Of the time Editor-in-Chief, Hannah Beil, spent with the brand new cover star, Nicholas Caldwell, she recognized there are few and far inbetween similar to him. A man with admirable endurance for the sake of his future and his happiness. Infrequently, the world pushes onto the younger generation a certain mindset around working, travelling, and embracing all of who you are. Beil and Caldwell hash on the dynamics between similar aged acquaintances, for the problem reaches far longer than simply a parental origin.
“I have had Nicholas in mind for quite some time- from what I remember, I had him planned since the beginning!” If one comes across his social media, you can instantly retrieve a sense of independence. He radiates an urge to see the world from his eyes as he cares about the more intimate aspects of travelling.
A recent stay in Sweden just two years ago propelled Beil to inquire about his perspective on traveling. He goes to say, “Traveling the world has brought me a sense of self-awareness that I feel many others lack at our age,” and emphasizes, “I believe that opportunities outside of America have really helped cultivate me as an individual to the point where sometimes I can be seen as not caring or monotone, rather the situation is that I believe there may be bigger issues in the world.” Being misunderstood is most often the solution of others not sharing the same experiences as your own. Yet, that is why we discuss. That is why we ask questions. That is why we listen. Broadening your awareness of the world grounds you in the sense that you are more aware.
ÜP lives off of the motto “A Dream Realm”; Caldwell explains that his escapes to various countries offered him the opportunity to create his most unique realities. A majority of the time humans disregard travelling due to monetary issues, but when you talk to frequent travellers about their opinion on the passion, you will receive the facts of the matter. Does it cost money? Yes, but you can find manageable shelter, food, and activities. Does it enhance your daily life? Yes, the culture and knowledge never leaks from your mind.
On the topic of living abroad, Beil needed to know the answer to this highly requested question: Who is the one person you would want to style you? Naturally, he gravitates towards Gianni Versace, an Italian fashion designer and founder of Versace. The first clothing launch of his occurred in the late 1970s and showcased him to the entire world. From 1980 to 1990, his career was at an all time high and remains afloat with the inheritance of Donatella Versace, his biological sister.
“I’ve been to Italy twice and spent three weeks covering the whole country once, and it truly was gorgeous.” Without a doubt, Versace’s birthplace and hometown affected his crafting skills. Italy embraces a majestic and royal style when it comes to clothing, even daily items tend to put on a beautiful display.
The designer’s story is one of the ages for fashion and the world in general. He was brutally assassinated outside of his home by Andrew Cunanan; a controversial affair to this day as Caldwell utilizes in his reasoning. He claims it as “one of the most interesting and relatable stories” he has heard within the fashion industry.
Certainly the face of the issue appears dapper on the outside, but an immense insight to his inner self can be felt just through his empathetic aura; “What satisfies me in life is making sure others are happy.” A few issues with sketching in a day to shoot appeared during the planning process as both Beil and her requested model are packaged tightly with obligations. He permitted the CEO, Beil, as well, to accompany him on a day to New York City, NY for a morning of work in his office and an afternoon of more work- shooting for the August Issue.
He quickly adds onto the list of satisfactory instruments of life, and Beil continues to take every response in.
Organizing may feel like a chore to one portion of people while others genuinely need to take part in this activity to feel sane or satisfied. As for Nicholas, he falls more within the ‘Type A’ target of the margin. The process of smaller tasks triggers a romanticization of life. “I really enjoy expressing my creativity being in school as a Business major. I’ve found ways to express myself through film photography, necklace creation, and other small activities like thrifting and framing my favorite photos.”
Studying business at a university concretes his opinion that “everyone needs to learn a proper balance between work and life.” Further exposing his own struggles that nearly every human lives with, the obsession with working. At this time, the current young adults are in the heat of such a phenomenon. You graduate high school at eighteen years old, typically, and soon thrown into the fire of deciding who and what you want to be. Our feature recommends finding a less complicated activity life has to offer like the previous items mentioned.
“I try to do anything mentioned to step back and relax.”
While discussing a great deal of modern issues for the people of the age around Caldwell and Beil, the conversation felt almost easy since these topics are ingrained into our personal lives.
His stance on capturing every moment with a phone: “ I am becoming a more live in the moment type of person daily, and I hope others can also recognize that not everything needs to be documented to be posted across media to brag.” Slowly but surely, disposable pictures and film have overridden the photography space once again. The 1980 norm is now the 2020 trend. You can see the excitement film cameras bring to our model by the way he describes the method of picture-taking; “It captures the most pure, unfiltered moment in a single and quick shot, with nothing to do other than fix exposure settings and turn on flash, and shoot.”
Readers can discover his personal work on his photography Instagram (@nicholasa35mm) dedicated to his “pure, unfiltered” moments. Friends, travelling, architecture, family, landscapes, food, etc., his specialty of embodying a “down-to-earth” soul can be easily interpreted just through this mentioned handle.
As ‘Pride Week’ just recently came to an end, New York City was wrapped in color and extra love. Beil learned a great deal about the LGBTQ+ community from our very own!
“My favorite part of being gay and a member of the LGBTQ+ community is the unashamed attitude so many of us possess. Many of us grew up judged in communities that were so unaccepting, and as we got older and further from those who diminished us for what we were, we were finally able to give people a reason to stare. Being called a ‘faggot’ endless times in high school, this was really difficult for me. As generations get older and become more accepting, I suppose this may die down, but the spunk and personality that is unlocked and unleashed after hiding who you love, a minor part of your identity, is one of the most immense and emotional feelings I think we hold in our hearts daily. In middle school I thought I’d rather die than be gay, but every day I recognize how great it is to be able to find a community and family in any major city.”
Love is just as beautiful with any mixture of people. Assuring Nicholas, UP will consistently support his beloved community. The sorrow of such a young man should never be felt by his own people, but from now on he stands proudly. Parades and networking within the community allows him to dig even more into the circle he resonates with.
With the right people around you, you never have to worry about feeling different. “I pulled into his driveway to prepare outfits for the day and soon depart from his house, but immediately I noticed a rainbow flag waving proudly on the side of his house. An intense joy filled my heart, as the espouse from his family is one not many have.”
Eventually, I walked inside and received a condensed synopsis of his typical day worth of objectives and goals. We sat near his computer, of which he revealed he works many hours on, to discuss the plan for the day trip to New York- which happens weekly for the newly employed nineteen year old.
A natural day for Nicholas Caldwell:
“I just started working a new job as a year-long intern for a company in NYC. I usually wake up at 7:00 AM, make coffee, and bring my succulents outside to the back porch to sit with me while I work on my laptop for my remote work. I then put my Airpods in and get to work, where I sit completing tasks for my budget cost optimization analyst internship or catch up on summer courses I threw myself in this summer to graduate early. As soon as 5:00 PM hits I shut my computer! I will find a friend or something to do! I love being outside so it is always nice to go swimming or just walk after a day of sitting at screens.”
A day trip to the city is never the easiest, yet alone mixing two different work ventures. The team of two indeed made it work. Caldwell brings his final answer to Beil about his time shooting for the August Issue of 2021. “I felt like myself” is the ultimate compliment for a creative director and photographer. Beil remains content with that response, yet there is more. “I haven’t been in front of a professional camera much, honestly because I’m usually the one behind it.” The roles collided during this editorial issue, but honestly made shooting different than usual. Caldwell had the ability to provide his own two-sense on lighting and certain camera settings that fit the scene of the disco-lit room.
All thanks to Kendall Jenner for the fashion surprise of the summer: vests. While staying cool and inhaling the breeze, you can remain classy and suited for anyone you may come across during your time out. More skin seems to be the mindset of all those who approach the ‘effortless’ look that has grown important over the past year and a half. Vintage and thrift stores are the hot-spots for a find like the sophisticated, yet casual vest.
“It was really enjoyable to get into the city today with Hannah and be able to head into my new office and job, then go outside to leave Manhattan and shoot over Brooklyn in the car. The drive across the East River is always one of the best views of the city and it made me feel so immensely grateful for my new job and to be able to pursue my creative side with Hannah. Thank you!!!”
The August feature, Nicholas Caldwell, allowed the creative direction to happen naturally and focused on being utterly vulnerable. For his cooperation and attention to detail with configuring the time to shoot amidst a busy time in his life, ÜP is forever indebted to his appearance on the cover.