NOWNESS Mei Sze Macy Chow CHO13400735 Fashion Brands and Audiences Brand Report
CONTENTS
BRAND HISTORY
Brand History 3 Brand Proposition 6 Brand Characteristics 8 B r a n d Va l u e s 10 Brand Identity 12 Ta r g e t C o n s u m e r s 18 Competitors 24 Positioning 26 Tr e n d s 28 Critical Analysis 30
“ A video channel premiering the best in global arts and culture across art and design, fashion and beauty, music, culture, food and travel ” Nowness is an online video platform that provides digital experiences of contemporary arts through moving image. Art & d e s i g n , f a s h i o n & b e a u t y, m u s i c , travel & food are fields explored through diverse collaborations with artists, designers, and cultural organisations. Launched i n F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 0 b y LV M H , t h e web-based magazine presents a wide range of content that is created and curated by an international editorial team. The
website was introduced after t h e d i s p a n s i o n o f e L u x u r y. c o m a n LV M H o w n e d s i t e , w h i c h w a s used to promote its brands and as an e-commerce platform. The luxury giant describes Nowness as “a video channel premiering the best in global arts and culture across art and design, fashi o n a n d b e a u t y, m u s i c , c u l t u r e , food and travel” [0]. The brand launched a Chinese language version of the platform in 2012, along with video subtitles in nine
languages. In 2014 Nowness began a collaboration with Air France and KLM “showcasing editorial films onboard all Air France transatlantic flights”[1]. As of October 2015 Nowness has 1,300 online ‘Cultural Exper i e n c e s ’ , 6 0 0 , 0 0 0 + U n i q u e Vi s its along with 4,500,000 video views per month [0].
Opportunities 32 Refferences 38 2
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Aw a r d s Editor In Chief Claudia Donaldson
Creative Director Jefferson Hack
2014 B e r l i n F a s h i o n F i l m F e s t i v a l : B e s t Vi s u a l E ff e c t s We b b y Aw a r d s : B e s t C u l t u r a l B l o g 2013 L o v i e Aw a r d s : G o l d f o r B e s t L i f e s t y l e We b s i t e a n d S i l v e r f o r B e s t I n t e r a c t i v e Vi d e o
Joined Nowness in 2010 as a commissioning director and a brand consultant becoming Editor in Chief in 2013. She had previously worked for the London Evening Standard and Wa l l p a p e r * M a g a z i n e .
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An influential fashion voice and the co-founder of ‘Dazed and Confused’ and ‘AnOther Magazine’ two of the most prominent fashion publications with the highest readership in the United Kingdom.
2 0 11 W W D J a p a n F a s h i o n We b G r a n d P r i x Aw a r d We b b y Aw a r d s : B e s t F a s h i o n We b s i t e 2010 C L I O Aw a r d f o r B e s t I n t e r a c t i v e We b s i t e
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BRAND PROPOSITION
Nowness provides a digital moving image viewing platform, for worldwide audiences aged 20-60. The website curates current films, and editorial content on artistic t h e m e s , i n c l u d i n g a r t & d e s i g n , f a s h i o n & b e a u t y, m u s i c , travel & food. The audience is encouraged to explore the meaning of contemporary moving image across these numerous disciplines, and engage with the interactive content on the site. The platform aspires to arouse curiosity and cultural discussions within the disciplines of art through the medium of digitally accessed film and editorials. In doing so, Nowness provides its own unique philosophy on what it m e a n s t o b e c o n t e m p o r a r y.
The brand is a curator of content but also the creator of a r t , f a s h i o n , a n d p h o t o g r a p h i c c o n t e n t . U n l i k e Yo u t u b e , a video hosting platform aimed at the mass viewers, Nowness has a focus on an artistically inclined audience whilst being commercially ambitious. When compared with its main competitor Showstudio, Nowness curates and creates more international content, to spark cultural conversations, and to “provide solutions to the industry by creating bespoke content for premium brands looking to reach our premium audience”[2]. Whilst Showstudio is a niche group of creatives, Nowness aspires to be relevant to a wide audience, and to be immediate, as demonstrated by their frequent daily updates. Owned by LV M H w h o h a s r e l a t i o n s h i p s w i t h s o m e o f t h e w o r l d ’s most influential creatives, Nowness is able to provide unique and innovative content.
“ provide solutions to the industry by creating bespoke content for premium brands looking to reach our premium audience ” 6 7
BRAND CHARACTERISTICS
Innovative
Uniqueness
Nowness curates and creates content, in collaboration with a diverse range of influential creatives across numerous artistic fields.
Passion
Careful attention to detail, and appreciation for artistic i n n o v a t i o n , o r i g i n a l i t y, a n d t h e a r t i s t s t h a t a s p i r e t o t h e s e values.
Consistent
What does it mean for Nowness to be contemporary?
N o w n e s s u p l o a d s c o n t e n t e v e r y d a y, a n d c o n s t a n t l y r e - i n v e n t s a n d s t r i v e s t o p r o p e l t h e i r core concept of relevance.
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Nowness strives to innovate in terms of their hand-picked content by leading artistic contributors, but also through their existence as an accessible digital platform.
“ the highest standard for story telling �
Interactive
Unlike its video based competitors, Nowness allows its users to physically interact with their video content, but also prompt creative discourse, and create the feeling of commun i t y.
Uploads one original video per day
B R A N D VA L U E S
Multi-cultural
Relevance
Refined
Partnerships with some of the w o r l d ’s l e a d i n g b r a n d s
Engaging
Innovative and contemporary digital moving image platform
Collaboration
Innovation and originality are Nowness’ core values. Their model of exclusive curation and creation provides “the highest standard for story telling” [2], and in doing s o , i n s t i l l s a s e n s e o f c u r i o s i t y, a n d i m m e d i a c y w i t h i n i t s publics.
Uses a wide range of social media to portray brand image
Originality
Digital Experience Artistic Collaborates with contemporary and influential creatives 10 11
BRAND IDENTITY
Vi s u a l I d e n t i t y The layout of the web site resembles that of a blog, with large images framed by smaller images. The content is guided by carefully assembled notations, and encourages the viewer to scroll and visually dissect the webpage. The various playlists on the site such as ‘series’ or ‘selected for you’, gives the brand a personable edge. In terms of colour use, the bold sans serif logo and monochrome t e x t a r e o ff s e t b y a s u b t l e b u r n t orange colour to frame the content. As a result, the appearance of the website calls to mind a blog page, giving the brand a relaxed image. The logo itself is in a monochrome sans serif font in capital, suggesting an aesthetically conscious choice, clean, and uncomplicated outlook.
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Vo i c e
Nowness’ ‘story’ aims to communicate how they curate and create content, across numerous artistic fields, and to provide relevant, contemporary content to their viewers, thus creating a sense o f c o m m u n i t y. T h e w o r d n o w n e s s suggests the immediate, the cont e m p o r a r y, t h e r e l e v a n t . T h e b r a n d also takes on a personable, informative, yet professional tone when a d d r e s s i n g t h e c u s t o m e r.
We b s i t e An accessible host for the all of t h e b r a n d ’s c o n t e n t . T h e l a y o u t i s full screen, and all new and recent content is available on the homepage without the need for navigation. As a result, the site feels intimate, immersive, diverse, and encourages the viewer to click and explore.
Instagram A formally curated selection of imagery from their video content. The carefully constructed page aligns w i t h t h e b r a n d b r a n d ’s v i s u a l i d e n t i t y. pinterest-a series of boards, foc u s i n g o n d i ff e r e n t a s p e c t s o f t h e b r a n d . F o r i n s t a n c e , b e a u t y, c u l ture, and design. The pinterest page shows a greater involvement o f t h e e d i t o r, a s o p p o s e d t o f a c e b o o k o r t w i t t e r, a s c a r e w a s t a k en in curating the individual pin boards. The page provides users with the ability to select in detail, content that interests them.
F a c e b o o k & Tw i t t e r T h e b r a n d ’s l a r g e s t s o c i a l m e d i a f o l l o w i n g i s o n F a c e b o o k , w i t h 3 2 0 , 0 0 0 f o l l o w e r s . U p d a t e s c o n tain content from the website, with an informative voice. Some of the older content from the site is promoted through these platforms. There is no exclusive facebook or twitter content, it is simply an extension of the Nowness website.
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Tu m b l r Showcases content from the main website. The layout of this page takes on a more open, clean aesthetic, as the content is displayed in a more concise manner than the main website. The tumblr page h a s t h e e ff e c t o f a p p e a l i n g t o a younger audience, and provides Nowness with a portal to interest smaller niche groups.
Yo u t u b e Acts as an extension of the Nowness website, where the content is displayed using playlists titled art, design, food, for example. Each video is marketed with t h e b r a n d ’s l o g o , e m p h a s i z i n g t h e original content from Nowness. Yo u t u b e p r o v i d e s a p l a t f o r m f o r t h e b r a n d t o r e a c h o u t t o a w i d e r, m o r e diverse audience.
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Event Launch screening at Art Basel,Mia m i i n 2 0 11 . M a r i n a A b r a m o v i c t h e artist is present.
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TA R G E T C O N S U M E R S
The diverse, open-minded, creative consumer...
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Interview Specimen Tw o i n t e r v i e w e x a m p l e s h i g h l i g h t i n g t h e d i v e r s e r a n g e o f i n t e r v i e w e e s
Caroline from Norway
Nick from England
Age: 23 O c c u p a t i o n : F a s h i o n Vi s u a l M e r c h a n d i s i n g & B r a n d i n g s t u d e n t
Age: 54 Occupation: Sales Executive
Have you heard of Nowness? No (not before)
Have you heard of Nowness? No (not before)
Do you think Nowness is a diverse and influential platform in terms of the arts? Ye s , i t ’s a n i n s p i r a t i o n a l p l a t f o r m . G o o d f o r p e o p l e i n t e r e s t e d i n f a s h i o n a n d a r t s , i t c o v ers all the categories, and all the things you do in life.
Do you think Nowness is a diverse and influential platform in terms of the arts? Ye s , t h e r e a r e a n u m b e r o f d i ff e r e n t d i s c i p l i n e s d i s p l a y e d o n t h e s i t e .
W h a t ’s m e m o r a b l e a b o u t n o w n e s s ? That they cover food and travel, and have some good series. Do you see Nowness as a contemporary video platform? Ye s , f r o m t h e a p p e a r a n c e a n d d e s i g n o f t h e s i t e . Is there a sense of creative community when interacting with the website? Ye s , i t ’s a p l a c e g o o d f o r i n s p i r a t i o n a n d s e c o n d a r y r e s e a r c h . C o m p a r e d t o o t h e r v i d e o p l a t f o r m s ( s u c h a s S h o w s t u d i o o r Vi c e ) , a r e y o u m o r e / l e s s likely to visit Nowness? C o m p a r e d t o y o u t u b e , I ’ m m o r e l i k e l y t o v i s i t N o w n e s s . I t ’s m o r e f o c u s e d , a n d u n i q u e .
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W h a t ’s m e m o r a b l e a b o u t n o w n e s s ? The clean look of the site. Do you see Nowness as a contemporary video platform? Ye s , i t h a s s o m e u n u s u a l v i d e o s . Is there a sense of creative community when interacting with the website? I c a n ’ t s a y, a s I ’ m n o t t h a t k n o w l e d g a b l e i n t h e a r t s . C o m p a r e d t o o t h e r v i d e o p l a t f o r m s ( s u c h a s S h o w s t u d i o o r Vi c e ) , a r e y o u m o r e / l e s s likely to visit Nowness? I ’ m l e s s l i k e l y t o v i s i t N o w n e s s , c o m p a r e d t o Yo u t u b e , w h i c h I v i s i t e v e r y d a y.
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THE MARKET
Consumer Profile Name: Emilia Thomson Age: 28 Occupation: Gallery Curator Education: BA Art History at Goldsmiths L o c a t i o n : N o t t i n g H i l l , We s t L o n d o n Interests: She enjoys indie bands, as well classical music. In her spare time, she visits private art galleries for inspiration. Her favorite place is t h e Ta t e M o d e r n , w h e r e s h e g a g e s t h e c u r r e n t c r e a t i v e s c e n e . S h e l o v e s French cuisine, but is eager to try contemporary Scandinavian cuisine.
Nowness operates within the sector of online creative video platforms. Due to the creative nature of the market there a r e f e w p o i n t s o f p a r i t y b e t w e e n t h e d i ff e r e n t b r a n d s w i t h i n t h e s e c t o r. T h e r e i s f a r l e s s d i r e c t c o m p e t i t i v i t y w i t h i n t h i s sector as Nowness and its competitors are often more internally focused on content creation and curation perhaps due to the fact the market is not highly saturated.
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COMPETITORS
T h e b r a n d ’s b i g g e s t c o m p e t i t o r s a l s o c r e a t e c o n t e n t a s well as curate content from secondary sources. Howeve r, n o n e o f N o w n e s s ’ c o m p e t i t o r s h o s t t h e i r o w n v i d e o s . Platforms such as Dazed Digital and Showstudio do not h o s t t h e i r o w n v i d e o c o n t e n t b u t i n s t e a d r e l y o n Vi m e o a n d Yo u t u b e w h e r e v i d e o s a r e u p l o a d e d a n d e m b e d d e d on their respective sites. Nowness benefits in its international markets because its videos are available in c o u n t r i e s l i k e C h i n a a n d I n d i a w h e r e a s i t s c o m p e t i t o r ’s v i d e o s a r e n o t , d u e t o g o v e r n m e n t c e n s o r s h i p o f Vi m e o a n d Yo u t u b e i n s u c h c o u n t r i e s .
COMPETITOR
VALUE PROPOSITION
AUDIENCE
AUTHORITY
ShowStudio
To c o n s t a n t l y p u s h t h e boundaries of how fashion is portrayed through moving image.
Fashion Industry Insiders and Individuals interested in Fashion.
To p r o v i d e u p t o d a t e and interesting content to a young and otherwise disinterested audience.
Millennials who don’t read or watch established media. [3]
To b e a t t h e f o r e f r o n t of youth culture and to portray radical fashion.
The young who are alTo f u s e p o p a n d r a d i ways looking to innovate cal youth culture with and push boundaries. fashion and the underground.
Showing the entire creative process from start to completion.
Vice Inside stories from contemporary and youth based sources.
Dazed Digital
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POSITIONING
Nowness positions itself as the pinnacle of creative moving image that can be found online.
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TRENDS
The moving image sector has been steadily growing in r e c e n t y e a r s w i t h c o m p a n i e s l i k e Vi m e o o ff e r i n g s m a l l independent video makers a platform to share their w o r k s [ 4 ] . S i t e s s u c h a s Vi c e a t t r a c t 2 0 0 m i l l i o n u n i q u e views each month[5], many of whom are millennials that fail to engage with forms of traditional media. Audience s w a n t t o b e c h a l l e n g e d a s w e l i v e i n a u - t u r n s o c i e t y. As such, digital moving image has reflected this, where many films feature more extreme and graphic content. Nowness is in the unique position of being in total control of what content reaches viewers. This is a sector they should exploit to the fullest, providing viewers with u n i q u e , f i r s t h a n d c o n t e n t a n d t h u s g a i n t h e i r l o y a l t y. S i m i l a r l y LV M H a r e a b l e t o u s e N o w n e s s a s a t o o l t o carry out customer profiling and information gathering on the trends of luxury customers- something they can utilise for many brands under their wide umbrella.
Pie chart displaying monthly unique views of Nowness compared to major competitors. It is evident that Nowness’ direct competitor is Showstudio. The chart displays the fact that the brand is still very much niche.
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Opportunities
Strengths LV M H b e i n g t h e p a r e n t c o m p a n y o f N o w n e s s s gives the brand the oppurtunity to work with some of the most influential creatives, musicians, and artists. For example collaborations with Aitor Throup, Emilio Pucci, Karl Lagerfeld, and celebrity figures such as Kate Moss. As a result, the content they are able to produce is unique, and the work they curate is focused. This gives Nowness a distinctive edge, that can be recognized as the only online platform that creates and curates artistic content. The diverse range of moving image that can be accessed on Nowness provides the brand
with a sense of multiculturalism, and the c h a n c e f o r c u l t u r a l d i s c o u r s e s t o o c c u r. I n p a r t i c u l a r, N o w n e s s i s a b l e t o r e a l l y t a r g e t t h e Chinese market, since they host their own vide o c o n t e n t a s o p p o s e d t o r e l y i n g o n Yo u t u b e o r Vi m e o , a s w e l l a s l a u n c h i n g a C h i n e s e s i t e . Being one of the largest markets to exploit, Nowness strives to engage a wide audience with their content. A sense of creative community is prominent amongst Nowness, as a result of their focused content, but also because the brand makes use of a range of social media to engage and appeal to a wider range of creative niches. For example, their use of p i n t e r e s t , a n d t u m b l r, e n a b l e s N o w n e s s t o t a p i n t o s m a l l e r, o r v a r i e d n i c h e s .
We a k n e s s e s Being a solely digital platform, it is challenging for Nowness to engage a wider audience than those who do not consider themselves creatives, or artistically inclined. The fact that they have only held one small, niche launch event means they are lacking in experiential engagement with their audience. Likewise, the medium of print, and the experience of being able to physically touch and engage with artistic content has been neglected. Whilst Nowness prides themselves as being a
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There is a large window of opportunity for Nowness to collaborate with creatives that work with print, and experiential work such as installation, and dance. By creating and commissioning print work, the brand could add another dimension t o t h e i r c r e a t i v e r e p e r t o i r e . I n p a r t i c u l a r, they would be able to access a new market and audience. For example, the realms of t y p o g r a p h y, a n d g r a p h i c d e s i g n . B y e s t a b lishing print work, Nowness could create a line of branded merchandise in the form of Zines, or photography books, to further
advertise their brand. Through experiential engagement with audiences, such as music, art, food events, and dance installations, Nowness could provide an even more diverse audience with a tactile experience. Another form of experiential existence could be a physical store space, where the installations and merchandise could be displayed. The store would act as a space where creatives and audiences could physically converse.
E X T E R N A L FA C TO R S
I N T E R N A L FA C TO R S
C R I T I C A L A N A LY S I S
Threats contemporary platform, solely existing online c o n t r a d i c t s t h i s i d e o l o g y. I n n o v a t i o n i n t h e arts cannot be merely bound to online existence, but should involve print, and experiential exposure.
Competitors such as Showstudio are able to post more challenging content, that pushes artistic boundaries since it is not owned by a large corporation such a s LV M H . I n d o i n g s o , t h i s c h a l l e n g e s Nowness’ unique selling point of being innovative.
Where as Showstudio has a physical s t o r e s p a c e , Vi c e i s r e g u l a r l y i n v o l v e d in events, and Dazed Digital, has a print publication, Nowness is lacking in tangible platforms. As a result, they are at risk of extinction if online platforms are no longer the trend.
C o m p a r e d t o Vi c e , N o w n e s s h a s a f o c u s on the arts, and is aimed at an audience who consider themselves to be creatives. H o w e v e r, t h e m i l l e n n i a l a u d i e n c e i s i n t e r ested in a wide range of content surpassing solely art.
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OPPORTUNITIES
Screen
Commission an independent feature length film, to be screened at an interactive event, and available online. Who: Dexter Navy W h a t : A r t h o u s e f i l m d e p i c t i n g “ Yo u t h c u l t u r e ” By commissioning a full length independent film, Nowness can vary the quality of content they provide, but also showcase the work of young up and coming directors such as Dexter N a v y. I n d o i n g s o , t h e b r a n d c a n e n g a g e m o r e with the ‘cool kids’, and target a more youthful audience to compete with other online platf o r m s i n t h e i r s e c t o r.
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P r o d u c e a b i - a n n u a l c o ff e e t a b l e b o o k f e a t u r ing exclusive photography from Nowness.com documenting behind the scenes and the process of creation. Who: In collaboration with Rizzoli, curated by J e ff e r s o n H a c k W h e r e : Av a i l a b l e f o r s a l e t h e i r s i t e , a n d i n select concept stores world wide. For example Colette, Paris. P r o d u c i n g t h e c o ff e e t a b l e b o o k m e a n s a n increase in revenue, and provides the brand with a tangible asset, as well as supplying audiences with an exclusive insight into the b r a n d ’s i d e n t i t y.
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Experiential
Hold an interactive event, ‘Nowness Presents:’ with food, music, and dance. Put on live performances that interact with the video content from Nowness. Where: Hyde Park W h o : M e m b e r s o f t h e R o y a l B a l l e t , F K A Tw i g s , F l o r e n c e We l c h , d r i n k s p r o v i d e d b y B e l v e d e r e ( a l s o o w n e d b y LV M H ) When: Late afternoon to night, start of October What: Will take place in and around tents and s t r u c t u r e s i n s p i r e d b y P a l a i s d e To k y o By holding a large scale event, Nowness can publicize their brand, and also appear to be involved and active in the creative scene. The live performances, food, and dance, provide audiences with a memorable, immersive and tactile experience. The experience when compared to online moving image is long-lasting, as opposed to disposable. By holding the e v e n t d u r i n g t h e s t a r t o f O c t o b e r, N o w n e s s can avoid clashing with film and art festival events, whilst attracting creative professionals a n d p r e s s a f t e r t h e F a s h i o n We e k s i n S e p t e m b e r.
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References Te x t
Images
[ 0 ] LV M H , N O W N E S S , Av a i l a b l e a t : w w w. l v m h . c o m / h o u s e s / o t h e r - a c t i v i t i e s / n o w n e s s / (Accessed: 20 Oct 2015)
[ 0 ] w w w. f a s h i o n f i l m f e s t i v a l m i l a n o . c o m / w p - c o n t e n t / u p l o a d s / 2 0 1 4 / 11 / U n k n o w n . j p e g
[1] NOWNESS, NOWNESS x Air France & KLM, Av a i l a b l e a t : w w w. n o w n e s s . c o m / s t o r y / n o w n e s s - o n - a i r - f r a n c e (Accessed: 20 Oct 2015)
[ 1 ] w w w. i m g . t a t l e r. c o . u k . s 3 . a m a z o n a w s . c o m / 4 0 0 x 6 0 0 / g _ j / J e ff e r s o n - H a c k - Ta t l e r - 9 o c t 1 3 _ J u lien-Hekimian_pr_b_400x600.jpg [ 2 ] w w w. g a r a n c e d o r e . f r / w p - c o n t e n t / u p l o a d s / 2 0 1 4 / 11 / g a r a n c e - d o r e _ z a r a _ 6 . j p g [ 3 ] w w w. b o o k s b y t h e f o o t . c o m / s h o p / p c / c a t a l o g / w w c t _ 2 5 3 _ g e n e r a l . j p g
[ 2 ] H a c k J e ff e r s o n , C r e a t i v e D i r e c t o r a t N o w n e s s , Av a i l a b l e a t : w w w. LV M H . c o m (Accessed: 20 Oct 2015) [ 3 ] A d a m s Ti m , Vi c e M a g a z i n e , T h e G u a r d i a n , Av a i l a b l e a t : w w w. t h e g u a r d i a n . c o m / m e d i a / 2 0 1 3 / m a r / 2 3 / s h a n e - s m i t h - v i c e - i n t e r v i e w (Accessed: 20 Oct 2015)
[ 4 ] w w w. i . g u i m . c o . u k / i m g / s t a t i c / s y s - i m a g e s / G u a r d i a n / P i x / p i c t u r e s / 2 0 1 4 / 1 0 / 1 / 1 4 1 2 1 6 1 6 1 6 0 2 2 / G D 4 2 9 8 1 9 3 5 - 0 1 0 . j p g ? w = 6 2 0 & q = 8 5 & a u t o = f o r m a t & s h a r p = 1 0 & s = e 6 f 6 f 1 8 8 a 9 6 c 6 ff 3 9 0 e a f a f e 8fa87850 [ 5 ] w w w. d a z e d d i g i t a l . c o m [ 6 ] w w w. v i c e . c o m
[ 4 ] Vi m e o , Vi m e o G u i d e l i n e s , Av a i l a b l e a t : w w w. v i m e o . c o m / h e l p / g u i d e l i n e s (Accessed 24/10/15)
[ 7 ] w w w. s h o w s t u d i o . c o m [ 8 ] w w w. d e x t e r n a v y. c o m
[ 5 ] S i t e s , Vi c e D i g i t a l N e t w o r k , Av a i l a b l e a t : w w w. d i g i t a l . v i c e . c o m / u k / c h a n n e l / l i f e s t y l e - e n t e r t a i n m e n t / (Accessed 24/10/15)
All other Images Courtesy of Nowness: w w w. n o w n e s s . c o m w w w. n o w n e s s . t u m b l r. c o m w w w. p i n t e r e s t . c o m / n o w n e s s /
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