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Who is Aidan Zamiri, the man shaping the stars’ image from Charli XCX to Billie Eilish?
Who is Aidan Zamiri, the visionary photographer and director behind the aesthetics of Charli XCX and Caroline Polachek? Let’s dive into the visual universe of a creator redefining the codes of contemporary pop…
By La rédaction.
Aidan Zamiri: from design to moving images
In the world of experimental pop, visual aesthetics have almost become more essential than the music itself. British photographer and director Aidan Zamiri has clearly understood it. At 29, the Glasgow-born talent is making a name for himself as a key figure in redefining the image of contemporary pop through collaborations with superstars. Among them are Charli XCX and her 360 video (2024), Billie Eilish and her Birds of a Feather video (2024), FKA twigs, Shygirl, Yung Lean, PinkPantheress, Sega Bodega, and Caroline Polachek and the photographs for the 2023 album Desire, I Want to Turn Into You.
As a former student at Central Saint Martins in London, he started his career in graphic design. This background gave him a unique sensibility to visual composition, which he then applied to photography and film directing. His style? A blend of elements from the 1990s, contemporary memes and a glitchy, VHS aesthetic. With a touch of humor, the Brit playfully subverts digital culture in a theatrical atmosphere.
Aidan Zamiri quickly caught the eye of Vivienne Westwood, JW Anderson, Nike, and Off-White. His work was soon recognized by the British Fashion Council, and his name emerged on the New Wave: Creatives list, celebrating the “50 most innovative and inspiring young creative talents worldwide.”
A successful collaboration with Charli XCX
The meeting between Aidan Zamiri and Charli XCX was facilitated by their mutual friend, Caroline Polachek. Their collaboration began with a visual interpretation of the track 360. A whirlwind of cameos and humor that will mark the Brat era with its distinctive style. The song even won Video of the Year and Best Pop Video at the UK Music Video Awards in 2024. This recognition instantly solidified Aidan Zamiri’s position as a film director.
Naturally, cinema seems to be the next step… And Zamiri is entering the film industry with style. With The Moment, a feature film distributed by A24, Charli XCX takes on a double role as producer and lead actress. Few details have leaked so far. All we know is that it will be a mockumentary – an audiovisual fiction presented as a documentary, focusing on a pop star’s preparations for her first major headliner tour…
A generational vision of the image
The collaborator of FKA twigs on the videos for jealousy (2022), meta angel (2022), and ride the dragon (2022) ultimately embodies a new generation of visual creators. Artists influenced by an omnipresent digital culture and a post-internet aesthetic. Aidan Zamiri himself describes his identity as being shaped by Gen Z, benefiting from constant access to information and displaying a nostalgia for times he has not necessarily lived through.
