POLOSOPHIA X Saphira
Hi people! We are proud to present to you what we have been preoccupied with for the last few months: the first Polosophia artist collaboration.
Not often do you encounter a creative mind so wholesome and unique that you instantly buy into their vision. One of such rare souls is a young woman we were lucky to meet earlier last year, an emerging artist whose music, both uplifting and reflective, is marked by uncompromising creativity and timeless elegance, while at the same time being super-relevant to now. And if that is not a recipe for something amazing, what is?
Polosophia are pleased to introduce Saphira: a semi-mythical being, who has travelled from a faraway planet to grace us with her art. The first time we met Saphira, we were swayed by the vision she has for her stage persona and her concept at large. Saphira’s well-versed world, dreamy and mysterious, is brought to life through the means of music. This is something that we at Polosophia understand and appreciate – the magic of storytelling at its finest.
And when we were lucky to design a few bespoke garments to help her vision fully come to life, it was really exciting, so we instantly jumped on board.
Please enjoy the results!
We talked to Saphira about her life and art.
Tell us more about yourself and your background.
My name is Sara. I am twenty-one. My parents are Lithuanian and I lived in the South of France until moving to London two and a half years ago. I studied for a BA in Songwriting at the ICMP (The Institute of Contemporary Music and Performance) for a year and a half, and then decided to drop out to spend more time on my artistic project. The first year was very beneficial. It gave me the chance to experiment with different genres of music, improve my understanding of musicology, and practice my songwriting skills – and, ultimately, find out what I wanted to do with my music. It is during this first year that I truly started to imagine and shape Saphira.
Your alter ego idea of Saphira is fascinating. What inspired you to create this character, and to what extend do you feel Saphira is you?
I think you are who you think you are and who you pretend to be. Gaga, Bjork and Bush inspired me to re-invent myself – create an alter ego. I love their theatricalness! So, I decided to take back control and shape my own identity. I think identity is something consciously and unconsciously constructed. Also, I have fun living life as if it was a daily performance. Saphira is the self that I imagined to experience freedom from my human identity. I think the reason why I invented her is also to reflect on my emotions and thoughts from a distance. To find out what being human means from a non-human eye.
How do you describe your music? What do you want people to think and feel when they listen to Saphira?
Experimental. I try to always remember this quote that I wrote on my bedroom wall with a thick black marker: “Creativity comes from the freedom to fail.” It is again about freeing myself from barriers that I have built in my mind. I have fun opening the gates and bearing my heart, whenever I’m brave enough. In music, through vocals or instrumentation I like to play with tension and harmony. I intend to move people from uncomfortable places to blissful ecstatic realms. Maybe not even realms. Maybe it isn’t about traveling somewhere elsewhere. But it is about making the audience feel one with the moment. I want to make them feel alive.
What are the cornerstones of your world as an artist and performer?
Saphira is a nymph, a half human half imaginary creature. She has the power to get in touch with her deeper feelings and seek for insights. I want her to be vulnerable because I associate it with strength. She is ethereal and rock’n’roll – free from human expectations – a curious soul who explores the meanings of love, identity, spirituality, the fear of death, and the beauty of being alive. Or translate observations of the modern chaos - problematics - as addiction, consumerism, depression, the place of nature and its relationship with humanity, or what it means to be a woman. I want her to be playful and as real as she can be. Authentic to my secret inner child.
What is your ultimate goal as an artist?
My ultimate goal as an artist is to make good art. And achieve satisfaction from materializing my ideas into something that would resemble my imagination, from music production to stage performances. And to have fun with it.
What is your personal style like? Is the sense of self-representation through clothes important?
I like airy, elegant and extravagant clothing (artistry). I want it to be meaningful. I want to use clothing as the expression of an opinion or feeling. I think fashion gives you the power of modelling your identity. I change styling everyday. I go through natural looks which implies wearing no make up with my mum’s long hippie skirts, to bearing a rock’n’roll fake leather jacket with a red vivid lipstick, or decide to wear nothing more than a long vintage black dress form the 90s. I have loads of fun with reinventing myself everyday depending on my mood and motivation. I have been enjoying fashion in this way since my early teens. One thing has changed though. I used to wear enormous high heels and very short skirts - uncomfortable clothes. Now I can’t stand to be uncomfortable, I feel restricted. I want my clothing to set my body free, to empower me. To enhance my graceful moves and give me the freedom to jump! I want to be like Gaga and Bjork and use fashion as Art. As an expression of a thought or a feeling - a poem - that works with the delivering of the song - the performance.
Tell us more about your shopping habits. How do they reflect your values?
I turned vegan about two years ago so I don’t buy any leather or fur (animal skin) and only wear vegan/cruelty free make up. I also decided to stop or drastically lower my shopping a couple of years ago for ethical reasons. I don’t agree with the way most of the fashion brands produce. They pollute and torture. They have no respect for nature, animals, or people. They are blinded by a misleading philosophy that money is success and nothing else matters. They create clothing that don’t last in countries where they exploit their workers or built factories that collapse and kill thousands of people. Or simply don’t pay taxes. Anyway, I realized I had more than enough clothes and allow myself to only buy vintage clothing or work with fashion designers like I did with Polosophia. She created outstanding outfits that brought Saphira into existence.
Your artistry and your off-stage persona appear to be very interwoven and coherent. How important is it for an artist to practice what they preach?
I think there are so many different ways to make art. I usually have several ideas regarding which direction I might shift the song towards. And then I just spend time thinking about it. I don’t only write a song and the melody but I also think about how I could illustrate it. It comes very naturally as I see images or have ideas for performances as I am writing the song. I think I am more of performer than anything else, actually. I admit that I want to make sense as every song I write expresses something important to me. Also, there is no such a thing as wrong if you have spent time thinking about it. It adds a deeper meaning. It is not only beautiful artistry but it becomes thoughtful artistry. But, again, there are so many different ways to make sense. This is what I love about Art in general. It never ends. Once you dive into limitless imagination you realize how much you can create. It’s infinite and so much fun!
What did you want to achieve with the Polosophia collaboration, and do you feel we managed to achieve it?
I had been trying to find someone to collaborate with on creating mind-blowing outfits for about a year on and off. So when I met Polina I just felt like the universe had heard my prayers and offered me the chance to make my dream come true! I never felt comfortable with being human while performing as Saphira. So what I expected from this collaboration was to bring the nymph into existence through thoughtful and beautiful clothing. So we met up, and something clicked straight away! She was as excited as I was and it just carried on being that way. I think it couldn’t have gone any better. She literally made me a whole little wardrobe for my persona! And her creations have also inspired me. The colors she used for the « soul » dress are shades of orange, pink and beige just like the sunset! So this gave me a new idea on how Saphira enters the earth. Also the flowery collar piece inspired me with a concept for a song. The flowers would represent the beautiful thoughts that my mind has been filled up by a gentle loving man. I couldn’t expect much more! And I finally have the assets to bring Saphira to existing!
What can we look forward to from Saphira next?
I met a producer about a month ago and we have already started to work on one song and will make an EP or maybe an album together. I have all these drafts of songs that need to exist. I’m so very impatient about finishing as I have been working on this project for a couple of years now. I am currently working on a video clip for one of my song called « Kill The Doll ». It is actually a very successful co-write I did with a friend while I was studying at university. I am intending to perform my songs in acoustic as well while the EP is getting recorded. And take some short interludes of bits of songs I already have. Also I have planned to take a few dance classes to choreograph the nymph dance. I have a few projects in mind. This is just how I work. I can’t do one thing at the time. I multitask. I emerge myself in many things at once which means it takes more time to finish. I am very happy because I can finally see that bits by bits my project is coming to existence. And one day, perhaps, the playful torture will be over as everything will be done. But I guess I will never stop going for more!
Isn’t she just wonderful? Don’t forget to check out more of her art, and keep your eyes open for Saphira, because we have this feeling she is the one to watch!
xx Pol
TEAM:
Protagonist: Sara aka Saphira
Photography: Pol @ Polosophia
Outfits: Polosophia for Saphira
Styling: Pol @ Polosophia and Saphira
