When Anita Ekberg waded out into the Trevi Fountain in her black strapless gown, or Brigitte Bardot danced the Mamba with no shoes but plenty of passion, men of the day lost their breaths – and still do more than 50 years later. Dutch model Valerie Van Der Graaf has the blonde hair, the bombastic curves, the inherent sex appeal of both those 1950s bombshells, so it makes sense to cast her in a shoot that draws its inspiration from the films which contained those iconic scenes: La Dolce Vita and And God Created Woman.
In fact it’s more than sensible; it would simply be an injustice not to style her to those strengths. Sophie Clauzel does it in this shoot using silhouettes that accent the curves and draw in the waist: a crop top and high-waisted skirt, vintage style knicker shorts and a tie-up blouse, delicate lace camisoles. Photographer Pierre Dal Corso mixes black and white images with those steeped in a kind of golden warmth, both styles lending themselves to a vintage nostalgia.
The way Dal Corso directs the shoot also lets its inspirations shine through: sensual poses, bare feet raised on the toes like the dancer, Bardot’s, back arched and head thrown back or smoking in a mirror.
Beautifully shot for issue 5 of Lovecat Magazine, you can see all of Pierre Dal Corso’s (pierredalcorso.com) by clicking on the thumbnails.
