Narrate a tale as old as time but Fashion
UNDER reinterprets the classic tale of The Little Mermaid from a contemporary perspective, where traditional roles are reversed and the narrative becomes more ambiguous and visceral. In this story, it is the prince who is rescued from the water, while the mermaid faces a silent dilemma: save him or let him sink.
Project Overview
UNDER offers a contemporary reinterpretation of The Little Mermaid, shifting the traditional narrative into a more ambiguous and emotionally complex realm. In this version, the mermaid is the one who rescues the prince from the sea, but this act of salvation is neither immediate nor unquestionable. The moment she holds him in her arms, a silent tension arises: to save him or let him sink.
The editorial explores this moment suspended between compassion and desire, between power and vulnerability. Through translucent materials, pearls, ropes, and fluid silhouettes that evoke the movement of water, a visual universe is constructed where both characters are trapped in a relationship of dependence and attraction.
The mermaid ceases to be merely a romantic or sacrificial figure, becoming instead a subject with agency and the capacity for decision-making. UNDER thus presents a narrative where the sea symbolizes the emotions that dwell beneath the surface: desire, control, moral ambiguity, and the freedom to choose another’s fate.
Creative Vision
Project Showcase
We had an specific vision we tried to frame in this and other moodboards that were a guide to keep the escence during the production
Director
Juan Pablo Sanchez
Art direction
Catalina Pinto
Production
Laura Sofia Marin
Styling director
Laura Beltran
Art
Juliana Lopewz
Models
Diego Sanchez
Grecia Dossantos
Makeup artist
Lina Sanchez Angarita
The place that we saw on the market
Although nostalgia as a marketing tool isnt something new, my colleagues and I feel like the way this feeling has a grip on our generation is unprecedented.
We research a lot of studies that supported this belief, from experts in psychology to marketing experts, there were many studies that the meaningfulness of nostalgia such an example would be
Morris B. Holbrook & Robert M. Schindler (1991) “Echoes of the Dear Departed Past” that studied consumer behavior and recognition of familiar experience and came to the conclusion that we are indeed driven to the familiar. Other studies that we made a consultation on were Jannine Lasaleta et al. (2014) “Nostalgia Weakens the Desire for Money” and Meredith Ford & equipo (2018)
both came to the conclusion that when nostalgia is put on the table, the consumer tends to value more the feelings that they are experimenting rather than the procession of money.
We didn’t found many serious studies on if our generation was more nostalgic but we did find out that Harvard business and the journal of business are conducting studies right now and the consumer behavior around nostalgia of our generation and how they seemed to experience nostalgia for periods they were not even alive for.
Because of this we thought that capture a tale that grew with us and turning it into something fashion was an strategic decision that will represent brand connection and at last economic gain.
We wanted to play with the sacralization of consumption. In that point I had a really deep in interest in catholic art more specifically with the semiology of the sacred. These deeply affected in inspiration that I had when creating the planes for the images. The illustration of the light, the position of the bodies and the clarity of the images shows this parallels that were really important for me
Grecia Dossantos
During the selection of our models, we actually had a casting. something that we knew from the start was that we wanted someone who had acting experience, preferably in theater and non verbal performances. We were lucky enough defined to people who match the description and also them physical description that we had for our production. We wanted to individuals who had the typical features off a fairytale princess and Prince. From a personality point of view, we wanted people who were willing to experiment with different kind of looks because one of our ideas was to use unisex apparel
Diego Sanchez
The costume selection
For us, the costume became a character of its own. We wanted it to have a distinct identity, to tell a story, and to hold the power to unify the entire visual narrative.
To create a cohesive thread across all the images, we explored the idea of evoking the sensation of a fishnet through the styling. Some accessories were designed, while others were sourced, always with the intention of incorporating elements that subtly referenced this texture.
Rather than portraying the mermaid in a traditional way, we reimagined her through movement, luminosity, and sensuality—without falling into hypersexualization. To achieve this, we incorporated materials and details such as glitter, pearls, seashells, and a palette of whites and reds, allowing her presence to feel fluid and evocative.
For the prince, we developed a non-binary wardrobe. As this project also functions as a fashion tutorial, it was important for us to showcase pieces in a way that feels inclusive rather than limited to a specific audience. We wanted the styling to inspire a broad spectrum of fashion enthusiasts.
Additionally, we intentionally blended contemporary elements with more timeless pieces. Both characters wear garments that feel anchored in specific eras, while others introduce a more modern perspective, creating a layered and dynamic visual language.
