Nadine Ijewere has been recognised for her well-known series entitled Same/Difference, a series that shed light on the definition of beauty through gentle portraits of siblings.
For the latest #StellaBy Series, her photos draw on the matters she normally investigates in her work – the a visual communication of storytelling through the vulnerability and strength of her subjects and the exploration of the ‘Other’ in fashion – ethnicities: She not only challenges the boxing-in of people and segregation with her photographs, but champions diversity as well, which as a fashion House Stella McCartney celebrates
“Culture is a big inspiration of mine as well as identity, which is a reoccurring theme within my work,” Ijewere explains.
Nadine is a South Londoner and is part Jamaican and part Nigerian. Since graduating from London College of Fashion, Ijewere has been introducing her audience to a catalogue of striking work, from ‘Hair Story’ editorials, which examined women of colour and an array of hair styles, to her photo series ‘The Misrepresentation of Representation, where she explores different cultures using beautiful portraits of women, a major part of her thesis. Nadine’s work reveals hidden depths in her subjects, shining a light on their strengths and vulnerabilities.
“My work is all about celebration of diversity, and different interpretations of beauty. I think it’s a wonderful thing and I want to capture that,” she says.
In the newest #StellaBy Series, Ijewere’s theme in her work is no different. The editorial sees male models wearing both Stella McCartney women and men’s Spring Summer 2017 with street-cast models in Nigeria. The Series results in raw, powerful imagery of men and women facing Ijewere’s lens, with stoic facial expressions. Nadine’s use of subtle yet striking use of colours, contrasting to her sense of storytelling leads our imaginations on a journey of discovery.
“As the project is called #StellaBy, I wanted to add more of my identity to the imagery. I wanted to give a feeling of diversity and not sticking to the rules – being different. Nigeria is a country that is known to be quite conservative, particularly in fashion with no blurring between lines. So I wanted to shake things up,” she says – aptly using her heritage to inform her work.
Discover the collaboration here.
