DispatchesResearch and Development

TITLE: JOLENE’S NEW CLOTHES
DATE: 15-11-24
TIME: 11:58


TALENT: HONGXI LI
AUTHOR: FIN COUSINS
CREATIVE AND ART DIRECTION:
MARINA ALEKSASHINA
DESIGNER: YUSUF S. BOZKURT
STYLIST: ZOE THABILE
PHOTGRAPHY:
LUCA PELLEGRINO
POST PRODUCTION:: BAE70000000
GAFFER: JOE HUNT
SET DRESSER: LIZA SVIRSKAYA
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT:
ASHA DE LANEROLLE, NEDAS GADLIAUSKAS
PRODUCER: SAM HARDING
CO-PRODUCER: FIN COUSINS
SPECIAL THANKS: VANESSA MURRELL WORD COUNT: 1784
IMAGE COUNT: 9
TAGS:  X

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ARTICLE ID: TWIST004PARA-TEX/IP-02/JOLENE/014/079-092

We spotted Jolene outside Selfridges. It was raining and she was smoking. When we asked her what she was up to and if she was waiting for someone, it took her a moment to realise we were talking to her. She had ducked into the doorway to use her lighter, a hot pink BIC. Her grey suit was sharp, the kind of suit that doesn’t just encourage good posture—it demands it. Part suit, part straitjacket. Her cufflinkless shirt protruded from the jacket sleeves, and her feet were poised in formal black stilettos bought from Next. She said she had eight identical pairs at home. Her hair was tied tightly into a doughnut, with a meticulously combed side parting. It was slick. A light dusting of raindrops and a thick coating of hair product with a faint scent of citrus.

Jolene was framed by a cold steel doorway, being shooed away by a security guard in a smart black suit, frustrated at her indecisiveness. Her eyes lingered over the shop window, draped podiums topped with luxury bags: a vivid orange puzzle-folded Loewe shoulder bag, a light blue clutch from Bottega Veneta, and a forest green cross-body bag from Chloé. She carefully dashed her cigarette on the designated grill of a nearby bin. A bus came to a stop. A plastic bag turned over in the street. A boy kicked it. Bladee leaked softly from his AirPods. His spray-painted grey hoodie read “BUSINESS OF PLEASURE”. We told Jolene we were creating a fashion editorial of ordinary women and that if she could get to our office for 8:30 am tomorrow, we’d love to shoot her, and that it’d be fun. Her eyes widened. A hint of lust. She said she’d be there early.


LOOK ONE
We’re in the studio. Jolene arrived at 8:00 am. A crew of nine are in full flow, carrying equipment, shuffling through boots; Chanel, Givenchy, Bottega. We pull Jolene aside.  
TWIST: Hey Jolene. We’re so happy to have you here.
JOLENE: Hey. My pleasure.
TWIST: Thank you so much for doing this shoot with us.  
JOLENE: Thank you for having me.
TWIST: We would like to ask you 33 questions during the shoot. Is that okay for you?  
JOLENE: Yes. You can.  
TWIST: So how did you start your day today?
JOLENE: I comb, brush, wet my hair, teeth, face. Then carry, brush, wipe the trash, toilet, sink.
All the normal stuff.  
Carry, Brush, Wipe  
The trash, toilet, sink
All the normal stuff.
TWIST: Any recommendations for self-care routine?
JOLENE: Nothing particular.  
TWIST: What did you have for breakfast?
JOLENE: Boiled eggs. Two.  
TWIST: On the scale 1-10, how happy are you right at this moment?  
JOLENE: 5.5. Exactly. Positive.
TWIST: If you can spend a day with anyone in the world. Who would that be?
JOLENE: Just myself. With Fred, my bedtime friend.  
TWIST: What’s in your bag?
JOLENE: *Opens her unbranded black faux leather shoulder bag and pulls out items one by one. Each is the same shade of hot pink.*  
Fuji Finepix z20fd  
Unbranded mini compact wallet  
Keys with dwarf toy  
BIC lighter  
Carex hand sanitiser
And *pauses*
A small roll of bubble wrap  
TWIST: Everything is hot pink? You like hot pink?
JOLENE: No, but everything is in my black bag.
TWIST: Where did you get your camera from? Any recommendations on cameras?
JOLENE: My mum gave it to me when I was 11. It has 5,788 pictures. I’ve never deleted any.  
TWIST: What about the bubble wrap?
JOLENE: To pop it.
*pops a bubble with her thumb*
TWIST: Good stress release?  
JOLENE: In fact, a study found that popping bubbles for 60 seconds relieved as much stress as a 33-minute massage.
Or, you can use it to protect things when you need to.
*starts to wrap a paper coffee cup*
TWIST: Any recommendations on bubble wrap?  
JOLENE: 500mm x 100m, Premium Heavy-Duty Bubble Wrap roll from QLV is my favourite. Two Metres. I can email you the link.  
TWIST: What’s good about it?
JOLENE: It has durable defence.




LOOK TWO
Jolene is sitting on a soft white sofa. A gunmetal table stands at her feet. A light powder is brushed over her face. It’s unnoticeable. Chic.  
TWIST: Would you like another coffee?  
JOLENE: Very kind. I’m good. Thank you.  
TWIST: Which fashion film inspires you most?
JOLENE: Shopgirl. Forgot the director’s name. Sorry.
TWIST: Can you describe your style in one word?
JOLENE: Professional. Always.
TWIST: What is the most interesting fashion item you own?  
JOLENE: *clips her thumb nails*  
*her eyes land on the Chanel bag in the fitting room*  
My black Chanel bag. The one with the gold chain and checkerboard pattern.
TWIST: The Chanel 2.55 flap bag you mean?
JOLENE: Yes.
TWIST: What’s one fashion trend you find absolutely baffling?
JOLENE: *long contemplative pause*  
*stares at an oversized Balenciaga jacket*  
The size... is not their size.
TWIST: What’s your favourite curse word?
JOLENE: Um.
*looks at crew*
*crew are talking about Victoria Beckham*
CREW: David said he loves when they get drunk together… she’ll eat chips with him…
all the other times she eats, like, completely unsalted…
JOLENE: I’m sorry.
TWIST: What’s the most valuable thing that you’ve learned from your parents’ marriage?
JOLENE: It’s a never ending lease.
TWIST: What is the best part about growing up as a single child?  
JOLENE: You learn to play with yourself.  
TWIST: What’s the last photo on your camera roll?
JOLENE: *shows a photo of a Chanel bag and Hermès birkin*
TWIST: How would you describe your first flat in the city?
JOLENE: Small.
TWIST: How would you describe your first experience in the underground?
JOLENE: I just became one of them.
TWIST: This month Mars is in transit. Have you felt any shifts?  
JOLENE: My head busted on the desk at my first job.  
TWIST: Is there anything you don’t do that you wish you did more?
JOLENE: Sex.
TWIST: What kind of music do you like?
JOLENE: I just listen to what Spotify recommends.
TWIST: When you’re on the internet, do you accept cookies?
JOLENE: I would read them. I will....
*silence*
It’s often quite time consuming. But I think it is .... it is really important to read all the cookies and conditions. Because you need to.  
*Jolene moves her lapel to the left*
*Jolene moves her lapel back to where it was before*
No, because I need to know.  
*Jolene smiles*


LOOK THREE
Jolene is sitting in an off-white chair with a metal frame. The steel table has been replaced with a small corgi, which is licking her hand. She affectionately names the dog Dwin Dwin. In the other hand, she’s holding a grey Hermès Birkin handbag. A crew member is fixing her hair. Applying gel to a strand, pulling it off Jolene’s face.  
TWIST: What is one word you would use to describe the year?
JOLENE: Unpredictable.
TWIST: How have you felt about your career so far?
JOLENE: Yes. I’m in transition.  
*Sighs slightly*
Again. Changing my job.  
Again.
I have an interview soon. For a... a real estate called Heaven Green. A Chinese company here. This is a censored strip that needs to be censored. And a bit more. Last time I worked in real estate. But it was more on the building site.  
TWIST: What was that like?
JOLENE: It was a lot of labour.  
*long pause*
During the shift, mud caked into my nails... hard to wash it off. My tights were... were ripped... But I think I have managed it well...  
*straightens back*
Anyway... that gave me experience in that industry. So this time I’m confident that I will... I hope I will have a higher chance to get this new job.
TWIST: Oh, that’s great!
TWIST: What is your favourite thing in the office?
JOLENE: The carpet, definitely.
TWIST: So, was your last job in real estate development?
JOLENE: Oh no. Umm...
My last job was... How would you?  
*frustrated*  
I’m not sure how to describe it exactly. But... I was asked to stand somewhere quite high up. Kind of watching people in a way. It sounds like an easy job. But it’s actually quite. Um. *voice rises distressed* high pressure job.  
So basically. The manager will bring in the ladder. And then I will go up on the ladder to this place. It’s high and structured by metals and bolts. And then I was told to sit there and watch the people.  
I can’t, I can’t really mention the, the, the, you know, the where, where I work. I don’t really know how everything works. This is another censored part that needs to be censored. I just did my part.
TWIST: Okay. Right.
JOLENE: *speaks much faster*
It, I, it was, it was okay, that job, but it’s. I only worked there for like three days. Yeah, okay. No, no, four days. And then on the fifth day, you know, the Monday. Yes. Well. Just. Yes. The company just shut down…
TWIST: No way? That’s awful?
JOLENE: Yes. It’s just like, really sudden. It was like overnight, the company. Just disappeared.  
TWIST: They just let you go?
JOLENE: I, I, I come in on Monday for work, obviously… *frantic* Yes. Yes. I, but the manager with the ladder wasn’t there. Instead, there were a bunch of builders there to demolish the metal structure… I tried to put the ladder on by myself, getting to the tower as usual. It is a censored sentence.
Trying to continue my job as I was worrying the manager will still be somewhere watching…  
TWIST: I guess that was your last day?
JOLENE: It was. But I still see ladders everywhere.
*Jolene shifts in her seat. Her shoulders tense. Her fingers nervously pull at the edge of the chair.*
TWIST: Last question...
Are you ready for your next look?


Hongxi Li (b. 1996, Xiamen, China) explores human behaviour and societal structures through sculpture and performance, focusing on the confluence of corporate influence, power dynamics, and emotional discomfort. Her work compounds capitalist critique with humour—manifested through instances of inefficiency, repetition and failure —to examine the experience of individuality within broader social and economic systems. This inquiry is fuelled  by her dual perspective as an East Asian woman living in the West, her Chinese identity and migrant experience both contributing to an interest in “in-betweenness.”

Across metalwork, ceramics, casting and upholstery, Li’s sculptural works blend industrial techniques with contemporary minimalism in objects that resemble everyday, mass-produced consumer items, inviting viewers to reassess the familiar and consider how design has historically reflected societal change. In her performances, Li embodies Jolene, a character dressed in corporate attire and formal hairstyle. Jolene’s non-specific yet professional uniform sees the character embody various positions of authority across Li’s live works, from schoolmistress to receptionist to surveillant, with Li seeking to embody and in turn satirise the institutions of power that her sculptural work seeks to question.

Li has been the subject of solo shows at Neven Gallery, London (2024), Harlesden High Street, London (2022) and V.O Curations, London (2022), and her work has been included in group presentations at Hybrid Art Fair, Madrid (2023); 9 French Place, London (2023); Kupfer Project, London, curated by Laurie Barron, Isabel Davies and Isabel Walter (2023); The Residency Gallery, London (2022); Generation and Display, London (2022); Kant Garage, Berlin (2022); Lecce Art Week, Lecce (2022); M50 Innovation Plus Art-space, Shanghai (2019); DATEAGLE ART, Online (2019); Tate Modern (Tate Exchange), London (2018) amongst others.

Hongxi Li’s studio is managed by curator and writer Vanessa Murrell.

Watch by Rolex 

(Printed on Pillow)