Paper People a brilliant new kids editorial by Abi Campbell and Julie Vianey for the new summer issue of Milk Magazine which has just been published.
Abi explains the inspiration for this fab quirky shoot below;
“My children made robot heads out of cardboard boxes, which I shared on Facebook, a friend of mine Guido Harari saw my post and left an image and comment “do you remember Saul Steinberg”. My immediate response was “You’ve just given me an idea for my next children’s editorial”
When I researched Saul Steinberg I learned he was a Romanian/American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his work in the New Yorker magazine. The image Guido had sent me was collaboration between Steinberg and a photographer called IInge Morath in the 1950’s/ 60’s.
The narrative for their project was everybody wears a mask, whether real or metaphorically. They invent personas through expressions or hair and make up and ultimately become these facades.
This really resonated with me and I thought this was a great premise for a children’s shoot. Mothers in particular become masters of disguise, masking emotions from their children to protect them, or presenting expressions to the outside world that quite often do not reflect how they are feeling inside.
I think most mothers will relate to the pressures of being a ‘perfect mother’ and the act of literally putting on a brave face when we are in fact not really coping at all.”
The shoot features clothing from top kids fashion labels including Bobo Choses, The Animals Observatory, Finger in the Nose, Caramel, Young Soles, Sunchild, Easy Peasy and Atelier Barn. The photos below include three extra unpublished ones from the final edit. The paper masks were created by set decorator Helen MacIntyre.