Nadia Lee Cohen depicts distorted suburbia inspired by Edward Scissorhands

Date
30 November 2017

Nadia Lee Cohen has shot the latest Olivia Von Halle campaign, and it’s as surreally cinematic as you’d expect from the British photographer. Featuring a cast of mannequin-like female models draped in the brand’s high-sheen silk pyjamas, the series of images paints a picture of distorted suburbia.

“I wanted to achieve the feeling of secrecy in a suburban setting,” Nadia tells It’s Nice That. “The shoot was centred around the idea of gossip in a small town. I wanted these women to have anxious, concerned expressions and exert a general concern with what the other women might be saying about them.”

The scenes are explicitly retro, from the plastic-covered sofas, old school phones and giant wooden tv cases, to the women sunbathing with a metal reflector. Nadia says her references were Hitchcock and an iconic depiction of American Dream domestic life – Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands.

“The images feel very emotive, I really love this campaign,” Nadia concludes on the triumphs and trip-ups of the project. “Olivia Von Halle are a dream to work with as they allow me complete creative freedom. Perhaps the biggest challenge was persuading the girls to bleach out their eyebrows.”

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Nadia Lee Cohen @DMB Represents for Olivia Von Halle

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Nadia Lee Cohen @DMB Represents for Olivia Von Halle

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Nadia Lee Cohen @DMB Represents for Olivia Von Halle

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Nadia Lee Cohen @DMB Represents for Olivia Von Halle

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Nadia Lee Cohen @DMB Represents for Olivia Von Halle

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Nadia Lee Cohen @DMB Represents for Olivia Von Halle

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Nadia Lee Cohen @DMB Represents for Olivia Von Halle

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Nadia Lee Cohen @DMB Represents for Olivia Von Halle

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Nadia Lee Cohen @DMB Represents for Olivia Von Halle

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Nadia Lee Cohen @DMB Represents for Olivia Von Halle

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About the Author

Jenny Brewer

Jenny oversees our editorial output across work, news and features. She was previously It’s Nice That's news editor. Get in touch with any big creative stories, tips, pitches, news and opinions, or questions about all things editorial.

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