Bella: Red Lips and Body Art - Nicole Agbayani

There I was, at the PhoenixONE expo event, slightly sleep deprived from creating my first gallery display, but full of adrenaline to be surrounded with other artists.  After finishing my set up, I walked around the church to visit the other displays.  The last table I get to is a display of necklaces -- but not just any display of necklaces.  There were these long, delicate chains holding bullets with rustic feathers attached to them.  And this is where I first met Heather Diehard and her line Ransom Me.

The mission of Heather's business is "to give consumers the opportunity to help ransom a life held captive in sexual servitude."  On her blog she describes the project as "juxtaposing the beautiful and organic with the destructive and industrial" illustrating "the hope that exists in the midst of pain."  Wow.

After running into each other a couple of times, we decided to get together for coffee one day and planned a collaboration shoot that focuses on people's individual style.  This girl is my Jay during these shoots (ANTM anyone? :) and clearly knows people with incredible taste.  You should also hear her knock-knock jokes.  Cla-ssic.

So Nicole Agbayani is the first to grace us with her lovely, oh-so-bold red lips and body art....

This is actually the driveway of where I live!

A close up look at a Ransom Me necklace

 

Don't you love the combination of the geometric dark hair, the red lips, dark dress and colorful tattoos?!  What I love most is the way women individualize their feminine traits.  We couldn't be more different... and that truly is the best part.