Hide & Seek

 
 
 
 
Sharon Van De Pas @ IMG (NY)

It takes a Friday afternoon, allergies and a good shower, countless cups of coffee to get back to these topics we've been working on for weeks waiting for better words and a better moment than in between two other features to publish them. Among these topics was Coco Young's second part, there was also Sharon Van De Pas by James Mahon. Pictures were waiting for a few weeks already, if not more and we wouldn't exaggerate saying we thought of them every single day since they hit our email box. Gentle obsession for that mood only James seems able to create. And for Sharon's very mysterious modeling.

Another motivation to finish the writings and post the piece today came with Sharon's own news. She currently appears in Black Magazine, in a story shot by another favorite -- Michael Schwartz. The interesting fact in talking about the two stories at the same moment is how different they are in their touch, atmosphere and their way to picture Sharon. In James Mahon's story, Sharon is how you would meet her in the streets or at her agency's office (as we did in Paris a few times ago). On Michael's pictures, Sharon suddenly morphs into a sophisticated creature, enhanced by the contrast of his black and white photography. There is one thing, though, that styling can't really change and photographers can't influence as well. Sharon's very mysterious aura, even when she doesn't care to look at the camera. Hence our title.