Fashion photography usually makes us dream and takes us to idealized worlds. But why can’t we dream about a better world, with clean oceans or pure air or where we take care of our environment? What if the models picked up garbage and raised awareness about climate change and pollution in the world? What if they became role models while highlighting important causes? It seems like fashion can show us a perfect world, in a different way too.
Anett Pósalaki (@anettposalaki) intended to build her editorial Sea Warrior around these important and topical issues. Her focus was on sustainability and keeping our natural environment as clean and healthy as possible, which are some of the most pressing issues of our time. To get inspired, she observed footage of waste collectors on the shore, so she was knowledgeable of the authentic movements and poses. On the technical side, she avoided artificial solutions: she used natural lights, and a reflector. To have diversity in the visuals of the series Anett used a Mamiya RB67, a 35 mm camera, and digital camera at the shooting. The beautiful and desolate location gives a special atmosphere to the photographs. Anett chose Botany Bay because of its big and salient white cliffs combined with the flat sandy beach. The empty landscapes look like intermissions of silence in a musical piece - which is a typical characteristic of Anett’s work.
The stylist of the Sea Warrior’s armor was the Budapest-based talent, Dmitrii Gronic. Anett gave him free choice of garments, which are all the creations of the young talents of vogue. The layered looks that we can observe on the model are reminiscent of medieval characters from a fantasy world with a modern hint. Some smaller attributes like the fishing net tunic, seashell earrings and a coral-like headdress are also indications of belonging to the ocean, what she is protecting. The make up is the work of Eszter Magyar, the founder of the famous Makeupbrutalism project where she pushes the boundaries of makeup - though here we can see some more natural and moderate solutions which suit the editorial style.
Anett discussed the story of her favourite picture from the series, where the beautiful model Drew is accompanied by two unexpected models. “We had been shooting for a while, when two ladies in swimsuits appeared at the shore. Dimitrii noticed them and asked me, if he should invite them for a photo. I really liked the idea, because it drew a grotesque image in my mind, as the two authentic characters pull the viewer back to reality. I also liked the contrast of the reinterpretation of fashion by reality. There were these two ladies in February at minus two degrees, getting ready on the beach to go swimming, and there was that juxtaposition of how reality and what the fashion industry fights against were coming alive in the picture. Those ladies were not "skinny", neither dressed in a fashionable way, and this is reality, what is a criticism against myself.” However, this editorial is a great effort to visualize a better reality in the language of fashion.
Makeup: Eszter Magyar
Hair: Yuho Kamo
Photo assistant : Nadja Ellinger
Stylist assistant: Soma Bíró
Model: Drew
