W Magazine

May 2025

For W Magazine's Strike A Pose, photographer Carlijn Jacobs captures a surrealist fashion editorial that interrogates the boundary between live movement and static display. Creative directors Charles Levai and Kevin Tekinel guide a high-concept production, placing models Aluel Makuach, Anok Yai, Fanta Fofana, and Maylis Le Brun within urban retail environments and storefront glass installations. The work leans into a theatrical tension, contrasting the fluid motion of the models against rows of stationary mannequins. Fashion editor and stylist Imruh Asha anchors the visual narrative with structured couture, feathered textures, and precise color-blocking. The aesthetic is achieved through a deliberate interplay of lighting, ranging from neon-saturated cool tones to hard, high-contrast studio illumination. Technical execution by hair stylist Olivier Schawalder and makeup artist Yadim—featuring retro-inspired beehives and bold primary-tone cosmetics—complements the polished, analogue-film feel of the imagery.