Saskia de Brauw, Guinevere Van Seenus, Dilone & Achok in ‘The Narcissism Myth’ for Beauty Papers S/S 2018

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Posted Jul 04, 2018

Son of the River God, Cephissus, in Greek Mythology ~ Narcissus ~ was a hunter known for his great beauty. It is said that Narcissus was attracted to a pool site where he came upon his own reflection in the water and fell deeply in love with it. Unable to leave his fair complexion behind, he stared at it until he died. This takes the term “Narcissistic” to an extreme. But, to understand it’s life-altering potential, is to understand the power of obsession…

Vanity is played out in poetic form as Saskia de Brauw, Guinevere Van Seenus, Dilone & Achok come together in ‘The Narcissism Myth‘ shot by Vincent van de Wijngaard for Beauty Papers, S/S 2018. To beckon beauty is to be at it’s mercy. Vanity is an unvirtuous foe. Let yourself simmer in the seance of the egoist. We watch these four women sink to the center of obsession. To seek what can’t be found. To strive for what is unattainable? Perfection is a state that can’t be met.

It’s a tale of too much as these girls gather as if they are witches surrounding a cauldron. Seen as a virtue held as a vice, the allure of beauty has long been a complicated question. A gift considered by some to be one that carries power and by others to be it’s own form of punishment. Nothing in this life comes without payment. It isn’t enough to get caught in the chaos of commonality. To lose yourself to the venomous bite of vanity, you will hear nothing but the Echo’s of Narcissus playing on after you are gone.

We place such a precedence on pretty. To be Pretty… is to somehow be more deserving. We live in a limited world, created by a limited imagination. That is the human condition. Currently we are lost in an existential crisis. To be consumed with your outer shell is to be lost in the physical existence. Saskia, Guinevere, Dilone & Achok are the visual expression of vanity unbound. Saskia has become one with the mirror, to such an extent, it has taken the place of her face. Taken to the nth degree, we see how this story could end. Like Narcissus before, there’s no way out once lost inside your own obsession.

Saskia holds Dilone’s face in her hands, in one of the most magical images of the editorial. Intoxicated by the other’s beauty, you feel they are going to fuse into one soul. The theme is alive with fantastical feel, while it aches with an underlying angst, giving the story a dramatic appeal. Achok stands out in silken fabric flowing down her body, and covering 3, round forms attached to her head. Katelyn Gray creates a vision of loveliness with soft, ethereal styles that become one with the body. While, they all wear sleek, simple looks that are like a second skin.

Siobhan Furlong creates beauty that blends as each face is a picture of perfection. The lines ethereal the details a dream, giving the theme a dramatic appeal. Set amongst a gritty backdrop, the editorial aches with an underlying angst. Looking up from the mirror with an otherworldly aura, light floods her face, granting Guineveree a gorgeous glow. Rudi Lewis places a set of spiraling wraps atop her hair, appearing like snakes slithering over her head. A legend of mystic inheritance, this feminine creature stands firm as a symbol of Medusa. Artfully executed, she is one of the most misunderstood females in Greek History. Transforming before our eyes, we watch them go from women of strength to shallow creatures bent on the brilliance of their own beauty. Skin to skin they take each other in, as if equally absorbed in the physical attributes. Consumed by their own reflection, “The Narcissism Myth” takes a peak into the dark side of the mind’s eyes. Just One Look and You’ll Be Hooked.