Review of KNWLS Spring 2022 Ad Campaign by Photographer Carlijn Jacobs with model Mila Van Eeten
by Aidel Townsley
Designers Charlotte Knowles and Alexandre Arsenault reunite with photographer Carlin Jacobs to blur the connection between bold expression and voyeuristic entitlement in KNWLS latest Spring-Summer campaign. Model Mila Van Eeten is styled by Georgia Pendlebury and stars in the fast-paced and eccentrically rhythmic film for the campaign, titled Adrenaline.
Each shot softens Mila’s vigour as gradient backgrounds merge with the model’s powerful aura. Whether through her inverted A-line haircut, styled by Olivier Schawalder, or the various cowgirl hats she sports, Mila peers out to us, disinterested by the disruption of our gaze. Her white lashes sport the eternal tears of blue sequins, constructed by makeup artist Thomas De Kluyver. Strutting to the dynamic beat of her own making, Mila carries her heart close to her person, and that light is a vibrant beacon. Her active force cannot be stopped by anything, including the camera, which loses its own clarity in attempting to capture her life.
Traditionally feminine silhouettes such as the underwire bra and the floor-length dress are reimagined as more risquee and powerful versions of pieces traditionally symbolic of demure constraint. Mila is brazen in lingerie-inspired tops, whose hip cutouts emphasize her self-assured stance as she rests her scarlet talons, done by Lora @ T.Crew, near her thighs. Propped up against a blossoming cherry tree, Mila is the temptress in the garden and Eve being tempted, all at once. She can only be moved by one thing: Her own adrenaline.
Photographer | Carlijn Jacobs
Model | Mila Van Eeten
Stylist | Georgia Pendlebury, Nelly Carle & Agnes Vadi
Hair | Olivier Schawalder, Damien Lacoussade
Makeup | Thomas de Kluyver
Manicurist | Lora
Casting Director | Charly Forin