Every time I’ve worked on a shoot, especially with Mazana, we’ve had our models get into these really unusual, sometimes uncomfortable poses. Even on shoots I’ve assisted on, I’ve always noticed how models are often exhausted, bent into unnatural shapes just to capture a certain idea of beauty.

That got me thinking about how this kind of physical strain mirrors the emotional and societal strain women experience every day. It’s like we’re constantly bending ourselves, figuratively and literally, just to be seen as beautiful, or to be taken seriously, or to fit into whatever standard is expected of us in that moment.

At some point, I think every woman has felt that pressure, that tension, whether it’s stress, emotional strain, or just that feeling of being stretched beyond your limit to meet someone else’s idea of who you should be.
So, the concept behind Tension was to not just highlight the final, polished image, but also to honour the strain and the effort that goes into creating it. It's about the tension, the stretch, and the strength behind it all. Because yes, it’s beautiful, but it’s also heavy. And yet, it speaks to the resilience women carry every single day.

​

As women of colour, we are bending over backwards constantly fighting to earn the same level of respect given to our peers. We are intelligent, powerful women that shouldn’t need to contort ourselves into expectations put onto us by others. We present ourselves with grace and will never portray the stereotypes that label us, every woman is different and brings something fresh and beautiful to the table, and we will always carry ourselves with poise. Writing this makes me emotional because @maybeitsheaven brings this sentiment to life ever so gracefully, and we hope this project reflects our feelings and admiration for women everywhere .