Captivated by sky-reaching desert cacti, Brian and Sandra Smith present a body of work filled with dramatic shapes.
For their Stark Silhouettes collection—seen exclusively on these pages—The Smiths were inspired by the flora found in the world’s most arid regions: deserts. Drawing from the shapes of succulent desert plants, they created intricate hair designs that were photographed in black-and-white to appear as if they are bursting off the pages. “We found the dramatic effect of the cacti against the sky stunning in its simplicity,” say Brian and Sandra Smith, independent educators. “It was our desire to mimic the graphic shapes of the plants, creating a minimalistic look that ‘popped.’” —Desiree Cole >
Photography: Roberto Ligresti; Makeup: David Maderich; Fashion Styling: Nikko Kefalas