S.HE is Sara Hiromi
All looks are from the MARC JACOBS fall 2020 archives.
Wardrobe coordination by Jen Smith
Hair by Levi Monarch
Makeup by Kaori Soda
Model Sara Hiromi
Photography and collage by Nathalie Agussol
I was inspired to create these photographs and collages after meeting Sara on a previous shoot. Her half boy half girl, super short and extremely long hair made me think of the push and pull between the feminine and the masculine. Without her this shoot would not exist and it was a perfect addition to the 2022 edition of PAN relating to gender identity.
This series, shot on black-and-white film, explores the idea of duality within human identity.
In Greek mythology, Zeus split humans in half—creating the division of male and female. The myth describes the original human as a complete being with four arms, four legs, and two faces.
Images in the series are collages constructed from two photographs combined into a single portrait, visually reinforcing the idea of duality — the meeting of masculine and feminine within one figure.
That ancient story echoes in the present. Within each of us remains a constant tension: the push and pull between feminine and masculine qualities.
These portraits reflect that inner dialogue and the ways we choose to present ourselves to the world — an age-old theme that continues to resonate today in discussions of identity and gender.