Nabokov’s Lolita is such a famed part of popular culture that you don’t have to have read the book to know what it’s about. Beyond the book, and the numerous adaptations it’s inspired, the word has entered language as a way to describe a particular style. It’s feminine, youthful – girlishly so – but with an underlying sexual awareness.
Modern Lolita is how the team at Say Hello Max describe this shoot starring Kelsey Bollig. The styling by Tienlyn Jacobson pares the concept back to simple, modern pieces that hint at rather than ooze girlish flirtations. Candy pink lips and a smattering of freckles are paired with lightweight summer dresses and on-trend jewellery pieces while a final look gives a nod to Kubrick’s 1962 film with a pair of heart-shaped glasses.
The beautiful, colour-washed photography by Elsa Kawai (elsakawai.com) adds a whole other layer of romance to the shoot. You can view it in full at the gallery.
