Zoë Kezia

Though professionally I focus primarily on documenting events and telling the stories of others, in my personal practice I have begun to explore and unpack the structures of the fashion industry, incorporating the use of spoken word and experimental photography and video editing as more complex story-telling techniques.

‘Performance of Power / Power of Performance’ explores the emotional and professional challenges models face in the fashion industry through spoken word and still and moving image.

The video primarily speaks to models directly, reassuring them that they are not alone and proposing tools that can be used to implement creativity in the ways that they perform. Simultaneously, this moving image work is intended to shed light on the realities of the modelling industry –  particularly in relation to gender discrimination, race inequality, and the exploitation of labour – for outsiders who may still have a glossy perception of how the world of fashion operates.

Many of today’s working models find themselves in a position where they wish to treat their modelling careers as a creative practice, but rigid systemic structures dictate that they cannot, and as a result face difficulty in career progression, which in turn affects their livelihood.