I
have had the great pleasure of living with one of the most talented designers
whilst being in Milan; my flatmate Rhys Lenihan-Jones or better known as Rhys Ellis,
is a budding young Alexander McQueen. His distinct fashion focus on ugly,
disturbing and irrational topics that some would find inappropriate, set him
aside from any other creator I have seen before.
I
have no doubt Rhys has an elaborate future ahead of him, determined and
ambitious I hope he succeeds in everything he sets his mind too. However as part
of his accumulating portfolio he asked for my help modelling one of his latest
projects based on the tale of Anne Frank. The garment was a tweed two piece
consisting of a tailored jacket and mid length skirt designed as if they could
have been worn in the early 1900’s but with a modern structural twist.
I
styled the two piece with some chunky white platforms from LA MODA and a men’s
white shirt underneath the blazer with the thick cuffs on display. The size and
modernity of the shoes brought a sense of futuristic glamour to an otherwise dated
silhouette. The room we shot the photographs in was a bedroom in our flat
designed with a similar layout to that of Anne Franks.
Personally,
I love all of Rhys’ complex inspirations, using Nazi uniform as an influence
for a catwalk show may seem unappealing to some, but his creative take on cruel
subjects aims to enlighten not offend. He will be one to watch in coming years... I said it first.
