BODIES OF WORK

Originally from Berlin, Brooklyn-based Sophie Kietzmann’s optimistic and honest portraiture-style has seen them contribute to Vogue Italia, Glamour and digital project Girl Gaze among others. The central thread in their work is a desire to capture each subject’s true individuality, rather than imposing outward ideas of beauty. Kietzmann’s capture, opposite, of New York-based model Reese at Rockaway Beach reflects this ethos, saying: “[It] reminds me of the intimacy we experience within our own bodies when the noise of our surroundings and society fade away … The times when we allow ourselves to look inward for that feeling of comfort, safety and love rather than seeking it externally.”

Through wide-ranging subjects – from Bri Scalesse, who models with a disability, to capturing Jeyźa Gary as the first model with ichthyosis for the cover of – Kietzmann seeks out a broader definition of beauty, noting the undeniable impact more diverse representation of different bodies has. “I think back to a few years ago when I was in the subway in New York City and, for the first time ever, saw a razor ad where the female identified subjects had armpit hair, leg hair and body hair. Up until that point, I had never quite realised how vast the separation between reality and commercial visuals truly was,” they say. “When we see an image of someone we identify with, we instantly feel connected and included in a bigger picture.”