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·Playing Dress Up

Two fashion models seated on red chairs in front of a rose bush on a green lawn.

Three models wearing colorful sweaters, trousers, socks, and patterned heels seated together on a bench on wooden floors.

Three female models laughing and posing against a brick wall wearing tailored jackets, skirts, colourful socks, and heels.

Cropped view of models wearing green flares, colorful socks, polka dot pumps, and striped open-toe heels on a wooden floor.

Three female models sitting together on green grass wearing layered sporty designer garments and heels in bright daylight.

Three female models in textured furry garments seated on a sunlit indoor staircase in dramatic shadow and natural light.

Model seated on a green chair wearing an oversized navy rugby shirt, striped socks, and white furry heels by a sunlit window.

Close-up of models' legs wearing colorful ribbed socks and designer high-heel mules and sandals on pavement.

Three female models styled in vibrant outerwear lying closely together on green grass under bright sunlight for WSJ Magazine.

Close-up of feet on grass wearing green satin T-strap sandals adorned with sculpted pink and yellow water lily flowers.

Three models wearing button-down collared shirts, knee-high socks, and pointed-toe heels sitting together against a white wall.

Model standing in a garden wearing a structured dark teal oversized coat and floral heels next to a green wheelbarrow.

Close-up portrait of three young women smiling and laughing closely together in daylight.

Three female models sitting together in a white bathtub wearing tailored apparel and heels in a tiled bathroom.

Close-up portrait of three female models looking in different directions, one wearing a knotted patterned neckerchief.

Two models lying on a sunlit grass lawn eating fruit, wearing patterned knitwear and a brown plaid jacket.

Three models walking in colorful sculptural skirts and jackets along a stone riverside walkway on a sunny day.

Three female models in tailored white outfits relaxing together on a sunlit grassy lawn in a lush garden.

Model seated on wooden stairs wearing a layered blue sheer ruffled maxi skirt, blue knit sweater, and cream embellished mules.

Two women in patterned clothing surrounded by high-heeled shoes on the floor in a bright bedroom.

WSJ Playing Dress Up 2026

About

Playing Dress Up for WSJ marks a departure from conventional fashion editorial tropes, instead grounding its high-fashion narrative in the quiet tension between domestic intimacy and rustic outdoor exploration. Captured by photographer Laura Jane Coulson, the project leans into a compelling chiaroscuro aesthetic, utilizing hard light to carve out dramatic silhouettes against both the textured wood of a classic interior staircase and the lush, overgrown backdrop of a hidden garden. The styling, curated to emphasize volume and structure, finds an unexpected counterpoint in the utilitarian inclusion of a bright orange wheelbarrow, bridging the gap between high-end sartorial choices and raw lifestyle imagery. Models Betsy Gaghan, Bebe Parnell, and Jacqui Hooper anchor the visuals, their poses lending a sense of layered storytelling that feels both spontaneous and meticulously composed. With hair by Joe Burwin and makeup by Thomasin Waite, the beauty direction remains polished yet grounded, perfectly complementing the series' analogue film aesthetic. By eschewing over-production in favor of moody, natural light and a deliberate sense of place, the project demonstrates how editorial fashion photography can thrive when it embraces a more artistic, nuanced perspective. This collaboration creates a visceral experience that feels tactile and deeply immersive, proving that the juxtaposition of heavy, oversized textiles with verdant natural environments remains a potent, evocative visual language for the modern era.