STILL LIFE

Photography by Luca TrevisaniStyling and creative direction by Sofia Lai

As Eunice raises the hem of her Simone Rocha dress to show her Cenci Vintage bloomers, she is reminded of the garment’s radical history. Named for proto-feminist Amelia Bloomer, who championed the item as a liberator from crinolines, bloomers sparked the “bloomer craze” of 1851, as women celebrated the freedom the voluminous legs gave them. Eunice wears shoes by Christian Dior, socks by Simone Rocha, a vintage jumper from Contemporary Wardrobe, and a vintage belt from Cenci Vintage. Body padding costume underneath clothes (throughout) from National Theatre Costume Hire.

It’s pretty comfortable down here, thinks Eunice, as she reclines on the floor in her Acne Studios jacket. Records from Henry VIII’s household detail many “quyltes” among the bed linen, including a green silk one embroidered with roses and pomegranates that commemorated his marriage to Spanish princess Catherine of Aragon. Eunice also wears a dress by Kiko Kostadinov, shoes by CAMPERLAB, a vintage glove from Cenci Vintage, a vintage shirt from Contemporary Wardrobe, and lies atop a blanket by SL.

Max sets one foot out in front of him in a determined manner. Much like the sealskin-clad polar explorers of old, fashion valiantly propels itself forward into the future. Max’s coat and gaiters (worn as shoes) by 2 Moncler 1952 Woman also promise to keep him warm as the autumn draws on. His trousers and scarf (worn as a belt) are by Dsquared2, and his tights are from National Theatre Costume Hire.

The handpicked embroidery on Eunice’s ERDEM dress provides a pleasant weight, and she notes appreciatively how the sequins catch the studio lights and become silvery rivers. Her shoes are also by ERDEM, her vintage shirt (worn on top of padded belt) is from Cenci Vintage, and belt and socks are from National Theatre Costume Hire.

Face-down on the floor, Eunice’s mind turns to textiles. Roland Barthes noted that the French words for text and textile came from the same Latin root, texere, meaning “to weave”; he writes that “lost in this tissue – this texture – the subject unmakes himself”. In her jacket and skirt by Christian Dior, a top by Roksanda, and shoes by Jimmy Choo, however, Eunice feels very well put together indeed. Her socks are the stylist’s own.

Something that shines or shimmers is vital when the nights begin to draw in, thinks Eunice. Her dress and trousers by Giorgio Armani and her belts by Pebble London are sure to reflect the twilight glow. Her shoes are by Marsèll, her vintage shirt is from Contemporary Wardrobe, and her vintage dress (underneath) is from Cenci Vintage.

With her bag over her shoulder, it’s time for Eunice to make a move. Her dress is by Molly Goddard, her skirt and bag by Gucci, tights by Tabio, shoes by Marsèll, a necklace (worn as a belt) by Pebble London, a vintage top from Contemporary Wardrobe, and a vintage petticoat from Cenci Vintage.

Back in the dressing room after the shoot, Eunice raises a shoulder in a shrug as she considers the cinch: the knicker’s embrace, the belt’s encompass. Perhaps underwear is about the act of encircling rather than containing, she muses, in a return to some embryonic pre-memory, realised first in swaddling cloths and later by underwear. All of her clothes here are by Miu Miu.