“In a world where fashion transcends the confines of traditional settings, we embark On the Road Again, THE FRENCH ODYSSEY-a narrative photo tour diary against the dynamic and picturesque backdrops of France. Julian’s lens, my direction, his eyes and my closet archives-archival due simply to the number years they lie lost and untouched in my tiny city closet-our series spans the streets of Paris, where every patron of Harry’s bar writes 2 lines in our book, a never-ending poem; the rugged beauty of the French Alps, where we went from nude highway shoots to truck-stop toilets; the medieval charm of the Ardèche, our arrival: 3AM in Antraigues-sur-Volane, lost in the town Casino…6 hours later we met the beautiful Marie Antoinette and her Chateau Clement, with walls still painted and signed dated by the artists who once stayed in 1859; down to the south we went, naked bodies in the mediterranean sun-kissed bellies full of fresh fish, soaking wet at hotel couvent our last night sweet kisses farewell to new friends, the journey ends. As spontaneous as they are sophisticated, each shot blends the raw unfiltered energy of lovers, serendipitous on the road.
As we navigate an era where authenticity is paramount, The French Odyssey offers something refreshingly real. It’s an editorial rooted in genuine experience, where the backdrop of France’s diverse landscapes and the chemistry between the director and photographer infuse every image with a sense of narrative and place. This is not about staging or artifice; it’s about capturing time and place in their most organic and compelling form. Our hope was to create a collection of images that resonate deeply with audiences, offering them not just fashion, but a journey a chance to see and feel the beauty of daily life through the lens of two artists.
Capturing both the intimate and the grand, the planned and the unplanned, the fleeting and the eternal, the French Odyssey naturally unfolds…”
Words and direction by Iza El Nems
Photographs by Julian Jackson