style
fashion For this photo shoot, designer Michelle Lesniak and photographer Kevin Focht were inspired by Victorian-era post-mortem portraits— haunting images from the late 19th century that depict the departed, posed as if still alive. (Don’t Google it if you want a good night’s sleep).
Designer: Michelle Lesniak Photographer: Kevin Focht Stylist: Sarah Adams Models: Samantha D., Muse Models (left); Shay Bjordahl, Q6 Talent
Memento Mori
Wool-blend Morgue Dress, silk chiffon custom print Dead Leaf Blouse, High Priestess Blouse in wool flannel, and High Priestess Skirt in wool suiting.
After winning Project Runway Season 11 in 2013, Portland-based designer Michelle Lesniak wanted to prove that she wasn’t a one-hit wonder. With her new Fall/Winter 2014 Decay collection, which she previewed at FashioNXT this past October, she secured her reputation as fashion’s Next Big Thing. The concept for the collection—“the rotting and dying of something, and the beauty that comes out afterwards”—was sparked in part by Lesniak’s personal life. “I was going through a divorce, and dealing with the decay of a marriage and a lifestyle,” she says. “But through decay, beauty comes back around. You need things to break down in order to start over again.” Here, an exclusive peek at Lesniak’s new line. GRAY ISSUE No. FOURTEEN
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