Eight creatives who are shaking up the cultural scene
From fashion designers to poets and curators, we've rounded up the individuals serving something new with their art
Grace Wales Bonner
BRITISH FASHION DESIGNER
Grace Wales Bonner is shaking up the fashion industry. She makes art (most recently she transformed the Serpentine Sackler Gallery into a spiritual realm with a solo exhibition) and her designs are art-forces themselves. They're rich in allusion and cut to perfection, and have found their way into the most prestigious boutiques and wardrobes across the world.
Having already had a solo exhibition, designed Meghan Markle's baby-reveal trench dress, won the BFA's emergning menswear designer award and more, she's well on her way to becoming one of the UK fashion scene's most relevant individuals.
Lizzo
SINGER/RAPPER
From waltzing through JFK in her giant Met Gala look like some high-fashion flamingo, to twerking whilst playing the flute at the Bet Awards and Glastonbury, rapper and singer Lizzo is an undeniable force of fun.
Her bold and happy messages of self love only add to the upbeat rowdiness of her music, which is already the certified soundtrack to a spirited summer. She's the pinnacle of confidence (arguably helped along by the Hennessy she puts in her coffee each morning), and hopes to teach us to love ourselves a little more. Amen.
'Y’all ready to go to church?' Then listen to Lizzo's new album here.
Nadia Lee Cohen
PHOTOGRAPHER, FILMMAKER AND SELF-PORTRAIT ARTIST
Saturated, disturbing and hypnotic. Welcome to the twisted, sex-heavy world of Nadia Lee Cohen, whose photographs and film are heavily inspired by Americana and Britain in the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s.
With a plethora of A-list music videos, fashion campaigns, self-portrait series and awards under her belt, don't underestimate her ability to leave an ice-cool mark on the industry.
Sonny Hall
POET/MODEL
Twenty-one year old Sonny Hall is beautiful, sober, and deeply talented. He's faced huge personal loss and overcome an addiction that lost him two years of his life.
While he's modelled for Burberry and Vivienne Westwood, the thing that strikes with real force is his newly-released book of poetry entitled The Blues Comes With Good News about sobriety, healing and beyond. He's fast-become the man everyone wants at their events and on their bookshelves.
Julia Armfield
FICTION WRITER
Twenty-eight year old Julia Armfield lives and works in London. She is a fiction writer and occasional playwright, and published her debut collection of short stories Salt Slow in May of this year. They're macabre and strange, and instil a dark sense of excitement within readers.
Lynette Linton
THEATRE DIRECTOR/WRITER
Lynette Linton started off as Assistant Director at the Donmar Warehouse, and is now Artistic Director of the Bush Theatre. She recently co-directed a production of Richard II at Shakespeare’s Globe, which was the first ever company of women of colour to perform a Shakespeare play on a major UK stage.
To see our other favourite female writers and directors, click here
Benoit Swan Pouffer
CHOREOGRAPHER/ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Internationally-renowned dance artist Benoit Swan Pouffer was announced as the new head of Rambert at the end of 2018. The Parisian promises to '‘push the boundaries with relevant and dynamic dance’, and has been central to establishing Rambert2, the company’s new ensemble of outstanding early-career dancers, in partnership with the Rambert School.
Katy Hessel
CURATOR/WRITER AND FOUNDER OF @THEGREATWOMENARTISTS
Katy Hessel is the brains behind Instagram sensation @thegreatwomenartists. The account launched her into the stratosphere back in 2015, and has since paved her way to become one of London's youngest and most relevant curators addressing gender inequality in the art world whilst challenging the traditional canon of art history.
Follow @thegreatwomenartists here