The Awakening

I met Kendall in the Fall of 2017, at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where we were both starting classes in fashion design.  We respected each other's aesthetic, which seemed to be driven intuitively by this deep, other-worldly connection to alchemy and astrology.  We shared a stubborn determination to make work informed by the wisdom and earthly intelligence of women from historically marginalized communities.  

In 2019, Kendall designed a garment about witchcraft.  She wanted to break the of taboo against witches through depicting their bond to the earth and respect for its resources. The fabric was dyed sustainably, fried, and then boiled in herbs for color and protection. 

Kendall gave me free range to direct, and style this photoshoot.  At the time, I was experimenting with using strobe lights and slow shutter speed in photography to capture the appearance of multiple perspectives existing within one seamless moment in time. I wanted to emphasize the mystery, misunderstanding, and hearsay around witchcraft and so we photographed outside at night, when it was slightly raining. I asked Adam to use the same technique to create a dramatic lighting effect and to achieve illusion of Noelle's double headed look.  I gave her braids to protect her hair from the outside elements, and gave her a natural makeup look to encourage the neutrality of her humanity and femininity. Her accessories are an assortment of wearable details created from old, earth-made protective materials: a crown I crafted from crystals that support protection and strong intuition, a hammered silver cuff, and a vintage ear cuff with feathers and shells.