Last summer Banglez teamed up with Breath of Henna to create a beach glam inspired shoot! Malinda From Banglez and Sarah from Breath of henna came up with a mermaid bride concept that entailed dressing the model in cloth to represent the elements: the sun and the sea, an intriguing union. It was important to them to inspire simplicity though a natural yet exotic look.
We have merged a narrative of a woman seen before her wedding: calm, free and effortlessly beautiful while healing. The yellow fabrics represent the sun’s delicate glow from within, while the blue fabrics represent her in her natural surroundings. One not more important than the other merged to show the importance of their unity for the mermaid bride’s essence.
The shore and sunny weather were important parts of the shoot because they represented the seamless union for our mermaid model. Despite dealing with unsteady weather, to our advantage, our model was better able to portray the strength and determination of our mermaid bride. It was important that we best represent what a bride-to-be draws her strength from, leading up to the day of her wedding.
We used bindis on her face to give her freckles and gold streaks through her hair to provide an authentic marking of south Asian heritage and cultural customs.
The ratio of the henna to breathing skin signified the fear of what is to come, moulding to new surroundings, holding on to what is true, while embracing change. All embodied by a bride to be, like a weight that will mould in the form of henna, leading her to a new chapter in her life.
The mermaid bride is seen washing her feet free of the weight she is carrying, washing away some henna in the process. This symbolizes how the traditions in our cultures are fading away, becoming something new yet recognizable. When something or someone loses its meaning, our vision is soiled like the clothing in this shoot. While desperately holding on to our roots, we invent new traditions that honour our culture and our present selves.
Thank you, Malinda and Sarah for your insights on this shoot!
Now let’s take a look at this lovely summer beach shoot!
The results look flawless! This season if you’re looking for a beautiful henna artist that will understand your vision, contact Breath of Henna at breathofhenna@gmail.com. Like always, Banglez is here to make YOU sparkle, no matter how much work or sparkle is needed!
Sincerely,
Mahak Gupta
