Nicola Kruger

MAHOGANY, ivory, honey, golden or midnight. An overwhelming plethora of pigmentation floods our vision.

Skin colour is determined by the amount of melanin produced by cells in the body. The darker the skin, the more melanin. It is a genetic process which cannot be influenced, yet it influences so much outside the objective terms by which it was created.

Entrenched in our country’s history is the criticism of skin colour. This is intensified by the global mentality, that richer and darker skin tones are to be shunned by the fashion industry as backward ideologies prevail, while very pale skin has been deemed “unhealthy looking”.

First impressions and judgements are daily social “norms” in society. Appearance and presentation dominate many aspects of daily life.

An unspoken message is understood by the way you present yourself to others. Fashion allows for freedom of expression and identity. An outfit choice is linked to many associations and understandings, creating an “idealised” image of oneself. However, as much as fashion allows for self creation, it is limited. No matter what is worn, skin colour, and therefore melanin, will always be noted and judged.

However, the Millennial faces a new culture of unity through diversity, an ideology which is growing among the Millennials of fashion. Contrasting a range of melanin in our visual statement, the beauty of diversity is highlighted. The isolated location, giving an eerie feeling, with burnt debris and exposed earth, assisted in elevating the vision of our project. In the rawest form of nature, melanin and the Millennial are left to interact wearing pieces by A Seam Studios.

A cohesiveness is carried through the images, while the variety of textures creates a sense of individuality for each model. The light and minimalistic pieces allow for the emphasis to be on the models. The idea behind the styling was the use of transparent pieces as symbols for prejudice and assumptions, as well as empowerment.

No matter what someone wears, skin colour will always be noticed. So individuals should embrace and emphasise their unique pigmentation, as a way of reclaiming identity. Melanin cannot be hidden, nor should it be. The transparency of the clothing links to the transparency of fashion, and therefore society.

Connect with Half and Half on Instagram @halfandhalf.

Credits: Photographer: Half & Half

Creative Direction/Styling; Nicola Kruger

Clothing: A Seam Studios, By Amber Rose Hennings

Models: Kayleigh Puley, Tsitsi Garande, Alice Stobart