Editor’s note: People of UW is a human interest series produced by Badger Herald staff members. The series aims to highlight a student or student group at the University of Wisconsin making an impact on the campus community. These Q&As are lightly edited for clarity and style.

Tell us about yourself.

I’m a senior and psychology major with an art certificate. I’m from Illinois, from Deerfield. I wasn’t really involved in art in high school or anything. I was a biology major, then I switched to psych. I initially thought I wanted to be in the healthcare field and I was taking all of these STEM classes, and I just felt like I needed a creative outlet. At first, I just started it as like, “Oh, it would be fun to paint” and I started doing these beginner painting classes. And then I was like, “I really like this for more than just painting.” I really liked the things that I learned through it because you gain so many different perspectives. I feel like I grew into more of my identity, and because of that I’ve become really thankful that I found art in college.

What is MODA magazine?

It’s a lifestyle, and premiere magazine. It’s all about cultivating creativity and passions that a bunch of students have. It’s kind of like a central place for everyone to explore all of their different creative interests that they have. So like photography, modeling, art, design or writing.

What is your role with MODA and what are your responsibilities in this role?

This year, basically, what I do is the creative directions and the different shoots that go on and manage all the different photoshoots that go on for each issue. Some of that would include just casting models, and leading people who are also new to MODA, who are interested in photography, or editorial elements of it. I’m kind of just here to help people through that process too. Currently, I would say the biggest thing that I’m doing is Fashion Week. It’s a week of just celebrating the fashion community and creative community at UW. It’s all about, for example, partnering with local small businesses, kind of getting those businesses’ names out there, also working with student designers that are in SOHE, and having a week where you celebrate all of their talent.

What inspired you to take on this role?

I think that visual elements are really important. In student publications, especially with MODA, I feel like there’s a lot of creative ways you can go about it, and a bunch of different concepts you can explore. I think that with visual elements, because you don’t necessarily have words to rely on to tell your story, the things that you put in the shoots are important, and the ways that you convey whatever message you want to, it’s important to do it in an educated and informed way that is inclusive to everyone. I think that that was one of the main reasons why I wanted to apply for this role, because I think that the context is really important when it comes to visual things, and I think understanding those elements is really important.

What are some of your goals for MODA?

One of my main things is just showing more representation. A lot of the times there’s this stereotype when it comes to photoshoots or editorial shoots, there’s a lot of stereotypical norms that play into it. All of these beauty norms and all these societal expectations that come in the fashion community. I think it’s really important to have an environment where all different identities are appreciated, and all different types of people are appreciated. Growing up, for example, I rarely ever saw Asian representation in media, so I think that it’s really important for people in marginalized communities or minority communities to see more diversity in the media.

What is your favorite part of this role and MODA as a whole?

I really like the community and friends that I’ve met through it. I initially was taking a lot of science classes, and it’s kind of hard to meet other people that also need a creative outlet in those types of environments that are kind of restricting. And no one’s forcing you to do MODA. Everyone who’s in it, wants to do it and wants to be there. So I think it’s really energizing to be around a bunch of people who care about what they’re doing and want to do a bunch of different things.

How can students get involved with MODA?

Show up on Tuesdays. Everyone’s super welcoming and there’s a bunch of different ways to get involved. Honestly, you can literally just do whatever creative thing you want to do. It’s not a common opportunity to walk in somewhere and just have that liberty.

What are some post-grad goals you have? Do you intend to pursue this role post-grad?

I definitely want to keep art in my life. It’s something that I’ve had to actively fight for to keep in my life. I think that a lot of the times these artistic realms, these creative realms, are not super conventional, and I think that can get discouraging at times. I am kind of at a point where I know I want to keep these creative elements in my life, so post-grad I’m moving to Chicago and I want to have a career where I’m providing value to the community by using my creative skills and artistic skills. Whatever that entails, I don’t exactly know, but I think that that’s also a part of life, you just try to experience a bunch of things and you see what you like, and you see what you don’t like, and you learn from there.

What’s your favorite shoot you’ve done so far?

My favorite shoot is the one that we did last semester for the Glamour issue. It was the article about different representations of femininity in the media. For that we wanted to kind of go against those stereotypical ideas of Hollywood beauty. I worked with these two beautiful models and we did looks where it wasn’t super gender restrictive, letting them style themselves in ways that they wanted to dress. I think having that freedom is really important, so that was really fun to do. It was kind of like a “fuck you” to those norms. So it was really fun and cool to be a part of that too.

Anything else we should know?

MODA is hosting UW Fashion Week April 15-19. Make sure you stop by for the UWFW Finale Fashion Show April 19th at the Orpheum! Doors open at 8:00 p.m and the show starts at 8:30 pm. Admission is free! See you there!

It is not easy to hear about authorial staging; even among insiders it is not such a popular term. Perhaps the term authorial staging better explains the concept, but the fact remains that it is not such an entrenched practice, at least in the art and design world. The fashion industry, on the contrary, seems to have already grasped its potential, perhaps because in terms of budget it can afford it and, on the other hand, has a great need for a scenic effect for both shoots and runway shows. Of scenic runways we had already talked about it, dwelling on the work of the Bureau Betak studio, which makes the sets of the fashion shows of major fashion houses including Gucci, Bottega Veneta and Jacquemus, turning them into real shows with an artistic flavor.

In any case, any show – be it fashion, art or design – needs production or rather, very specific services that make it all possible. From transportation to packaging, from exhibition design to the actual set-up. But who is in charge of it? Who are these actors? It is not easy to identify well-defined realities that deal with these services from A to Z, although in recent years real brands – or design studios – are emerging that aim to meet these demands in toto, inserting themselves in a complex process, not only from a logistical point of view but bringing a real creative contribution with a solid aesthetic line. Their position behind the scenes makes it difficult to draw an identikit of them, which is why we asked Matteo De Nando, founder of HeyCrates, an emerging brand that represents one of the few Italian examples of authorial staging.

We met HeyCrates during Milan Design Week, specifically at Lampo, Isola Design‘s new main hub. The exhibition that HeyCrates will present next week in the Scalo Farini location well represents the direction the brand has been taking in the last period, materializing as the starting point of an important second phase for the brand. Let’s find out more and delve behind the scenes of an exhibition.

Let’s start with the definition “authorial staging” or “author’s staging.” In recent years it is increasingly in demand by various industries, think fashion, but also design and art. In the past, the production aspect was reduced to a simple anonymous service. Why do we need a set-up today that is creative and has an established identity? What has changed in your opinion?

Matteo De Nando: HeyCrates was born in a sphere, that of art, that pivots precisely on authorship, which is often the result of a synergy of various professions, from the design of a work of art to its conservation, including its staging. What I have been able to observe firsthand is that this last decade is marked by an increasing number of ephemeral events dotting the calendar of all major cities. As a result, I think the demand for original design, as well as responsive and “bespoke” logistics, has grown in tandem.

This is where your brand fits in. How did the idea for HeyCrates come about? What was your intuition? Do you think you fit in and subsequently filled a void that was missing especially in the art world?

Matteo De Nando: It can be said that HeyCrates was born out of both a strong need and a great curiosity and interest in the world behind the scenes. An interest that is also aesthetic with respect to the art system and its mechanisms, declined in a form that can enhance the designer as well as the craftsman.

When I think of exhibition design, the much-loved “white cube” model comes to mind even though it seems to have become obsolete in recent years. Do you think this is the reason for the success of authorial exhibition design in the art world as well? Do galleries, or spaces more generally, need “wow” effect set-ups to adapt to a new language influenced mainly by social media?

Matteo De Nando: Surely social media, configuring itself as an “archive of news,” relentlessly influences the way of storytelling to its audience. Authorial setting has always been linked to curating; it is time to enhance production as well.

Who are your ideal customers? What should you expect when you call HeyCrates?

Matteo De Nando: My favorite clients are those with whom we talk about design and not problem solving. HeyCrates likes to design!

In talking with you one word that resonates in my mind is hybrid. A term perhaps widely used to give a definition to something that is difficult to explain in a few words. This is because, in addition to production, HeyCrates develops in parallel its products made by Italian and non-Italian designers. I’m thinking in particular of the installation that you are presenting at Isola – Storages – explain more about what these are. Are they large-scale or limited edition products? Do they wink at collectible design?

Matteo De Nando: For Isola’s shop area, I thought it was appropriate to reintroduce the Storages living room designed by Federico Fontanella as it fully fulfills the function of the space by giving some more food for thought on the possibilities of packaging as furniture, furnishings. To date, we have a family of products that could be said to be first-generation, so they are definitely relatable to collectible despite pointing to a broader production.

How do you choose designers to collaborate with? Do they have to reflect your vision? Are they constant collaborators or do you prefer to rely on designers depending on the project?

Matteo De Nando: To date they have always been people with whom I spontaneously start dialogues, but they go beyond that. So I find myself providing input, and if that input is gathered and processed then we go.

We close with a question about the future. How do you envision HeyCrates in the near future?

Matteo De Nando: Like a 15th-century workshop

Courtesy HeyCrates
Cover: HeyCrates x Luertìs – furniture_ Mini by Riccardo Gianduzzo x HeyCrates_ph Cesare Lopopolo e Anna Vezzosi

Anna Colombia is an interdisciplinary artist born and raised in the East Village, where she still lives. 

Here, she discusses discovering photography, growing up in the East Village and finding inspiration today.
 

What sparked your initial interest in photography in high school? 

My high school experience was horrible, so I kinda stopped going after a certain point. My mom really wanted me to graduate and to enjoy learning, so she started trying to get me to take high school art classes at SVA. One of the first ones I took was an introduction to photography. I was hooked instantly by the magic of it all and learning how to use the darkroom.

Obviously, being in high school, I didn’t really know what to photograph, so I started by taking pictures of a lot of the graffiti around the neighborhood, and then naturally my friends and the punk shows I was going to. 

Were you known in the punk community as someone who always took photos? What was your initial comfort level with photographing people? 

 I always had a camera with me, but I don’t think I was ever seen as that person always taking pictures. My style of documentation has always been somewhat on the sly, with friends saying they never really knew I had taken certain pictures because it was always so natural.

There was another girl who sometimes hung out and who was always taking photos. She was the one everyone thought of as the photographer. Her collection has got to be amazing, but it always bothered me that she didn’t respect people’s wishes not to be photographed.

I have always been very comfortable photographing people, because I have always only photographed the people in my life. 

While I love catching moments of my life through those around me, I also respect when people do not want to be photographed. 

Why did you decide to revisit growing up in the East Village punk scene with “Make Shift Youth”? 

Before COVID shut everything down, I had spent about two years slowly working, scanning all my negatives from high school and the years after. I hadn’t looked at my high school photos in so long, and I was surprised by what I had, especially that the majority of them highlighted all these ladies in the scene… something I personally feel you don’t see a lot of (or enough of) when it comes to documentation of “alternative” scenes. 

Then, the lockdown happened, and I had a lot of time to sit and play on the computer with the images at home.

I had been applying for grants to publish another, bigger collection of photographs from my travels and decided maybe I should start with this collection since it was smaller and really what started it all. 

So, I began slowly working, putting together images I wanted to use for this zine. I had just discovered Riso as a print process, and I really loved the idea that instead of just showing the original images, I could manipulate them to become abstracted and color-blocked prints, combining the two things I love: photography and printmaking.

On the opening page of the zine, you wrote the date and then scribbled it out. Why did you decide not to list the years?

I like the mystery. 

How do you balance documentation and abstraction in your visual storytelling? 

I began publishing zines in high school about being female in the punk scene, using my photographs and words to tell this story. I have been publishing zines and art books for many years now, combining stories about my life with photographs and printmaking. While I really wanted to show these photos, I didn’t want to take away from them by visually adding any text or talking about them. 

As a printmaker, my work focuses on abstracting an image and allowing those who see the work to create their own narrative. When I started putting the photos I wanted to print together, I could already see how I wanted to abstract a few of them: extending aspects of the image or cutting out the parts I thought were important. I wanted the narrative to flow from page to page through composition, colors and shapes. 

You were born and raised and are still living in the East Village. Did you ever live elsewhere… or at least consider it? 

 I traveled a lot for a long time, riding trains and hitchhiking, but that’s a different story and a whole other body of photo work I’m hoping to one day publish.

The East Village has always been my home. 

Why have you decided to stay here? 

This neighborhood and city have changed so much, I honestly don’t know anymore. 

How does your environment in the East Village continue to inspire or influence your creative process?

Growing up in the neighborhood was definitely one of the things that started me on the path of the work I make. As a kid and teenager growing up in the East Village, I experienced things a lot of people might not have. My mom is an artist too, so that also helped me see and interact with my surroundings in a unique way. 

I grew up playing in Tompkins and the 6th and B Garden, got in trouble for taking hypodermic needles to show and tell that my friend and I found in the concrete playground of P.S. 19… long before it became what it is now. I drank at Mars Bar when I shouldn’t have, and got to go to shows at CBGB and Coney Island High.

All these experiences have shaped who I am today and fueled all my early work.

The neighborhood has changed, gentrification and rising rents have priced out all the things I grew up with and loved. And while I do find some inspiration still walking down the streets, I find a lot of what inspires my new work comes from the time I spend traveling across the U.S. and other countries. 

I understand you have a treasure trove of photos. What else from the archives might you feature next? 

I would love to do maybe two or three more volumes or even have a show of the actual photographs. I’ve thought about doing one volume of only photos shot at punk shows…mosh pits, mohawks and a sea of hair dyed in all the colors of the rainbow. 

My real dream, however, has been to publish a photo book of the collection of images I have from after high school, traveling around and across this country for years. 

And did you ever replace your mom’s Canon Rebel that you destroyed with beer while in high school? 

We had to get it fixed… she was not happy about that (it was kinda a loaner from her job). I think at the time, I also told her someone at the show spilled beer on it (not me, of course). 

My mom saw how much I loved photography and later bought me a smaller, more pocket-friendly (for my lifestyle) camera, which continues to be my favorite camera to shoot with.

You can find her Etsy shop here.

Shay Mitchell, like many of us, has a go-to Instagram photographer.

But while she could tap partner Matte Babel or a professional photog for the job, the Pretty Little Liars alum prefers a shorter, less experienced someone behind the lens: namely her four-year-old daughter Atlas Babel.

Mitchell just posted a photo of herself looking absolutely bewitching in a blue one-piece, multicolored crochet hat and chunky white sunglasses while spending time by the ocean, on Instagram, and captioned it, “Some people have ig husbands/wives and I have my four year old.”

In the next slides, Mitchell progressively zoomed into her mirror-effect sunglasses until you could see very clearly that Atlas was taking the photo, looking the picture of concentration while holding the phone with two hands to capture the perfect shot.

Famous friends were absolutely obsessed with this family photo shoot, with Steph Shep writing, “Lmaooooo screaming the way she’s holding the camera” and subsequently adding the comment, “#momgoals”

Elsa Hosk and Eva Longoria were also among those who approved this message.

In another post from their sweet vacation, Mitchell shared lovely photos of mother and kids enjoying the sun, sea, and most importantly: tacos.

Fellow PLL stars Troian Bellisario and Ashley Benson left sweet comments on this one.

Mitchell and Matte have been together since circa 2017 and welcomed Atlas in 2019, followed by daughter Rome in 2022.

Atlas being her mom’s dedicated photographer brings to mind North West, whom mom Kim Kardashian often enlists to capture her best angles as well. Gotta do what you gotta do!