“The Siren Sisters come from a world, unlike anything we know. It’s a place both underwater and on another planet, where gravity works differently and the sky is a deep shade of silver. There are creatures with huge eyes and plants that shimmer,” says Odie Senesh. “The sisters grew up and were trained from a young age to utilise their appearance to communicate their desires and intentions. When they accidentally found themselves in our world, they were fascinated by unfamiliar things. They enjoyed playing around with everything and everyone they met.”
This is the story behind Senesh and Miriam Marlene Waldner’s new series of photographs, which follow two enigmatic sisters who mistakenly land on Earth and find themselves disorientated and wandering the streets of LA. To create the look of the aliens, art director and producer Senesh was inspired by the experimental style and spirit of Niohuru X, who starred in the shoot as well as heading up make-up. Other influences included monochromatic moths, the transparency of glass catfish, and the ghostly energy of Thanatos – the ancient Greek god of death and brother of Hypnos, the god of sleep.
“Our goal was to push the boundaries of traditional beauty and transport viewers into a surreal and dreamlike world,” says Senesh. By combining the futuristic make-up looks by Niohuru X with Waldner’s romantic aesthetic and film camera style, the photographs remain grounded and tangible, even as the sisters look like they’ve just arrived on this planet. “The result is a captivating and unsettling visual experience that blurs the line between reality and fantasy.”
The beauty itself combines goth, drag, futuristic and demonic influences to create something otherworldly. Textured and three-dimensional, pearly gems spread across the faces of the aliens to form celestial shapes while coloured contacts create an eerie feeling. “I have always been inspired by Chinese mythology,” says Niohuru X. “Sirens in Chinese Mythology are very poetic romantic beings. “怕会有鲛人在岸，对月流珠” is one of my favourite lines from the poet 郭沫若. The looks I did were inspired by what this poetry made me feel: a sad misty, and ethereal feeling of distance and vastness.”
The last few years have seen a growing fascination with alienesque beauty, as trendsetters like Fecal Matter, Niohuru X and Ninocence push the boundaries of self-exploration, expression and beauty to challenge norms. Senesh also points to technological advancements around AI and IG filters, as well as developments with plastic surgery and body modifications, as being behind the otherworldly look. It’s an aesthetic which will only continue to grow, as our travels in outer space increasingly influence the beauty sphere.
“Siren Sisters is a perfect example of my idea of the next super trend in beauty,” says Niohuru X, who likes to combine SFX make-up and traditional glam for a look she calls ‘twisted beauty’. “I wanted to create looks that are edgy, unique and unconventional but at the same time still flattering to the eye and also enhance models’ features.” As she looks to the future, Senesh is most excited by the growing trend of surrealism, absurdity and mixed media in beauty. “The world of visuals calls for growth. I am excited to see where this movement takes us, and how it influences me and other creatives to open up to new realms of free creation and pluralism.”
Photography Miriam Marlene Waldner, art direction and production Odie Senesh, styling Willyum Beck, make-up and models Niohuru X and Ninocence
