Ava Smith by Sebastian Mader for Ponystep Magazine #5

Photographer: Sebastian Mader. Model(s): Ava Smith. Source: Ponystep Magazine. Stylist: Phoebe Arnold. Makeup: Kristi Matamoros / Ashley Javier.

Posted Jun 07, 2013

Ava Smith evokes an artful radiance in her cover-story for Ponystep #5 by Sebastian Mader. Going through her “Blue Period,” Smith becomes part of the art as the somber shades of the gallery style setting wraps around her like a gentle womb. Monochromatic moody blues expressed in a hypnotic state of heartache, Mader’s work captures the purity of emotions minus the melodrama. Wearing a mournful mix of modern blacks, (stylist) Phoebe Arnold’s dark choices add an element of serenity giving the editorial a soothing sense of empowerment. Doing her job with exquisite elegance, the best models give their body over to the project, allowing the story to take shape around and within them. Becoming a vessel of higher meaning, the distance a truly gifted model will travel for the art of fashion is never too far. Faithfully devoted to the standards of avant-garde artistry, Ponystep has dedicated this powerful issue to honoring the unnamed faces of the fashion elite, those editorial models willing to go to any length to bring a vision to life. I have built a site around the philosophy of creative integrity, and I hope to see all the great publications of the world returned to their rightful place. As a community we must call for an end to the celebrity driven pages that have long taken over much of our coveted covers/editorials.