[Shudu] is genuinely
loved by people. To have your work
loved ... it’s very
emotional for me to think about.
- Cameron-James Wilson
“
”
Noonoouri walking the
Versace menswear show
at Milan Fashion Week
with Kendall JennerShudu in an all-pink
embellished look,
the “Flamingo”Noonoouri channelling Naomi
Campbell in head-to-toe Alaïa
PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF @LILMIQUELA, @NOONOOURI, @SHUDU.GRAMoutcast for so long and I couldn’t find my place, but I’ve experienced
an overwhelming amount of acceptance, which gives me hope for the
next waves of artists and creators. “When asked why she thinks the
digital self is seemingly more important today than the physical, she
prickled. “Ummm, who said I thought that? I encourage everyone
to get their paper.” Whether through prestigious editorial featuring
actual shoppable designer clothing or product placement from brands
seeking to reach her many followers, it’s clear that Miquela is getting
her paper.
And fashion has history with virtual models: Louis Vuitton
dressed the Sailor Moon-esque Hatsune Miku, an anime pop star,
for an opera and featured Lightning of the Final Fantasy gaming
series in its Spring/Summer ’16 campaign as the brand explored “the
infinite possibilities of the virtual world”. It was through working with
forward-thinking luxury houses such as this that artistic director Joerg
Zuber of global design and branding agency Opium was inspired to
create his own avatar. Far from Miquela’s augmented realism or even
his own physicality as a Caucasian male, Zuber’s creation, Noonoouri,
stands at 150cm tall, with huge, doll-like eyes and an oversized,
cartoonish head. “I had long been thinking of this digital character
who discovered the world of beauty and fashion and who was fascinated by that world,”
Zuber explains with a truly childlike enthusiasm. “Similar to when I was a young boy myself.”
Zuber’s excitement has caught the attention of power followers such as Carine Roitfeld
(who was one of his first), Alexandre Vauthier, Giambattista Valli, Suzy Menkes, and
Naomi Campbell (who personally messaged Noonoouri, inviting her to her Fashion For
Relief fundraising event in Cannes earlier
this year). The way it works is, Zuber
attends, plays the game with PRs who
ask him eagerly, “Is Noonoouri here?”, to
which he responds with something like,
“Yes, I believe I’ve seen her around”, and 24
hours later, there’s our girl on the catwalk at
Chanel cruise, doing an Insta takeover for
Dior, or speeding away in a Fiat in Florence.
Cameron-James Wilson is
the photographer behind what he refers to as the “world’s first digital
supermodel”, a venture he says was born of artistic expression. His creation:
Shudu (@shudu.gram), an avatar modelled on Princess of South Africa Barbie
and the women who inspire Wilson in real life, such as Iman, Grace Jones,
Alek Wek, and Naomi Campbell. The problematic nature of a white guy
potentially profiting from the aesthetic of a woman of colour has not passed
without controversy. Wilson acknowledged this, explaining that Shudu began
as an art piece celebrating the growing presence of women of colour in the
fashion industry, and that he never expected or planned for the level of exposure
Shudu’s 130k+ followers have brought him. But the thing that surprised him
the most? “She’s genuinely loved by people,” he says. “To have your work loved
... it’s very emotional for me to think about. I never thought she could matter
so much to people.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by Zuber on having access to worlds he otherwise
might never have. “People like Maria Grazia Chiuri or Giambattista Valli tell
me they love her. Naomi Campbell would have never talked to me! I was so
flattered, I was almost crying. Because, for me, it was a personality that was in
my head for seven years, and people like this knowing and loving her? It really
touched my heart,” he said.
Wilson muses that this ability to transcend boundaries may ultimately lead
to a complete democratisation of identity, a blurring of all boundaries—age,
race, gender, geography, socioeconomic status, everything. He suggests that
in the not too distant future, our digital selves will perhaps even surpass our
physical selves. “I love this idea because in 3-D we can be anyone,” he says. “We
can leave behind all the labels we’re born with and create our own. g