The Detroit-born model has dropped a collaboration with the award-winning shoe brand.
Gentle finger waves for an awards ceremony. Party time in a vicious spiked barnet and latex dress. Next, up a Jackson Pollock-ed spray-painted face, well, just because.
If there’s anything to learn through scrolling through @uglyworldwide, the Instagram page of Detroit-born model and social media influencer Jazzelle Zanaughtti, it is to expect the unexpected.
And so who better for award-winning footwear brand Palladium to pick for their latest buzzy collaboration. First and foremost, Jazzelle symbolises today’s contemporary wave of social awareness and equality, something that also defines the brand’s DNA. From it’s very beginning, Palladium has championed counterculture, even serving as the uniform for generations of activists unafraid to demand change.
The result is four directional new styles which takes classic design cues from Palladium, whilst blending them with the ideas from the disrupter – with the colour palette reflecting Jazzelle’s online persona in hues of red, yellow and black.
The three hi-top styles also feature Jazzelle’s signature band-aid emblem, an important symbol present to protect the wearer against the opinions of others.
We caught up with Zanaughtti below…
What’s your earliest memory of fashion?
My earliest fashion memory was when I was five years old, and I did my makeup and I dressed up as Sailor Moon. And then also when my mom and I got into a fight because I wouldn’t let her pick out my outfits for me anymore. I was probably five or something.
Who was your favourite designer growing up?
Alexander McQueen was the first designer I ever heard of and thought was really cool. Once I was introduced into McQueen, when I was 13 or something, and who he was, I was absolutely obsessed.
How did you choose the name Ugly Worldwide?
It started off when I was a teenager, I would draw for self expression. I drew this silhouette of this creature/person and would always change the face and eyes. But it was also the same silhouette. I finally remember getting up the confidence to show my friend who is a couple years older than me who I really respected and I showed him this once picture that I did. And he said, wow, that is so ugly. I was a bit upset then processed it for a day or two. Then was like fuck that, if its ugly, it’s ugly. The bitch in the photo is doing her thing.
Then I started tagging the Ugly Worldwide logo on all my photos that I would draw, and over time I faded away from drawing and got more into makeup. Then I realised just after I moved to New York that I had personified that person I had been drawing for all of those year and then I changed my Instagram name.
If you could collaborate with one person, who would it be?
I’d love to work with Vivienne Westwood.
What do you want people to feel when they see your shoots?
I just want them to feel like they are free to be who they want. I don’t want them to look at me and want to be me, but I want them to look at my work and want to be themselves. I want them to feel free, empowered and be their own favourite person.
What’s your favourite shoot you’ve ever done?
I recently did a shoot with my friend Sean Bennett and Oscar Ouk. I creative directed and did my makeup. It’s based on the Muppets, so it was my first time working with prosthetics, and that was cool.
What’s your goal for one year from now?
I would like to be more known for being and artist and creative director rather than being instagram famous or a model. I want to be respected as an artist.
If today was the last day on earth, what would you do and where would you go? What are you inspired by?
Girl, I’d go skydiving. I’ve been meaning to do it for so long and I’m not even scared, it just keeps slipping my mind. I would just love to feel that free. That’s just the first thing that comes to mind. And maybe climb Mount Everest but I feel like that might take more than a day.
