On Wednesday, Interview Magazine celebrated alongside fitness pioneer Equinox with an exclusive party at Casino in Lower Manhattan.
Mitch Holson/Atlantic Records
Imagine a scared, young girl posting singing videos to social media, terrified of actually being on stage. Now imagine that same girl embarking on her first national tour.
That is the story of 22 year old singer-songwriter Maryjo. Her music journey started out back in her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, where she says she had horrible stage fright and was terrified to sing in front of people. But she liked to sing, so she decided to start posting singing videos on social media.
We got to sit down with Maryjo to talk about her journey and the exciting projects she’s created along the way.
“It didn’t really feel like singing in front of people,” she explained about why she started posting videos. She had no idea those videos would lead her to becoming a fan-favorite contestant on season 19 of American Idol. That same support from viewers of the show is what helped her become the performer she is now. “It gave me confidence.”
As a songwriter, she told us that getting the emotion across is the most important thing for her when she’s writing. “Once you get the emotion across, people start to listen.”
And that they do. Not only does Maryjo have 146K monthly listeners on Spotify, she also has 1.3 million followers on TikTok and 27.6 million likes.
Sarah Rodriguez/Atlantic Records
Her newest single “Drunk Tattoo” tells the story about how sometimes you fall for the wrong people and you hit a realization point and start to question why you ever liked them. Many of her songs come from her own personal life experiences. We asked her what it meant to her that so many fans can listen to and resonate with her songs. “It makes me feel like I’m doing my job right,” she told us. “I want to send a message for them to relate to it or connect to it, and that’s exactly what they’re doing.” With a smile on her face and a sparkle in her eyes, she added “And that makes me happy.”
After signing with Atlantic record in the fall of 2022, she released her single “Love Fools”, alongside a music video filmed through her home security camera – an idea her manager Kelly gave her. The ballad features a backing from GRAMMY® Award-nominated, 2x ACM Award-winning blind piano virtuoso Gordon Mote.
Many great producers and musicians have lent a hand in her song-writing and producing. She absolutely lit up when asked her about her experience with these amazing artists. “It’s so fun,” she boasted excitedly. “It’s nice because now I can feel comfy in the {recording studio} – because once you find your people you’re like, ‘Oh. There ya go’.”
Starting January 30th, Maryjo is headed on tour with musical artist Knox. “This is my first {tour} with a band and the road and the sprinter van… and the early morning wake-up calls,” she exclaimed with a bright smile on her face. From Chicago, Illinois to Atlanta, Georgia spanning a little less than two weeks, it’s hard work but nothing about it seems to beat her down. “I’m so excited,” she told us simply.
This is just the beginning for Maryjo and we are so excited to see what she has in store.
‘Hightown’ is releasing its third and final season of the hit show.
From a wide range of fashion to energetic performances on the runway, The Model Experience Fashion Week Festival transformed the Los Angeles Convention Center on Sept. 30. Brands like Cough Syrup by Desto Dubbs took the stage, along with performances from Doechii and Kaliii, lighting the stage with an electrifying fusion of music and style.
Photo Credit: JYP Entertainment
JYP Entertainment’s first global girl group, VCHA, is aligning the stars between America and Korea with their debut song, “Y.O.Universe,” with the idea behind their group being an American girl group under the influence of K-Pop, being trained in Korea.
In this interview, designer Phillip Lim discusses his fashion line, 3.1 Phillip Lim’s return to the New York Fashion Week runway for the first time in four years.
AFROPUNKFest 2023 is brought to you live, from Saturday, August 26th, and Sunday, August 27th; celebrating a weekend of The Circus of Soul. Afro Punk Fest has been a Brooklyn staple since 2005, bringing together the community with light, love, and music. This year’s Afro Punk Fest is bigger than ever, since its return post-pandemic. AFROPUNK Fest has always been held at Commodore Barry Park, but this year, they have changed locations to Green-point Brooklyn’s Skyline Drive-in Theatre by the water. As a Brooklyn native, I’ve grown up each year excited to attend the festival, but this year, as the 25-year-old fashionista writer that I’ve become, I had the opportunity to cover it as media and press. My younger self would be so proud, my current self is leaping for joy and I can’t wait to tell you guys all about this 2 day affair!
AFROPUNKFest is a festival of music, fashion, and unapologetic blackness. Every year, attendees dress up in unique outfits matching the theme of the festival. The Circus of Soul is this year’s theme, and it was drawn out perfectly. There is beauty and there is a pain in the black community when it comes to the word “Circus”. It has multiple definitions, but I had the pleasure of speaking with Sean G, Creative Director of AFROPUNK, and his inspiration for the theme was paying homage to celebrating our blackness. “The circus, on the one hand, has a dark side to it, and we wanted to do something, AFROPUNK, by exploring what that means to us. In history, black people during slavery were sold and showcased in the circus as freaks. For example, the first black albino twins were showcased as the “Men from Mars,” in 2023, and celebrities such as Winnie Harlow are now praised for their skin discoloration. AFROPUNK and I explored how the blackness from white eyes, is this fear and fascination of black people, and how white supremacy objectified and put us on display, as the detriment to ourselves, but over time we found a way to take our power back, and become not the slaves, but the masters, and come to celebrate our “freakiness”, our “oddness” and let the freak show fly”. This is a powerful quote and give us the true essence of what the AFROPUNK Festival truly is about and how we can continue to take up black power in spaces created specifically for us and by us.
AFROPUNKFest went full out on the circus theme, and so did the attendees. Once you walked in, the layout of the festival reminded me of the twists and turns in a carnival, with the excitement behind every corner. There were stilt walkers, vendors, and performers, oh my! The outfits were my favorite part because of how committed and creative everyone was. There were people painted in gold, hair as big as the sky, multiple colors, and outfits handmade and bejeweled with the brightest jewels I’ve ever seen. It was so hard to choose a favorite. AFROPUNK Fest is a safe space meant for creativity and self-expression. Since 2005, the festival looks of the attendees have elevated to the most beautiful and authentic fashions I’ve seen. Fashion outside of festivals is a bit more laid back, but the boldness of the attendees was a 100/10 for me. It’s admirable how everyone has their unique fashion sense because nothing looked the same. There wasn’t one outfit that was similar to another, which is what I craved! For more on fashion at AFROPUNK Fest, I created a reel on @Theknockturnal Instagram page and interviews with attendees and performers.
@Bambiix2 on Instagram: http://instagram.com/bambiix2
The creativity is remarkable, iconic, and legendary. It’s so impressive how these “costumes” attendees dedicate their time to get every last detail right and with a story that goes behind it. For example, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jamal, as seen below in Red. His story was so beautiful of the theme behind his red bridal dress. “My look is red, because it’s my favorite color. It is also my father’s and lover’s favorite color, who both have unfortunately passed away. This is a look that is honoring my love and is the wedding that I never got to have,” Jamal tells me emotionally. Wow! Hearing that, made me just want to break down and we hugged for a very long time, not saying a word, only exchanging each other’s embrace and love. This love is what AFROPUNK is about.
@Kingofjamaica http://Instagram.com/kingofjamaicaand @jamalisking on instagram http://instagram.com/jamalisking
My angle for approaching all the fabulous attendees are capturing their fabulous outfits, is to ask them what black joy means to you. There is so much going on in this world and our daily lives that we forget to have some fun or let our hair down for a bit, and that is why so many people love coming to AFROPUNK Fest for a weekend of pure joy and excitement; a stop in normal day life. Black joy is crucial and should be celebrated with each chance we get. This wonderful woman in this African-inspired outfit stated, “black joy is power, black joy is melanin and unity”. Another attendee, Lew Caine, stated “black joy is this! When you are around your people, spreading love, giving back, elevating and just having a good time.” Shauna Grey, Global head of Development at AFROPUNK shared her meaning of Black joy. “Black joy is watching everyone here have pure teeth while smiling, the babies walking around and those individuals fully exposed in their clothes without fear of being judged, and that’s black joy, just happiness without fear. Caroline Wanga, The President and CEO of Essence Magazine, stopped by to talk to me backstage, as Baby Tate was performing, and she shared her meaning of black joy. “I think black joy is freedom when we have to stop worrying about making black accommodate everybody else”.
For more interviews on black joy, check out my reel on @Theknockturnal Instagram.
AFROPUNK fest’23 has been one for the books.
On August 8th, we sat down with the director of the new Hulu film “Miguel Wants to Fight,” Oz Rodriguez, to get an inside look at the filming process.
Camilla Franks is one of Australia’s leading fashion designers and is celebrated globally for her artistic, innovative, and intricate designs that weave in stories from her travels abroad and imaginative escapism.
Launching her first collection at Australian Fashion Week in 2004, Camilla’s first fashion show was designed to disrupt the industry. With no theatrics spared, she created, choreographed, and directed a fashion opera, and debuted the brand at the Intercontinental Sydney. It set the scene for everything to come.
The brand has since grown into a global print house with a unique aesthetic that’s instantly recognizable – with prints now sold in 55 countries across the globe. Encompassing her love of travel, Camilla immerses herself in faraway worlds to inspire each limited-edition collection and create pieces that are treasured by collectors. Prints are hand-drawn and painted by in-house artists, pieces are cut and sewn by hand, and every embellishment is applied with precision.
Check out our exclusive interview below:
The Knockturnal: How did you get your start in design?
Camilla Franks: I honestly can’t believe it’s been nearly two decades since I embarked on this beautiful adventure! In some ways, it feels like such a whirlwind–an incredible (and sometimes slightly terrifying) rollercoaster of emotions, experiences, and growth–and in other ways, it seems like lifetimes since those days when I was first starting out and trying to break into acting as a naïve, barefoot Bondi Beach girl. Those acting days were the platform for the CAMILLA you see today. As a kid, I struggled to find my creative feet. My report cards said things like ‘Easily distracted. Doesn’t pay attention. Tries hard when she wants to.’ I was born with creative DNA, but it wasn’t until I discovered acting that I started to blossom. To find my truth. I was so passionate about acting that I completely threw myself into it. And that passion led me to really immerse myself in the characters I was portraying. One of the ways that I would bring my characters to life was to create their costumes, which helped me breathe life into their stories. Even my rehearsal gear became a canvas for creativity. I’d repurpose vintage kimonos or off-cut sari fabrics. People started noticing these wild creations and then the fashion industry actually wanted to buy my costumes. All of a sudden, my designs were paying for my rent! I threw myself into the world of fashion, even though I had absolutely no idea what it entailed. The one thing my years of acting had taught me was that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. So, I knew I had to make a grand entrance. No one in the industry knew of me, so in true CAMILLA style, I went big! I hosted an opera during fashion week to showcase my collection. It was full of theatrics, drama, and flair, very much true to the CAMILLA brand. This paid off when major retailer David Jones purchased the collection. That moment gave me the courage and the spark to chase my dreams wherever they might lead. I knew I wanted to go global, so season after season, I would schlep my collections around the world. It was terrifying, but I believed in my baby with my whole heart and I refused to take no for an answer. Fast forward 20 years and we now have 256 international stockists and CAMILLA is available in 55 countries. I wish I could go back to that naïve, barefooted Bondi girl and tell her that it was going to be one wild ride, but that everything was going to be okay.
The Knockturnal: Your prints are stunning! What is your design process like?
Camilla Franks: We have a very unique design process–it’s lusciously long and invests a lot of time and creativity to always give customers something unexpected but still distinctly CAMILLA. I think that’s one of the things that sets the CAMILLA brand apart. To inspire each collection, I let curiosity lead. I follow my heart to the unexpected and unknown and then retell the stories from my travels through the magic of our prints. Twice a year, we pack up the CAMILLA caravan and we set off on a new adventure. Each trip is a whirlwind of immersing and learning, celebrating the beautiful patchwork that humans and Mother Earth weave together. We craft an itinerary laden with landscapes, food, music, architecture, history, people and places. I go searching beyond the beaten track – always turning left, when I should be turning right. That’s where the good stuff happens, believe me! That’s how you truly discover the heart and soul of a place. I then come home and delve into the design process, reliving my travel journal with our 47 in-house artisans spread across two countries. We combine creative forces with the local artists we met; we pay homage to the gifts Mother Nature bestowed, and I retell my personal stories through the prints we create. We celebrate and honor each place. Prints are hand illustrated and painted, all our silks, satins, and luxurious organic cottons are cut and sewn by hand, and each embellishment is applied with precision. We create multi-wear pieces, meticulously crafted to every size to accentuate the beauty of Every Body. This is slow fashion. Hand crafted and never trend-driven. Created for longevity, to be treasured forever by first-timers to the brand, and by our most loyal collector’s pieces designed to be passed down through generations.
The Knockturnal: What inspired your latest collection?
Camilla Franks: My latest collection is a love letter to travel, and to Italy–the home of la dolce vita. AMORE MIO was born of the return to travel. It’s the first time that I’ve been able to go on an inspiration trip in a long time, and the saying is true–absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder. Although, in some ways, the return to global travel seems like a lifetime ago, it has been just 18 months since many of us took our tentative first steps back out into the world. With our lusciously long design process, that’s how long it takes to truly celebrate and honor these experiences. It was an opportunity for me to rediscover my love affair with exploration, and to return to the heart of CAMILLA: storytelling through the magic of print. We traveled throughout Italy in June of 2021, just when the world was opening her doors again. From the churches and Duomos of Rome to the rolling hills of Tuscany and the hypnotic blue of the Amalfi. During that time, everything felt heightened and time flowed differently. Every moment seemed to last forever. The scent of citrus and Italian roses, the taste of salt on my lips, the sensation of wind whipping through my hair on the backseat of a stranger’s Vespa, the colors that tumbled from market day suitcases… It honestly felt like the entire world existed just for me. So, I wanted to capture those moments; that romanticism, and evoke the magic of falling in love with a place all over again. I wanted this collection to be a reminder of how lucky we are to spread our wings again. Of the joys we must never take for granted.
The Knockturnal: What are some of your favorite places to travel to in Australia?
Camilla Franks: We are so lucky here in Australia. There are so many beautiful spots. I love being outdoors, relishing the joy of mother nature, being forever the intrepid traveler. When I was a girl, my family and I used to travel to Northern Australia and go on the most incredible adventures. We’d camp, then wake up at 4 or 5 in the morning to go fishing for the day. In our four-wheel drive, my mum and dad would take us to places like Fraser Island, a natural beauty spot where you’re surrounded by rainforests, sand dunes, and endless beaches. It was a time when there was no chaos in my life; a very simple way of life where you ate what you caught, woke up with the sun, and slept under the stars. We were touched by the beauty of mother nature. These are some of the happiest memories. Another favorite place I love traveling to is Hamilton Island. It’s my digital detox. An opportunity to recenter and rebalance, relaxing in the sun, doing yoga and swimming with my water baby, Luna. My absolute favorite place, though, is home. Bondi Beach. Where it all began. I’m so lucky to travel the world, but I always revel in coming home. I love to spend my days on the harbor. There’s nothing more relaxing.
The Knockturnal: Who are some of your favorite celebs you have collaborated with / or who wore your designs?
Camilla Franks: I feel so fortunate to be woven into the lives of people that inspire me–not just famous ones–but those beautiful celebrity moments certainly do send a wave of squeals through the office when they happen. It’s surreal. Getting to meet Oprah and Beyonce would have to be a ‘pinch me!’ moment. It can be a vulnerable space as a designer, so it is nice to have the validation of these celebrities who can choose to work with any brand they want. Seeing JLo in CAMILLA on her honeymoon, and Russel Brand and Wim Hof getting back to nature in their Hotel Frank’s men’s robes was incredible. Last year, Michelle Obama wore us for her birthday and Gwen Stefani popped up in CAMILLA in the Superbowl, and gorgeous Nicole Scherzinger always takes us to her paradise vacays. We are so lucky to work with some amazing talent! Another highlight is definitely Jennifer Coolidge and working on The White Lotus season 2. The White Lotus is the brain baby of genius writers, actors, set, and costume creators. It has been such an honor to be a part of it. The artist in me is fascinated by costume designers who craft vivid characters through fashion, so to collaborate with Alex Bovaird on her vision for this new ensemble of iconic characters was riveting. The White Lotus introduced a global audience to CAMILLA resort dressing and I’m so unbelievably humbled, honoured, and grateful for that!
The Knockturnal: What are your goals for the future of the brand?
Camilla Franks: My purpose has always been to make people feel empowered, to make people feel beautiful, and to spread joy. The bigger my business grows, the bigger the capacity is for doing good in the world. As long as my purpose stays burning inside me, I’ll always stay inspired. Our dream is to drive change for future generations and create a brighter future. I’m proud that we’re now renowned not just for our products, but for our community: a human collective of all ages, genders, shapes, colors, abilities, lifestyles, faiths, and sexualities. I strive to use my voice and our platforms to fortify this community; our family – to share inspiring stories, to educate and encourage action in this world, and come together supportively. I’m on a journey. I don’t believe in perfect, but I do believe in the constant pursuit of being better. Inclusively better, ethically better, environmentally better. Better humans doing better business. I’m committed to constant improvement and I’m not afraid to fail. Leaving the world a better place must be the legacy that each generation gifts the next.
Secret, through its partnership with comedian Atsuko Okatsuka, is promoting greater openness about women’s deodorant and antiperspirant.