Pretend It's a City

“Waiting in the car

Waiting for the ride in the dark

At night the city grows

Look at the horizon glow”

These are the words sang by M83 in their song “Midnight City”, an hymn to freedom and transgression. In this editorial titled “Pretend It's a City”, shot by Joanna Mariak and styled by Santina Zienkiewicz with a layout by Francesca Rongioletti, model Natalia Nadolna gets in a pub with a fluorescent orange sign, she plays changing her clothes and her make-up (all realized by Iliana Bogacka). She leaves the Pub and finds herself in a deserted cinema, where she is the main presence. We follow her on her nocturnal journey around this unknown city, we see her moving in the dark and mysterious spaces of an urban landscape immersed in the night. A night which shines, which attracts, which says nothing and suggests everything. No one is safe, nothing is reassuring. Everything is at the mercy of fate, reality is distorted, made up of deconstructed shapes, like those of Natalia's dresses, of strong lights, sequins,organza and tribal signs.

The city is not a city. Natalia is not Natalia. Everything seems and nothing is. So, let's pretend it's a city.

Photography: Joanna Mariak /  joanna.mariak

Styling: Santina Zienkiewicz / santinazienkiewicz 

Hair & Makeup: Iliana Bogacka /  zupamleczna_

Model: Natalia Nadolna / nala_nado

Layout: Francesca Rongioletti / andsofrancine

Words: Anna Quirino / a.qrn