Morgan Maher
On Hi Octane, Lil Wayne, Lauren Greenfield's "Girl Culture", and more.
Morgan Maher (@morgan.maher) — The It girl who photographs It girls. Frequently collaborating with larger-than-life starlets like Emily Ratajkowski, Addison Rae, and Devon Lee Carlson, Maher’s work still manages to feel raw, coursing with sincerity.
We’re excited to have Morgan on Silk, and even more excited to hear about the things she’s been curating.
What draws you to curation?
Organization through imagery has always come naturally. Starting around 10 years old, I would plan my outfits for the school week using my mom’s digital camera, I took photos of the outfits laid on my bedroom carpet. Then I printed them out, taped them to my wall, and labeled them Monday - Friday.
“Hi Octane” (1994), Sofia Coppola on Comedy Central
Sofia and Zoe Cassavettes learn how to drive monster trucks, sneak backstage at Chanel, and hang out with Gus Van Sant. It’s incredibly unpretentious and honest in its pursuit of humor. The original cool girls.
What makes a cool girl cool?
Cool girls are about what they’re about. For real.
“Girl Culture” (2002), Lauren Greenfield
These photographs and this book changed my life. It was the first time I had ever seen the delicate nature of young women captured in a way that was observational and pure.
Greenfield was shooting young girls who had never been in front of a lens. You photograph stars. How do you get raw in your practice?
I published my first book, “Girls in Bed,” in March 2023. I chronicled 75 girls aged between 18-30 throughout 2019-2023. My book is a love letter to the girls in the hearts of women. The subjects in that book are my best friends, collaborators, artists — although some are now strangers. I think of my work as sculpting with intimacy. Preserving the essence of girlhood is my goal, and every shoot I have I like to think of it as a whisper in my best friend's ear.
“Comfortable” (2008), Lil Wayne
I love rap music. I love Lil Wayne. The lyrics of this song hold the sensibility of being written in a diary. Hearing Lil Wayne say, “Don’t I look at you like I see a new day?” is all I’ve ever wanted.
“Should’ve Said No” (2008), Taylor Swift performance at the ACMs
This performance makes me cry. She begins in a hoodie and jeans, with only her guitar. Her hoodie and jeans are then ripped off to reveal a girl in a dress. The way she delivers the song gives me chills. From the ballet flats to the key change in the last chorus. As the performance ends it is raining while Taylor is on her hands and knees. I watch this, and understand her. A girl who is in pain pleading to go back to a time before her heart was broken.
Are you a Swiftie?
She is the songbird of our generation.
“Rosemary’s Baby” (1968), Roman Polanski, Opening Title Sequence
It’s pink, it’s haunting, it’s beautiful.
“Girls Blue” (1996), Hiromix
Hiromix is another brilliant photographer. Essentially responsible for shaping the identity of 90s Japanese female youth culture. Her images are romantic and real.
Who else would you want to see on on WW?
Jaime Gerin, my best friend and incredible artist. Yasmine Diba, my best friend and incredible photographer.
→ Find Morgan on Silk, Instagram, and her personal website.
→ Silk is our new blogging platform for curated media.