IT’S CONSIDERED GLAMOUROUS

Photography & art direction Sieme Hermans  @siemehermans Styling Xander Pauwels  @xanderpwls Hair Robbe Vermaete @robbe.vermaete Mua Aoife Dewandeleer @its_eefa Manicure Eva Vervaet @thesetbyeve Models Rocky Tuzava @runmodelmgmt) @rockytuzava Amandine Kiambe (model at @runmodelmgmt) @amndnk Lena Rombaut (model) @rmb.l Wout Vloeberghs (photography assistant) @wout.vloeberghs Elena Pozo Jimenez (make up assistant) @_el3nap0zo_ Priscilla Nollé (styling assistant) @prince.indgo Lore Verheyen (hair assistant) ) @lore_verheyen Annely Tang (hair assistant) ) @annelytang

 Fashion Looks Aiker @aiker.aiker Florentina Leitner @florentinaleitner_ Telfar @telfarglobal E.J. Ogiers @eliotogiers Kito Tshepo Kotsoane @ kitokotsoane__ Lynn Vanhoydonck @lynn.vanhoydonck

This project shows how the fashion industry and psychology support each other. Besides the fact that every professional in this particular field of work feels a gigantic amount of pressure, I mainly focused on the models. In fact, they are asked to put on different masks and play multiple characters by using their bodies and selling their identities. Basically, they are placed somewhere and expected to play a role that they are sometimes not quite comfortable with. Even though the majority acknowledges the consequences and the impact that this job will have on their mental health, they are still willing to pay the toll. ‘Yes, I’ll do it’, is quickly said.

The process of this project was very interesting to me. Besides that I already had some background knowledge and experience within the industry, I still learned a lot. The internet and books were obviously very helpful but mostly conversing with growing models and other professionals in the fashion world. Hearing the stories and experiences from them and the people in their environment gave me the most inspiration. I guess because of all the emotions included in our talks, everything that they and I felt in that moment, I was able to understand better.

The meaning was to present a certain tension and feeling, to create a unity in all my pictures. The pressure is high in this series, there is a certain submissiveness and forced character playing... All these little elements work together as one to create a big contrast and amplify the expression of the concept.