NEW YORK CITY~

PAPER MAGAZINE

MONTHLY NIGHTLIFE COLUMN

Year

21
-
25

Client

PAPER x LINUX

PAPER X LINUX

PAPER x LINUX

DESIGN + DIRECTION

PROJECT Duration

4 YEARS

4 years

BACKGROUND

Design + art direction for columnist and night-life host Linux, covering NYC's most eventful underground sets, cultural events, and fashion week afterparties- published monthly for Paper Magazine, a cultural touchstone, blending humor, high-fashion, and an unapologetic attitude that resonates with young, progressive audiences.

Design + direction for PAPER x LINUX - monthly nightlife columnist covering NYC's most eventful sets, events, and after-parties - Each column accompanied with a campy visual aesthetic that lives and breathes and audience in its-self.

medium + tools

Integrating digital approaches like 2D/3D design, photo-manipulation, & retouch with photography and set design. Adobe Creative Suite, Blender, SketchUp & DazStudio.

Integrating digital approaches like 2D/3D design, photo-manipulation, & retouch with photography and set design.Adobe Creative Suite, Blender, SketchUp & DazStudio.

Integrating digital approaches like 2D/3D design, photo-manipulation, & retouch with photography and set design. Adobe Creative Suite, Blender, SketchUp & DazStudio.

COLLABORATORS

Collaborating closely with columnist Linux, stylist & Photographer Airik Prince, & Creative Director & Photographer Matt Woodruff.

BRIEF: WHAT YOU MISSED LAST MONTH (ACCORDING TO LINUX)

To celebrate each monthly column, our team and I developed a visual language or system that mirrors the very campy tone and ferocious writing of each article - one that also aligns with Paper Magazine's branding and overall aesthetic.

To achieve this, we diligently worked with a team of fashion and editorial-based stylists and photographers that help bring a unique, insider perspective to the New York City nightlife-scene- infusing visuals with cultural and fashion-forward elements that resonated deeply with our audience.

We aim to tap into the pulse of what it’s like to work, live, and 'party' in New York City, especially from the perspective of the "gig-economy" and ground-level artists interested in cultural shifts that ultimately define our city's vibrant energy. With our own team coming from said world, we were able to contribute to the project in a way that felt both incredibly authentic and rooted in our own stories.

BRIEF: WHAT YOU MISSED LAST MONTH (ACCORDING TO LINUX)

BRIEF: WHAT
YOU MISSED
LAST MONTH
(ACC. TO LINUX)

To celebrate each monthly column, our team and I developed a visual language & system that mirrors the very campy tone and ferocious writing of each article - one that also aligns with Paper Magazine's branding and overall aesthetic.

To achieve this, we worked with a team of fashion and editorial-based stylists and photographers that help bring a unique, insider perspective to the New York City nightlife-scene- infusing visuals with cultural and fashion-forward elements that resonated deeply with our audience.

We aim to tap into the pulse of what it’s like to work, live, and 'party' in New York City, especially from the perspective of the "gig-economy" and ground-level artists interested in cultural shifts that ultimately define our city's vibrant energy. With our own team coming from said world, we were able to contribute to the project in a way that felt both incredibly authentic and rooted in our own stories.

To celebrate each monthly column, our team and I developed a visual language & system that mirrors the very campy tone and ferocious writing of each article - one that also aligns with Paper Magazine's branding and overall aesthetic.

To achieve this, we worked with a team of fashion and editorial-based stylists and photographers that help bring a unique, insider perspective to the New York City nightlife-scene- infusing visuals with cultural and fashion-forward elements that resonated deeply with our audience.

We aim to tap into the pulse of what it’s like to work, live, and 'party' in New York City, especially from the perspective of the "gig-economy" and ground-level artists interested in cultural shifts that ultimately define our city's vibrant energy. With our own team coming from said world, we were able to contribute to the project in a way that felt both incredibly authentic and rooted in our own stories.

BRIEF: WHAT YOU MISSED LAST MONTH (ACCORDING TO LINUX)

To celebrate each monthly column, our team and I developed a visual language or system that mirrors the very campy tone and ferocious writing of each article - one that also aligns with Paper Magazine's branding and overall aesthetic.

To achieve this, we diligently worked with a team of fashion and editorial-based stylists and photographers that help bring a unique, insider perspective to the New York City nightlife-scene- infusing visuals with cultural and fashion-forward elements that resonated deeply with our audience.

We aim to tap into the pulse of what it’s like to work, live, and 'party' in New York City, especially from the perspective of the "gig-economy" and ground-level artists interested in cultural shifts that ultimately define our city's vibrant energy. With our own team coming from said world, we were able to contribute to the project in a way that felt both incredibly authentic and rooted in our own stories.

execution

In wanting the visuals to feel deeply personal, like a window into Linux's own creative mind, we aimed to craft each image to reflect her unique perspective and writing style, with extreme attention to detail to reflect both her personal experiences and the events she was covering.

Each photoshoot was done thematically, with every month reflecting events and cultural moments of that time. Making a conscious effort to portray different sides of New York— ensuring the visuals were as diverse as the city itself, highlighting not just the high-end, polished parts of NYC but also the underground, raw side that can be overlooked.

To achieve this level of detail, I used a variety of digital tools, like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Fresco- taking both meticulously planned and sometimes spontaneous portraits and enhancing them to perfectly fit into the world we've curated. Often ranging from more simplistic edits, like skin/texture retouch and general image clean-up to high-degree editing, using 3D & 2D design tools to world-build realistic but glamorized NYC locations, ultimately to accompany her highly curated and styled looks.

Our constant challenge was to ensure that while the images were appropriately outlandish and campy, they still felt in some way real, authentic and connected to the essence of Linux’s personality - editing each shoot with precise guidelines and high-standards.

In wanting the visuals to feel deeply personal, like a window into Linux's own creative mind, we aimed to craft each image to reflect her unique perspective and writing style, with extreme attention to detail to reflect both her personal experiences and the events she was covering.

Each photoshoot was done thematically, with every month reflecting events and cultural moments of that time. Making a conscious effort to portray different sides of New York— ensuring the visuals were as diverse as the city itself, highlighting not just the high-end, polished parts of NYC but also the underground, raw side that can be overlooked.

To achieve this level of detail, I used a variety of digital tools, like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Fresco- taking both meticulously planned and sometimes spontaneous portraits and enhancing them to perfectly fit into the world we've curated. Often ranging from more simplistic edits, like skin/texture retouch and general image clean-up to high-degree editing, using 3D & 2D design tools to world-build realistic but glamorized NYC locations, ultimately to accompany her highly curated and styled looks.

Our constant challenge was to ensure that while the images were appropriately outlandish and campy, they still felt in some way real, authentic and connected to the essence of Linux’s personality - editing each shoot with precise guidelines and high-standards.

In wanting the visuals to feel deeply personal, almost like a window into Linux's own creative mind, we aimed to craft each image to reflect her unique perspective and writing style, with extreme attention to detail to reflect both her personal experiences and the events she was covering.

To achieve this, I used a variety of digital tools, like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Fresco, taking both planned and spontaneous photoshoots and enhancing them to perfectly fit into the world we've curated together - ranging from simplistic edits like skin retouch and clean-up to high-degree editing and world building- ultimately to accompany her highly curated and styled looks.

With all final compositions adorned in high in fashion, rich in color, and steeped in humor, we aimed and achieved in making them perfectly suited for the tone of the column. The challenge was to ensure that while the images were outlandish and campy, they still a sen felt real, authentic and connected to the essence of Linux’s personality.

RESEARCH + ARCHIVING

Much of the required research and inspiration building process—sourcing images, referencing locations, and digging into cultural icons and themes, were constantly inspired by both nostalgic and future-facing elements of culture. For example, we drew a lot of influence from 90s and 2000s editorial fashion, which often featured avant-garde designs and high-fashion elements, blending that with more modern influences and a sense of empowerment.

Taking direct inspiration from runway imagery and fashion campaigns by design pillars such as Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, & Mugler, to notable artists and creatives like Pat McGrath, David LaChappelle, & Steven Klien, & Nick Knight.

expansion + BTS

As the column gains traction, its reach expanded beyond our own city of New York, now covering cultural-staples like Coachella & Paris Fashion Week, to Berlin’s phenom Berghain nightclub & right back to the Fire Island Pines. Allowing us to broaden our creative scope-No matter where we venture-filtered through Linux's lens- especially ensuring readers were always experiencing her world, & not just a snapshot of the events themselves.

RESEARCH + ARCHIVING

Through this visual lens, we could curate more moments from both past & present that further embodied this essence in her art and iconography.

The process focused on incredibly meticulous choices; conducting extensive research into her past, present & future, hand-picking every image- ultimately planning to be assembled like a puzzle. Each piece chosen dependent on emotion evoked, pose, layout, recognizability- in its exact place for the overall vision to come together.

From early career photoshoots to present day instagram posts, all corners of her career were examined to further hone in the time-capsule like quality we were trying to achieve.