A visual poem exploring the dialectic forces of female strength and vulnerability as sources of personal growth and finding one’s own path.
Set in the spectacular volcanic landscape of the Canary Islands, She’s Mercedes’s latest short, “Honey & Dirt”, splices nature’s raw power and beauty with an active quest to become the best possible version of yourself – a version filled with purpose, confidence and true self-love.
Black beaches, red peaks and jagged volcanic structures serve as a symbolic backdrop and counterpart to a striking performance. A performance filled with life by one of the faces – and bodies – of the moment: Paloma Elsesser.
From academia to fashion: Paloma Elsesser finds her own path to success.
When she came to New York, Paloma Elsesser wasn’t keen to enter the fashion circuit or shoot glossy campaigns for the likes of Pat McGrath, Rihanna and Eckhaus Latta: Originally, the literature and psychology student had planned to pursue an academic career. Yet it didn’t take long for the Californian’s energy, wit and beauty to catch the eye of some of the industry’s most influential women and for her to become the face of today’s zeitgeist. Now, she uses her standing (and popular Instagram account) to promote diversity, body positivity and self-love, making her the perfect protagonist for the film’s message.
Joining influential, internationally successful peers like Adwoa Aboah, Sara Ziff or India Menuez, Paloma is part of a new wave of models who are no silent ornaments, but active voices campaigning for a fundamental change of our perception of beauty and womanhood. At the same time, Paloma also highlights the risks of the recent trend to include more diverse types in media campaigns. “I don’t want this shift to be commodified as a trend”, she says. “I want it to be a reality.”
Honey & Dirt –
Celebrating body-positivity
with Paloma Elsesser