Next up to feature on our BLUP 50 list is Jermaine Robinson, creative consultant and stylist who has worked with artists including KSI and Kaleem Taylor. He has explored new narratives through fashion styling since he was 16 and has developed a unique perspective in styling within commercial, fashion, film and music.

We delved into Jermaine’s story to discover more about his influences, style in his journey so far.

// DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN ONE WORD

Character.

// HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE TODAY?

My friend in the US says it is Goth Girl. Kind of makes sense as recently I wore a gold cross necklace layered on top with a silver cuban chain, black leather waistcoat, denim quarter length shorts and Black Sabbath DC skating trainers. I guess he’s right!  Shouts to Venus X also!

// HOW DID YOU BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY INTO FASHION AND FREELANCE STYLING?

I assisted both Anna Trevelyn and Matthew Josephs for various projects at the beginning. Then I was flown to Italy to assist Avena Gallagher as a dresser at the Teflar Pitti Uomo show which was hands down the best fashion experience I have had outside London. The afterparty was fucking great as it was in a castle in Florence! I tons of cool people some of which I am still in contact with – Although I was styling freelance the entire time whilst assitings, my career started as a stylist primarily in the music biz around 2019 but since it’s crossed over into more commercial, editorial and film.

// BEING ON YOUR CREATIVE JOURNEY SO FAR, WHAT’S ONE THING YOU WOULD TELL YOUR YOUNGER SELF?

I 100% would say to him to believe in yourself. You’re enough!

// WHAT’S YOU GO-TO SONG RIGHT NOW (OF 2022)?

Miss The Rage (feat. Playboi Carti) – Trippie Redd.

// WHAT’S A MOMENT OR PIECE OF WORK YOU’RE MOST PROUD OF?

I‘m proud of the job I styled for the Nike x Thiiird Magazine. Styling a Nike campaign is like unlocking a new level in a game as a stylist. It was something that was on my bucket list since the beginning of my career. Aside from that, the project was very special too. Styling outside of the entertainment industry is always a felt good feeling especially if it within the community as it feels very grassrootsish similar to the spirit of giving back.

// HOW HAVE YOU SPOILED YOURSELF THIS YEAR?

No 🙁 I haven’t spoiled myself although I am away most of September. That’s this year’s treat to myself.

// YOU’VE BEEN INVITED TO THE MET GALA 2023…WHAT YOU WEARING?

Invited to the Met Gala 2023? Lol I’m probably going to say Diesel (although costume made), it’s my favourite brand right now!

// IF YOU COULD COLLABORATE WITH ANY BRAND OF YOUR CHOICE, WHICH ONE WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

If I could collaborate with any brand or person right now? I’m a big fan of Steven Klein’’s photographer work. Would love to work with him on something maybe, one day.

// WHAT’S RECENTLY CAUGHT YOUR ATTENTION ON INSTAGRAM / TIKTOK?

@_ikeuchi – I came across the Japanese artist, designer and model on Instagram from a Metal Magazine editorial. His works are really fascinating to me! Research says he is globally renowned for his high-tech futuristic designs, modern accessories and robotic figures that shake our rudimentary grasp of electronic or computerized gadgets.

// WHAT EXCITING PLANS OR THINGS ARE ON JERMAINE’S 2022/23 BUCKET LIST?

Haha I can’t tell you that. You’ll have to see once they are manifested.

// WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO CONTINUE IN YOUR CRAFT?

It’s the desire to continue going, being a freelancer is no joke however September I will be approaching three years as a stylist and creative consultant that alone will have me going further, it’s more the long term win that continues to keep me motivated.

FOLLOW JERMAINE’S JOURNEY

Instagram: @jermainerrobinson

TikTok @jermainericardorobinson

Website: www.cargocollective.com/jermainerobinson

The long awaited Travis Scott comeback is well underway with the release of another Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 collaboration. Following his collaborative capsule with Dior, the American star is back with the Travis Scott Air Jordan 1 Low Reverse Mocha.

Reminiscent of the Air Jordan 1 High Mocha that launched in November 2019, the Reverse Mocha implements a similar off-white colour palette.

The name takes inspiration from the shoes mocha colour scheme, presenting a reversed take on the Dark Mocha featuring inverted colour blocking. Released on July 21st, the sneaker capped in at a retail price of $150 with sale prices up to $1,450 on GOAT, a relevant resale market. Streetwear marketplace, Stadium Goods, currently has a size 10 listed at a whopping $3,089.

In addition to the shoe, La Flame and the Nike division have also released a collection to partner the sneaker. The Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low OG Reverse Mocha Cactus Jack Collection plays on the colour scheme of the new release with a unique combination of collage design aesthetics focused on artefacts decorated with splashes of paint and fragments of typography. The range includes T-shirts, hoodies, shorts, accessories and various other items of clothing.

This limited time collection is currently priced between $45 and $300, available exclusively on the Travis Scott Cactus Jack website.

Written by Nick Holdsworth

Next on our BLUP 50 list is London’s Riya Hollings, but a Berlin-based director and photographer. Coming from a fashion editorial background, her style of photography is seductive and surreal. Moving fluidly through genres, she is able to build visual narratives and unique concepts for commercials and clients which include Revolut, Sony, Warner Music. Universal and Atlantic Records.

We delved into Riya’s story to discover her stimulative aesthetic which fuses film and digital to create a kaleidoscope of thought provoking imagery, blending lucid colour and dynamic movement with an atmospheric feel.

// DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN ONE WORD

Driven.

// TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT YOURSELF

My background is in fashion where I completed a design degree at the University of Leeds and then decided to move to London to ‘find myself’. I started interning for a few major fashion players, working on editorials for the likes of POP, LOVE, iD, DAZED, PONYSTEP to name a few. While I was keen to pursue my career in fashion, the underground club photography I had been doing through university had started to lead onto bigger things. I soon decided that I wanted to merge this gap and start shooting the music artists I was working with in a more editorial way. I still continued with my styling alongside the photography and integrated a lot of it into my current portfolio.

Since the end of 2020 I moved to Berlin to write and direct my first short film ‘CHOKE’ which is currently in post production. Alongside directing music videos for Universal Berlin, I have now decided to focus my energy on directing, alongside my photography, and I’m currently in discussions with a few creative representatives for this.

// HOW DID YOU BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY IN PHOTOGRAPHY AND WHAT HELPED GROW YOUR PASSION FOR IT?

I worked in nightclubs for over a decade, capturing the dark atmosphere and energy of the people within it. It felt as though I existed only at night. I was drawn to the lifestyle of working in clubs, it was addictive. The coloured lighting, lasers, strobes, smoke, the sweat on peoples skin, it felt strangely like home. I carry a lot of this energy into my work today and will always be the root of my inspiration. My passion for visual art is never ending, it is a constant evolution. Its multifaceted nature keeps me constantly engaged, it’s like a drug you want to keep on chasing.

// BEING ON YOUR CREATIVE JOURNEY SO FAR, WHAT’S ONE THING YOU WOULD TELL YOUR YOUNGER SELF?

Leeds was a great university and I really got to know a lot about myself there. However if you know that this type of career is really what you want to do, try and get yourself into a London school from the get go. The connections you will make through schools such as CSM or LCF could be invaluable to your career as an artist. If university is not the path for you, going straight into an internship is also an amazing thing to do.

// WHAT’S YOU GO-TO SONG RIGHT NOW (OF 2022)?

That is a super hard question aha – currently listening to FKA twigs’ Caprisongs, Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, and Kia Ora 10’s Spellspellspell.

// WHAT’S A MOMENT OR PIECE OF WORK YOU’RE MOST PROUD OF?

My short film CHOKE. CHOKE is a  prospective dream of eventuality. A short film set in Berlin 2222. This is a story of perpetual escapism and enlightenment, blurring the lines between a conscious reality and simulated fantasy. ‘Life perpetuates itself through diversity. Neither modern science or philosophy can explain what life is. DNA is just a program designed to preserve itself.’ This is the new age of consciousness.   

I wanted to make a film with homage to my favourite old sci-fi movies. When I was 6 years old I stole my dad’s VHS copy of Blade Runner. I watched it repeatedly in secret, it felt so bad, I was obsessed with it.

When I moved to Berlin at the end of 2020 I was completely lost and felt like I didn’t belong anywhere. I spent months during lockdown alone in my flat, a new existence that felt so foreign to the one I had before. The brutalist nature of the city, its wild weather and unpredictable terrain, it changed something in me. It gave me the clarity I needed to push forward. Inspired by this stark and bleak environment, it was the visual direction I had been searching for. I feel like at the time, the film was an honest expression of my past and present realities combined. I am looking forward to sharing more about it with everyone soon!

// IF YOU COULD SPEND A DAY & ENJOY DINNER WITH ANY PERSON IN YOUR INDUSTRY TO PICK THEIR BRAINS, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

Probably Tarantino.

// WHAT’S THE NEXT ITEM ON YOUR WISHLIST?

I actually just bought a Sony Handycam DCR-TRV265E Digital 8 to replace my older model. Something that had been on my wish list for a while.

// IF YOU COULD COLLABORATE WITH ANY BRAND OF YOUR CHOICE, WHICH ONE WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

Difficult question. I really want to get into making car adverts so I guess Tesler would be a good fit with the current climate.

// WHAT’S RECENTLY CAUGHT YOUR ATTENTION ON INSTAGRAM / TIKTOK?

I try and stay away from social media as much as possible but of course it is part of the gig to stay relevant. I do however enjoy the profiles of @diet_prada & @iamfuckingmagic

// LOVED YOUR RECENT WORK WITH REVOLUT AND SAMSUNG…SO WE’D LOVE TO KNOW WHAT ELSE HAS PERSONALLY CAUGHT YOUR ATTENTION IN THE TECH SPACE SO FAR THIS YEAR?

I am really inspired by brands who are utilising sustainable energy as part of their ethos and product direction. This is something I would like to be more involved in. Creating narratives with ideas of a greener future, and how by using technology we can open our minds to the endless resources and possibilities available to us.

// DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING EXCITING IN THE MAKING FOR 2022/2023 THAT WE SHOULD KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR?

My new film CHOKE – Watch this space.

// WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO CONTINUE IN YOUR CRAFT?

Like most things, if you are addicted to it, you keep doing it. I think this is a healthy thing though aha.

FOLLOW RIYA’S JOURNEY

Instagram: @riyahollings

Website: www.riyahollings.com