The Inspirati

Before he had even reached his teens, Canadian-born painter Andy Dixon had already cut his creative teeth shredding in a metal band, touring during summer break, and getting flack from other students for negging their school on TV. These days, he is still every bit the colorful punk, asking, or perhaps answering the question: “What does a Renaissance painting look like under a pop culture lens?” His work frequently references classical art but, in doing so, opens up a conversation about luxury, and pokes fun at the notion that while art is soul stirring and life affirming, it also needs to carry a price tag. 

We caught up with Andy as he was preparing to open his latest exhibit “Masterpieces”, which is on view until April 18th at Over the Influence in Los Angeles. He talked about the terrible physical effects of not quitting your day job, his whirlwind journey to collaborating with Versace, and the perks of letting go of branding yourself an outcast to join the great conversation.

Andy Dixon // https://www.instagram.com/andy.dxn/?hl=en

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A true legend amongst creative directors, Richard Christiansen has built a life out of building worlds. His creative agency Chandelier has crafted stories, reimagined identities, and conceived campaigns for companies like Givenchy, Virgin, Calvin Klein, Cartier, Bergdorf Goodman, Club Monaco, Nordstrom, and Roc Nation. The originality in Chandelier’s work speaks to its founder’s unbridled imagination, but when one week you’re spontaneously setting up an office in Hong Kong and the next you’re creating kaleidoscopic visuals for Kylie Minogue’s stadium tour, what do you construct as your magnum opus? The answer, it turned out, was simple. Build a home.

And so, after decades of bringing beauty into the world for others, Richard embarked on his most personal project to date, the restoration and reimagining of seven acres in the hills of Los Angeles, a property which became Flamingo Estate: his home, a sanctuary for his creative community, and a garden of earthly delights.

In this episode, Richard talks about the importance of fantasy, why pleasure is a human right, and how, sometimes, you need to burn down the barn to see the moon.

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With a pair of boxing gloves slung over one shoulder, and a head filled with East London street smarts, Zoe Buckman has arrived over the past few years as a bold face of the feminist arts movement. Her multi-disciplinary work frequently speaks to universal female experiences, be it the inclusion of embroidered words on the subject of domestic violence, titling a recent show “Heavy Rag”, or her 43-foot sculpture “Champ”, a glowing neon outline of a uterus outfitted with boxing gloves, which was installed above the iconic and recently shuttered Standard Hotel, on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood.

In this episode, Zoe chatted about the diversity in the shades of meaning to be found in both a John Keats poem and a Tupac lyric, why you can’t talk about feminism without acknowledging girl on girl crime, and how it feels to break free from using trauma as a muse. 

Zoe Buckman // https://www.instagram.com/zoebuckman/?hl=en

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The first time you see the work of photographer Kristian Schmidt, your first question might be, "Is that photoshopped?"

His pictures, which frequently blend the sophistication of fashion with the rawness of wildlife, often depict scenarios that have yet to be attempted by other photographers. One critically acclaimed project captured a model swimming alongside whale sharks, the biggest known fish in the ocean. The media was captivated, and the photographs were featured in nearly 400 magazines and newspapers globally, raising awareness for this at-risk species.

Kristian has worked with countless celebrities, including Lupita Nyong’o, Djimon Hounsou, Prince William, David Beckham, and Richard Branson, to promote wildlife conservation and increase education about the growing illegal trade of animal and sea-life poaching. This remarkable work contributed to the banning of the ivory trade in China in 2017, but Kristian’s work is far from over. 

As he says in this episode, "Once you're there and you see the problems, you can only help. You don't want to do anything else."

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Tremaine Emory is a boundlessly talented jack-of-all-creative-trades. Following a lengthy tenure at Marc Jacobs, he co-founded creative collective No Vacancy Inn, throwing legendary parties at Tom Sachs’ exhibition spaces, and designing exclusive t-shirts for Dover Street Market. At a dinner in London, an inside joke about a beat up pair of jeans became Denim Tears, a moniker for Tremaine and a lifestyle brand in its own right. Collaborations with Converse and Levi’s soon followed, but these projects weren’t just about selling Chuck Taylors or 501s. Like everything he does, Tremaine’s work with bigger brands has aimed to open up a dialogue about the black experience.

Tremaine, at heart, is a storyteller and a change maker. He has served as a nurturer of talent across the industries of fashion, music, culture, and art, working with the likes of Frank Ocean, Stüssy, ASAP Rocky, Virgil’s label Off-White, and Kanye West, who entrusted Tremaine with the roll of creative consultant and brand director of Yeezy from 2016 to 2018, calling him a “creative gardener”. 

His perspective serves as a reminder that we should never doubt the potential impact of an individual, that where we’re from is just as important as where we’re going, and that sometimes, the best things really do happen after 10pm.

Tremaine Emory // https://www.instagram.com/denimtears/?hl=en

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Los Angeles based painter Matt McCormick's first creative career as a tattoo artist saw him inking rappers like Mac Miller and Tyler, the Creator. After living on the road touring with the latter, he transitioned into fine art, exploring themes tied to the American West, Hollywood glamor, and other moments of nostalgia, depicting a desire for less cluttered horizons and more risk takers to look up to.

In this episode, the prolific artist talks about breaking rules in both tattooing and fine art, the evolution of masculine stereotypes, and what the soundtrack to his day sounds like.

Matt McCormick // https://www.instagram.com/mattrmccormick/?hl=en

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In a short three years since launching luxury womenswear line Markarian, Alexandra O'Neill has dressed many a starlet for many a red carpet, from Millie Bobby Brown to Emily Ratajkowski, Laura Dern to Lizzo, Priyanka Chopra to Thandie Newton, Lily Collins to Lily James. While she'd gained a following amongst those in the know, January 20th, 2021 was the day she became a household name. Dr. Jill Biden, America's new First Lady, chose to wear Markarian to the Inauguration, placing the brand firmly within the annals of fashion history.

In this episode, our host sits down with one of her best friends to discuss her meteoric rise, her dedication to sustainability, and the inspiration behind that galactic fantastic name.

Episode cover image photographed by Matteo Prandoni.

Markarian // https://www.instagram.com/markarian_nyc/

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Jim Hart, known to the Haida Nation as Chief Idansuu, is one of the Northwest Coast’s most prodigious artists. He was awarded the Order of British Columbia in 2003 and received a Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013, and has exhibited internationally from the Louvre in Paris to a solo show in Singapore.

It was a true honor to have Jim on to talk about where creativity sits within Haida society, his perspective on relating to the supernatural for inspiration, and the role of art in the healing of generational trauma.

Episode cover image courtesy of Simon Fraser University.

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In the five years since launching his studio, British artist, illustrator, and “Young Prince of Interior Design” Luke Edward Hall has become the darling of the design world, in London and beyond. His collaborations across fashion, hospitality, interiors, and artistic institutions have contributed to a spectacular rise, and this year, a beautiful establishment named Hotel Les Deux Gares opened in Paris, Luke’s first large scale interiors project. His aesthetic, which has electrified a global audience, is a maximalist symphony of color, romance, and whimsy, and it enchants the eye with a joyful optimism that couldn't feel more refreshing.

Join us as Luke shares his journey to embracing a multifaceted creative career, and the influences and fascinations that have shaped his voice, from the glamor of the interwar period to classical mythology.

Luke Edward Hall // https://www.instagram.com/lukeedwardhall/

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Alex is joined by a special guest co-host, actress and entrepreneur Shay Mitchell, to chat with their mutual girl crush Marie-Louise Scio, the ultra-creative hotelier behind three picturesque properties along the Italian coast. Shay and Alex discuss their trip to Mezzatorre Hotel last summer, on the island of Ischia, which came with a pregnancy announcement and the consumption of roughly one hundred and eighty three tomatoes.

Marie-Louise explains the history behind each of the legendary hotels, a combined legacy featuring the discovery of a lost Roman ruin, the richest man in the world, a fortuitous bout of seasickness, and a cameo by Charlie Chaplin. She also shares her creative process and her overall design philosophy, which has lended itself to so many projects that this summer she launched Issimo, a digital destination for Italy lovers.

Issimo // https://issimoissimo.com

Marie-Louise Scio // https://www.instagram.com/marielouisescio/?hl=en

Shay Mitchell // https://www.instagram.com/shaymitchell/?hl=en

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