Fake Fur, Real People

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by Duncan Kinzie

in collaboration with Odin Threads

In the fall of 2019 I was at an expo promoting a handful of young artists in Los Angeles. There I met Chris Fry and his co-owned faux fur startup, Odin Threads. I was playfully intrigued by the balance of high fashion and creative complexity Chris and partner Aaron Wolpert had achieved in their design. We started talking about a photography collaboration.

What started as simple branding soon became a larger creative project. Chris and Aaron felt their company had more to offer than just music festival apparel. I realized the major hurdle was normalizing such a bold fashion statement. To do that, I chose to work with people I know personally, instead of models. Creative people, curious people, people who struggle and who dream like any of us. Through intimate portraiture and introspective interviews, I aimed to both humanize the model and elevate the individual, balancing out the intangible fantasy of traditional fashion advertisement.

My hope is that through this work you may find power in who you are right now.

Dominic Fontana

Music Artist

@itsdominicfontana

Can you recap in a few words your artistic background? What mediums have you practiced?

I started as a hip-hop dancer when I was 6, and then I stayed at that studio until I was like 15, and throughout I added like ballet, jazz, contemporary - all those things. So I have like a really heavy dance background. And then I went to a performing arts high school for like like my voice, acting, dance classes. And then I went to Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts, specifically for musical theater with a concentration in dance. So that’s - I mean I went to a visual arts studio for nine years when I was little. I can draw, I just don’t tell people that.

Right, you consider yourself a music artist.

For sure, that’s what I’ve always wanted to be and now it’s like becoming more of a thing.

That’s interesting that dance led you there. Did you know trying dance at the time that it was making music that you wanted to be doing?

Yeah I definitely wanted to be, like, when I was starting dance, whoever was big - it was probably Aaron Carter or somebody, I wanted to be Aaron Carter at the time. And that’s why I said yes to doing so, and I was good at it so I just kept going. I was one of five guys at the studio for a while. So for the most part I had all of the attention, and then they left and I stuck it out. There’s two girls from that studio that are here in LA, pretty big dancers. They dance for Nicki Minaj. Her name’s Jamie Hockman, she’s one of my really good friends. Shoutout Jamie, haha.

What’s your journey been as an artist up to this point?

Well I definitely didn’t know what I wanted to say, like lyrically, for a long time. I knew I could sing, eventually, after I got the teacher to do so. And I know how to perform because of the background that I’ve been given with acting teachers and dance classes and stuff. But I guess I didn’t really know what I had to offer until I went through the first big breakup I had ever gone through. Which is what inspired the whole project, BLUEBOY. That was like the one time if I had to think “oh I was probably in love” that’s probably what happened. So until that happened I didn’t think I had anything to say, truly. But now I feel like I do, because of that. It’s just kind of opened my mind a little bit.

But you knew you wanted to make music before then, right?

I did, and I think everyone was like “oh you’ll be a dancer” or “oh you’ll be an actor” and I was like “I don’t really want to act. I can do it, because I’ve had the classes and the training” but I don’t want to. It’s not the first thing that comes in my head when I think of what I want to do with my life. Obviously if that came across I wouldn’t turn it down but it’s not like the first thing on the list.

You were talking before the interview about your teacher in college, and that he was really important in your journey.

Yeah, Michael Brown, shoutout to him. I was like “I know I can sing, I need to find someone to help me figure out how to use my register specifically enough to figure that out so I can make my own music” And Michael was like “okay I can help you figure that out” and he was just super patient with me. And I definitely didn’t sing all the stuff I was supposed to sing in my curriculum. Like I sang some SZA, I sang a lot of Harry Styles when that album came out. He really gave me the confidence to be a leading man of sorts, and by the time that junior year rolled around we were doing Cabaret at my school and I was like “I want to be the Emcee” and I got it because of Michael. he worked really hard with me. He gave me the confidence to keep going.

How would you describe your current stage in the broader scope of your career?

I at least tell myself I’m on the right path. I knew always wanted to be in Los Angeles and writing and recording and producing my own sound, because i think that any artist wants to think that whatever they have to say is worth somebody else’s time and I think that I do have some things that people would like to hear. So for now I’m just making my own stuff hoping somebody else vibes with it. I’m enjoying the process of having control over everything right now, because I think that might not always be the case. If the path continues to go where I think it might go I might not have that, which isn’t that bad I guess.

So you feel free to take risks?

Yeah for sure. If people asked me what my sound is I’d probably say R&B/Pop but there’s a few things on this new project that are definitely not that. I listen to a lot of music and so I draw a lot of different inspiration from a lot of different artists in order to find my own voice and sound, which is kind of what I’m figuring out. It’s a little weird and a little scary but it’s also kind of cool.

What’s the most frustrating part of your process?

When I can hear the melody in my head but the lyrics that I’m writing suck. I’ll rewrite it like five or six times.

What’s something you want to improve about your process?

Well as I said I’m still honing in on my own sound, and I’d like to try and stray away from being like “oh I heard this song today and this is cool, let me play off of that and make it my own”. I’d rather start form scratch more often, and make something organically my own. I think in time as I learn the craft a bit more it will happen that way. And I’d definitely like to start writing with other people more often.

What inspires you?

First and foremost what comes to mind is my family. Like my mom has done and sacrificed a lot for me to be where I am. She’s like the biggest believer in me. So what really puts a fire under my ass and gets me to actually do what I say I’ll get done is my mom. And my older sister, she’s the shit. Her name’s Alyssa. She’s always looked out for me. She’s always supported me. I went to Catholic School and she took up for me when people would fuck with me for a little bit there… before I got cool and established. Kidding. That’s a joke.

Then there’s certain artists, like David Bowie is an icon of mine. I would be lying if I said Ariana Grande is not like a huge inspo for me, and it’s just solely because she has the most angelic voice out of anyone I think I’ve ever heard in my life.

So what do you do when can’t tap into your inspiration?

I get really sad, first and foremost. Which sucks. I think what I go back to is heartbreak, and this situation I’ve been through, solely because it inspires me to feel something. I think a lot of artists do that. And if that doesn’t work I’ll like sit and listen to things that make me feel better and give me confidence.

Do you feel like you need to write from a positive mood?

Not necessarily. I would rather write from an honest mood. I would rather say what I want to say. If I can’t figure out what I want to say I’ll put it away for like five days and then like a word or a melody will be in my head while I’m trying to fall asleep and then the next day it will happen. And I’ll definitely get really irritated and probably be really rude to my friends for a minute there. Like if I’m frustrated with my process I definitely have a tendency to take it out on whoever’s around me but that’s what happens and I’m trying to be better about it

What’s one aspect of your artistic style that nobody can touch?

So I’m from New Orleans, and I went to Catholic School, and I’ve known I wanted to do this for a long time but it wasn’t very acceptable at the time. Like I was supposed to go to LSU and play football like my dad and just wasn’t me. Then my parents got divorced and my mom ended up being with a woman and I was raised by them and my sister. So I think I have a very different perspective of the world from where I was born, at least. I think that I will never stop trying to preach acceptance in anybody’s life. No matter what race, nationality, sexual identity, I just want everyone to listen to my music and feel good about themselves and connect with something. That’s where I’m trying to progress toward.

Same question but about your personal style.

So I identify as bisexual and some days I’ll fell like a little more feminine and a little more masculine, which I guess is more like gender identity. But I identify as a male, but I don’t know sometimes I’ll feel a little more Lady Gaga and sometimes I’ll feel more Travis Scott like I don’t know how to describe that. I like color? Like blue and pink, but I wear a lot of black. Kind of a sad aesthetic which maybe I should change because I’m trying to hype up the positivity. I won best dressed in high school. Like, American Horror Story Season 3: Coven? That’s my aesthetic.

How do you balance self expression as an artist with the business side?

Every time I write something, at least where I am personally in my own career, I feel like I have to analyze the music and be like “okay it’s authentic to me, it sounds good, but does it sound like it could be played on the radio right now?” And if it doesn’t that doesn’t necessarily mean I won’t release it, but it means I need to think on it longer to try and get somebody’s attention. For the most part I’m pretty authentic with what I write. I think every artist in their early career wants to make stuff that people will listen to so they can get to a place where they can make whatever they want all the time and people will just consume it. But if a label ever approached me or something I would want to write my own music and not have somebody else make it. I’ll happily collaborate with people but don’t tell me what to say

Open to interpretation: what does “real” mean to you?

I don’t want to put on a persona, I just want to be me. A lot of artists are forced into a box where they feel like they need a gimmick just to get people to pay attention. I would rather just meet somebody and vibe with them than put on a persona so they’ll think I’m cool. So in music I’d rather just be myself and say the things that are on my mind. And if they don’t like it then I’m still happy because I’m getting to do what I love. Like I would never record something overtly straight because I’m not overtly straight.

What’s a piece of advice you’d give your fellow artists in the trenches?

I think that every artist’s path is a little different, and you shouldn’t compare yours to the others. Because you have to figure it out for yourself. You’ll get to where you’re supposed to be when it’s right. I think that timing is everything, and everything happens for a reason. And especially with social media it’s so easy to compare yourself to other people, I fall short to that all the time. But I think if you love what you do, and you have something worthwhile to say/create, and you spend the time honing in on your craft, and you know how to finesse that and make it your own, then you’re on the right path. If somebody shows up and offers you a contract, dope. If not, keep doing it because something will come eventually. I think art has a responsibility to the world to be honest and reflective and if you’re doing that then great.

What would you say to somebody struggling between a life of art and a more secure, cookie cutter life?

I mean we need bankers, we need lawyers. It’s fine. Just whatever you want to do, do it with pride. If you’re not happy in your field, you can get out of your field. If you want to be secure, that’s totally fine. But if you’re in that and you hate it, I don’t see why you have to stay in that. I think you should do what makes you happy because at the end of the day you’re the person that has to live with yourself. I make music because it brings me joy. If something brings you joy then I think you should follow it. If it doesn’t, get out of it, because that’s really detrimental to your health.

Lucy Moroukian

Photographer and Filmmaker

@lucytwoshoes

So how was it today? Was it fun getting back into modeling?

Yeah, I miss it. It’s nice to remember what it’s like to be on both sides of the camera.

In a few words, what has your artistic background been?

I kind of came into all of this backward I feel like. I went to high school for photography, so I started out as a photographer.

You went to high school for it?

Yeah so I went to an arts high school that had a film program. I mean I got my first film camera when I was 4 years old. So I’ve been doing photography for as long as I can remember. And then my senior year of high school I got into filmmaking and directing. So I started directing plays and did that stuff. Then I went to college for film and in college I did camera work and produced and 1st AD’ed. And at the end of college I started acting and directing, and kind of realized that’s where I like living: in the creative world. And then out here I do some production coordinating and some legistical stuff for money… but creatively write, produce, direct, and act.

And you were saying earlier that you’re still active with all those?

Yeah! I try to be, as much as possible.

What has your journey been through all of this?

I think that my main thing has just been trying to keep my foot in both worlds. I think every part of this industry makes you better at every other part of this industry. So I think that acting makes me a better director, and that directing makes me a better producer, and modeling makes me a better director. I think all of those play into each other, and understanding every piece of the pipeline is so important to be successful creatively.

In the broader scope of your career over your lifetime, how would you describe the stage your in now?

I mean this time in our lives is weird. Like we’re just out of college enough that I feel like I’m supposed to have a better grasp on things? But also, remembering how young we are and that that’s okay, and I’m still in the thick of it, and trying to just live in that as much as possible.

You’re okay with being fluid.

Trying to be.

What’s the most frustrating part of your creative process?

Feeling like I can’t communicate something. Having a feeling that I want to communicate and not knowing how to put that on the screen.

What’s something you want to work on in your process?

Reflecting the way that people are and not the way that we perceive them. Showing life the way that we experience it. I think it’s really easy to fall into tropes and stereotypes. Straying away from that and showing the world as it is, is… scary. Something that I try to lean into but is hard to is that the more specific you get the more universal things feel. And with that there’s always a fear that you’re going to express something specific and people aren’t going to relate to it. But obviously the hope is they will.

How do you plan to go about improving that?

(Without missing a beat) Writing more. And I think being a good creative is just being observant. Not only observant but being conscious of what you observe; writing things down, incorporating the things that we observe into our art.

So you’re journaling a lot?

Not as much as I should be. (laughs) I’ve been trying to write down lines of conversations that I overhear that I think are funny or genuine. Just pulling pieces of things.

In general, what inspires you?

People who aren’t afraid to be exactly who they are.

That’s a beautiful thing.

It is, and it’s rare, especially in a big city. It’s easy to not be.

So what do you do when you’re trying to create and you can’t tap into that inspiration?

I go back to Minnesota. I think that every time I go home I get this, like… Minnesota is such a genuine place. I think that people there are very good at being who they are. Going back there is always a refreshing perspective of what’s important and, you know, how to exist in the world? In writing I’m trying to write a lot of stuff that is set there because it’s what I know.

What’s one aspect about your artistic style that nobody can touch?

I kind of said this already, but trying to be incredibly observant with the way that people interact with themselves and each other and the world. That’s the most important thing to me in art.

Similarly, what’s something about your personal style that nobody has anything on?

Yeah! I think that in a really backwards way I feel really lucky that my family had no money when we were growing up, because I only ever shopped at Goodwill. So I had a trained eye from a really young age at being able to pull things that were fun and never really had that pressure of brand loyalty because I couldn’t afford brand loyalty. So just wearing things that I feel like express me as much as I can. And I think that clothing is such a great thing to tell people who you are and who you want to be. I like pulling pieces from different eras and bringing them together because I think that the way that fashion has and has not changed over the last 50 years is really fascinating. Watching things that come back into style and things that stay in style is a fascinating trajectory to me.

Can I offer a word to that? “Timelessness”.

Ooh, yeah I love that. I love timeless. I think that there’s this really fascinating crossover between “timelessness” and “trend”. I think that people think of “trend” as disposable fashion, but I think there’s a way to be trendy that’s not disposable. That’s timeless.

What does “real” mean to you? How do you know it when you see it?

Grit. I think that life is weird and messy and complicated and not always great. And the more that people lean into that and acknowledge that, the more I trust them.

What advice do you have for your fellow artists in the trenches to keep them going?

Don’t listen to other people, that absolutely includes me. Make what you want to make. I think it’s really easy to fall into making art that you think people will understand or art that you think will make other people happy, and that’s not why we’re in this industry. We’re in this industry because we think that we have something unique to express, and as soon as you lose that you stop being relevant. Just making your own shit and being okay with that. And being okay with people not understanding it!

What would you say to somebody struggling to balance between a life of art and a more secure, cookie cutter path?

This sucks, but I think that the only way that you can be successful as an artist is if there is no question in your mind that there’s nothing else you could do that could make you happy. Trying to remember that in the times that suck and you hate what you’re doing and you want to just say “fuck it” and get a job in finance… that it ultimately comes down to “I have something to say, that I don’t think other people can express in the same way I can. I can’t imagine doing anything else.” You have to truly and deeply love it, unfortunately. (laughs)

Anything else you want to add?

If you’re making art that you’re scared is communicating with people… there is one person somewhere in the world who is hearing what you’re saying, and that’s all that matters. It’s so easy to get caught up in the public eye and the fame and the hope of the masses being behind you. But if there is that one person somewhere in Iowa that’s seeing something they’ve never seen before, or they’re seeing themselves reflected in a way that they haven’t seen… that’s what matters. That’s why we do this.

Julian Halpern

Student - Critical Theory & Social Justice, Spanish

@sabertoothedgat

That was fun today. I know you haven’t modeled before, what was it like?

It was a good experience. I think I felt more comfortable on my skateboard than off. But also, just in practice from taking pictures with friends a little bit - no serious modeling gigs, I’m relatively comfortable in front of the camera. Like sitting on top of the bowl and shooting those photos I felt pretty comfortable. I don’t know how developed my “model face” is, like I think I can do it but I see the pictures after and I’m like “ehh”. But no, it felt good.

Well for what it’s worth I didn’t see you overthinking it. You just kinda let it go. It was really cool.
Yeah I think being natural with it is really the key. Just, like, letting it happen.

So what are you studying?

I’m a senior at Occidental College in Eagle Rock, I’m a double major in Critical Theory & Social Justice, and Spanish. I minor in Linguistics.

What does that look like when you’re out of school?

When I’m out of school it looks like anything but that. (he laughs) A lot of people in Critical Theory get involved in Pedagogy and writing, so I could just spend my life doing research about applied issues for Social Justice. Like taking old innovators in Thought and seeing how their ideologies, and not just that but their methodologies, have been applied towards Social Justice. So I definitely want to work with people towards the betterment of everybody. (A college guy walks past on the street) Sup Tommy? (Tommy smiles and says hey as he keeps moving.) But yeah, what I’m concerned with doing is Education. Ideally I want to do Outdoor Education, be it Backpacking Expedition Leadership, or Outdoor Skate Education, you know? Both my parents are public school teachers, so I’d also be open to just doing education in general.

You have some background in the Arts, right?

Yeah! I love to draw. At this point I’m only writing essays but I do love creative writing. And poetry. I was a slam poet, spoken word artist. I used to make a lot of hip-hop music. I play alto saxophone and guitar. The art I’ve been doing lately is a little bit of water coloring here and there, dabbling in some oil painting, about to paint one this weekend, actually. I’d say my principal form of art is music.

And you really just do it for yourself?

Definitely not for monetary value. Definitely just as a source of getting out creative energy and to find inspiration in myself.

So in a few words what led you into studying what you’re doing now?

Part of my dream is to live and teach in South America, so that’s why I study Spanish. My mom studies Spanish, I’ve basically studied it my whole life. But then Critical Theory... an ex girlfriend told me she thought I would like it. I like to think outside of the box and I’m a highly critical person already

I know you really value your time Outdoors. Ct you?an you speak to what that has taught you?

Definitely helped me practice patience, and practicing mindfulness. And also has established and nourished a strong spiritual connection to the divinity of nature. Definitely a spiritual connection to nature. It took long trips, backpacking, pushing myself to let go of luxuries, to understand my connection to and place in natural existence. And that really comes to me when I’m still, and mindful. What I want is to be so calm and comfortable with my existence to nature that I can happily sit still and watch the grass move in the wind, and just be quiet. And I think stillness has always been hard for me in the sense that it requires a really open acceptance of yourself. There’s no stimulation, there’s no social validation, there’s no... value, really, in sitting still, except for one-ness, and the opportunity to look within and reconnect with nature.

That couldn’t have been an easy journey to come to that understanding.

Definitely. And it’s ongoing! I definitely don’t have a permanent connection, or confidence, to it. I’m always kind of seeking a return. It’s weird how we always try to return to what we once were because things were simpler and more peaceful and obvious in youth. You didn’t have to question or critique your own values or your own lifestyle choices. You more just, are. Whether I like it or not, I'm always trying to return to a more banally satisfied existence. I think as we get older we’re taught to be more competitive and self conscious of our own position. And I think growth mindsets are good but part of growth is letting go of desire, and being okay with that stillness. And I think that’s part of what skating does. When I’m skating I don’t have to think about anything. I’m just focused on what’s in front of me, and it feels like being young again. It feels like being preserved in amber glass, the mindset is so different. I could spend a whole day stressed and then when I’m skating it’s just the sound of the wheel turning. Like there’s planning, but it’s different. There is no forethought. What’s coming up next is happening already.

That zen state you have as your goal, how would you define the stage you’re in now in the context of that journey?
The stage I’m in now and probably always will be is the journey. There’s no getting there. Like I’m describing it as such an ideal, but I feel like that stillness happens in passing. It’s not like I want to end up on my estate sitting on the porch watching the grass grow. It’s just that as I meander and find meaning and value and wander down the path, I want to find joy and significance and depth and achievement in just... being.

Any particular point in the journey?

A turning point. I’m really excited to leave this education system that’s been planned out for me for the past... almost 18 years. And yeah I have moments where I get really overwhelmed with fears, doubts, uncertainties. Mostly I’m proud to say that I’m accepting of it. And I know that worrying about things isn’t worth it, because what the future holds is already coming. Like what I was saying about skating: it just will happen, no matter what. Trying to rush myself and my success in getting to the future is not going to make me happy. Just trying to be happy in the here and now is hard enough, and a good enough project.

Shifting gears, here. When you’re writing, creatively or otherwise, what’s the most frustrating part for you?
The worst thing about being creative and needing to produce... is a deadline. I’m honestly a perfectionist, and I don’t always take it to the final point of perfection, but I’d like to be able to. Like I’m never really satisfied with what I turn in. Not “never”, but most of the time I feel like deadlines put a pressure on it and open-ended, lifelong projects have more meaning. Like not being done, ever.

Do you find your field stuffy?

Fuck yeah, Critical Theory is boring. I’m pretty disillusioned by it at this point. But I also like what I’m writing about. The other thing about creating is the voice of the author, it’s so interesting to me. It’s challenging and problematic. Like, the things I want to write about I don’t always feel qualified to be writing about. And no one’s qualified, really. But trusting my own voice, and my own perspective, is hard for me. And I think that goes for a lot of people. People want to make the best thing possible, it’s a very competitive world we live in, but I sort of resent competition. Like deadlines, rushing something. In terms of essays and papers I don’t mind deadlines because it makes me actually do the work, but with creative projects I’ll spend so much time building up to being ready to work. Like ruminating, skateboarding, procrastinating, but it’s not really procrastinating because I’m building up to being ready.

What’s something about your character that nobody can touch?

(In a singsong cadence:) I wear my heart on my sleeve. I’m like too honest, and too loving, in a good way, but also in a way that sometimes hurts. I have this unfaltering faith in nature and humanity and life, but also sometimes things remind me that it’s not that simple. And that’s hard, but people can’t touch that I’m a truly open minded and accepting person, I think. I like to tell jokes but I feel very lucky to come from a place where open mindedness was a key value.

What does “real” mean to you?

I used to concern myself too much with how other people perceived me. I let it inform my actions. I thought that I needed to be a certain way to be liked, or fit in. And I’ve found that that is a horribly, horribly nauseating experience to try and meet people’s needs. People don’t really have needs for your character. I think authenticity is what people are attracted to. Far more than any preconceived, constructed notion of what “coolness” is, individuality is far more intriguing and interesting. And what we need. Innovation does not come from following a trope. Archetypes are broken. Archetypes are going to keep us in the fucked up state that we’re in. So I think “realness” is a commitment to not only being yourself but exploring yourself, and getting to know your art. I’m real when I put away the doubt and trust that I have something to contribute. It’s so easy to fall into that trap of “I’m a piece of shit, I’m just this, I’m just that”, but we’re so much more multifaceted as people, and ambiguous and ever-changing. Always changing. I think authenticity is changing and going with the flow whatever you gotta do.

What advice would you give a creative person struggling right now?

The best advice that I could give is... that our idols are dead. Iconography has us all fucked up in our heads about what is going to sell, what is valuable, what is meaningful for society. And your contribution artistically should be so outside of the box, like something people absolutely haven’t seen before. Like, I don’t want what I already know is out there. I want to see something that expands my consciousness and my perception of reality and society. And I want to see effort on the part of the artist to break molds, not make themself into a mold. Not conforming to an idea. When an artist trusts themselves as a unique entity, what they produce is clear. What is produced is real. I think if you can do that, you should.

What would you say to somebody struggling to balance a life of art and a more secure, cookie cutter life?
Dude, I do not have that answer. (He laughs) I am struggling with that myself. I just want to have fun. I’ve been building up my relationship to myself to be able to maintain prolonged periods of peace and happiness, and that’s the most important thing in the world to me, I don’t want to sacrifice that for a fucking job, or conformity, fitting into a mold. So I think the balance is the journey I was talking about, or part of the journey. I think that balance is an ongoing project that I’m working on and we’re all working on. I think the best advice I can give is that a “balance” implies an equilibrium, and an equilibrium is not static. We’re always changing and shifting and it’s never going to be a perfect balance. You will have moments of clarity where it feels really right, but mostly it’s getting back to that. It’s not about desiring more than what you have, it’s about being okay with where you’re at. And loving where you’re at. Like I want to be successful... but I also want to feel the joy and the euphoria that can exist in every single moment. You can make any boring bullshit the most joyous day of your life. And I still struggle with that, oh my god everyday is not the most joyous day of my life (he laughs). But when I’m truly loving myself the most banal bullshit can be super fulfilling, and that’s what I feel in my connection to nature, and art, and people.

Duncan Kinzie

DMRKPhoto.com