ANGEL CEBALLOSCREATIVE TECHNOLOGIST

For Colombia-born creative technologist, Angel Ceballos, visual narrative knows no bounds. She started off coding and illustrating before pursuing a career in art direction that united her interests. “My job involves grasping new technologies and combining them with various art forms,” she explains. From creating interactive window displays for luxury fashion brands to mapping UN data of human migration for the Science Museum, she tells stories in pixels. “For a lot of people technology can be a very serious matter,” she says, “but for me, it’s something that can be playful and beautiful.”

KRISTIE LAISLIME MAKER

Nineteen-year-old Kristie Lai has been in the slime business for five years. Her slime pots come in all different textures, from crunchy to buttery to smooth, with fragrance-infused “flavours” including Cherry Blossom Crunch, Squishy Mallow and Keroppi’s Pond, all decorated with adorable Sanrio-style motifs. Lai often sends bulk orders of her slime to special educational-needs schools because its sensory and therapeutic properties are appreciated by students. “It’s great to know I’m reaching others with something that started as a way to manage my own anxiety,” she says. “The sky really is the limit with slime.”

CALLUM DENTONDANCER

Inspired by his father, a former DJ, up-and-coming dancer 18-year-old Callum Denton relied on music as therapy during lockdown. “Music speaks for you,” he says. “It really got me out of some dark times.” Dancing then became a physical expression of that love for music after he began a weekly hip-hop and street class two and a half years ago. Currently taking a year out before starting university in Glasgow, Denton sees dancing as the ultimate way to communicate his essence. “It allows me to express myself and be most free,” he says.

ESROM SOLOMONACTOR AND FILMMAKER

With six years of acting under his belt, Esrom Solomon decided to give filmmaking a try two years ago. The North London-based creative looks to the greats – such as Spike Lee and Martin Scorsese – who inspire him to look within for a story. “I’ve always tried to bring my own experiences into my writing and draw from things that are relatable,” says Solomon. His forthcoming short film, “Wings of my Youth”, touches on nostalgia, friendship and loyalty, documenting three friends on the cusp of adolescence who travel to London for the Notting Hill Carnival. It is a film, he says, that blends “British realism with a touch of magic”.

LENKA DELLA-PORTAILLUSTRATOR

Teenagers gathering under moonlight are the subjects of many of Lenka Della-Porta’s uncanny illustrations. Born in East London, she grew up in the seaside town of Hastings and studied illustration at Camberwell College of Art. “From a young age, I knew I wanted to be an artist,” she says, “my parents are both very creative and my interests stem from being raised on art.” Della-Porta draws on the “mixed experience” of her Japanese heritage, referencing drawings and TV, alongside her experiences growing up in the UK. Her delicate technique lends itself to studies in pen and pencil, capturing the nuances of young adulthood as it is expressed in the everyday.

CADEN CUNNINGHAMATHLETE

Caden Cunningham embodies the five tenets of taekwondo: courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit. From a small town in West Yorkshire, the 19-year-old turned professional just before finishing high school and has been competing internationally in the Korean martial art ever since. “Whether in training or competition, you get to really express what you feel through taekwondo,” he says. “If you’ve had a bad morning you can go and let all your stress out” – an approach he hopes will lead him to Olympic gold in Paris next year.

APPIOK DIER TONGPOLE DANCER 

Pole dancing, with its combination of dance and acrobatics, is Dublin-born model Appiok Dier Tong’s performance art of choice. Dubbed a “bonafide star on the rise” by the Irish Independent back in 2018 at the start of her modelling career, Dier Tong moved to London two years ago and started pole-dancing classes just before the pandemic after watching the music video for Solange’s 2019 track “Almeda”. When lockdown hit, she installed a pole in her kitchen. “I began to feel so much more comfortable in my body when I started doing pole,” she says. “Every movement matters, from your toes to your fingertips, so it makes you really mindful.”

LOUIS SIMMONDSMUSICIAN

Louis Simmonds’ earliest musical education took place on car journeys with his dad, listening to Prince, Sting and David Bowie. He started playing guitar at the age of 13. “For me, it’s the easiest way to express myself,” he says, “whether I feel down or happy, I just channel my feelings through music.” Since moving to London after studying music at university and working in a recording studio in Manchester, Simmonds has navigated rejection and success, though a career in music remains in his stars. “As you get older,” he says, “music just becomes a part of you. I could never be without it.” ◉

All clothing and accessories by Valentino.

Interviews: Augustine Hammond / Hair: Wilson Fok at Eighteen Management / Make-up: Seunghee Yoo / Casting: Tytiah at Unit C / Hair assistant: Joshua Higdon at Eighteen Management / Models: Angel Ceballos at MC Barnes, Kristie Lai and Appiok Dier Tong at Models 1, Callum Denton at Milk Model Management, Esrom Solomon, Lenka Della-Porta, Caden Cunningham at Forte Model Management, and Louis Simmonds at Next Model Management