DEEP SEA CREATURES IN MESOPELAGIC

A KALTBLUT exclusive womenswear editorial. Photography by Melissa Houben. Model is Britt van Maanen. Set design and styling Willemijn Bos. Hair and make up by Michela de Simone. Fashion by Judith van Vliet, Chris van den Elzen, Adrianus Kundert, Martijntje Cornelia. In her conceptfashion and – beauty photography Melissa Houben (1989) takes you to an association based world that will incite your brain to establish links between reality and fiction. Her aim is to present the viewers of her work with familiar shapes, colors and textures without it being spoonfed so every person’s mind will be encouraged to construct the underlying concept for themselves. The Dutch born studied Religion and Culture at Utrecht University while earning her money as a part time model whereby she discovered the passion for creating her own association based concepts. Her visual language consists of pictorial concepts playing noteworthy roles in her life as a child and young adolescent which crystallizes in from nature derived drafts to pop icons. Her work can be described as dreamy, quirky, esthetic, sometimes a bit off, always a hint of glamourous beauty along with a core focus on expression and pure personality.