haven
FASHION & BEAUTY
Styling
ALEXANDRA DEANGELIS
Photography
KEVIN SINCLAIR
Jacket EUDON CHOI, earring MASLO.
Haven
Words by Stacy Stewart Smith
If you have had the pleasure of living in a rural location, then you’re likely familiar with the serenity emanating from quiet, lonely roads, uninhabited spaces, and the feel of peace. It is something that city dwellers long for but never seem to find. We live in busy areas with millions of others stacked in cubes that scrape the skyline. However, a life well-lived is one that can tell the story of reeds and wildflowers while hearing the slush of mud and the rush of a lake.
The presence of peace is within us, but like a fleeting whisper, we lose it beneath the stresses of the grind for success. What if we could escape to the country and retain the sophistication of the city?
The pictorial play here marks a return to apparel and accessories that awakens memories of a time when one could appreciate the sound of birds chirping instead of the honking of trucks. It is a return to simplicity and a call to the healing of the spirit. The clothing mixes leathers with waxed cotton and linen with silk for the enrichment of the soul, and oneness with the body. The instance of peace is an enigma that has more to do with being one with the inner self. And although a slice of happiness is indeed contentment, along with a refuge revisited, comes a personality that is one with the universe.
And while many fashion houses are going in the direction of the past seeking to imprison the Mother Earth within us—a few designers have perhaps taken the cue from ancient civilizations of Africa, Tibet, Mesopotamia, and Greece. However, there is a right and wrong way to do everything, and we’ve seen a lot of bad costumes and not clothes on recent runways.
These photos by Vestal’s own Kevin Sinclair have no reference to anything other than a desire to return to peace. The simplicity and untouched nature of the styling on these pages represent the call of young innocence. That is to be fashionable but remain connected to your roots. Herein is an ode to a monk, the chanting prayer of a Byzantine priest, the spectacle of a decorated shaman, or merely a trip back home.
Top MUNTHE, dress RODEBJER, earring KATHLEEN WHITAKER, ring J.HARDYMENT, boots REIKE NEN.
The model, svelte and statuesque, reminds us of every mother that ran across dried, cracked grounds, perhaps in Darfur or India or on a tiny island in the Caribbean. Maybe she’s on a search to find food for her children or to bring water or to escape oppression. Whatever it may be, she is shrouded in colors made from natural dyes with hints of folkloric trim, braids, and fringe. She is like a catcher in the rye, ready for the challenge to keep the peace. She remains a beauty in our midst. She is every woman; she is you.
Return to her.
Dress STAUD, turtleneck MM6 MAISON MARGIELA, earring SARA ROBERTSSON, earring J.HARDYMENT, ring LEGIER.
Left:Dress RODEBJER, earrings KATHLEEN WHITAKER, shoes REIKE NEN. Right: Jacket and pants GUY LAROCHE, necklace MASLO, necklace SARA ROBERTSSON, shoes STUDIO AMELIA.
Coat AUDRA, skirt CAMILLA AND MARC, earrings COMPLETEDWORKS, shoes GRAY MATTERS.
Top MUNTHE, earring MAAARI.
Dress BEVZA, bracelet MASLO, cuff J.HARDYMENT, shoes BY FAR.
Dress VICTORIA BECKHAM, shorts MUNTHE, earrings D’ESTRËE, boots REIKE NEN.
Jacket and trench EUDON CHOI, sunglasses POMS, earring ANNIE COSTELLO BROWN.
Jacket and trench EUDON CHOI, sunglasses POMS, earring ANOTHER FEATHER, ring J.HARDYMENT, shoes REIKE NEN.
Coat AUDRA, skirt CAMILLA AND MARC, earrings COMPLETEDWORKS, ring J.HARDYMENT, shoes GRAY MATTERS.
Total look MUNTHE.
Jacket, tunic and pants MUNTHE, earring PAIGE CHEYNE, ring YOUNG FRANKK, shoes REIKE NEN.
Dress JOHANNA ORTIZ, necklace PAMELA CARD, shoes REIKE NEN.
Photography Kevin Sinclair @kevin_fbfs Styling Alexandra DeAngelis Hair & make up Koji Ichikawa Model Aktetch (Fusion) Post production Simona Vaicyte