Creative Direction by Nicole Wilson. Styling by Jose Gonzalez. Hair and Make up by Jenny Gonzalez and Maya Perkins, Jimena Helms. Make up by Diana Torroledo. Clothing by Soid Studios New York.
“My fashion editorial, ”Black Magic City” captures the electricity of the urban jungle and all the unique expressions of the individual as well as through the edgy and playful urban fashion as envisioned by the incredible clothing design of Mexican born designer, Jose Luis Gonzalez, whose well known for his work on Project Runway.
For me, working with Jose Gonzalez and his designs was a perfect compliment to my photography and creative direction. As a photographer as well as a native New Yorker, I am repeatedly drawn back to the unique urban bloodstream that runs through the streets and the people here, and of course, through the myriad of ways, people find to express themselves through fashion and frankly, just through their lives.”
“The aesthetic of a city like New York can feel dark, moody, and edgy at times, while at other times it can be playful, fun, artistic and, of course, unapologetically eccentric. In my work, I am passionate about using New York City as the other subject in the photographs. While the model and the fashion is always the star of the shoot, I am just as interested in featuring the infrastructure and architecture of New York, or whatever location I’ve selected, as the equally interesting co-star.
New York City celebrates the individual, free thinkers, and hustlers of the world, and for that reason, it is a fertile environment for most artists to grow in (aside from the high cost of living and endless competition). As a photographer and creative director, I am always looking to work with cutting edge designers and emerging talent in a manner that elevates both our work, that allows our individual artistry to shine and live in harmony. When a fashion designer understands my vision and theirs, there’s trust established between the two of us.”
“To continue that sentiment, I feel fortunate that I had the opportunity to work with Jose because our creativity played well together. As such, we plan to continue to work on upcoming projects with one another to carry on that creative dialogue.
I originally became aware of Jose and his clothing design via the work of other photographers. It popped off the page because it was both dramatic and relatable, as in, I could visualize it just as easily on the runway as in the East Village or SoHo! Instantly I knew I wanted to work with him and began conceptualizing what that collaboration would like in editorial form. Once we finally connected, Jose and I were in talks to work together for quite some time, but due to scheduling conflicts and being two very in-demand NYC based creatives, the stars hadn’t aligned until this point. And so, “Black Magic City” was eventually born and features Soid Studios (Jose’s Brand) 2022 Fall Winter Collection of “Future Punk” designs.”
“What was so unique about the photoshoot day is that it coincided with the runway show Jose had planned for his Fall/Winter 2022 line, so we shot the editorial the same day the runway show took place in SoHo. Because of this, there was an added bit of electricity and anticipation in the air as all the models were preparing for their big performance before an audience later on in the evening.
As per usual. My first objective as a director and photographer is to put my subject and models at ease and talk them through the shoot we’d be doing together and get us on the same page. Some photographers just jump into a shoot and let it unfold naturally. But being that I had an extensive background in the filmmaking industry and worked as a film/tv actress in my former life, I understand the importance of direction and backstory when it comes to priming your performers. I don’t want to give models or subjects more information than they need, as that can get them in their heads.”
“However you want to stack the deck in your favour, so you provide just enough information about what you’re going for that the subject/model can get into character and bring the idea to life. I would say, the wonderful models for the shoot had a big advantage in the sense that the clothing they were wearing almost felt costume-like. As in, the clothing is not commonplace, it changes you the moment you put it on, and it was easy for the models to embody the attitude and characters who would wear these clothes. All in all, I was blown away by how the shoot came off and everyone who contributed to making it a success.”
Photography + Creative Direction by Nicole Wilson / www.nicolewilsonphotography.com /
Instagram: @NicoleWilsonPhoto
Styling by Jose Gonzalez / Instagram: @Josegonzalezdesigner
Clothing by Soid Studios New York / Instagram: @SoidstudiosNY
Hair and Make up by Jenny Gonzalez / Instagram: @Jennygonzalezmua
Hair and Make up by Maya Perkins / Instagram: @glamour.by.maya
Hair and make up by Jimena Helms @jimenamuanyc
Make up by Diana Torroledo / Instagram: @diannetorro
Models
Justin Rzu signed with @colbymanagement / Instagram: @nitsuj.rzu
Rio and is independent / Instagram: @plantbasedrio
Selby signed with @nymmg / Instagram: @yeahitzme_selby
Kendra signed with @anthmmgmt / Instagram: @_skinnykenny
Isaac and is independent / Instagram: @Isaacstwistedfantasy
Clinton Duncan and is independent / Instagram: @theclintonduncan
Chas signed with @emg_models / Instagram: @Chassacks
Tian-Yi Chang and is signed with @bicoastalmgmt / Instagram: @tianyinnyc
Alexis Zari and is signed with @anthmmgmt / Instagram @alezis_zari6_models
Fashion Brands Used Are:
Soid Studios New York @soidstudiosNY
More about the Photographer and Creative Director:
Nicole Wilson is a Native New Yorker as well as an award-winning and internationally published fashion and portrait photographer and creative director currently based in New York City. Beginning in the arts at an early age, and with over 20 years of experience as a multidisciplinary artist in the mediums of photography, painting, illustration, and film, she brings a diverse and in-depth knowledge of colour, composition, design, storytelling and portraiture to each of her projects. Her clients include top fashion and entertainment magazines, luxury brands, celebrities as well as emerging talent. Her photography and creative direction have been seen in and graced the covers of such top fashion magazines as VOGUE, InStyle Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, L’Officiel, and hundreds of others. Her favourite part of being a photographer and creative director is uncovering people’s unique beauty and telling their stories through emotive, timeless, fashion-forward and cinematic imagery.
About the Designer
Jose Gonzalez is a graduate of Art and Fashion School (CEDA) in Mexico City and was named Best New Designer of the Year by Fashion Week Mexico and was a finalist in Project Runway Latin America which introduced his designs to a broad audience on an international level. He created Soid Studios in 2018 and in that time, he has produced five raw collections largely consisting of vegan leather and upcycled garments to match the current generation’s sensibilities and consciousness over the environment.
