A marriage is sitting on the borderline of love and unfaithfulness; meanwhile another passionate relationship remains unnamed.
She is hesitant to get romantically involved with this stranger, worried that she might be tagged as a disloyal wife, but she knows that her husband doesn’t love her anymore. Her youth and sensuality are dragging her towards this younger man, but her heart is pulling her back to the familiar arms of her husband.
This dilemma has been beautifully captured by Steve Marais for the pages of VOILA! magazine. The dramatic night shots almost seem like they’re stills from a blockbuster movie, more so because this editorial is a direct inspiration from a Chinese art house film titled In The Mood For Love that takes a hindsight into extra-marital affairs.
The fashion in each frame has been styled tilted to touch the lines of elegance, sophistication and subdued sexiness. The woman wants to hand herself over, physically and emotionally, to the other man, but her conscious is acting as the biggest hiccup along the way. She keeps her shoulders covered, but the figure-hugging floor length gowns argue otherwise. She’s shying away in her hotel room and running away from her own shadow, but she’s true to her character only when she looks at herself in the mirror.
Does she want to be the unfaithful wife who cheats on her husband? Or does she want to be that clever woman who uses another man to confront her disloyal husband?
The questions remain unanswered in this 12-frame editorial titled The Lover, but either way, this story of deception, lies and cover-ups is possibly more vocal than a 90-minute long cinematic experience.
Watch the story unfold by clicking on the thumbnails and viewing the entire editorial.
