IRIS Covet Book

SCREEN TEST: CAMI, BRENDA & ERIN BY MARCUS DERRICOTTÉ

Cami Opp @camilleopp at Wilhelmina

Photos: Marcus Derricotté @mderricotte

Makeup : Madison Personette @madisonpersonette

Hair: Stefani Annaliese @stefaniannaliese

Stylist: Memsor @memsor

Models: Cami Opp @camilleopp at Wilhelmina

Brenda @brendamutoni at MUSE

Erin @erineliopulos at Next

Brenda @brendamutoni at MUSE models

Erin @erineliopulos at Next models

DIGITAL COVER: ARGENTINE RAPPER/SINGER NICKI NICOLE

Photographer: Brendan Wixted
Styling: Jacquie Trevizo
Creative Direction: Jacquie Trevizo x Marc Sifuentes
Styling Assistant: Tatiana Isshac
Hair and Makeup: Pablo Rivera
Production: Jacquie Trevizo x Jordan Frazes / Location: Vault Place Miami

Nicki Nicole is set to claim her spot as a wunderkind of the latin music scene. The Argentine rapper/singer’s career is a modern example of how social media has changed the music industry, with over 10 million followers on Instagram and a devoted fan base who in many cases push her Youtube video stream views over 30 million. In the span of two short years, the 21 year old Argentine artist has fine-tuned her musical aesthetic, blending traditional R&B with her trap music roots to create a trademark sound that is all her own. Nicole has already garnered the respect of veteran recording artists jockeying for their place to be a part of her next chart topping musical collaboration. Record industry establishments such as the Latin Grammy’s have honored Nicole with a nomination for Best New Artist and Billboard Magazine charted five of Nicole’s hits in their Hot 100 Chart. All this, in addition to her live performance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and her profile piece in American Vogue, help solidify Nicole’s path to her dream of making music from the heart.

For her exclusive Iris Covet Book Digital cover, Nicki chatted with singer-songwriter Tkay Maidza about the women that inspire her, why she took her time producing her upcoming sophomore album, “Parte De Mi” and her post lockdown tour plans.

Listen to the new album “Parte De Mí” from the Latin Grammy nominated artist when it goes live October 28th at 6pm ET on all music streaming platforms! Listen to the title-track and watch the video here.

Corset: Serpenti , Head Scarf: via The Confessional Showroom Miami, Necklace: Betsey Johnson , Earrings: via TATA PR , Jeans: MTSZ via PR Solo

Tkay Maidza: How did you first fall in love with American hip hop music?

Nicki Nicole: I have always listened to American Hip Hop, but I think that I fell in love with it when I was about 15, 16 years old. I saw it for the first time on MTV when I was super young, and since then I’ve always been very attracted to it. But yes, I think I fully became infatuated with it when I was a teenager.

TM: I read that you started rapping around age 15 or 16. Did you ever write or experiment with other types of music before you started rapping?

NN: When I started making music I tried out all types of different styles. But I think I realized that the one that best suited me to evolve in my music was hip hop and freestyle. I started at 15, 16, and I think that was the time where I evolved my style the most as an artist.

Top: Zadig & Voltaire , Pants: Louis Vuitton , Earrings: Tiffany & Co

TM: Do you remember any of your first bars from that age?

NN: It’s difficult to remember specific bars now, but my first song “Wapo Traketero” is part of that first phase in my career where I fell in love with hip hop. I think that song describes perfectly what that moment was.

TM: What made you pick up the pen and actually write your own lyrics for the first time?

NN: I think mainly it was the desire to say things in a different way. It happened to me often that I was very reserved with my inner circle, and when I started writing I became quite open. So I prefered to say things that way, and that eventually led me to make music and made me who I am today.

Pant Suit: ABODE via Brooklyn PR, Bra: Honey Birdette via BLK PR, Earrings: Alexis Bittar

TM: Was there a big life event that happened, which caused you to feel the need to express yourself in a new way or were you just inspired by all the music you were hearing at the time?

NN: At the beginning everything that came out was from different inspirations, because I was very young and had little life experience to talk about. But as I grew older and lived through many different things, I started to write more about my own life.

Bustier: Angelika Jozefczyk via PR Solo, Shorts: Louis Vuitton , Earrings: LILOU PARIS @bemylilou via Brooklyn PR

TM: Who are some of your favorite American acts that influenced you early on in your career? What drew you to their music, persona or both?

NN: The ones I always listen to and that are a constant inspiration to me are Amy Winehouse, Rihanna, and Lil Kim. Beyond their music, I admire how they are as people, how they carry themselves as women, the life they each led and lead currently, they each truly are an inspiration to me in their own way. As for male artists, I really like Drake, Giveon… but out of everyone my favorite is Amy.

TM: How would you compare Argentinian hip hop to American hip hop?

NN: I think it’s impossible to compare the two. They have separate styles, processes, and evolutions that are completely different. They each have their own style and flow. I wouldn’t compare them in any way. They each stand out in their own way.

Corset: Serpenti , Head Scarf: via The Confessional Showroom Miami , Sunglasses: Futuremood , Earrings: via TATA PR

TM: Are there certain styles or techniques that you pick up (or enjoy) more from one or the other?

NN: As for genres of music, I have to say I love R&B, Funk and Jazz. I really love listening and creating those styles of music as well.

TM: In one of your past interviews, you said something really interesting about how you’re “never 100% sure of the music [you] release”, and how you feel like you could keep perfecting as a songwriter, that’s something I really relate to. I also have people around me that I trust to tell me when a song is done. Do you have specific people that you trust to help make the decision to call a song “finished”? Or is it more, “the deadline is coming up, now it’s time to wrap this up.”

NN: Yes. I have many people beyond my work who know me very well and whom I trust deeply. I usually show them my songs because they can give me their honest opinion, and it always helps me move forward in the process. Because of how I am, I feel that I could spend my whole life working on the same song because I get too into the details, and I feel that it is never enough. Therefore, having people I truly trust tell me when to stop, is always very important and helpful to me.

Pant Suit: Jovana Louis via PR Solo, Bra: Honey Birdette via BLK PR, Earrings: via TATA PR

TM: I heard that you’re currently working on your second album. Can you tell us anything about that yet?

NN: The album is coming out this year. It’s quite personal. It’s an album that has many rhythms, and also many different collaborations and special guests. I can’t wait for it to come out, to be able to show all these different sides of me and my music, and how it’s evolved.

Blouse: Simonett Shorts: MTSZ via PR Solo, Shoes: Freelance Paris via Maison Privee PR, Earrings: Lara Heems via @yayapublicity, Socks: Wolford

TM: How are you treating this project differently than your last body of work? It’s been 2 years since your last album, I imagine a lot has changed in your life since then.

NN: The first and second albums are quite different. “Recuerdos” was when I was just starting out, and all I wanted to do was release all the music I was making, without really worrying about having a definite concept or thinking about what could happen next. I just wanted to get my music out so that I could continue making more. With this album that’s coming out now, I was able to work on it with a lot more time. I let each song breath, not listening to them nonstop and obsessing over the details like I usually do. I worked on it and took my time and it allowed me to truly polish it and make it perfect in its own way. I think that’s the biggest difference, and I honestly cannot wait for it to come out.

Bra Top: Anouki via TATA PR, Skirt: Annakiki, Jacket: Louis Vuitton, Socks: Wolford, Shoes: Nike

TM: Now that touring is back (finally!), what are your dream venues and cities that you want to perform in?

NN: Mainly I am super excited to perform in Argentina. It is something that we had to hold off on due to the pandemic, so now that touring is back on I really can’t wait to perform in many cities in my own country. After that I would love to play in Spain, Mexico, and hopefully the US soon as well. I really can’t wait to get back on that stage.

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN TREAD SLICK PHOTOGRAPHY SERIES

Photo: Katie Burnett

Alexander McQueen is pleased to announce a new initiative inviting a
group of photographers based all over the world to capture the house’s
signature Tread Slick boot, taking inspiration from the natural world.
Always central to the McQueen universe, now more than ever the beauty
and strength of nature and its ability to adapt and regenerate is a symbol of
hope for the future.

Photographers included are both long-standing McQueen collaborators and
emerging talent. The brief to each of them was the same: to shoot the Tread
Slick boot in an environment that means something to them personally.

Those taking part are:

Katie Burnett – Images shot in Brooklyn, New York

Gwen Trannoy – Images shot in East London

Malick Bodian – Images shot in Lac rose, Sénégal

Charlie Gates – Images were shot in Hackney, East London

Max Farago – Images shot on Rock, Leo Carillo Beach in Malibu

William Waterworth – Images shot on the Jurassic Coast, Dorset

Photo: Gwen Trannoy

Photo: Malick Bodian

Photo: Charlie Gates

Photo: Max Farago

Photo: William Waterworth

JOHNNY SIBILLY STAR OF THE HBO MAX SERIES ‘HACKS’

Tank – COMME DES GARÇONS SHIRT, Shorts – BCALLA / Tank – COURRÈGES, Boxers – ERL

Photos and Grooming by Michael J. Fernandez using Glossier and Oribe

Styled by Dustin Ellis

Interview by Adnan Qiblawi

Between his near omnipresence on social media platforms and his full-throttle work ethic, Johnny Sibilly has formulated his own secret recipe for stardom, and he cooks it all up with a limp wrist. Sibilly first gained attention by doing hilarious character impressions on Instagram with his iconic persona Julissa, a loud, opinionated Latina who could have grown up down the block from Cardi B. He soon played the somber, important role of Billy Porter’s boyfriend and AIDS patient, Costas, on the iconic, queer-101 show, “Pose.” Last month, he landed at the Emmys thanks to his role alongside Jean Smart in HBO’s “Hacks,” where he plays Wilson, local water inspector and neighborhood babe. The show won three Emmys for best lead actress, outstanding writing and outstanding directing in a comedy series, three wins of its fifteen Emmy nominations in its first season. Earlier this month, it was announced that Sibilly would be joining the cast for Peacock TV’s reimagining of “Queer As Folk.” Adnan Qiblawi sat down with Sibilly to talk about Hollywood, his future, and staying true to himself.

Suit – Acne Studios, Tank – Comme des Garcons, Ring by Spinelli Kilcollin

From Instagram to Tiktok to Twitter, you’re pretty much everywhere on social media, sharing a quip, a sultry selfie, or a clip of you voguing. How do you keep up with it all?

Yeah, I love it! From a very early age being online was my safe haven. I wasn’t a fan of going outside and playing with the neighborhood kids because I’d get made fun of or feel inadequate. Whereas online, I could create my own experience of who I wanted to be in the world and how I wanted to navigate that, which I feel is a very queer thing to do. You can’t be yourself in the real world so you escape to the Internet.

I was a scared, shy kid, and it wasn’t until I joined drama that I opened up. When I do videos as myself these days, I’m cringing. But when I get to do it as a character, I’m more confident. Doing characters really opens things up. So many of the things I say as Julissa I’m celebrated for, but if I said them as myself, people would be like, “Oh shut up.”

This reminds me of a RuPaulism: “The power you can access in drag is also available to you out of drag.”

I’ve grown to feel powerful in who I am without any bells and whistles. But for me, as a gay man, feminine energy is strong energy. When I have the hair or the nails or the lash or even the lipstick, I feel empowered. When I first started doing Julissa, I got a lot of flak like, “Why are you making fun of women?”. I’m not making fun of women, this is actually just a part of who I am, and Julissa is a vessel for that. Also, there’s nothing wrong with how Julissa is. Sure, she’s hyper and loud and in your face, but there are a lot of women who are like that and they deserve to be represented too. The haters are revealing their own judgement.

Shirt – Collina Strada

Growing up, and even today, we always hear about actors having to stay in the closet for fear of being blocked out of straight roles. Is this ever a concern for you?

So many queer people try to fit in boxes to book a job, but one thing I’m not willing to compromise is my queerness. It took me so long to love it and feel comfortable with it. And you know when we talk about white supremacy and the patriarchy, there’s this expectation that we want to play what other people consider valuable. People say things like, “But what if you only get gay parts?” And honestly, I’m only really interested in playing gay people. No shade, I would play straight parts, I did it for a very long time. Straight roles don’t interest me as much because they’ve been told, whereas our stories haven’t been told.

I worked on “Pose” two years ago and now I’m in “Hacks.” Those roles are so impactful and important to me, and they’re stories I want to see put out in the world. I’d rather play parts that speak to me whenever I can. It’s important for me to not compromise on who I am essentially, because the more I am myself, the more I give others the courage to be themselves. While I was growing up, there were a handful of actors who didn’t hide that they were gay, but lots of others did and still do. I’ve been out since I was 14, I wasn’t going to go back into the closet for this career. I had to decide on the cost I was willing to pay for it.

And would you say your decision has held you back at all?

Frankly, I feel my queerness has helped me in my journey. It sets me apart. The world is moving away from trying to fit a mold. All the greats from the showbiz industry have something undeniable about them. I’m not saying that’s what I am, but that’s how people should look at it. Why try and be Beyonce? Or J-Lo? I look at J-Lo and I admire and model myself after her work ethic, but I don’t try to be her. I can’t be anyone but me. I didn’t have a choice.

Tank and shorts – Acne Studios, Shoes – Celine

So it’s not just that Hollywood is changing, it’s the world that’s changing.

It still happens in Hollywood here and there. I auditioned recently for a role to play a straight part and I turned it down because I wasn’t interested in it. If I had a choice, I’d play interesting queer characters until the end of time.

So in that sense your own personality comes through in your role as Wilson on Hacks? Just like him, you have your values and you’re not willing to compromise them.

Wilson doesn’t really care about work, he found his job online, but he’s got strong interpersonal boundaries. When he’s on a date with Marcus, who plays Jean Smart’s character’s manager, he realizes how Marcus’ dedication to his job means he has no room for a romantic relationship and so he walks out. While doing read throughs I was like, “Werk, I need to channel this more.” When it comes to career, in many respects Johnny the person is more like Marcus than Wilson. I have Marcus’ drive to keep going and make things happen. I don’t want to be the biggest star in the world, but I want to be able to look back at my life and say wow I gave that my all. I already feel that way in some respects, even when I look back at my career from five years ago starting on social media, my journey’s been different from everyone else’s. All the advice I’ve been given, it hasn’t really worked for me the way they said it would.

Top – Xander Zhou, Pants – Prada, Boots – Gucci, Ring by Spinelli Kilcollin

Everyone’s got their own journey, and some people’s journey has them making a sound-bite on TikTok that goes viral. Your “Hit It” sound on there is universally loved.

Ha! Honestly, that was just me being a gay boy gassing up another gay boy! And it really is universal. Straight guys come up to me telling me their girlfriends play it while they’re getting ready for dinner. These DJs, Moodshift, picked up the sound and turned it into a song. The day after it was released, it made it to number 12 on the iTunes dance chart. At first I was like, “Oh yeah, this will be cute,” but then when it was actually making the charts I was like, “What?” It was channeling that ballroom energy from “Pose” or “Legendary,” so it had all the elements people love but it literally was just me vibing in bed.

So what’s the next stop on the ride? What can we expect?

Well, “Hacks” is coming back for Season 2. I don’t know what’s happening with my character so I can’t really say much about that. I also just wrapped season 2 of my show for Logo. I’d never hosted anything before. There are so many industry rules if you’re an actor. They say you can’t be on reality tv, you can’t be a host, and whatever. Whereas now in the social media world I feel like you can do anything and have a successful career.

Sweater – Acne Studios, Shirt – Troy Dylan Allen, Shorts – JW Anderson

I feel like this question is the modern-day equivalent of asking a woman her age but, what is your screen time like?

My screen time is wild. I’m always on my phone. The other day I was wishing I could get off social media for two months. Even when I take a break for a week, I come back to it so differently. I approach it differently and enjoy it until I slip back into my old habits. I do take breaks every now and then until a friend texts me worried about me and then I’m back. Take breaks, you should! I promise you won’t miss too much. My best friend and I are always joking about going the way of the old Hollywood ladies and becoming recluses but I don’t see that happening.

QUINTANA BY EMILY HLAVAC GREEN

Outfit by Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini, Hat by Sorella

Photographer: Emily Hlavac Green @emilyhlavacgreen
Fashion Stylist: Rap Sarmiento @rapisoffensive
Make up: Mitch Yoshida @mitchyoshidamakeup
Hair: Ava Mihaljevich @hey.babe.your.hairs.alright

Model: Quintana/One Management

Coat by Altuzarra, Vest by St. John, Bodysuit by Kenzo, Shoes by Blondish

Blazer Dress and belt by Balmain, Skirt by OxygeneUs, Shoes by Beautisoles

Dress by Christian Siriano, Shoes by Juliana Heels, Leggings by Calzedonia, Earrings by Erickson Beamon

Top and pants by Isabel Marant, Necklace by Erickson Beamon

Bodysuit by GCDS, Top by Agape by Simona, Boots by Beautisoles, Necklace by Erickson Beamon

Gown by Christian Siriano, Boots by Isabel Marant, Earrings by Erickson Beamon

IN THE HEIGHTS STAR MELISSA BARRERA

Dress – Paco Rabanne

Photography by Dennis Tejero @ ADB Agency

Styling by Marc Sifuentes

Makeup by Talia Sparrow @ Kalpana NYC

Hair by Cameron Rains @ Forward Artists

Interview by Evan Ross Katz

Melissa Barrera, one of the leads on Starz’s Vida and the upcoming film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In The Heights, opens up about her journey to success and prioritizing her Latin roots within and outside of her work.

Dress, Belt and Boots by Versace

“It feels like so much more than an acting job,” Melissa Barrera says of her starring role on Starz’s hit series Vida. “I feel like it was a gift that I was given.” Barrera stars as Lyn Hernandez on the series which was recently renewed for a third season. “Barrera’s performance in particular blooms with searing clarity,” Vox wrote. The Hollywood Reporter called Barrera’s performance “absurdly funny.” The A.V. Club called the actress “a force to be reckoned with.”

“It’s important to see Latin stories out there and to see the dreams that our people have and how hard we work. There’s more to us than just the negative things you see in the media or what certain people want to say about Latinx people.” But it’s not just Barrera’s work on Vida. Whether her upcoming role in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical In the Heights, her time on popular telenovelas like Siempre Tuya Acapulco and Tanto Amor or in regional theater productions in her hometown of Monterrey, Mexico, much of the conversation with Barrera seems to circle back to her Mexican roots—and it’s no coincidence.

“I’m Mexican. I’m fully Mexican. I was born and raised in Mexico and now I happen to work in the United States. And I am proud to be a part of this Latinx wave of shows and films that are finally starting to get made and people that have never seen themselves represented on screen are finally getting to see themselves and I get to be a part of it. So I feel that it is important to wear my identity on my sleeve and be one of the faces of this movement and help people see themselves because a lot of people have felt erased in their stories or their stories are never told. I feel like it’s a responsibility of mine to be a voice for those people who have not had one for so long. And I want to.”

Dress by Off-White

It’s this passion that emanates from Barrera, who thinks long and hard before responding to questions, constantly aware of the possibilities and pitfalls of a first impression and desiring to represent both herself and her roots with pride. This, according to her friends that I spoke with, is the Melissa they’ve always known.

Though acting and singing seemed like the natural trajectory from an early age, Barrera did not limit her possibilities. “There was a point where I wanted to be a doctor,” she says, adding that architecture, interior design, even biomedical engineering were all career aspirations at various times. “I even at one point wanted to be a secret agent. I’ve wanted to be so many different things throughout my life. But that’s the thing about being an actor, you get to be everything.”

She started auditioning for local regional productions in high school and was quickly cast in a musical version of Romeo and Juliet in Monterrey. That was her first taste of the rigor of the theater: working six days a week, with two-shows a day often the norm. It didn’t dissuade her, only making her hungry for more. She furthered her education attending New York University to study theater. She left New York University’s prestigious CAP21 musical theater program two years in after making it into the top 20 on La Academia, a popular Mexican competition reality series that catapulted her star meter.

“That show definitely prepared me for the industry. It was a very difficult experience because it brought all my insecurities to the surface. It made me doubt if I had what it took to be in this business. It made me fight for it really hard. I’m very grateful I had that experience, even though sometimes I have PTSD about it. Whenever I have to sing in public I get stage fright and I never feel good enough because of all of the harsh judgments I had while I was on that show.” But she’s careful to stress the positives that came from it, like learning to fight for her dream. It’s also the place where she met her future husband, musician Paco Zazueta.

Dress by Georgine

That show proved a career springboard, landing her roles in a number of popular telenovelas. “I’ve always felt that telenovelas, especially in Mexico, are looked down upon as a genre….but I personally love them,” she says, describing the rigor of the production process as boot camp. “It’s literally shooting 30 scenes a day, one after the other, and it forces you to go through a crazy rollercoaster of emotions, more so than anything else I’ve ever done. I think because of that school of telenovela, it made everything that’s come after much easier for me.”

And thankfully, the “everything” that has come after has been plentiful, from Vida to a recently-announced contemporary reimagining of the opera Carmen opposite Fifty Shades of Grey star Jamie Dornan, to the upcoming In the Heights, a role Barrera has been eyeing for over a decade before she was cast. “I remember going to see it on Broadway at least ten times. I remember the first time that I saw it, what I felt, it was as though my heart was going to explode with pride and hope. All my dreams of being on Broadway after seeing that show just felt so much more tangible.” From there, she set out to be casted, attending open calls for the show, but never quite landing a spot…until now, nearly a dozen years after the show’s first bow on the Great White Way.

Dress by Tom Ford

“It’s going to be very different from the stage version,” she says of the movie, set for release next summer. “It’s been updated to reflect the situation of immigrants today, so it has appropriately been adapted to take place in 2020.” For Barrera, it’s about leveling out the audience with the content, noting the disparity between Latinx content consumption and shows casting Latinx actors, created by Latinx people and/or telling Latinx stories. To that end, Barrera says she hopes to begin producing her own work down the line. “Because [Vida creator] Tanya [Saracho] gave opportunities to people like me, I’m going to make sure that I follow in her footsteps.”

And with that, Barrera is back to set to shoot the final week of filming In The Heights. Though she’s not filming any scenes on this particular day, she says she just wants to be around it all, near the cast, watching the process unfold around her. Like much of the pride Barrera so often spoke about, it’s not necessarily about her, but about who she can be to and for those who come after her.

Dress by Victoria Hayes

Interview from Issue 12 of IRIS COVET BOOK available in stores and online by clicking —> HERE!

SHAWKAT BY BEN DUGGAN

Shirt – Daily Paper, Denim Print Jacket – Pyer Moss, Bomber Jacket – Marcelo Burlon, Shoes – Givenchy

Photographer: Ben Duggan

Stylist: Jacqueline Trevizo

Grooming: Samantha Lepre

Model: Shawkat @ Photogenics

Shirt – Daily Paper, Trousers – Salvatore Ferragamo, Jacket – Iceberg

Jacket & Pants – Iceberg

Track Jacket – Marcelo Burlon, Denim Jacket & Pants – IISE, Shoes – Ermenegildo Zegna

Shirt & Briefs – Ralph Lauren, Pants – Daily Paper, Jacket – Marciano, Shoes – Givenchy

CLOSER : A PHOTO ESSAY BY ANASTASIA GARCIA

When quarantine started in the early Spring of 2020, I like many, thought I’d be home for two weeks. I couldn’t fathom a reality where I’d spend months at home alone, unable to leave my 500 sq ft, Brooklyn apartment. After two weeks, restrictions tightened, and photoshoots quickly became too risky and stopped, thus halting my work entirely. And I, like so many others faced financial hardship, separation, depression, and anxiety. My experience isn’t unique. Quarantine was and remains still incredibly challenging and lonely for all of us.

Pre-pandemic I took my life for granted. I couldn’t fully appreciate the bonds that being a fashion photographer has allowed me to form with my subjects. For the last year, a photographer being in close quarters with anyone, let alone a model was a luxury. A luxury, that forced me to the realization that no amount of designer objects can equate to the value of human connection. Fashion was no longer the commodity, closeness was. This work explores that realization through polaroids and film images of intimate moments captured, in New York, during the COVID 19 pandemic. Shot over the span of six months, to safely allow for quarantines and COVID tests, the project explores what happens when fashion is not the commodity, closeness is. These shoots on rooftops, in bedrooms, and in dark hotels were my lifeline to human interaction and creative expression. These moments behind the lens were more than just documenting my quaranpod during a pandemic. These women, these shoots were the breath that sustained me. On my darkest days, it was these women who in trusting me and allowing me in, lifted me out of the dark.

Anastasia

Geo Burke @ IMG

Akon Adichol @ IMG

Eva Kay @ JAG

Ingrid Mederios @ MUSE

Tanaye White @ ONE

Abbey Ries @ NEXT

Hunter McGrady

Michaela McGrady @ BiCoastal

Brynja McGrady

Ashley Rossi @ Wilhelmina

Design by Gerard Zengel

TÉ TIME WITH ANDREKZA

Bow top by Morphine / Gloves via PR Solo

Photographer: Josef Jasso
Creative Director/Wardrobe Stylist/Interview – Adrian Joseph
Make up: April Nicole
Hair: Jefferson T
Assistant: Danny

Few creatives can simultaneously connect music, visual storytelling, and fashion together much like what is exemplified in ANDREKZA’s evolution. With her definitive style of music which combines the traditional dembow riddim and reggaeton, along with eclectic rhythms found in dancehall, ANDREKZA’S music represents harmonies that have stormed into the music scene with a ravenous and poetic sound.

On the edge of the release of her EP “Cassette: Lado A”, and inspired by the memories of her first cassette player, ANDREKZA unifies her creative experiences through her latest endeavor: “Everything was created through my imagination. From the topics I wanted to touch to the creative direction of the videos. I call this album a mixtape because of the variety of rhythms. I’m a mix of different things, which I wanted to embrace on the album. I don’t want to label myself as just reggaeton or Pop.”

Leading the project is “TÉ,” a playfully light track that showcases her stylistic transitions in melody and lyricism. It’s also the creation that solidified her essence: “It’s one of the songs that left an imprint in my life. When I wrote the song, everything made sense. It all came together; I finally found my style, my sound, and voice.”

As the first Latina signed to Steve Aoki’s new Latin imprint – Dim Mak en Fuego, ANDREKZA keeps one goal in mind. “I hope to encourage people to express themselves through various art forms.”

Dress by Jovana Louis SS21 / Ear Rings- Bitch Fist / Socks – Dolls Kill

Before you were writing songs, you were writing poetry at a very young age in Venezuela. When did you write your first poem, and do you know what inspired you to do so?

I think I was 10 when I wrote my first poem about the moon. I love the moon, I didn’t understand why we could only see it at night until I understood that it was only necessary to look up to the sky to find it, red, gray or gold.

What music was in your house growing up and what impact, if any, do you feel it had on your music today?

Each person in my house had a preferred musical style and genre, but when it came to sharing, we were all DJs for a bit. I think that when you connect with music, it automatically moves your feet, I go into the studio, close my eyes and let myself flow. I always have influences in my heart, but no idea or style that I cling to in particular.

Reggaetón, Salsa, Venezuelan Rap, Rock, Pop, Celia Cruz, Oscar de Leon, la Fania, on the Reggaetón side, Wisin y Yandel, Daddy Yankee, Tego Calderón, Tres Dueños, Apache, Residente, Pink Floyd, the Beatles, Natalia Lafourcade, Jesse & Joy, there are so many.

Crystallized Jacket, ruffle pants by Morphine / Fashion Top – PR Solo / Earrings – Stylist Own

I know you graduated high school at age 15, who did you stan musically when you were a teenager? And are you still a fan of them?

Yes, definitely! When I was 15, I loved Natalia Lafourcade, La Mala Rodríguez and Residente and I still admire them a lot.

Your first EP Cassette – Lado A (Side A) just released with your catchy and infectious first date anthem “TÉ,” the song produced by Orlando Vitto. What makes a good first date for you?

Spontaneity, tea and a good sunset, the most beautiful show in the world and it’s free every day.

I know you probably get this a lot nowadays. What’s your favorite kind of tea?

It really depends on my mood. In the morning I love to have black tea, in the afternoon passion fruit tea, and in the evening green tea with lavender.

Cassette – Lado A features “Nerviosa” which is a track that showcases your versatility as a singer with trap rhymes and melodic verses. You accompanied the song with a video directed by you and Macksimo. What inspired you in the creation of the “Nerviosa” music video and story?

We always wait for a special moment to celebrate, but every day is special. Macksimo and I wanted to celebrate the feelings, the connection between two people, with a “happy non-birthday” party.

Bow skirt by Morphine Pink / Crystal hem jacket by Pink Crystal / Top by PR Solo / Boots by Current Mood Dolls Kill

What would you like people to take away from listening to Cassette – Lado A?

That fear of speaking only takes away the opportunity to know each other and live. Say what you feel and when you feel it. Let’s not have it be a taboo, let’s be emotionally free.

In your recent single “Tuve” ft. Gabriel Garzón-Montano your chemistry is unmatched, and you follow that by being featured in his “Mira my look” remix! How has it been collaborating with the fellow artist?

I’ve never admired an artist’s creative process as much as I do Gabriel’s, I feel very fortunate to be able to share art and love with him, we are working on a very cool project together, which we will soon be able to give more details about!

I know it’s a challenging time but what are you most looking forward to this year?

I’m looking forward to sharing my art, being able to hug each other again, and having people enjoy my full debut Album CASSETTE, which will be available in September!