Broken Street
Broken Street is a story shot in Tel-Aviv by Marie Lourier that features an emerging local talent Sharon Strimban. The street is an embodiment of the changing city that is reshaped to a city of Start-Up culture with the appearing skyscrapers while still preserving old buildings from the 20s and 30s. The shoot was located between the renowned White City area, the construction site of a light railway, and the older neighborhood that has been revived to become a vibrant street embellished with cafes.
Vintage clothing and styling assembled by Marie's sharp vision bring in a youthful, rebellious impression assimilated to city life. Sharon is confidently walking the streets, pausing next to the undone corners, trash cans, a truck, the not-yet unassembled bricks in her high Vetements socks. Her energies are infectious, her rhythm kindling, with a presence that screams liberation from the boring routine.
WÜL shots a short film of behind the scenes showing Marie in action, shaping looks in the small vintage shop Outside Society owned by Ariel Max Levy. Marie is fast, making impeccable decisions on the go, working furiously to achieve the visual result she strives for, building relationships as she goes.
Photographer and Stylist Marie Lourier Talent Sharon Strimban at Roberto Ben Shoshan
Clothes by
Outside Society
ostlv.com By Ariel Max Levy
Film by Dmitry Khmelnitsky Grading Ilya Marcus Sound Anton Khalemsky
We speak with marie and sharon about the shooting day, their acquaintance online, preparation to the shoot before marie came to the city, and the challenges met as getting out of film on set but making each shot count. Sharon unveils her approach to becoming a model and the redefinition of the profession today. Marie lourier is a moscow-based fashion photographer and stylist who tends to shoot globally. Recently marie has launched a masterclass on the topics of launching a career as a photographer and building relationships with fashion magazines.
Hi Marie, let’s discuss the creation of projects abroad when you meet people for the first time, and most of the communication is online. How do you prepare for projects of this kind?
Marie: Hi guys! Yes, I do a lot of creative projects abroad, and even more than in Russia to be honest. I travel often, and every trip is accompanied with new shootings. I love to visit new places, meet new people, and my photography projects help me to do the things I like as often as I want. Communication for me is easy and the same wherever I am located. Do you remember when I wrote you for the first time telling that I’m going to visit Tel Aviv? When you see people online, you can make a good contact before the shooting and also find the style that will suit best for the specific person.
When shooting this story, you had also been in charge of styling (as in most of your projects). How would you describe the aesthetics you chose for the shoot? What was the mood you decided to create?
Marie: Yes, I do styling for most of my projects. Especially abroad. It is not that easy to find a stylist with similar aesthetic and even more difficult to find the time convenient for everyone. The idea of this shooting came to me when I visited Outside Society, a vintage store in Tel Aviv. Ariel, the owner of the place, has a lot of luxury and cool vintage stuff in the store, and he kindly let me borrow any clothes I liked for this shooting. So I used stuff from Outside Society along with the accessories that I brought with me and was more than satisfied with this combination. I used vintage YSL, Versace, Fendi, Tom Ford, Gucci, MCM, Jimmy Choo, and other luxury brands along with accessories from the latest collections of Vetements, Yeezy, Supreme, Champion, and Carolina Lemke x KKW.
I used a 35mm camera to make these pictures look like the 90s. You may think so when you see these graffiti on the wall and this broken street along with the 90s fashion. But if you get a better look, you notice the elements of modern style.
Actually, I spent my childhood in the US in the 90s and since then have been following the US and European fashion magazines. That’s why my pictures have a slight US vibe. My own aesthetic stands out from that of other Russian stylists it is odd and complicated for commercial adapted minds.
‘location scouting is what I start doing even before I arrive in a new city. I prefer both trashy places, as you may see in this editorial and the most touristic places with the main landmarks’
Is scouting for a location on your to-do list once you reach a new city, or do you prefer to be spontaneous and work with what you can locate during the shooting session?
Marie: Location scouting is what I start doing even before I arrive in a new city. I prefer both trashy places, as you may see in this editorial and the most touristic places with the main landmarks. By the way, the name of this story, Broken Street, came into my mind when I saw the location.
We also had a chance to work with Sharon, thank you for the acquaintance by the way! What is your preferred way to contact talents and cast for your projects?
Marie: I usually start scouting for new faces 2-3 weeks before my visit to a new place. I contact agencies, but typically, I contact models directly on Instagram. You can always find the most suitable faces and vibes. I didn’t see Sharon on Instagram as she was not presented there at the time. I heard about her from my friend, a photographer from Tel Aviv, he introduced me to Sharon on one of the afternoons. I was astonished by her vibe, and we decided to make this shooting. I love it so much and would love to get back to this amazing time.
We also had a chance to work with Sharon, thank you for the acquaintance by the way! What is your preferred way to contact talents and cast for your projects?
Marie: I usually start scouting for new faces 2-3 weeks before my visit to a new place. I contact agencies, but typically, I contact models directly on Instagram. You can always find the most suitable faces and vibes. I didn’t see Sharon on Instagram as she was not presented there at the time. I heard about her from my friend, a photographer from Tel Aviv, he introduced me to Sharon on one of the afternoons. I was astonished by her vibe, and we decided to make this shooting. I love it so much and would love to get back to this amazing time.
What was your highlight from this day? Could you share a story, a lovely moment, or a situation you had solved on set?
Marie: Yes, we had a lot of fun during the shooting. We laughed a lot everything was very easy. I didn't have enough film in my camera, so I was able to tighten the strings (haha) and make fewer snapshots that I want. I also had a P&S film camera with myself, and I used all the film in it. Nevertheless, the pictures turned out to be super cool! I love every picture and would love to work with Sharon next time.
The moment I remember the most from that day was the bottle of wine we had afterwards. We met up with another friend whom Mary was shooting, Daria. We ordered a bottle of white wine and talked about everything. We found out that Marie knows my cousin from Moscow, who is also a photographer, and it was a crazy discovery because I suddenly realized how small the world is even outside of Israel. I loved the fact that both Marie and Daria came from Russia, and we couldn't stop laughing about how our families are similar. I was growing up in Israel with friends from different ethnic groups, and it was always hard for me to explain my parents' Soviet education method.
‘I think I enjoyed the whole shooting day. I felt that Marie's style harmonized with my character, and the dynamics we had were both professional and friendly’
— Sharon Strimban
What is exciting for you in modeling, and is it important for you to add your personality to the character you create on set?
What excites me about being a model? I think the fact that I'm not a 'pretty' model type. Many times I come to a set on which models are taller than me, are in better shape and more feminine and I never let myself feel any less worthy. I think in this job you hear so many things it is very important to have the inner confidence and awareness of the outward appearance so as to not get hurt, and it is important to know that the disadvantages can be perceived as benefits. If I always wanted to change myself before, today I know that if someone is interested in me, it is also because of my shortcomings.
What is most important to me in a photoshoot? It is important to me that the photographers and stylists understand my character and are able to see what suits me. The interaction and chemistry on set between all the parties from the makeup artist to the lighting assistant are imperative to me to succeed in bringing my true self to the maximum expression. To model something for me is not being a poster or a hanger for a product rather be a stage through which the creator wants to convey their art, in which I take part and have a say.
