Elisa
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Elisa is a story of empowerment and personal breakthrough from the standards imposed by society on how a person should look, act, or be in their body. The narrative talks about the freedom regained by taking ownership of the physicality of the body, elevating the perception of different body types as part of ‘normalcy’ and the perception of beauty. The story is based on Elisa's experience and how the fashion industry is still trying to bring curvy models closer to the ‘mainstream’ body types.
The combination of a documentary approach and staged photography in an unfamiliar location brings an additional edge to the story. The main focus on body movement and postures came to emphasize the natural beauty and Elisa's personality. The all-female crew was one of the essential elements in creating a safe and supportive environment that allowed them to get away from the constraints of society.
The team behind the project includes a photographer, Jeanne Lucas, who is also part of WÜL Collective, stylist Laura Macheteau, makeup and hair artist Julie Coone, and model Elisa Lamborot. They speak about the project: “This series is the story of Elisa, the model, the power she reclaims over her body in these images, choosing her poses and attitude. Elisa shares her experience, emphasizing how her body has often been showcased in an idealized manner through photography. She highlights a certain hypocrisy in the representation of curvy women, constrained to conform to beauty standards while making them socially acceptable through images.”
Photography by Jeanne Lucas Part of WÜL Collective Stylist Laura Macheteau MUAH Julie Coone Model Elisa Lamborot
Words by Nastasia Khmelnitski
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‘The idea was to recreate a documentary-style shoot to give the impression that we were at her home in her environment. However, it is a staged scenario.’
The story revolves around Elisa, the model of the shoot. The idea was to recreate a documentary-style shoot to give the impression that we were at her home in her environment. However, it is a staged scenario, an exercise to photograph Elisa with documentary aesthetics while maintaining control over the artistic direction. Unlike Elisa's usual photo shoots, which often demanded glamorous and fantasy poses, it was crucial here to capture a natural, almost nonchalant attitude.
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‘The choice of the apartment was crucial for the session. It had to correspond to Elisa, who didn't have a real personal home as a student.’
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We chose a documentary aesthetic to emphasize the authentic nature of the series. The goal was to avoid the conventions of a typical fashion photo shoot while still controlling the artistic direction. The entire team drew inspiration from Elisa, ensuring she felt comfortable as if she were at home in her own clothes. We steered away from a true documentary photo shoot, preferring to gently introduce documentary elements behind the codes of a photo shoot.
The choice of the apartment was crucial for the session. It had to correspond to Elisa, who didn't have a real personal home as a student. It was essential to recreate a context that suited her without being too intimate, hence the choice of an unfamiliar apartment for her. None of the elements belonged to her, maintaining the atmosphere of a photo shoot rather than a documentary.
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‘The fact that we were an all-female team, most of whom knew each other well, significantly contributed to the warm atmosphere throughout the session.’
The biggest challenge was mainly for Elisa, as seeing herself photographed in this way was initially quite impactful. She needed to learn to embrace images that were much more natural. We addressed this by creating a supportive environment and taking the time for her to become accustomed to this approach.
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The couch became a key element towards the end of the session, allowing us to create images with more skin and intimacy. It was the conclusion of the shoot, and Elisa was more relaxed and accustomed by then. Moreover, the fact that we were an all-female team, most of whom knew each other well, significantly contributed to the warm atmosphere throughout the session.
