Sometimes old ideas lend to new ones.
The Ode to Mokos dresses were made for last year’s TEN: The Exhibition by @meilinginc . From the first day I saw them I told her I needed to shoot them at their extended length as a full concept shoot.
Fast forward into this year and the carnival season came around and I thought, why not tie in the concept of high fashion design with our carnival spirit…but make it a bit dark and dramatic.
You can read the story of our Moko Spirits’ journey to POS Carnival over on @the.perspectivs written by @faatimahmallam , who somehow found a poetic way to capture all my word vomit 🙂↕️
This reel also features a rock cover of @christomusictt “Doux Doux Darlin” done by @incertracing , one of my favorite creative masterminds 🤍
(Real tears were shed wining to this version 🙂↕️)
Ｒｅｓｔ．
Not an ending. A returning.
After the height, the rhythm, the watchful gaze…what was whispered still remains,
“𝓑𝓮𝓪𝓾𝓽𝔂 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓷𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓶𝓮𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓫𝓮 𝓮𝓶𝓹𝓽𝔂”
The Mokos descend but never fully leave.
Watching the bodies that move below them.
The women who carry so much..
..beauty, burden, memory.
There is protection in their presence.
And even in rest, they linger….
/////////
Stylist: @isabellemarie_db
MUA: @nikiacaby_mua
Models: @ufojade & @saraiya.leblanc
Dresses: @meilinginc as seen at TEN: The Exhibition
Photography & Concept: @the.perspectivs | @jordan.lhr
#theperspectivs #carnival #trinidadcarnival #conceptualart #triniphotography
[historical art, trinidad art, resistance, mokojumbie, jumbie, trinidad]
In the absence of colour, the spirits sharpen.
The Mokos feel closer to what they’ve always been…watchers..keepers of something older than spectacle. Moving between worlds, holding stories that were never meant to fade…🖤🩶🤍
Use your voice. Stand your ground.
Ultimately, colour returns.
/////////
Stylist: @isabellemarie_db
MUA: @nikiacaby_mua
Models: @ufojade & @saraiya.leblanc
Dresses: @meilinginc as seen at TEN: The Exhibition
Photography & Concept: @the.perspectivs | @jordan.lhr
#theperspectivs #carnival #trinidadcarnival #conceptualart triniphotography
[historical art, trinidad art, resistance, mokojumbie, jumbie, trinidad]
Carnival, rooted in memory and survival /// a feeling the Moko Spirits know all too well… creating and protecting beauty in an ugly world, have you forgotten the meaning behind our traditions?
“Celebration without critique becomes an empty vessel… a body moving, adorned, but hollow of spirit.
We do not dance just to be seen. We rise to remember.
To carry what came before us, to guard what still lives within us… and to remind you, softly, that beauty was never meant to be empty.”
Stylist: @isabellemarie_db
MUA: @nikiacaby_mua
Models: @ufojade & @saraiya.leblanc
Dresses: @meilinginc as seen at TEN: The Exhibition
Photography & Concept: @the.perspectivs | @jordan.lhr
#theperspectivs #carnival #trinidadcarnival #conceptualart #triniphotography
[historical art, trinidad art, resistance, mokojumbie, jumbie, trinidad]
Eventually arriving at Mas, the Mokos familiar trees were now massive poles, beautiful architecture spanning across the wonder that is Port-of-Spain…. After their journey, well-spent and arduous, our Moko Spirits must deliver their message to the hearts of people…will their voices prevail?
Stylist: @isabellemarie_db
MUA: @nikiacaby_mua
Models: @ufojade & @saraiya.leblanc
Dresses: @meilinginc as seen at TEN: The Exhibition
Photography & Concept: @the.perspectivs | @jordan.lhr
#theperspectivs #carnival #trinidadcarnival #conceptualart #triniphotography
[historical art, trinidad art, resistance, mokojumbie, jumbie, trinidad]
Restless, the Mokos stride through the jungles of Trinidad….venturing to Port-of-Spain’s yearly Mas….
Protectors of Women, they echo messages of perseverance.…Will you listen this time?
Stylist: @isabellemarie_db
MUA: @nikiacaby_mua
Models: @ufojade & @saraiya.leblanc
Dresses: @meilinginc as seen at TEN: The Exhibition
#theperspectivs #carnival #trinidadcarnival #conceptualart #triniphotography
[historical art, trinidad art, resistance, mokojumbie, jumbie, trinidad]
this piece is about distance, grief, and the profound realization that I had been standing outside my own culture for years watching Carnival happen without me. through Lost Tribe, I didn’t just study mas, I found my way back to it. back to something that always belonged to me.
thank you to @instaval_tt the creative director behind @losttribecarnival , for building a vision of Carnival that feels like home, and to @jordan.lhr , the mind behind The Blueprint: A Study on Personal Style, for seeing something in me before I could see it in myself.
this is what it means to return.
The Blue Print: A Study on Personal Style in Trinidad Carnival
Over the course of the afternoon we met many incredible masqueraders, each bringing their own interpretation of Monday Mas through styling, presence, and personality.
In the process of shaping the final edit, our team selected fifteen portraits for the series. But the stories and perspectives shared by these masqueraders were just as compelling.
This post holds a few of those voices including our writer! It celebrates all moments and expressions that helped shape the project.
Because a study of personal style on the road could never truly fit into a 15 frames.
—
Band of the Year: @losttribecarnival
Photography: @the.perspectivs
Creative Direction: @jordan.lhr
Styling: @isabellemarie_db
Written by: @ufojade
PA: @br1enstorm
![Ｒｅｓｔ．Not an ending. A returning.After the height, the rhythm, the watchful gaze…what was whispered still remains,“ ”The Mokos descend but never fully leave.Watching the bodies that move below them.The women who carry so much....beauty, burden, memory.There is protection in their presence.And even in rest, they linger…./////////Stylist: @isabellemarie_dbMUA: @nikiacaby_muaModels: @ufojade & @saraiya.leblancDresses: @meilinginc as seen at TEN: The ExhibitionPhotography & Concept: @the.perspectivs | @jordan.lhr#theperspectivs #carnival #trinidadcarnival #conceptualart #triniphotography[historical art, trinidad art, resistance, mokojumbie, jumbie, trinidad]](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6739514928393116605752_0_f65d7da31f89281e94cb42b3fe1300b3.jpg?o=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&h=6e22daa7f3d53f30bed7c166b92fc6c1)
![In the absence of colour, the spirits sharpen.The Mokos feel closer to what they’ve always been…watchers..keepers of something older than spectacle. Moving between worlds, holding stories that were never meant to fade… Use your voice. Stand your ground.Ultimately, colour returns./////////Stylist: @isabellemarie_dbMUA: @nikiacaby_muaModels: @ufojade & @saraiya.leblancDresses: @meilinginc as seen at TEN: The ExhibitionPhotography & Concept: @the.perspectivs | @jordan.lhr#theperspectivs #carnival #trinidadcarnival #conceptualart triniphotography[historical art, trinidad art, resistance, mokojumbie, jumbie, trinidad]](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6739167038642616354826_0_d15df8b973895f6de450d6c497495e74.jpg?o=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&h=c17a2e33eed8b446f9186aa158d3d95f)
![Carnival, rooted in memory and survival /// a feeling the Moko Spirits know all too well…
creating and protecting beauty in an ugly world, have you forgotten the meaning behind our traditions?“Celebration without critique becomes an empty vessel…
a body moving, adorned, but hollow of spirit.We do not dance just to be seen.
We rise to remember.To carry what came before us,
to guard what still lives within us…
and to remind you, softly,
that beauty was never meant to be empty.”Stylist: @isabellemarie_dbMUA: @nikiacaby_muaModels: @ufojade & @saraiya.leblancDresses: @meilinginc as seen at TEN: The ExhibitionPhotography & Concept: @the.perspectivs | @jordan.lhr#theperspectivs #carnival #trinidadcarnival #conceptualart #triniphotography[historical art, trinidad art, resistance, mokojumbie, jumbie, trinidad]](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6739676811616063303344_0_2c908a4ef15e395d6f36de70b8abfd53.jpg?o=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&h=a6c5faad85319a0753f5d94f39c0098c)
![Eventually arriving at Mas, the Mokos familiar trees were now massive poles, beautiful architecture spanning across the wonder that is Port-of-Spain…. After their journey, well-spent and arduous, our Moko Spirits must deliver their message to the hearts of people…will their voices prevail?Stylist: @isabellemarie_dbMUA: @nikiacaby_muaModels: @ufojade & @saraiya.leblancDresses: @meilinginc as seen at TEN: The ExhibitionPhotography & Concept: @the.perspectivs | @jordan.lhr#theperspectivs #carnival #trinidadcarnival #conceptualart #triniphotography[historical art, trinidad art, resistance, mokojumbie, jumbie, trinidad]](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6739731323173949261041_0_d88c6d49595356d75a68a4868bdb72ca.jpg?o=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&h=34e0cb2945757836a1db7bd723eabc59)
![Restless, the Mokos stride through the jungles of Trinidad….venturing to Port-of-Spain’s yearly Mas….Protectors of Women, they echo messages of perseverance.…Will you listen this time?Stylist: @isabellemarie_dbMUA: @nikiacaby_muaModels: @ufojade & @saraiya.leblancDresses: @meilinginc as seen at TEN: The Exhibition#theperspectivs #carnival #trinidadcarnival #conceptualart #triniphotography[historical art, trinidad art, resistance, mokojumbie, jumbie, trinidad]](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6747551118515649281853_0_7c44c44aefd85272116b8e1eef9a41b4.jpg?o=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&h=7b1029af7fc6135e3dfe1b13dbc21494)
