Pinup gals knew how to titillate American G.I.s during World War II—and so do Prada, Christian Dior and Dina Bar-El on the runways for Fall ’07.
It took the artistic genius of stylist Jason Kearns to breathe new life into this timeless concept. Strong, alluring and free to do what she wants, when she wants, Kearns’ Boardwalk Buns model embodies the glamorous ’40s with the spirit of a modern femme fatale.
A master of details, Kearns created an oyster-white set that has the model leaning back at a 30º angle for better play with the camera, while its soft, warm color makes his model’s strong facial features and bright red lips pop from the pages. Says Kearns, “I approached it like a watercolor painting, which is a very difficult medium to work in when compared to oils that you can build up on the canvas to create different effects.
“With watercolors, it’s a play on shades. Quite often it’s the unpainted portion of the paper—a la our set—that impacts the overall effect.”
Melding the timeless bun with retro-glamour, Kearns’ model has smoldering eyes, ruby red lips and a determined pout that shouts sass. Her demeanor keeps onlookers unbalanced with her coif shifting from defiant frizz to smooth, come-hither tresses that frame an intelligent face. “Because pinups have been around for decades, I wanted to push the envelope with Boardwalk Buns by skipping the typical clichés,” says Kearns. “As an artist, I only want to do work that speaks of my creativity and not someone else’s.”
