Catherine McNeil in “L’Indomptable” by Jean-Baptiste Mondino for Numéro #180, February 2017

Photographer: Jean-Baptiste Mondino. Model(s): Catherine McNeil. Source: Numéro Magazine. Stylist: Babeth Djian. Makeup: Karim Rahman. Hair: Valentin Mordacq.

Posted Jan 30, 2017

Catherine McNeil cannot be subdued in “L’Indomptable” by Jean-Baptiste Mondino for Numéro #180, February 2017. Deeper & deeper we go where we stop nobody knows. Denial is set in artful motion as each piece of fabric tells a tale of truth. The title of this issue is ~ Volupté. Mondino crafts a couture masterpiece that mimics a trip to the dark-side, surrounding the idea of sensuousness. What does one do when the pain of life becomes too much? Shades of black beckon us near as tone variations take us into another dimension. Babeth Djian presents fashion with power, where styles are sanctioned by the weight of their wonder. Tempered madness appears as we ache to tear through layers of sheers. Moving with a smooth wave-like motion, the story erupts with unexpected undulation. Feathers fly as each piece projects a sense of symmetry ~ while fabrics salute the strange.

Black madness blends in this exquisite mix of art and excess. Somber shades symbolize silence while wafts of ethereal sheer speaks in whispers. Slick, Patton leather shines in lines of applied strips over the topcoat, gliding down the shaft of tight, silk pants. While an open jacket exposes the netting from a bra beneath, matching in kind to the polka-dotted, see-thru skirt flying over CD under-shorts. As the famed YSL leather mini-dress skims every inch of the skin only to leave one breast exposed. A crystal covered heart shape is adhered to the skin, giving the look a naked appearance. Thigh high stocking go from opaque to see-thru, giving them a never-ending illusion. FROM THE STAGE TO THE PAGE – Pat McGrath lured us in with her exquisite lips for Spring ’17, leading straight to the great glitter-nipple shown on the Saint Laurent Runway. While, Dior gave us a roar from the heights of haute couture.

Never have we seen a change in makeup application so significant as this year’s adaptation of – no mascara. Because what that means is an absence of the lashes proper. It isn’t a matter of making the lashes look different, rather, it’s a distinction of absolution. That’s to say, we’ve entered an era of eye-swapping. We have taken everything we thought we understood about the concept of application and literally thrown it out. What I consider to be so compelling is the fact that it looks so natural. There was no need for a “break-up” period, where we would have to slowly get used to something new. Instead, we find ourselves adapting to this fresh step with utter ease. Still in the process of something I call the, magazine phase. This construct is finding universal appeal, but not every woman has found a way to wear the no-mascara look. However, I am awestruck by the cutting-edge application.

Sensuality oozes through the page as Karim Rahman gives this look a righteous rage. A smudged application makes her appear sleepy, with lids lined in black a kohl colored pencil surrounds her inner eye. Awashed in a subtle glow powder gives this face an even flow. Kissed with a hint of bronze tint, glazing just the tips of her lips. This new non-color revelation makes her skin look likes she’s walked through the NPG (New Power Generation). Tousled with an even touch, her Hair has that look we all dream about but can hardly ever achieve. Valentin Mordacq gets that just slept in swagger by using McNeil’s natural bend. Opposites attract as she dons a military style hat, firmly ensconced on the top of her head. Soft in all the right places with a personality that evokes a real edge. Defiance reads over her body, with ropes that represent our stalwart march toward true meaning. To dismiss this will keep us tied to our pain or tethered to our will. Are these Ties That Bind… or are they Ropes that Reveal?

Tie Me Up Tie Me Down…

A Moody Mix of Mindful Wonder

With Tricks that Make You Think

The Beauty I See The Aire I Breath

A Day I Doth Not Dare to Please

I Beckon Here I Beckon There

For Where I am Is a Secret Fare

Crossing Paths I Move In Kind

With Willful Trails I Leave Behind

Poetic Figures that Darkness Finds

Lurks the Walls of Our Inner Mind

poetic prose ~ tanyajo