Beauty

Watch as Aamito is transformed into a Golden Girl

By satisfashionug | July 21, 2014

When we said Aamito was going to conquer the world of fashion, we were certain she was going to. Our friends at Elle South Africa tapped her for their July issue (which is still on newsstands). The Africa’s Next Top model winner was transformed into a Golden girl.

Elle.co.za shared a beautiful behind the scenes video of this beauty story and it’s just as beautiful as the editorial pictures which you can check out in our next post.

Concept behind the shoot?

The story Golden Girl focuses on Aamito Lagum, the winner of the first ever Africa’s Next Top Model. Different from a typical beauty story where seasonal trends are represented, we took metallic as a theme and played with an artistic take where Aamito was the canvas for the make-up artist. Aamito was our ‘objet d’art’.

Why Aamito?

The July issue is the Star Style issue where ELLE looks at emerging stars, rising personalities in the world of fashion and beauty. Aamito is definitely a face to watch, she has been through an amazing journey to get to where she is, against all odds. We believe Aamito has a great future ahead of her and winning the competition (Africa’s Next Top Model) has opened doors for her. We can’t wait to see her career develop.

What is gilded skin artistry?

Gilded refers to everything metallic from the deepest copper to the warmest gold. We designed looks where different types and textures of makeup were used for various effects. From traditional makeup powders, molten liquids and paints to gold leaf; the idea was to explore depths and dimensions and use makeup as art.

Location of shoot?

We shot in Wembley studio. The idea behind the story was to have a middle ground between a fashion feel but still keep it a beauty shoot. That is where the props came in – metallic makeup can very easily look dated and 90’s but by incorporating unexpected elements such as the Eames chair, it brought a 50’s retro feel that provided contrast. The crops of the images were also intended to move away from the usual flow of tight crops used in classic beauty shoots.

Photographer?

Lee Moami from One League shot the story. Her incredible eye and creativity gave that modern twist to the story. We love Lee’s unique take on photography and artistry and she brought the story to life. From her lighting to her beautiful angles, she depicted Aamito with a perfect balance of vulnerability and strength while keeping a fashion edge within a beauty story.

Styling?

Because we avoided tight crops there was more room to play with the styling. We wanted Aamito and the makeup to be the stars of the story so we alternated bare skin with black and skin toned colour garments to avoid outshining her