New Talent: Annie Lai
In the latest in our series uncovering creative talent on Facebook and Instagram, we speak to London-based fashion photographer and recent graduate Annie Lai
Annie Lai grew up in China and attended high school in New Zealand before moving to England to study fashion photography in London. She has only just graduated from London College of Fashion but has already worked on commissions for Kinfolk, Wonderland and Metal magazines as well as fashion brands, creating some striking images for campaigns and editorials.
“My style is still changing with time,” says Lai. “I think it’s always been quite subtle and feminine. Storytelling with a twist of whimsicality. I’ve always been drawn to different forms of body interactions and posture.”
Lai was initially reluctant to study photography and wondered if she should pursue something “safer”.
“I took a one-year foundation course at my university, which combined design, management and media, but not long after the first term began, I just knew that fashion photography is what I wanted to do,” she says.
She counts photographers Martin Parr, Larry Sultan and Sage Sohier among her inspirations and says her mother sparked her interest in taking pictures.
“I was influenced by my mum a lot. She is not in [an] art or fashion-related industry but she used to take her film camera with her wherever she went and take pictures of me and other families. I think that’s how I got interested in photography and especially portraiture,” she says.
Lai’s Instagram Feed is a mix of personal projects and commissions – she has recently been documenting a trip to Asia as well as a cover shoot for Kinfolk. She is currently working on editorial shoots and plans to spend the next few years freelancing in London.
New Talent is part of Inspire, a partnership between Creative Review, Facebook and Instagram showcasing outstanding creative work across both platforms. Advice and inspiration for creatives using Facebook and Instagram is available at facebook.com/ads/creativehub.You can follow Annie Lai on Instagram (@annielai_) or see more of her work at annielai.com