Clarissa Hulse Mood board

De Gournay: Design Collaboration 2017 ‘Anemones in Light’
Portrait of Kate Moss by Nikolai von Bismarck
Available from https://degournay.com/kate-moss-de-gournay-design-collaboration-2017-‘anemones-light’
[Accessed 2 November 2017]

I recently discovered the textile designer Clarissa Hulse and immediately fell in love with her colourful and flamboyant style. Strongly inspired by nature, her contemporary botanical designs include luxurious materials like velvet and silk. I did some further research on her influences and came across this portrait of Kate Moss taken by Nikolai von Bismarck.

Kate Moss is standing in front of a new wallpaper design called ‘Anemones in Light’ that she designed herself. She worked with de Gournay to create this piece that depicts the anemone flower in muted blue-grey tones and beams of light printed with sterling silver metal leaf.

Leaning slightly off centre, the model mirrors the shape of the bouquet on the left and breaks from the perpendicular lines created by the panelling. Posing in a nude coloured, silk dressing gown with her face tilted back towards the light, she gives the image a luxurious and sensual feel. By using strong contrasts mixed with cool, silvery tones, the photographer was able to create that chic, glossy look that is recurrent in de Gournay designs. The whole composition of the photograph is carefully thought through, from colour to line and shape: the scene is a harmonious blend of contrasts.

Nikolai von Bismarck has photographed a number of celebrities and in this image he captures the elegant style of de Gournay, one of the high-end designer brands in the décor market. The marriage of classic, artisanal Chinese style and modern, sexy glamour is studiously and artistically depicted.