Stella Lucia in “Good Girl Gone Bad” by Bettina Rheims for Dazed Magazine, SS 2017

Photographer: Bettina Rheims. Model(s): Stella Lucia. Source: Dazed Magazine. Stylist: Charlotte Collet. Makeup: Christine Corbel. Hair: Sebastien Richard.

Posted Jul 03, 2017

Stella Lucia stuns us senseless in “Good Girl Gone Bad” by Bettina Rheims for Dazed Digital, SS17. Artful images dominate this page as Stella emerges in a riotous rage. Her passionate overtones are obvious, however, it’s the subtle makings of sadness that keep me engaged. Here we have a woman on the edge. Teetering towards a tenuous truth, one where what we believe is not marked by what we see, rather, what is unveiled is voraciously met by vicious ends. Tortured by the virtues of none two people can live inside the body of one. Inside the tortured soul of humanity lives the body of beauty waiting to be released. A sign is coming… symbolism speaks. A foreshadowing of events come into play as each picture portends the prophesy of presage. A heralding of significant proclamation. In the passage of time we come to find that the rivers we must cross are all of similar kinds. Never will we be given what we can’t bear. Instead, we will be tasked to live inside ourselves. Simple you say, it’s a signal of something to come.

In the augury of innocence lives a prophecy of truth. A place where all things go to be treated equally. Where we can get perspective. And while these angels all give the illusion of massive upheaval, their sometimes complicated existence can be a powerful thing. To face the tiger and take him down. When we are overcome by our own pain, we need to face what ails us. An unraveling of inner wisdom, this is a moment to explore. Charlotte Collet captures the theme in just a few shots, using style as a means of sentiment. She appears in all black outer wear, with colorful undergarments peaking through. The result is captivating. Hugging the tiny tree trunk, she goes from beauty to bark, letting her skin touch the stem. Sitting in front of a fence made of that same material, Lucia leans her face forward with her top pulled up exposing a pink bra below. A two-piece, blue ensemble comes under a billowing, black patton-leather looking coat. Undergarments make their presence known by peaking out in the most playful ways. Wearing a daring array of red panties and heels to match, she squats in front of fresh, green grass. All buttoned up in a ruffled shirt, she exposes what’s below in a risque way. Changing things up, Collet has her leaning against an interior blue/grey wall, in a pant suit with buttons undone ~ leaving what’s below exposed. Wildly playful yet hauntingly demure, that is the dueling dimensions that makes this editorial unique.

Starting with simple skin, Christine Corbel takes a trip into the strange. Lucia’s eyes invite us inside with intensity that is compelling. So intoxicating is her stare, we find we are calmed by that fact that there are only a few images. A exquisite combination of longing/luxury, we watch Corbel struggle to mingle the makeup of innocence with the agony of upheaval. That is the captivating quality of this comely creature. The elements of the unknown are what make her so compelling. So extreme is the being of ~ Stella ~ you aren’t quite sure what you are getting. A rare find. We come across alot of people portraying that instinct. However, when we see one that seems to be so caught up in the truth of the experience, we can’t help but be mesmerized. Her eyes look naked, but, on closer examination we see she is wearing a subtle, bronze hue over the lid. A powdered glow galvanizes her features, giving her gaze and otherworldly appearance. Bulbous lips in the beauty of the now, with a tone that takes us from just bitten to raucous red. Deliciously divine, Stella takes a big bite of pomegranate as scarlet juice flows down her arm. Her features extend past the point of pretty, entering into the illusion of the unknown. Sebastien Richard uses the flaxen locks as an extension of angelic skin. There is something unique about this image. It appears to be at once overly sad while deeply sensuous. To delight in the excess… the synergism of these spectacles give this story quite an edge.