The Daria Files: Let's Get Lost

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Let's Get Lost

Daria makes a surprise appearance in the May 2010 issue of Interview magazine, in a ten page editorial "Let's Get Lost".

Let's Get Lost
Interview May 2010
Daria Werbowy, Ajak Deng, Oraine Barrett, Raschelle Osbourne, Sedene Blake, David Agbodji, Salieu Jalloh,Armando Cabral, Adesuwa Aigheni, Carmelita Mendes, Manuel Ramos, Kelly Moreira, Rafton Glean,Peter Giang, Dorian Cobb, Lisalla Montenegro and Pablo Contreras by Mikael Jannson

It seems that every time I post there has to be an excuse attached to it, but again I am really sorry for the delayed posts! School is almost over and my university acceptances have gone out so I will hopefully be back to regular posting soon! But for now please bear with me :) And because I can not transition in writing at all - "on to our regular programming ... "

I suppose Jannson and Interview have done their job if they have intended to create an impressive editorial. By impressive editorial I mean one which has set off quite a lot of debates and conversation. If they have tried to achieve anything beyond controversy they have undoubtedly failed. I'll start with the positive - I love when Daria works with Jannson because he always manages to produce slick and sexy editorials. Let's Get Lost is full of colour and shading, chiaroscuro and light intensity. It is enough to please the naked eye but only for a little while.

Like myself you probably found yourself glancing in awe at the beautiful scenery and stunning colours, distinctly aware that the setting was a smoky dance bar probably far away in an exotic place ... and then maybe, like myself, you found yourself taking this editorial into deeper thought.

But then the multiple "why" questions arise and you ask yourself how oblivious was a magazine like Interview to put out an editorial like this. To be blunt - why is Daria the only white model? Why are her clothes detailed and rich while the others are in rags? Why is the light hitting her directly while the others are in shadows? Why is Daria so limp and lifeless when she could be just as easily lounging as the others?

I could answer every one of these questions with a reasonable "fashion answer" but in real life this entire shoot just comes off as uncomfortable. Its always that foreign concept of a white man in another culture, completely avoiding blending in and instead put on an odd pedestal. This editorial came out a week ago so I feel like I'm beating a dead horse here, but I'd love to hear what other readers think!