Briley Jones Covers “NY Dolls” by Ben Hassett for Beauty Papers, Spring/Summer 2016

Photographer: Ben Hassett. Model(s): Briley Jones, Mona Matsuoka, Sahara Lin. Source: Beauty Papers. Stylist: Anna Trevelyan. Makeup: Isamaya Ffrench. Hair: Peter Gray.

Posted Mar 10, 2016

Briley Jones, Mona Matsuoka & Sahara Lin are transformed in “NY Dolls” by Ben Hassett for Beauty Papers, S/S ’16. Covering the cult of plastic this story dares to look at our addiction to all things faux. Being “Fake” takes this story forward as we come to understand, there is no beauty without emotion. What we see as perfect is anything but, as the closest we get is Perfectly Flawed. Instead of building on our talents or investing in our beautiful minds, we waste our lives on the vacuous virtues of vanity. This should keep us focused on what’s real, however, life is not that simple. Mere words I know, but we have to start somewhere. Seeking perfection is like trying to hold water in your hands. You can see and even feel it – but you’ll never be able to stop if from moving. And in the case of human nature, that means moving in the direction of – AGING. The art of aging is a miraculous thing, if we start to accept the wonders of change instead of fighting the facts – we might get somewhere. In the beginning we were burdened by the bodies limits. And now that we’ve been given the gift of time, what do we do, we waste it. Everyday I watch as women all around me, squander time, as they allow their minds to slowly rot away. So consumed with maintaining the impossible, they are willing to waste this precious thing. Now, let’s be clear, it’s not that I’m saying I’m immuned to the trappings. I will find myself obsessing on the useless – just like the rest of us. However, what I have learned in my little life is that those paths don’t lead anywhere. To be solely focused on the shell, is to be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. So, while I still call it the – venom of vanity – the truth is more a story of sadness. Anyone who openly gives themselves to the service of self focus, is a person who (at their core) is lost.

A breath of twisted aire gets our attention as each image invites us deeper inside. The seduction of creative art casts its spell, as Isamaya Ffrench takes us to the land of in-between. Extreme beauty makes its play as all things go crazy in the light of day. Neither here nor there, this nor that – these are faces designed to make us uncomfortable. Made to look like plaster on skin, each piece appears as if it’s starting to melt. Skin is just the house we live in as avant-garde makeup appears more like mold on a platform. Cosmetic manipulation is designed to depict the aging process as each piece predicts real change. Tinkerbell tones flood every feature with Barbie doll lashes and screaming pink lips. Like a mad-hatter of modern makeup Ffrench exposes secrets by reversing results. Up close and personal, a dose of reality strikes us hard as each image highlights the savage nature of long term skin abuse. And, while this hard-hitting stories leaves me reeling, I can’t help but deeply appreciate the art. Peter Gray elevates our idea of what makes a wig fit right, as each hair piece appears as if it’s been molded on the head. To both capture the concept of enhanced maturing while pushing the enticement of the edge, that is utterly amazing. Stylist, Anna Trevelyan, pays homage to the era with an ode to the myth & misery of these twisted rock stars, “NY Dolls.” Do a little diggin’ and you’ll find these lyrics fits this mix… Don’t get too close you just might see the pain the hides inside of me. Makeup is made to cover but this story plays with the idea of exposure. Hope melts love drips as all my dreams fall off my face.