Wednesday 5th / Thursday 6th

RAW

Our Style Editor Ik landed in Miami Beach ready for Art Basel on Wednesday and has been on a non-stop whirlwind attending  all the events.

Kicking off Wednesday 5th was the RAW Pop Up at which we attended the private press party. The event included site-specific installations and immersive performances in settings like diners, beauty parlors, and pre-civil rights “separate but equal” bathrooms. The show was a totally immersive experience and full of incredible artwork. “The space itself was so beautiful but the music at this party was SO good. I’d landed at around 10 pm and I’d told myself I wasn’t going to dance or anything but I was dancing like crazy it was so much fun.”

No Commission, The Female Quotient, Diesel Party

“Thursday I got up super early, and did a little work and then the first event I went to was at the Edition which was the No Commission panel. It was a discussion on the culture of artists and the struggles they’ve been through. What I really took out of this was being true to yourself. One artist on the panel was an African-American man and I really connected with him. There was lots of great conversation about their work and their lifestyle, the moderator was really good. After this, I went in and bought the books they were selling – and I don’t normally buy anything!”

“I wore my Antidote ‘Baseling’ t-shirt this day and people were loving it! So many stopped and asked to take pictures with me!”

The Female Quotient event was after this at the beautiful Miami Beach Soho House. “This was another great event, there was a lot of discussion about the power of women and fighting for women. Not in a “men are bad” way, but just that we are all equal. Soho House is gorgeous, as you have probably seen on Instagram, I went up to the rooftop which has incredible views. While I was there I met a designer, who makes these really cool shirts and jackets with prints on that were really fun, they had lots of positive uplifting slogans on the jackets.” At this event it felt a little more of a sophisticated party, people were dressed up and there was music but it was more conservative and people were talking with each other. They did have a candy station though, where they were selling candy to men for $1 and for women only 80 cents, and it was called “Tipping the Scales”.  A tongue in cheek jab at the gender pay gap.

“Thursday night was the Diesel party and the theme for this was about freedom and openness for queer, trans people of color. “I knew it was going to be fun. It was an open bar, and although I don’t drink, I still love to be able to get all the mocktails or juice or whatever I want. Again, at this party the music was SO good, it was a tribal house, and the venue itself was so cool! There were so many cool people in amazing outfits and I felt like I really chose the right pieces for this party, I was wearing the Ann Taylor jumpsuit with an Implicite Lingerie bra. I was like you know, ‘it’s Art Basel!’ I even went quite arty with my lipstick, I matched it to some of the colors on my bag and just penciled in a line and people were loving it. Like before, I wasn’t planning on dancing much because I’d done my make up so I didn’t want to sweat, and I had my wig on (which is done by Dior Savoah – the same hair stylist as Mariah Carey and he does a lot of celebrities and he’s like one of my best friends). But I did a lot of dancing, the positive vibes and attitude there just made it amazing.

After this, we needed food and the bouncers of the party recommended this restaurant to us called The Corner, and as we’re walking there-there was a guy doing live performing art, his brand name is Sean Was Here. He was projecting footage on a car, and I got in a picture and then his art was projecting on me! It was amazing and I would definitely love to explore his art more. Anyway, when we got to the restaurant it was PACKED. All the reviews online said it’s so good so it seems like everyone where there; it’s more of a bar that serves food too and it was crazy good. By this time, we were so tired. We took an Uber back to the hotel where I fell asleep in my Ann Taylor suit, and my make up – I did take my wig off though.