Vogue Portugal

Jun 2026

Le Rouge et le Noir, a compelling beauty editorial for Vogue Portugal, masterfully explores the intersection of high-contrast aesthetics and avant-garde makeup artistry. By leaning into the evocative tension between deep crimson and metallic silver, the project establishes a sophisticated visual narrative that feels both timeless and aggressively contemporary. Photographer David Ajkai employs a range of techniques, shifting seamlessly between high-key, minimalist portraiture and the moody, cinematic depths of low-key chiaroscuro lighting to isolate his subjects. This stylistic duality serves to highlight the intricate texture of the cosmetics and the sculptural quality of the hair, styled by Bianca Van Zwieten. The collaboration features makeup artistry from Giulia Carini, whose bold application of pigments creates an intense, graphic focus against the stark, monochromatic palette. With Melinda Kiss anchoring the imagery, the project channels a sense of deliberate mystery and formal elegance. This editorial is not merely a showcase of products but an exploration of light, shadow, and geometry, executed with a sharp, studio strobe precision that commands attention. By stripping away extraneous background elements, the project achieves a purified, almost architectural intensity that celebrates the intersection of skin texture and artistic ornamentation, solidifying its place as a definitive statement in modern editorial beauty photography.

Editorial, Vertical, Cinematic

Low-key / chiaroscuro

Cosmetics, Beauty