Model: Candice Lam. Photographer: Reinhardt Kenneth

“The Black Lotus” photo series was co-created by LA-based Indonesian fashion and celebrity photographer Reinhardt Kenneth and NYC-based Chinese fashion model, actress and sustainability advocate Candice Lam (林蔚). The two creatives aspired to create otherworldly imageries embracing an androgynous, boundless, yet authentic expression in the name of fashion. 

Model: Candice Lam. Photographer: Reinhardt Kenneth. The Black Lotus 1

“The Black Lotus” Candice Lam photographed by Reinhardt Kenneth.

The Black Lotus project

The artistic collision brought together three unique and distinctive fashion brands as well as incorporating an upcycled brand The Scarab Lab handmade by our stylist Deanna Kennedy.

Long coat & patched trousers, Maison de hoe. Black corset, The Scarab Lab. Belt & chocker, HOS Leather X Darkest Fox. Rings, Kon.sen.suss.

All the brands have keen desires to use fashion as the vehicle for transformation of the society; a society that is more inclusive, open, and resolute in solving the social and environmental issues that confront us all.

Model: Candice Lam. Photographer: Reinhardt Kenneth. The Black Lotus 2

Long coat & patched trousers, Maison de hoe. Black corset, The Scarab Lab. Belt & chocker, HOS Leather X Darkest Fox. Rings, Kon.sen.suss.

The project also aims to support and raise opportunities for small independent designers from the BIPOC community. As a result, the production of “The Black Lotus” has rendered astonishing images that embodied the very element of sustainability, equality, and balance.

Black pleather A-line dress, Maison de hoe. Black leather choker & leash belt, Domestique X Darkest. Fox head piece, The Scarab Lab. Rings & face piece, Kon.sen.suss.

The brands

Maison de hoe is a New York-based fashion house founded by VV Hanwei Su, an award-winning Parsons graduate and sustainable designer. The brand represents the voice of contemporary Chinese grunge culture and female power, drawing inspiration from cultural references and the edginess of metropolitan cities. Maison de hoe traces its origins back to the Chinese POPO farming tool, which empowers women to embrace their strength by the act of grabbing their own hoes.

Darkest Fox, a high-end lingerie retail brand founded by entrepreneur Mabel Liang. Their mission is to celebrate sensuality by empowering individuals through bold, elegant aesthetics. Darkest Fox curates emerging designer brands of cutting edge, elegant lingerie.

Model: Candice Lam. Photographer: Reinhardt Kenneth. The Black Lotus 3

Kon.sen.suss is a pioneering accessory brand, by two award-winning Parsons graduates, Abbir Malik and Winnie Hao. With a vision to redefine the fashion industry, Kon.sen.suss is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of design and creating accessories that are beyond the ordinary.

The team behind this editorial is composed of a group of creatives from various ethnic backgrounds. The diversity in this project is to be celebrated, as this gives the project different influences and perspectives. Oftentimes, the Lotus flower symbolizes balance, purity, and beauty. This editorial series aims to impute the same values in our world, which currently has lost its equilibrium.

Model: Candice Lam. Photographer: Reinhardt Kenneth. The Black Lotus 4

Pleated A-Line dress,  Maison de hoe. Leather harness, Love Lorn Lingerie X Darkest Fox. Mash top, The Scarab Lab.

Pleated A-Line dress,  Maison de hoe. Leather harness, Love Lorn Lingerie X Darkest Fox. Mash top, The Scarab Lab.

Floral layered shirt & curtain dress, Maison de hoe. Silver corset, The Scarab Lab. Leather choker, Love Lorn Lingerie X Darkest Fox. Ring & ear piece, Kon.sen.suss.

Model: Candice Lam. Photographer: Reinhardt Kenneth. The Black Lotus 5

Floral layered shirt & curtain dress, Maison de hoe. Silver corset, The Scarab Lab. Leather choker, Love Lorn Lingerie X Darkest Fox. Ring & ear piece, Kon.sen.suss.

Model: Candice Lam. Photographer: Reinhardt Kenneth. The Black Lotus 6

**Team Credits** 
Photography: Reinhardt Kenneth @reinhardtkenneth.
Muse: Candice Lam @iamcandicelam of Elite Model NYC @elitenyc @nomadmgmt.
Fashion Brands: Maison De Hoe @maison.de_hoe, Darkest Fox @darkest.fox, Kon.sen.suss @kon.sen.suss.
Makeup Artist: El Debratto @el__debratto.
Hair Stylist: Sherrys Glam @sherrysglamup.
Fashion Stylist: The Scarab Lab @thescarablab.
Retouching: Liam Jenkins @liamjenkins.retoucher.
Lighting Director: Hugo Arvizu @arvizu_arts.
Location Producer: Maximilian Zim @0xmilian.
Gaffer: Beyonce Rose @beyoncerosee.
Grip: Agostina Gerardi @agosgerardi.
Digitech & BTS: Valeria Sarto @valeria.sartoo.
Photographer’s Assistants: Kelvin Clark @thekelvinclark.
Fashion Assistants: Rosie Le @barbierosie777, Gia Myers @gia.myers, Natalie Cohen @natalie_cohen.

Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam