You’d have thought it a bit chilly in Finland to lie about wearing nothing but a pair of shoes and a coat of paint, but the models helping out Helsinki-based illustrator Janine Rewell and shoe designer Minna Parikka on their recent collaboration all escaped unscathed, except perhaps for a bit of stray decoration in hard to reach areas. The project Body Painting and Scandinavian Spring came about as Rewell pondered the possibilities of what she perceived as an under-explored art form in body painting. Parikka, who had worked with Rewell before, was pleased to get on board and provide the footwear from her spring collection, recognising how the sensation of putting on a lovely pair of shoes could be represented by the magical, transformative effect of Rewell’s designs.
Serving as further proof that the life of a model isn’t all glamour, the girls had to stoically endure as the artists carefully transferred Rewell’s killer geometric designs to the skin, taking into account the effect of slight movements or stretching of the skin, and the photographers’ angles. Not content with confining their work to the studio, Rewell and Parikka brought a Helsinki high street to a standstill with a window display of painted dancers as a promotional event for the shoe collection launch.
