• EDITORIAL ARCHIVE PARIS FASHION WEEK SPECIAL-...

Sep 27

EDITORIAL ARCHIVE PARIS FASHION WEEK SPECIAL- FRENCH VOGUE

To celebrate Paris fashion week my editorial archive post is one of my favourite shoots i worked on for French Vogue in 2002, shot by the legendary Corinne Day. The stylist was the lovely Anastasia Barbierri, make-up was by the talented Romy Souleimani, hair by me, and the model was the stunning, and at the time up and coming model Liya Kebede, who is now considered one of the modern day supermodels

The setting was the beautiful Central American country of Guatemala. None of the team had been there before so it was a real adventure for all of us.

In typical Corinne fashion she wanted to shoot in the “real” areas of Guatemala, where the locals hang out, not in the tourist parts. We visited and shot in The Candelaria caves which is the name of a large natural cave system in the municipalities of Chisec and Raxruha stretching approx 80km. We also shot outside a traditional Mayan temple where the use of colour and fire influences modern Mayan practices. Housing and clothing are brightly coloured to symbolise life and energy of the Guatamalan people, and fires are lit outside where burnt sacrifices are offered as gifts to god. The people also line up to get beaten with leaves which we never found out exactly what it was for but it’s some form of healing.

Last but not least we shot at the side of the active volcano Pacaya. We were fortunate enough to be taken in a helicopter and flown over the opening of the top of the volcano. I originally didn’t want to go because of my fear of helicopters but Corinne persuaded me to go after mentioning that I may never get the chance to fly over an active volcano again.

So the result was these documentary type shots of the beautiful Liya, in and around rural Guatemala. Most people straighten Liya’s hair out and make her look more caucasian but I chose to keep her hair in its more natural state of beautiful tight ringlets.

I hope you enjoy these images that are a fond memory for me of a beautiful, interesting and informative trip.