Black and white portrait of a model with fringe bangs wearing a structured black leather collar jacket.

Model Em Verleun in layered monochrome knitwear and ruffled dress next to a close-up graphic embroidery detail.

Black and white portrait of model Em Verleun reclining in a high-neck white top with slicked-back hair and bold dark lipstick.

Diptych beauty editorial featuring an extreme black and white macro close-up of an eye alongside a high-key portrait of a blonde woman.

Black and white fashion portrait of Em Verleun wearing a sleeveless vest and faux fur coat while hair is being styled.

Diptych of a black and white dramatic eye makeup portrait beside a close-up of hands wearing a hammered gold statement ring.

Model Em Verleun in an oversized black leather cape coat against a studio wall in a black and white editorial portrait.

Editorial diptych showing a close-up of glossy eye makeup and hands touching textured brown faux fur and a light blue jacket.

Fashion editorial diptych showing a beauty close-up of a model's face beside a rear view of a black trench coat with skull graphic art.

Numero Netherlands Behind 2026

About

In the latest editorial feature for Numero Netherlands, titled Behind, photographer Hicham Riad explores the intersection of intimacy and high-fashion aesthetics. Through a series of carefully curated compositions, the project captures model Em Verleun in an exploration of texture, form, and light. The work leans into a sophisticated editorial style, utilizing high-key lighting for ethereal portraits while simultaneously employing low-key chiaroscuro techniques to emphasize sharp architectural lines and structural garment details. Riad masterfully balances macro-level beauty shots—focusing on graphic eyeliner and raw skin texture—with broader lifestyle captures that reveal the candid, behind-the-scenes nature of a professional fashion shoot. This juxtaposition of the polished and the process-oriented provides a rare, tactile perspective on the industry, grounding the luxury fashion houses aesthetic in human reality. By weaving together monochromatic portraits with selective color highlights in jewelry and accessories, the project creates a cohesive visual narrative that feels both cinematic and deeply grounded. Ultimately, Behind functions as a nuanced study in contrast, where minimalist styling meets bold, illustrative graphics, resulting in a body of work that is as much a testament to the artistry of creative preparation as it is to the final, glossy image. The series succeeds by respecting the complexity of its subjects, capturing the quiet moments that occur right before the camera lens defines the final frame.