In A Smoking Wick, art director Anass Aboo and photographer Ali Salkini craft a striking visual narrative that delves into the perseverance of working-class individuals navigating a world that often misinterprets them. Rooted in their own experiences as first-generation immigrants, the project seeks to redefine the way marginalised cultures are represented in fashion imagery.
“As first-generation immigrants of a working-class background ourselves, we understand the perseverance required to reach our goals, especially so within navigating the fashion industry,” Aboo and Ali explain. Collaborating with stylist Lingani Noah, the team presents a world where struggle coexists with beauty, and where resilience glows like embers waiting to ignite into something greater. “A smoking wick signifies that even the littlest embers can become the greatest fires.”
The project’s visual language is both raw and poetic, shaped by the team’s shared experiences of being ethnic minorities in the fashion capitals of Paris and London. “We wanted the imagery to reflect how society perceives us in the fashion industry, despite residing in two different capitals,” Aboo and Ali share. Their approach was deeply personal, allowing the imagery to serve as both a mirror and a challenge to societal perceptions. Through strategic lighting and intense contrasts, the models in A Smoking Wick are framed as both isolated figures and commanding presences, embodying the tension between invisibility and visibility. “We wanted the models to feel both isolated and integrated within the set,” they explain. “We used Ali’s style of intense spotlighting to create both contrast and connection between the subject and the environment, bringing the models to the centre of attention.” Vibrant colours infuse the images with hope, pulling them out of the shadows while maintaining an undercurrent of melancholy that reflects the realities of their journey.
Beyond aesthetics, A Smoking Wick operates on a deeper level — it seeks to disrupt biases ingrained in the industry. “Fashion and photography can challenge these marginalisations by presenting these individuals in a more tasteful way to the greater palettes outside of the working-class world,” Aboo and Ali state. They speak of the discomfort society often feels when encountering something unfamiliar, emphasising that this reaction is a reflection of upbringing rather than an inherent truth. “Perspective plays a crucial role — what some perceive as outlandish is often just unfamiliar, leading to negative connotations.” By presenting working-class individuals through an idealised lens, the project reclaims their space in the fashion world, reshaping narratives that have long positioned them as outsiders. In doing so, A Smoking Wick becomes a micro-political act, subtly yet powerfully altering perspectives through artistic refinement.
Bringing this vision to life was no easy feat. The photographer and the art director reflect on the challenges of assembling the right team — individuals who could authentically translate this complex story while maintaining the balance between high fashion and raw storytelling. “This is still a fashion shoot, so it was crucial to ensure the visuals remained compelling while staying true to the narrative,” they note. The result is a body of work that is as conceptually rich as it is visually compelling. A Smoking Wick is more than just a fashion story; it is a declaration of endurance, a celebration of overlooked identities, and a reminder that even the smallest sparks hold the potential to ignite something revolutionary.
