Caroline has two shots in this editorial, being the second and final images of the set. I really wish that there were more of her here, but in group editorials, this is always bound to happen. What I loved about "Against Nature" most was the juxtaposition of the brightly coloured clothes against the landscape. Alex White did an excellent job picking hues that immediately catch the eye, making these looks really leap off the page.
It seems to me that the title of the piece is referring to the way the clothes battle the landscape for dominance in the pictures. While the clothes are the first thing your eyes jump to (gold star for fulfilling the usual brief of magazine editorials), you are next drawn to the epic scenery in which they are placed. Despite lacking colour, they are feats of their own, demonstrating powerful emotions that are ominous and daunting to behold.
Taking in the models themselves, we note their positions and wonder what has become of them? They seem on the verge of death, exhausted, and quite incapable of escaping what seems to be an inevitable storm approaching. One might almost interpret it as death by fashion: they have become collateral damage in their aspirations of good style, this warring of natural and neon colours has left them utterly spent.
All in all, the result of fantastic styling, excellent cinematography, and appropriate doses of stagnant numbness provides us with some incredibly dramatic pictures. I was really quite pleased with the result, myself. I even broke my ban on W Magazine and made an investment in this March issue. I could do without much of what the magazine has to offer, but this editorial looks truly stunning in print.
As for Caroline's performance, I'd venture to say that her two photos are my favorites, and I don't think I'm being biased here either. The first pose in incredibly dynamic; you get the sense that she's been thrown by a rampaging tornado. Her second, however, shows that perhaps she still has some life in her, and that she is not willing to let Mother Nature have the last laugh.
Something interesting that some of you might want to check out is Alex White's blog at wmagazine.com. She gives you a fascinating backstage look at how she chose the clothing for the shoot, and other little tidbits that you might enjoy! She updates it periodically with information about shoots and shows that she's working on, so if you're interested in that kind of thing, definitely watch that space.
Photos courtesy of tFS user mousyy
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