Allison Mutha Magazine Article [upd] [PLUS · SECRETS]

To understand Allison Mutha’s work is to understand contrast. Her portfolio—if one can call a sprawling collection of photography, writing, and design a mere "portfolio"—is a study in light and shadow. There is a rawness to her style; a refusal to airbrush the cracks in the wall or the stray hair on a model’s face.

“I’m not selling a product,” she says, gesturing to the Mutha Dust ($28 for 2 oz of volcanic ash and lavender) on the table between us. “I’m selling permission. Permission to be obsessed with yourself without apology.” allison mutha magazine article

As I pack up my recorder, Allison Mutha does one last thing. She pulls a tarot card from a gilded deck. The Four of Swords . Rest. Retreat. The grave. To understand Allison Mutha’s work is to understand

We sat down with the enigmatic polymath to discuss the intersection of identity, the pressure of the digital gaze, and why "authenticity" is more than just a buzzword. “I’m not selling a product,” she says, gesturing