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Defining the universe

In France, there was no media that covered maternity and motherhood in depth. Bliss Stories launched to give women a platform to discuss the subjects in this way. It was about creating a space for women to use and to share information that had real meaning for them. Since launch we have built 40 million listens in five years, which is quite phenomenal for the podcast market in France, so clearly it found its target. I wanted to accompany women right to the end of the journey with specific content. So beyond the podcast, we have developed paid audio shows, physical products, plus a book and a live show. We have Bliss Bump, an audio guide which is about pregnancy, featuring month-by-month information.

To continue helping, we wanted to create physical products to stand out from the audio. Bliss Vanity is our survival kit for post-pregnancy, created with cosmetics brand Talm. Our first drop was a big commercial hit with our listeners and suddenly this product became emblematic of our community.

The idea of the Bliss ecosystem was always to be coherent and to always maintain the values and draw various threads together from the mother ship that is the podcast. Recently, Bliss became a live show. I didn’t just want this to be a version of the podcast recorded on a stage, I wanted an evening to celebrate women and motherhood and I wrote the show I wanted to watch. It is a lively and entertaining show that also provided information and was emotional and imparted both trust and good vibes, so women would leave the venue with self-confidence and power and the belief that they are capable of anything – like a superhero. It shares the same values as the podcast, Bliss Bump and Bliss Vanity.

Ditch the manual

I didn’t set out to create a brand, I created a medium first that became a brand. I went so slowly, with lots of uncertainty and innocence and ignorance of traditional strategy, and by not knowing how to do something sometimes, without a manual, you can work better. It meant I had complete freedom in terms of possibilities and listened to my instincts. I have a lot of faith in projects that come from within. When you have a project that comes from your gut and your heart, it carries a lot of truth.

Explore Clémentine Galey’s world:

Instagram: @clemgaley + @bliss.stories

Online: bliss-stories.fr

The Matrix rocked the science fiction genre when it was released in 1999 catapulting the Wachowski name to fame following the film’s major box office success. Directors, writers and producers Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski are trans sisters who have worked as a writing and directing team throughout most of their careers. Starting with Bound in 1996, the pair’s credits include V for Vendetta, Netflix series Sense8, Cloud Atlas and completing The Matrix with a trilogy. Since coming out, their Matrix masterpieces have been able to stand as a metaphor for their transness and queerness as the films explore transformation, worldbuilding and the seemingly impossible becoming possible.

IMDB: Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski

Since Kevin Feige became President of Marvel in 2007, the studio has embarked on the huge undertaking of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Films. This has involved the production of multiple movies each year with one focusing on existing characters and one featuring a new character. Feige has produced every film in the series, starting with Iron Man in 2008. Releases in 2022 included Thor: Love and Thunder and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. To fight any potential superhero fatigue, Feige ensures that although the characters exist in the same world and are inspired by the same source material, each film has distinguishable features conveyed via the characters, comedy, locations and the directors of each movie. Feige’s worldbuilding is set to continue with releases scheduled through to 2026. Instagram: @marvel

A globally-recognised voice on metaverse innovation, Cathy Hackl leads Journey’s Metaverse Studio helping brands with metaverse/web3 strategies, NFTs, gaming and virtual couture. Her team are credited for creating Walmart Land and producing its virtual concert Electric Fest where she styled Kane Brown, Madison Beer and Yungblud in virtual couture looks. In 2022 Hackl, was chair of the first Metaverse Fashion Week and featured as a tech and web3 innovator on the inaugural Vogue Business 100 Innovators List. 2023 is set to be big for Hackl, often described as the Godmother of the Metaverse, as she will be launching several luxury web3 connected fashion collections as she dives deeper into virtual fashion. Instagram: @cathyhackl

French photographer (self-professed photograffeur) street artist and activist JR doesn’t need an invitation to show up in a city. From the favelas of Brazil to derelict buildings in France and broken bridges in Africa, his works have wrapped themselves around many a landscape. When he created Face2Face in Israel and Palestine, displaying supersized monochrome portraits of Palestinians and Israelis that shared the same profession, JR described it as “the largest illegal art project”. His audacious holy triptych featured images of a priest, an imam and a rabbi side by side on the barrier in Bethlehem. Known for his large-scale public flyposting, one of his most recognised works involved wrapping the glass pyramid of the Louvre Museum in prints of itself, making it seemingly disappear.

Instagram: @jr

JR

French photographer and street artist.

Joshua Safdie & Benjamin Safdie

Independent American filmmakers and actors.

Starting in short films, brothers Joshua and Benjamin Safdie turned their talented hands to writing, acting, editing, shooting, mixing sound and producing their own films. The duo directed Good Times starring Robert Pattison in 2017, with Benjamin also appearing in front of the camera. Often casting experienced actors alongside new faces, the pair co-directed Uncut Gems, which has steadily gathered a cult following due to breakout star Julia Fox. Looking at life through their own unique lens, the brothers are set to prove that any place can be interesting if you look carefully – especially New York, the city they call home. The Safdie brothers have a captivating way of combining scripted storytelling with scenes from everyday life. They have also explored various mediums including art and photography, with Benjamin describing photography as a tranquil world he can enter when not in the madness of production.

Instagram: @bowedtie

IMDB: Joshua Safdie

At just 16, Edward Enninful was scouted as a model on a train. This set the wheels in motion for an unflinching debut in the world of fashion, with modelling assignments for Arena and i-D magazines followed by assisting stylists on shoots. Accolades abound – his first being the youngest ever editor at a major international fashion title. More recently, he was named the first European Editorial Director of Vogue. In February 2017, in a direct riposte to President Trump’s anti-immigration policies, Enninful united some of fashion’s biggest names in a powerful film for W magazine titled I Am An Immigrant. As Editor-in-chief of British Vogue, his iconic covers and coverage have drawn in new audiences to a world that once seemed accessible only to the very elite.

Instagram: @edward_enninful

Edward Enninful

English editor-in-chief of British Vogue & European editorial director of Condé Nast.

Words by Seun Areoye

Editor,