Rei Kawakubo saw red when she designed Comme des Garçons Spring collection. Photographer Jeff Bark managed to bring it to life with the same bold passion.
Red is the colour of love, they say. But it can also inspire hate, violence and open wounds. Rei Kawakubo explored this fascinating colour with cut-up leather and shredded satin. Backstage, Rei gave an interesting, elusive paring of words to explain her creations: ‘roses’ and ‘blood’. Needless to say the show was captivating and intense.
Photography Jeff Bark, styling Robbie Spencer
War Of The Roses
Let’s get back to photography. Jeff Bark had great material to play with; but that also means big expectations. Mission accomplished: he perfectly understood Rei’s spirit and expressed it in a tableau juxtaposing Comme Des Garçons‘ fifty shades of red with raw nudity. Anger, boldness, sexuality, desire, passion, suffering, life… So many words and emotions come across this shoot.
Photography Jeff Bark, styling Robbie Spencer
The models are posing in a messy dark room of leather and wood, with newspapers on the floor. Some pictures feature nude pale bodies with dirty feet and beautiful imperfections. Dried roses, old wrinkled fruits and pieces of meat add some boldness to Jeff Bark’s scenario. The series, entitled War Of The Roses, has a painting feel. It is not placid beauty; it is not the kind of fashion photography we see everyday. We just wish we did.
Photography Jeff Bark
Styling Robbie Spencer