“We thought about the idea of the upside down, of trickery, dissembling, and the upside down – all things traditionally associated with Halloween,” explains photographer Amy Gwatkin on a new series of images created in collaboration with green make-up artist Crystabel Riley, hairstylist Maki Tanaka, and nail genius Sylvie Macmillan.
Leaning into the mischief and madness we usually see around this time of year, Riley continued her commitment towards diverse and sustainable beauty including brands like Bybi, Axiology, Molewa, and Up Circle. “Sylvie’s nails are causing all sorts of mischief,” she explains. “And the make-up is sort of futuristic in that it’s a mixture of sustainable, organic, and diverse beauty brands, mixed in with (recycled) plastic fangs stuck on with (model’s own) chewing gum and adjusted spider lashes with offerings of speciality coffee beans.”
For Macmillan, this project was an excuse to let loose and not take things too seriously, just in the spirit of Halloween – seen via her giant plaster claws. “It’s the one time of the year that you’re allowed to be as outrageous (without being an asshole, obviously) and people have to dig deep to accept their dark humour,” she says.
Gwatkin agrees, concluding: “I love the sense of performance and license, it’s usually the most exciting night of the year. For lots of people, it’s the one night of the year they can really let loose, dress up, and get away with causing a mess and a ruckus.”
Photography Amy Gwatkin, make-up Crystabel Riley, hair Maki Tanaka, nails and hands Sylvie Macmillan, models Ally, Enam, and October @ Anti, Tenko Nakajima, Syd Falls
