For the second part of Project Zero, STUDIO HALIA is debuting a collection with Parisian jewellery brand Hugo Kreit. If Ines’s collaboration begins to explain the collective’s purpose, Hugo’s drives it home. “We made a collection of connected accessories that sit somewhere between a piece of jewellery and tech,” says Hugo and Nordine Makhloufi, the duo behind the French brand.
“Technology nowadays is so monolithic and boring. What’s interesting about this product is that it’s unnecessary, but because of that, it’s playful.” – Georgia Canning
“We wanted something that didn’t resemble jewellery but still reflected our brand’s identity – the idea of organic shapes is important to us.” Their collection, which includes an ear cuff, a necklace, and a headband, all feature NFC chips. “The chip connects you to the app where you’ll see yourself in a digital experience.” Hugo and STUDIO HALIA collaborated with London-based makeup artist Ana Takahashi for the in-app component, who co-created a series of makeup looks that the wearer can see themselves in when using one of Hugo’s accessories.
“A big inspiration for the project was the Maison Margiela liquid latex makeup from last year,” the pair continue. “The inspiration for that look came from a filter, and then, not only did it make it into real life, but it also inspired people worldwide to replicate it. This back-and-forth is inspiring. The physical object, as a digital tool, makes people see their digital selves and then inspires them to create things in the real world.”
Despite their organic shapes and accessory-like inspiration, the objects were designed to be recognisable as technology. “We wanted to play with the codes from the technology of our childhood. In the early 2000s, connected objects were colourful.” Inspired by early iterations of the iPod, their range includes vibrant shades like fuchsia and teal. Regardless of colour, they all have one thing in common: the visible chip that makes these connected wearables functional. It wasn’t just the Game Boy inspiration – the pieces are transparently technological.
The Y2K inspiration extended to the campaign images for the collection. Georgia Canning, STUDIO HALIA’s art director, carried through the noughties feel of Hugo Kreit’s pieces. Shot by Aidan Zamiri, the shoot draws from early ads for customisable technology like Nokia or the Motorola Razr. “Everyone’s phone looked different,” Georgia says. “The fact that it was customisable made it fun.” Georgia also speaks of wanting to break away from the current conception of technology. “Technology nowadays is so monolithic and boring. What’s interesting about this product is that it’s unnecessary, but because of that, it’s playful.”
STUDIO HALIA is clear: despite their forays into fashion and beauty – which they describe as vehicles for self-expression – they are a tech artist collective. “For both of Project Zero’s launches, technology is the driving force,” Undine says. “For our launch year, we wanted to focus on AR and find seamless ways to integrate Web3 in an artist-friendly way.”
“We think of the technology we want to highlight first and then consider who would be the best candidate for it,” David adds. “With Ines and Hugo, they touch on opposite ends of a spectrum that sees identity in facial recognition. While the first is a digital native artist, the second is rooted in materiality.”
But, to say Project Zero’s scope is pure creative exploration wouldn’t be accurate. STUDIO HALIA knew to debut projects with inherent materiality – a key factor in engaging an audience tired of NFTs and blockchains. Hugo and Nordine recognise the value in materiality because they share that frustration. “I think that’s why new technologies can feel disconnected from everyday life. What I love about this project is that it’s centred around an object; its materiality is the bridge.”
“It can never be technology for technology’s sake. That’s how weird hype bubbles around technology are created, which never feel sustainable from a cultural standpoint. That’s what this lineage of technology is disrupting.” – David Stamatis
Not that they’re looking to “pigeonhole ourselves into an accessories brand”, as David puts it. Their primary goal remains to explore “how people put their identities in the world” and “grow their audience”. The latter is a priority in every aspect of STUDIO HALIA’s strategy. It explains both their collaborative approach – “They all come with their own audience; it’s the basis of influencer marketing,” the creative director points out – and White Papers. The editorial project they soft launched this year is meant to attract an engaged audience by inviting cultural thinkers to create critical discourse on the intersection between beauty and technology. “Instead of pulling a ton of ads on social media, we wanted to be more authentic to the studio’s approach, so we tapped people like Agus Panzoni, Head of Trends at Death to Stock, and Alex Peters, Beauty Editor at Dazed Media.”
Following Hugo Kreit’s collaboration, Project One comes next. While details remain under wraps, they hint at a potential event-based initiative combining fashion and beauty. But, regardless of the medium, it’s certain to involve “culturally significant technology.” David is steadfast in his philosophy. “It can never be technology for technology’s sake. That’s how weird hype bubbles around technology are created, which never feel sustainable from a cultural standpoint. That’s what this lineage of technology is disrupting.”
