Bal Harbour

It all began with an iPhone. The ubiquitous piece of technology served an outsize purpose to a 13 -year-old Sophia Wilson, who used it to capture intimate portraits of friends, neighbors, and classmates—over time building a narrative that was not other wise being told. As she began to dig deeper into her medium and evolve past the limits of her phone, she simultaneously cultivated a community around her and her own artistic prowess. Today, at 22 years old, Wilson is this year's recipi- ent of the Bal Harbour Shops Emerging Fashion Photography Award. "Sophia Wilson is a ver y ta lented young woman," says A lessia Glaviano, head of Global PhotoVogue and one of the award's judges. "It is amazing how at such a young age her aesthetic already has a direc- tion. She has vision and her work is an important statement to overcome issues of representation in a vibrant, joyful, and powerful way." The award, which celebrates A merican fa shion photog raphers under 30, acknowledges Wilson's relentless pursuit of her art. It was the combination of her acute vision and gentle approach to portraiture that impressed the jury, which includes Isolde Brielmaier, Deputy Director of the New Museum and Guest Curator at the International Center for Photog raphy (ICP), and Sara h Harrelson, Editoria l Director of Bal Harbour magazine and Founder of Cultured magazine. Wilson's determination and vision have landed her work in Vogue and attracted a diverse range of clients including the New York Times, Nike, Google Pixel, and Instagram. These achievements can be traced to her teenage self who confidently approached the editors of Paper magazine Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird for Nike, 2021 Model Salem Mitchell An image from a 2022 Google Pixel campaign BAL HARBOUR 159

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