Fé’s Tale
Fé’s Tale is a story created by Elina Nova, an Amsterdam-based photographer, together with Jip Boxstart, a stylist and a model, and Felice Siemons, a model and muse for the shoot. What started as a story featuring one model developed into a slightly different narrative once Jip joined the shoot. Elina explains that initially, she “wanted to tell a story of a silhouette and how one female is not afraid to show hers.” The theme has to do with defying the common objectification of a female body which Elina approaches both through technique and a more personal approach.
The decision to shoot in Fé’s home, the surroundings she feels most comfortable in, together with her friend, Jip, allowed Elina to build more intimate scenes reaching a different level of comfort and ease. The editorial is an ode to femininity and being free with one’s body.
‘I got to take her personality under the loop and enlarge her as a character by styling her in her own clothes.’
Jip: We shot Fé at her house. She’s wearing mainly thrifted clothing mixed with stuff from her own wardrobe. It allowed us to give it a more personal touch. Also, styling her was really great because we’re friends. I got to take her personality under the loop and enlarge her as a character by styling her in her own clothes. It was fun and also felt very personal!
‘Women’s body is something so beautiful, yet it's taken wrong if you allow to expose yourself in our so-called 'open-minded' society.’
Elina: I’ve scoured Fé on the horizons of Instagram. Her femininity and body caught my eye. Initially, I wanted to tell a story of a silhouette and how one female is not afraid to show herself and not come across as a ‘sexual object’ to the public (as it might be pursued sometimes). Women’s body is something so beautiful, yet it's taken wrong if you allow to expose yourself in our so-called 'open-minded' society. So I didn’t hesitate to approach Fé and ask if she’d be happy to do this little story with me. With such a personal project, I always prefer to make my shoots more intimate rather than look for attention. That’s why I asked if I could portray her in her own home and surroundings.
‘The whole shoot turned into a play date: there was a beautiful mess of clothes in the bedroom, and the girls were playing dress up while I was documenting and picking into the lives of two good friends.’
Before looking for stylists and make-up artists (if desired for a project), I usually ask my muse directly if they have a friend who works in that area. Fé happened to be good friends with Jip Boxstart, who’s a model herself and works as a stylist. We immediately decided to work in a team of three. Therefore the story became a little bit more exciting stylistically than expected (as I initially wanted to focus mainly on the body). I asked Jip to style her best friend and participate in the story. So I captured the two friends in their regular environment, Fé’s home, where they often hang out. The whole shoot turned into a play date: there was a beautiful mess of clothes in the bedroom, and the girls were playing dress up while I was documenting and picking into the lives of two good friends. This story definitely has a special place in my heart.
‘Fé and I are friends, so it was very sweet when Elina wanted to make some photos of us together.’
Jip: Fé and I are friends, so it was very sweet when Elina wanted to make some photos of us together. I got to style both of us, and you can really see in the photos that we had a fun time because we’re so comfortable together, and Elina just captured how it was at that moment.
