The Bardos capture French gymnasts in south France's wild landscapes
Lindsay Hamlyn and Toa Daguet are the Bardos: a creative duo and self-termed “visionary collective” who take photographs and make films for fashion magazines (Russh, i-D, Dazed, Schon) and commercial clients (Nike and American Apparel). Lindsay is Zimbabwean and Toa grew up in Colombia with a French father and Uruguayan mother. Now based in Paris, the Bardos travelled to south France to shoot young gymnasts not on the much-trodden floors of the training gym but instead in the wildness of Marseille’s rocky
landscapes.
“Toa was away so he sent me to spend time with his father in Marseille,” Lindsay tells It’s Nice That. “He only speaks French and has a little daughter who takes gymnastic classes after school. So after tagging along and watching through the glass window, the idea came to his Dad and I: why not shoot a series with some of the gymnasts?”
“I’ve always been interested in form, shape, the human body and conditioning of the mind so gymnastics seemed to combine these aspects. The girls we cast have been training rigorously since they were five and have competed nationally. The mind of athletes and their discipline is something that always intrigued me, so I decided to begin this project, of course I’d like to continue exploring it. The two main girls happen to be sisters, both incredibly strong and striking on the floor, I had to have them! After some language barriers with Toas father – who is also a producer – mediating between broken English and French, we managed to coax them out into the mountains in full costume, make-up and hair. He’s a very persuasive guy!”
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Bryony joined It's Nice That as Deputy Editor in August 2016, following roles at Mother, Secret Cinema, LAW, Rollacoaster and Wonderland. She later became Acting Editor at It's Nice That, before leaving in late 2018.