Shot by Vogue veteran photographer Giampaolo Sgura, Magdalena Frackowiak delivers strong poses through a series of elaborate outfits in the May issue of Vogue Japan. The shoot, entitled “Ancient Songs of Praise,” places the model in a fitting backdrop of timeworn structures and statues surrounded by lush greenery.
The photos put the focus on the art of the project, as the focal point of each picture remains a giant feathery headdress reminiscent of tropical birds. Some of the headpieces feature brightly colored plumes of orange and gold, while another one is adorned with black peacock feathers like a natural spiked punk hairdo. In one of our favorite shots from the shoot, Frackowiak is posed beside the moss-adorned lap of a stone statue in a brightly patterned Dolce & Gabbana dress, a giant praying mantis perched on the side of her feathery crown. You can tell that stylist Anna Dello Russo went all out to create these fantastical looks, and the result is simply stunning.
If anyone can model through such heavy headpieces and elaborate fashions, it’s Polish model Magdalena Frackowiak, who has been a prominent figure in the industry since age 16. Nowadays, she is represented by DNA Model Management in New York City, and is ranked number 30 in the Models.com Top 50 Women rankings. Magdalena, much like her photographer Giampaolo Sgura, is also a favorite of Vogue, having posed on the cover of their Italian, Russian, German and Japanese editions before.
Here, she creates the necessary attitude to sell these looks: a mix of stoicism and feral poses to give the vibe of a bird of prey in couture Philip Treacy (responsible for all of the featured headpieces) and Louis Vuitton (that fringy little black dress is divine). Somehow, even when she’s all but baring her teeth, you still want to buy that black and white Givenchy skirt because Magdalena is wearing it so, so well— but we guess that’s just the power of a supermodel.
