august_thegingercat (August) loves dressing up and posing for the camera. “Most of her clothes are made by her grandmother, who designs all her outfits,” says Imlinenla, August’s human. “We always try to get inspiration from movies or actresses, even though the designs are not that accurate.” 😸
#WeeklyFluff
Reel by @august_thegingercat
Music by @amaria_bb
Location: Gurugram
Some summer fits 🌪
Reel by @lucylooxi
Music by @outkast
✨🎡♥️ “For me, dancing in Paris is an amusement park. When I dance it’s like it’s a way to escape from real life, I’m free.” —@akamztweenty (Akamz)
Reel by @akamztweenty
Music by @rqlrod
Location: Paris, France
@beate.karlsson’s (Beate Karlsson) playful, out-of-this-world designs are a hybrid of art and fashion.
Her monstrous avant-garde footwear designs, which originated with her show “The Claws,” create new silhouettes by morphing the body and remixing it to a startling effect. “My ambition is to design pieces that push the concept of wearable products. I try to approach design as an inventor. I explore interesting concepts or shapes that I think can be a development of fashion as we know it,” says the Swedish fashion designer and creative director of @avavav (AVAVAV).
Beate traditionally worked with malleable, durable materials like clay, silicone and latex for her handcrafted sculptural pieces. While her limited-edition designs for AVAVAV pushed sustainable approaches, like using repurposed deadstock fabrics from luxury brands, she’s started designing in digital spaces. “We’ve started creating more of our pieces in 3D, mainly because it sometimes feels easier and less restricted creatively.
As a small niche player, I’ve felt its harder to make real change to the system. My goal is to implement sustainable methods correlating with expansion. Today, we are doing everything we can, but we hope to do much more as we grow. I believe in change and development. I think it’s a collective contribution, so I strive to inspire people to think new thoughts.”
Photos by @beate.karlsson
@mochihanfu’s (Chuyan Wang) ethereal looks share the beauty and culture behind traditional Chinese makeup and Han clothing, called Hanfu. “I enjoy doing historical looks inspired by the murals and art of the past, but I also love taking creative liberties to create modern looks inspired by the same art,” says Chuyan, who has turned her passion into a business with her shop @nuwahanfu.
“I got into Hanfu and traditional makeup during the pandemic. I was rewatching old Shanghai animations that I used to watch as a child. I went down a rabbit hole of constant research for months and months, then finally bought my first-ever Hanfu.
I want to challenge the preconceptions of Western beauty standards and show the world that there are so many versions of beauty depending on the culture. I take pride in showing people that and it makes me so happy to see the many people I inspire to do the same.”
Reel by @mochihanfu
Music by @willowsmith
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Smile. 😬
On today’s #WeeklyFluff meet @smilin_fin (Fin) — a mellow, gentle and a sweet hairless Chinese crested dog who is ready for his close-up.
Reel by @smilin_fin
Music by @tinaturner
Location: Los Angeles, California