CSM MA FASHION IMAGE 2024: Visions of Identity

Hannah Hall 

For Hannah Hall, her final project was a chance to spotlight the often ‘misinterpreted and ignored’ narratives of womanhood and queer existence. The British photographer sees image-making as a form of performance art. “I wanted to create a series that, in a way, felt like a show.” Her careful casting and cinematic editing amplify this theatrical approach. “I think it’s important to be aware of what you’re saying with your work. Once the work is out you no longer control how it’s digested by the audience. It’s important to be conscious of this when creating.”

Anass Aboo

Art director Anass Aboo is stepping out of his comfort zone and unlocking a new level of intimacy in his work. Inspired by his personal experiences and the complexities he faced growing up in Paris with Indian heritage, his final project tells a powerful story of self-acceptance and empowerment. “Growing up, I sometimes felt a bit ashamed of my Indian heritage, but over time, I realised that having a dual culture is one of my greatest strengths.” A love letter to Desi talent, he assembled a team of models, photographers, and stylists who share not just his heritage but his vision.

Rino Qiu

Silvia Napoli

“My biggest lesson from CSM is the importance of pushing fashion beyond its traditional boundaries,” says art director Silvia Napoli, whose final project does exactly that. Using the lens of fashion to capture a contemporary vision of the Italian South, she redefines the traditional ‘slow life’ narrative. Themes of decay and abandonment pervade her work, as the collection captures the unique, eccentric qualities of Southern Italy’s people and places. Overall, her project seeks to challenge viewers to engage with the local complexities of a region often defined only by its romantic landscapes and idyllic nature.

Jess Wishart 

Inspired by the way we interact with technology, Jess Wishart explores the intersections between our physical reality and our digital one. “We increasingly live a sort of double life, half in reality and half on the internet.” Rather than offering a critique, the images serve as a visual commentary on the emotional complexities of living a dual existence. “I try not to have a fixed idea when shooting on what I want the images to look like. Often, my favourite image is one I didn’t set out to create, or it comes from a mistake I made during the process.’’

Qixuan Zhang

Zhang is a Chinese photographer with a distinctively intimate approach to image-making, working mainly with friends or non-professionals with no modelling experience. “They’re the most authentic in front of the camera. I like those moments when they’re a bit awkward or stiff.” Grounded in the real and raw, their work highlights the true essence of their subjects. After graduation Zhang plans to curate a documentary of their homeland of Xinjiang and its unique history, “My goal is to capture the everyday lives of Xinjiang’s ethnic minorities, like the Uyghur and Kazakh communities.”

Sam Edwards

Desire, intimacy, and vulnerability are just a few words Sam Edwards uses to describe the inspiration behind his final project – an intricate series of images that tread a fine line between erotica and kink. “It ended up being a running joke of it being erotic but flaccid, like keeping it sexy but soft,” he says. Through thoughtful styling choices and a deep understanding of his models and their boundaries, the series provides an endearing and raw commentary on modern sex appeal. Edwards invites viewers to engage with the work in their own way, challenging the conventional binaries that societal standards impose on sexuality.

Rachel Roland Martins

The images in Roland Martins’ project unfold through layers of personal memory and emotion. Her work creates a heartfelt dialogue, blending her own identity with universal themes of belonging and self-discovery. “I start by immersing myself into memories and feelings. From there, everything seems to fall into place.” For her, image-making in the fashion industry is about more than just style. “Representation matters immensely, not just in an aesthetic sense but in capturing experiences. There is so much that remains untold, and image-making offers a way to share those personal stories.”

Rita Biancardi 

Rita Biancardi, a stylist from Rome, is captivated by the hidden meanings behind the act of dressing. Having grown up in a military boarding school, where the strict Italian army uniform was part of her daily routine, she reflects on how this experience shapes her work. “Each morning was a strict ritual: 60 seconds to get dressed. I often didn’t make it, leaving my room half-dressed and getting in trouble. Today, many of the looks I create are intentionally incomplete, reflecting the transitional state of things and the fluidity of human experience.” Driven by a passion for archive fashion, Biancardi has curated an impressive personal collection of rare designer items, eBay finds, and vintage treasures.

Coraima Valdez

“I think tradition is not static or something of the past, but rather an evolving part of who we are,” says Coraima Valdez, whose work delves into the relationship between tradition and modernity through the lens of Latin America. Learning to trust her instincts and embrace what comes naturally, she finds power in quiet, unguarded moments. Valdez is eager to carry her vision beyond the confines of CSM, sharing, “I want to continue developing this project and hopefully offer a fresh perspective, positively contributing to how Latin American people are represented and understood.”

Olivia Brighi

At its core, Olivia Brighi’s project is a celebration of both the fragility and strength that defines adolescence. “This project is about the lives of three teenagers living in a foster home, but that does not define their identity,” she says. Instead, she lets the teens’ stories unfold naturally. “A crucial decision was to have the two girls and the boy take their own pictures and look through their archives on their phones.”  Brighi is eager to see the project’s evolution unfold. “I’m absolutely committed to continuing my work on this. Moving forward, I’m planning to explore whether we can expand into different communities, engage with new groups of people, and allow the project to evolve from there.”

Jenny Luo 

Using kites, wings, and origami cranes, photographer Jenny Luo transforms simple childhood objects into profound symbols of courage and joy. Each image offers a pause, a brief moment of reflection amidst the fast pace of adulthood. Through her lens, Luo invites us to see the world with fresh eyes. “It inspires a sort of lifestyle that appreciates the beauty all around us, turning the mundane into lively sceneries, which invites the viewers to have a more imaginative view of the world.” For Luo, the most important lesson from the course is that success in fashion image-making is a journey built on patience, perseverance, and confidence.

Amalia Muñoz

Amalia Muñoz is a creative director and stylist challenging the restrictive cultural, social, and religious expectations placed on women. Drawing from her own experience growing up in Chile, her work tackles themes of beauty, digital identity, and ageing. The result is a series of visually confronting and unapologetically raw compositions. Muñoz takes inspiration from the legacy of women before her, noting, “I strongly emphasise studying the work of women photographers, directors, and artists whose work resonates with me. In particular, I’ve been deeply inspired by the works of Agnes Varda, Mika Rottenberg, and Vivienne Dick.”

Alice Chen

For Alice Chen, the final project was an opportunity to reconnect with her past, creating a piece of work that is deeply introspective. Inspired by her time growing up in Nanjing, China, and the feeling of being physically distant from her younger self, Chen uses 3D spaces to reconstruct her memories, infusing them with surreal, dreamlike elements. “The final outcome is a film that incorporates aspects of gameplay and character animations,” she says. For Chen, the most important lesson learned during her time at Saint Martins is that storytelling is boundless. ‘’I’ve come to believe that technicalities should never prevent you from telling your stories. Develop the narratives and then learn everything else along the way.”

Adam Lin

“Image-making plays a vital role in reshaping the rules,” says Adam Lin, whose final project seeks to challenge traditional notions of male intimacy and vulnerability. For the project, Lin collaborated with various male family members – fathers, grandfathers, uncles, brothers, and even flatmates – in Taiwan and London. “The home, usually considered feminine, became a stage of experimentation where men could explore alternate masculinities in a space where cultural expectations could be both honoured and disrupted.” After graduation, Lin plans to continue exploring the intersections of identity, heritage, and domesticity.