STORY BY JONATHAN RANDALL GRANT
It is an act of courageous vulnerability to share a Paris city guide. This guide is as much a confession as a resource. No matter what places are shared, I am sure to get a few Parisian friends who think to themselves: "There is no way I would be seen there, dead or alive!... Of course it was okay to be seen there a few weeks ago, but we don't go there now."
Interview by Linda Swan. Photos by Bradley Leach.
A conversation with Weléla Mar Kindred is a dance of kindness, openness, fierce intellect, and subtle movement. It was an honor for me to spend an hour getting to know such a rare soul. Weléla was born in Southern California but identifies strongly as a member of the Muskogee (Creek) Nation as well as of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
When Paris was just beginning to get chilly, Culture Keeper assembled a rad little team of creatives for this video project. Juan Studios loaned us an amazing wardrobe, that gave off sunny, California vibes. As the sun set we skated and created mischief through the midcentury structures of the Beaugrenelle.
A folk duo, The Bergamot, played a show in Paris at Break Art Mix for the featuring of their most recent album, “Tones”. After the show, we conversed and they expressed their need for new photos and videos. I admired their vibrant personalities as well as their harmony and so we decided to collaborate. The very next day we set out to do what we (individually) do best.
Because I am always traveling I have to be specific with my possessions. A simpler lifestyle has helped me hone my style in a very minimal, versatile direction. This also makes each piece all the more precious. I don't really purchase new items without a lot of consideration and planning.
When I was in Chicago recently, my little black backpack fell apart.
I have long been inspired by French New Wave films. They portray an aesthetic to which I feel very connected. When I met Capucine Fachot we decided that we needed to make something together, and discovered that we shared the same taste in film... so this project was born.
