Who Is The Modern Jolene?
Who is The Modern Jolene? — is an editorial shot before the wave of the pandemic. The story supports and features Dutch brands such as Rika Studios, Elzinga, GAUGE81, and Akómi Official. Pop culture has turned back numerous times to revisit the persona of Jolene, who took a specific niche in modern culture, mainly through Dolly Parton’s 70s notorious song. Unresistable, stunning beauty, a woman who transforms from a nymph deluding any man on her path to a powerful yet irresistible character today.
Manon Klaver, a photographer, and Michelle Kimm, a stylist, teamed up to tell a story of a modern femme fatale, a strong woman, represented as Jolene. The Netherlands based team includes Floor Fennis, a MUAH artist, and Tahnee van der Merwe, a model depicting Jolene.
We speak with Manon and Michelle to discover who is the modern Jolene and her essential characteristics. We discuss the influence of Ann Demeulemeester’s fashion show on the editorial’s styling, the technical aspects of the studio set and of photographing outdoors, and the close friendship between the team members.
Photography Manon Klaver Style Michelle Kimm HMUA Floor Fennis Talent Tahnee van der Merwe at VDM Models
‘Who is the modern Jolene? — is a fashion story about the modern femme fatale. A story that reflects a contemporary, more open idea of femininity’
— Manon Klaver
Who is The Modern Jolene? - what is this story about?
Manon: ‘Who is the modern Jolene?’ is a fashion story about the modern femme fatale. A story that reflects a contemporary, more open idea of femininity. A concept that is both complex and nuanced. ‘Dressing like a man doesn’t disguise a woman’s femininity—it ignites it.’ - HOMME Girls.
How did the project start?
Michelle: This shoot was inspired by the SS20 show of Ann Demeulemeester. For this show, Sébastien Meunier (creative director for Ann Demeulemeester) found inspiration in Dolly Parton’s iconic song - Jolene. Actually, it was a cover of this song by the Indie musician Lingua Ignota. As I watched this show, I wondered what the modern Jolene, the femme fatale of 2020, would look like. In general, I wanted to create a raw, mysterious, and sensual atmosphere. The first photographer that came to mind was Manon. We knew each other from Vogue (where I did my internship) but never really worked together on a project before. I just had a feeling that she suited this idea very well.
Manon: I was immediately inspired by the concept, and Jolene is one of my all-time favorite songs, so I was all in :)
Who is the modern Jolene in your opinion? What are some of the characteristics of the modern Jolene?
Michelle: For me, Jolene is someone who has both feminine and masculine characteristics, with a powerful and strong personality. Jolene is her own person and does whatever she feels like. She’s elusive and mysterious.
Manon: I think it’s this complexity that makes her interesting. Our ‘modern Jolene’ reflects a contemporary, more open idea of femininity. She won’t let anyone put a label on her. She is a mystery that doesn’t need to be solved.
What was the mood you wanted Tahnee, the model, to convey through the poses and the gaze?
Manon: When I saw the concept, Tahnee was the first one who came to mind. She is a model but also a close friend of mine. We wanted to work together for a long time but never did. I really wanted to capture a more editorial/edgy side of her (in contrast to the commercial work she mostly does).
Michelle: I didn't imagine Jolene as a young girl from a modeling agency and was really looking for an ‘older’ model, a mature woman. Tahnee fitted this idea very well. For the poses/gaze, we wanted her to convey a powerful but mysterious mood.
Manon: So, on the one hand, strong poses (grounded legs, hands on the hips, etc.) - very ‘posey’, sometimes almost frozen. But also anonymous shots from behind, shots in which she’s looking away, and there's this ‘absent gaze’ to create a mysterious/untouchable look.
‘I also wanted to include one frame shot at night. A shot in which Jolene is disappearing in the dark and nobody knows where she’s heading’
— Manon Klaver
Let’s speak about the work with light on set, which is one of the main components that emphasizes the character and enables to create the story.
Manon: For this story/character, the hardness of the light (the contrast between light and shadow) emphasizes the powerful mood. I think this light and the grain of film work really well together. The analog vibe is also a nice reference to the supermodel era, the power dressing, i.e., which Michelle referred to earlier.
Michelle: I really like the idea of shooting on film that is a mystery in itself, you never know what will come out.
Manon: For the story, I also wanted to include one frame shot at night. A shot in which Jolene is disappearing in the dark and nobody knows where she’s heading. Looking back, I think this was more intuitive than thought out, but it worked, haha.
‘I wanted to play with masculine vs. feminine elements in the styling to show our idea of the modern femme fatale. I used a lot of Dutch brands like Rika Studios, Elzinga, GAUGE81, and Akómi Official’
— Michelle Kimm
Walk us through the styling decisions and the brands that you chose to include. Were there any last-minute changes or improvisation on set? Do you tend to create all the looks upfront?
Michelle: The styling decisions were based on trends I’ve spotted on the catwalk - for example, power dressing, but also all leather looks, the use of cut-outs, and my personal taste. I wanted to play with masculine vs. feminine elements in the styling to show our idea of the modern femme fatale. I used a lot of Dutch brands like Rika Studios, Elzinga, GAUGE81, and Akómi Official. I was inspired by the power dressing elements in their collections, and of course, it’s always nice to support Dutch talent.
Manon: I really liked Michelle’s styling. I also asked if she could include OpéraSPORT, a cool and sustainable Copenhagen/Paris based brand. They describe themselves as ‘Think Paris in the year 2057’, love.
Michelle: I created the looks the evening before the shoot (fun fact: I used my sister as a mannequin :) ). I like to be well prepared, this saves a lot of time... I hardly had to make any last-minute changes on set.
‘Manon and I met on set at Vogue, where I did my internship, and Manon was assisting (Walter Pierre). Also, Tahnee and Floor are Manon’s friends, so the vibe on set was super relaxed and fun’
— Michelle Kimm
What were some of the highlights of the shooting day, especially when you think about it now during the pandemic?
Manon: For me, this is all about being creative with (a team of) friends. I really missed that during the first weeks of the pandemic.
Michelle: As I already mentioned, Manon and I met on set at Vogue, where I did my internship, and Manon was assisting (Walter Pierre). Also, Tahnee and Floor are Manon’s friends, so the vibe on set was super relaxed and fun. With this casual vibe, it was really easy for me to jump in and out of the frame/Tahnee’s 1.5m zone. This would now, in the new normal, no longer be possible. There are many more rules and regulations, but at least we are allowed to shoot again.
Manon: So true... I think we do appreciate shooting (especially shoots like these) even more now. <3
