Time Capsule
23 Kids, 1 City: A Survey of NYC’s Youth
Sam Photographed by Bruno Staub.
Twenty-three New Yorkers, photographed between September 17 and October 28, 2021, offer a time capsule of what it means to be young today.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRUNO STAUB
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JONAH
Shoes by Bottega Venetta.
Name: Jonah Rollins
Age: 25
Where do you live? Chelsea.
What are you studying? Ableton/Secrets of Dance Music Production.
What’s your room smell like? Santa Maria Novella.
What’s in your system? Madras curry, marijuana, adrenaline.
Whose approval matters? My own.
Describe your life in 8 words or less. Chaotic, beautiful, messy, happy, sexy, pleasure, pain.
What was the first thing you did this morning? Took a shit.
Describe the best gift you’ve ever received. An opportunity from someone who believed in my art.
Who is the best dancer you know? Fernando Casablancas.
Have you ever faked an orgasm? Actually yes it was so awkward and I don’t know how to drive so I had to be driven home post fake orgasm.
What makes you nervous? The unhinged voice in my head.
What was the last thing you stole? Under-eye masks from Whole Foods and a $26 truffle-infused honey.
Have you ever had an affair? Once when I was young and I’m not proud … I didn’t know how to express that I was unhappy in the relationship. I hate cheaters, loyalty is everything.
What do you do about global warming? I recycle and I use coral-reef–safe sunscreen at the beach.
How do you cure a headache? Espresso and a spliff.
What would you eat for your last meal? Oysters, charcuterie, a dish with shaved black truffles.
Turtleneck by AMI. Pants by Prada. Sunglasses by Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello. Belt by Ralph Lauren.
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SAM
Turtleneck by AMI. Shirt by Comme des Garçons. Sweater by Loewe. Pants by Willy Chavarria, Hat by Old Jewish Men. Tie by Brooks Brothers. Bracelet, Watch, and Rings Sam’s own. Shoes by G.H. Bass & CO.
Name: Samuel Charlie Deutsch
Age: 19
Where do you live? Stuytown.
Where did you grow up? The Lower East Side.
How tall are you? Although I grew up pretty short, nowadays I am blessed to be 6’1″ and 6’2″ on a good day.
How do you deal with fear? As Dory said, “Just keep swimming.”
Describe the best gift you’ve ever received. Definitely when my brother gave me his old iPod touch for my ninth or tenth birthday. It had maybe 60 songs on it, almost all of which were Eminem. It was awesome.
Who is the best dancer you know? I would have to say me. Years of breakdancing class have paid off.
What was the last thing you stole? Food from my roommate.
Who was the last person you lied to? My roommate; I told him I didn’t steal his food.
Hat, Shirt, and Belt by Tommy Hilfiger. Turtleneck by AMI. Shirt by The Row. Sweater by Celine. Sweater (worn around waist) by Officine Générale. Pants by Willy Chavarria. Shoes by Church’s. Backpack by Osprey.
What’s in your system? I don’t know, but whatever it is it’s got to be kosher.
Have you ever had an affair? Can’t say I have, I’m a nice Jewish boy.
Describe the last time you danced. It was dark, colorful, sweaty, loud, and absolutely amazing.
What would you eat for your last meal? My dad’s corned beef sandwiches, and his amazing chicken wings.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICKY MICHIELS
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KAT
Name: Kat Harron
Age: 19
What’s your room smell like? Like the apple cinnamon candle I have burning right now.
Whose approval matters? Usually just my mom’s.
Who makes you nervous? No one.
What was the first thing you did this morning? Went for a walk and listened to Christmas music (I know, I get in the holiday spirit early).
How do you deal with conflict? I try to talk things out. I went to a Quaker school, so finding peace and resolution is something I’ve been working at since kindergarten.
What does the winter remind you of? My best friend. We grew up next door to each other and her family would always come over on Christmas Eve. Some of my best memories are from those times.
Describe the best gift you’ve ever received. My college tuition.
Who is the best dancer you know? My friend Meghan, who isn’t super coordinated but is always confident and I feel like that’s what makes a good dancer.
What was the last thing you stole? My mom’s new boots.
Which profession do you think is a sham? Psychics, even though I’ve seen one before.
What would you eat for your last meal? Something with gluten. I have celiac so I have to be gluten-free for now, but if it’s my last meal I would totally eat some pasta because it wouldn’t matter.
What scares you more, death or poverty? Poverty.
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ZINA
Name: Zina Louhaichy
Age: 18
IG handle: @zinalouhaichy
Where do you live? Brooklyn.
Where did you grow up? I grew up all over New York City-Harlem, Williamsburg, FiDi, and more.
What are you studying? I’m currently a freshman drama major at NYU. I also study fashion design and sew clothing outside of school.
How tall are you? 5’9″
What’s your room smell like? Sewing machine oil, lavender, and my dog, Niro.
How many hours of real work do you do? It depends on the week and the workload. As for my sewing, I try to sew at least 10 hours a week during the school year, but during the summer, it varies. Time dedicated to school, conservatory work, and auditioning ranges from 20 to 30 hours a week .
How much do you sleep? I always try to get at least 8 hours.
Do you have nightmares? Only once in a while, especially when I’m stressed. I keep a dream catcher by my bed to try to help.
What’s in your system? Creativity, passion, energy, ambition, and determination.
Whose approval matters? I think I’m my harshest judge, but honestly, my mom’s approval matters the most to me. She’s an artist herself and is so incredibly talented and creative in her own way. Her appreciation means the world.
Describe your life in 8 words or less. Create, fall on your face, and work harder.
Who makes you nervous? There’s no specific person that makes me nervous, but there are people who I genuinely appreciate and admire. Strong women of color who are successful in both the acting and fashion fields inspire me daily.
How do you deal with fear? I throw myself into it. I know that, on the other side, I’ll come out even stronger and more knowledgeable than before.
What was the first thing you did this morning? I woke up, washed my face, and then played music in my apartment to energize myself and get my day going. I’d consider myself a morning person.
How do you deal with conflict? I face it head-on and power through it. Even though it may get hard at times, I remind myself it will get better, and it always does.
What does the winter remind you of? The twinkling Christmas lights on the trees throughout the city, the Rockettes, spending time with my family, and A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Describe the best gift you’ve ever received. When my grandfather passed away four years ago, my grandmother had these beautiful gold necklaces with a heart pendant made for each of the cousins. It had our name engraved and small pieces of my grandparents’ engagement ring pieced on it.
Who is the best dancer you know? I don’t know her personally but Beyonce. Her moves are insane-she’s so intense and passionate. There’s a fire behind her eyes every single time she performs.
Have you ever faked an orgasm? Never.
When was the last time you laughed until you cried? Last Sunday I visited an outdoor art exhibition called Storm King with a friend. We go to look at this vast white curvy structure, and a father walks by saying to his son and in a playful accent, “It’s a loopty-doopty sausage.” My friend and I looked at each other and immediately started crying our eyes out.
What was the last thing you stole? I’ve never stolen anything. I’m a pretty firm believer in working for what you want.
Who was the last person you lied to? What was the lie? In my acting studio at NYU, it’s mandatory to remove all jewelry before our movement class. Our movement teacher will yell at you if she finds anything. I have a belly button piercing, and that day I forgot to remove it. I was wearing a black cropped tank top and baggy sweats, so I kept trying to lift the sweats over my belly button to cover the piercing during our exercises. I hear my teacher slowly walk up behind me and begin to instigate, repeatedly asking, “Do you have jewelry on?” Immediately I say no, telling her I removed it all before class and showing her my empty piercings on my ears. She intensely stares at me and walks away. That teacher is so tiny but frightening at the same time.
Which profession do you think is a sham? Professional paint-drying watchers. They are essentially getting paid for staring at a blank wall for hours, waiting for it to dry.
Who do you admire most? My mom, my dad, Zendaya, Beyonce, Viola Davis, and Danny DeVito.
Have you ever had an affair? Never.
What do you do about global warming? Fashion is the second-largest polluting industry worldwide. Last June, I started my brand called Louhaichy, promoting environmental sustainability within my thrift and designer shop. In my thrift shop, I curate, style, and market vintage clothes at an affordable price so kids my age can afford stylish garments, all while saving the earth one step at a time. As for my designer items, I sew and design different things, along with reworking articles of clothing to create a new life for them so they don’t go to waste. I want to convey the importance of individual creation, buying from small businesses, and purchasing sustainable fashion through my art.
Describe the last time you danced. Last night when my best friend, Leo, came over. We blasted music and danced around my room.
How do you cure a headache? Take an Advil and power through it.
What would you eat for your last meal? A massive bowl of Juice Generation’s PB açaí, my Moroccan grandma’s msemmen, Neapolitan pizza, lots of milk chocolate, and several Magnolia cupcakes.
What scares you more, death or poverty? Death. You can’t worry about your net worth in the grave.
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DONIELLA
Name: Doniella Ambersley
Age: 18
Where did you grow up? The Bronx, N.Y.C.
Who makes you nervous? My professors.
Describe your life in 8 words or less. A chaotic but amazing dream.
How do you deal with fear? I just conquer it head-on or distract myself by playing the guitar or listening to music.
Who is the best dancer you know? My best friend Kayla is an insane Irish step dancer.
What was the last thing you stole? I accidentally stole a pen after signing the check at a restaurant.
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COLBY
Name: Colby Alexis
Age: 18
Where did you grow up? Memphis, TN.
Describe your life in 8 words or less. A girl trying really hard to be satisfied.
What does winter remind you of? Christmas and also depression.
Describe the best gift you’ve ever received. A MacBook computer with editing software.
What was the last thing you stole? A sticker.
Which profession do you think is a sham? Politician.
Who was the last person you lied to? My mom. I was out drinking instead of watching a movie.
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HELEN
Name: Helen Zhao
Age: 19
Where do you live? An NYU triple dorm room.
Whose approval matters? I would love to say only my own, but I care a lot about what my parents think. I think every child of immigrants understands the desire to make your parents proud of you.
Do you have nightmares? Yes, unfortunately, I do. I used to have these terrible recurring nightmares as a child, and I get them a lot still.
What was the first thing you did this morning? I texted my ex.
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JACKSON
Name: Jackson Barada
Age: 19
What’s your room smell like? Weed and sweat.
How much do you sleep? Sometimes too much, sometimes too little.
Whose approval matters? Nobody’s approval matters if I know what the fuck I’m doing.
Describe the best gift you’ve ever received. This custom made vintage sweatshirt my dad had when he was in college.
Who is the best dancer you know? I don’t know because I don’t see my friends dance that often, but I have a lot of dance-major friends so shoutout Jem and everyone else.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC JOHNSON
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SAHA
Johnson. Jacket, Shirt, Pants, Belt, and Shoes by Saint Laurent By Anthony Vaccarello. Rings, Glasses, and Bag Saha’s own.
Name: Saha Guerrero
Age: 18
Where did you grow up? All over N.Y.C. (born in Staten Island then went to Brooklyn and the Bronx).
What’s in your system? Sugar, spice, yesterday’s White House press briefing by Jen Psaki, and an episode of Sex and the City.
Who do you admire most? Princess Diana.
Describe the last time you danced. I danced to “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy” by Rod Stewart with my friends at Washington Square Park last night. For a good five minutes, it felt like we teleported to being right on the disco floor.
How do you cure a headache? My mom would cure it for me by making me ginger tea and giving me a massage. But in college, I opt for the traditional Advil, water, and a nap.
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LUKE
Vest and Jeans by Celine. Shoes Luke’s own.
Name: Luke Boyer
Age: 19
How tall are you? 6’5″
What does your room smell like? Lavender.
How many hours of real work do you do? Two.
Describe your life in 8 words or less. Hectic, tiring, exciting, busy, and fun, and stressful.
Who makes you nervous? My professors.
How do you deal with fear? I just tell myself to get over it.
What does the winter remind you of? I don’t want to say hot chocolate, because everyone says hot chocolate, but probably hot chocolate.
What was the last thing you stole? Probably, accidentally… actually, no. That wasn’t… nevermind. No. I’ve never stolen.
Who is the best dancer you know? Probably the ninth grade version of my friend, Hugo. He was just … yeah.
Have you ever faked an orgasm? No. I have not.
Describe the last time you danced. Last Friday. Good music. Good people. It was fun.
What would you eat for your last meal? In-N-Out.
What scares you more, death or poverty? Death.
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KENDAL
Coat, Shirt, and Pants by Tory Burch, Shoes and Jewelry Kendal’s own.
Name: Kendal Wang
Age: 18
Where do you live? Greenwich Village. Before that, Burlington, California.
Whose approval matters? My own first, ideally. But I really value the opinions of authority figures in my life, unfortunately.
What’s in your system? Drugs, a lot of caffeine, and some other substances.
What was the first thing you did this morning? I bought this pair of United Nude heels from the thrift store, but they’re a half-size too small for me. So I’ve been stretching them with newspapers and I checked on them this morning to see if they fit me better.
Which profession do you think is a sham? I think the whole system’s kind of fucked. Like, I don’t know that any current profession under the existing system of capitalism is great, just because they all kind of feed into the existence of the structure. But I don’t want to get into that.
What does your room smell like? I have this spray that’s frankincense and myrrh and I spray it everywhere because I think it’s the best scent in the world. It’s like ‘really clean hippy.’
Describe the last time you danced. I was a little bit high in my dorm and I was playing “You Belong With Me” by Taylor Swift.
What would you eat for your last meal? During New Year’s, our family makes this kind of soup called ozoni and we eat it to celebrate the New Year. It’s just like mochi and there’s lotus root and other vegetables in it. It’s probably one of my favorite things.
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NIAREA
Name: Niarea Matthews
Age: 17
Where do you live? New York.
Where did you grow up? Raleigh, North Carolina.
Where are you studying? New York University (NYU).
How tall are you? 5’3″
How many hours of real work do you do? Oh, I’m a stay-at-home daughter.
What’s in your system? A beef patty, Takis, and water.
How do you deal with fear? Prayer.
What was the first thing you did this morning? Pray.
Describe the best gift you’ve ever received. My car, a 2016 Mercedes-Benz convertible.
Who is the best dancer you know? Me.
Who do you admire most? My aunt, she works so hard to provide for everyone in her family and she’s always ready to help someone else. I want to learn to be as giving as her.
How do you cure a headache? I usually just have to take off my headscarf from tying it too tight.
Niarea (left) and Niya (right). Niarea wears: Top by Tory Burch. Overalls by Vaquera. Tie by Saint Laurent By Anthony Vaccarello. Jewelry and Shoes Niarea’s own. Niya wears Jacket and Pants by Carolina Herrera. Shoes by Loewe.
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NIYA
Name: Niya Leigh
Age: 18
Where do you live? Manhattan.
Where did you grow up? South Florida.
What are you studying? Creative directing and acting.
How tall are you? 5’10” (I think LOL).
What’s your room smell like? Tea and cinnamon (also sometimes chicken).
What’s in your system? Definitely not water.
What makes you nervous? Losing it all.
Have you ever faked an orgasm? Yes.
When was the last time you laughed until you cried? A video of a pastor falling and rolling at the pulpit.
What was the last thing you stole? A bracelet with Michael Jackson’s picture on it from Walmart when I was 6.
Who was the last person you lied to? My teacher about where I was going today.
Who do you admire most? Socrates and my mum.
What would you eat for your last meal? Stroopwafel McFlurry.
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DIDIER
Jacket and Shirt by Bottega Veneta.
Name: Didier Akinlabi Osias
Age: 18
Where do you live? My girlfriend’s dorm.
What’s your room smell like? PG Tips with condensed milk and cinnamon.
What’s in your system? Black tea, castor oil, CBD, vitamin-D gummies.
Describe your life in 8 words or less. Legos, cameras, robotics, comics, music.
Who makes you nervous? The police.
What does the winter remind you of? How much I love the summer.
Describe the best gift you’ve ever received. My Minecraft shirt my grandma gave me in 2016.
What was the last thing you stole? A half-gallon of Lactaid whole milk from the dining hall.
Which profession do you think is a sham? Banking, hold my money for free.
Who do you admire most? Frank Ocean or Socrates.
What would you eat for your last meal? 1,000 crêpes made by my grandmère with cinnamon sugar, lemon, and syrup.
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GALAYE
Galaye (left) and Didier (right). Didier wears Jacket, Shirt, Pants, and Shoes by Bottega Veneta. Glasses Didier’s own. Galaye wears Coat, Pants, and, Shoes by Bottega Veneta. Sweater by Margiela. Glasses Galaye’s own.
Name: Galaye Seck
Age: 18
What are you studying? Business and political economy.
How many hours of real work do you do? I currently work part time at Bed Bath & Beyond for 10–12 hours a week.
What was the first thing you did this morning? I enjoyed the sunrise and my dorm view of New York.
Who was the last person you lied to? What was the lie? My friend. She asked if I wanted to go explore and hang out, and I told her I had a lot of work to do and a headache. In reality, I just wanted to stay inside and take a day to myself.
Which profession do you think is a sham? There are no professions that I consider a sham. I respect everyone’s hustle and love to see people, especially fellow minorities, succeed at what they’re passionate about.
Describe the last time you danced. The last time I danced was a week ago in Washington Square Park. A man was playing Hispanic music and my friend dared me to walk up to someone and ask if they wanted to dance bachata. They agreed and it was a very fun 3 minutes!
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHAMEER KHAN
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SEBASTIANO
Name: Sebastiano Caillat
Age: 18
Where did you grow up? All over the world: Philippines, D.C., Italy, Senegal, and Ethiopia.
What are you studying? Creative Media (Photography, Videography, Fashion Design) & Business.
What’s your room smell like? Right now pumpkins.
How much do you sleep? A reasonable 3 to 6 hours.
Do you have nightmares? No, anytime I dream I have the same dream over and over which is me floating down a lazy river having small conversations with the people I care about.
What’s in your system? Thai food.
What was the first thing you did this morning? Checked my phone.
How do you deal with conflict? I try to act like my dad as much as possible, step away, and make the other person see that all I want is to resolve the issue.
Describe the best gift you’ve ever received. A trip to Italy with all my friends from high school. We gave the gift to ourselves but it was the most memorable experience I’ve ever had.
How do you cure a headache? I actually have never had a headache, luckily enough.
Who do you admire most? Nobody.
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AMY
Name: Amy John-Terry
Age: 18
Describe your life in 8 words. Sporadic, ethereal, earthy, passionate, fulfilling, rustic, wholesome.
Who makes you nervous? Men from Wall Street.
What was the first thing you did this morning? Meditated—I try not to check my phone in the morning.
Which profession do you think is a sham? Cops and the police force. The president. Any job for the U.S. government.
What would you eat for your last meal? A big bowl of fresh juicy red cherries.
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SEBASTIAN
Name: Sebastian Ubillus
Age: 18
What does winter remind you of? The winter reminds me of death. I’ve lost a few people close to me and seeing the leaves wilt away and the nature around me goes from green to gray reminds me of their passing.
What’s the best gift you ever received? The best gift I ever received was my dad’s chain necklace. His mom gave it to him to remember her by before she died from cancer. When he passed it down to me, I felt that I had earned his complete trust, which I cared about a lot more than the necklace itself.
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AUSTIN
Name: Austin Holmes
Age: 18
What does your room smell like? Cocoa butter & lavender Febreeze.
Do you have nightmares? I call them scary dreams instead of nightmares, because I enjoy them!
Describe the best gift you ever received. A blanket for Christmas in 8th grade, from my mom. I still wear it every day at home and I almost brought it to college.
What’s the last thing you stole? My dad’s jacket
How do you deal with fear? Turn off my Wizards of Waverly Place Alarm.
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ELIZABETH
Name: Elizabeth Akonchong
Age: 18
How much do you sleep? Seven hours except when I’m backed up with work. Then I chug a 5-Hour Energy and get to it!
Describe your life in 8 words or less. Frivolous, willy-nilly, whomp, fascinating, emotional, Gallatin, slay, purr.
Which profession do you think is a sham? Engineering. Nobody even knows what that means.
What would you eat for your last meal? Two McChickens, large fries, two cookies, and a strawberry milkshake from McDonald’s.
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(Jonah and Sam)
Hair by Kabuto Okuzawa at The Wall Group
Production by Marcos Fecchino
Fashion Assistant Nia Shambourger
(Throughout)
Hair by Shin Arima using Oribe at Home Agency, Makeup by Frankie Boyd using Chanel Beauty at Streeters
Casting by Shameer Khan and Ricky Michiels
Production by Perris Cavalier at The Morrison Group
Photography Assistant Rob Petrie
Fashion Assistants Brandon Tan and Morgan Vickery
Hair Assistant Rika Shimojyo, Makeup Assistant Ernie Robinson
Production Coordinator Graham Bohling
Photography Producer Monika Martinez
Post-Production by Noah Yager at Public Space
