While these pictures were taken nearby a pretty rose bush which I also photographed that matches the colors in this dress rather nicely, the print actually reminds me of these infrared photographs of the Congo by Richard Mosse. The series is equal parts stunning and haunting. The infrared film turns lush landscapes into Willy Wonka-esque scenes, but more arresting are the images of armed soldiers lurking amongst the pink-hued leaves and the bare skeletons of destroyed buildings. There's a lot to say about the series and the potential for aesthetically-driven fields to draw attention to neglected issues, but for today the main point was this dress reminded me of Mosse's work. People are always asking what inspires another's wardrobe or style and while I think when putting together an outfit it's mostly "these colors look nice" or something rather straightforward, I do feel that everything we see has the potential to be an inspiration. So while this dress contrasts nicely with my hair and fits comfortably my first attraction came from the print. Not because I saw it and thought "that looks like infrared photographs," but rather Mosse's series left a lingering impression in my mind. Sometimes we are unconscious of the influence, like commercials we see and quickly forget but still end up influencing our buying habits. Other days we can easily pinpoint the source of inspiration and connect the dots from our first sighting to it's ultimate influence on our decisions. Not that everything must be overly analyzed; in the end of the day this merely a pretty dress I enjoy wearing.
Outfit details:
Zara purse
vintage poison ring
CONVERSATION