Belladonna Obscura: A Revival of ‘70s Psychedelic Beauty

2 Jan

Belladonna Obscura is a fashion series inspired by the Japanese erotic-horror film Belladonna of Sadness, a cult film that originally caused its studio to go bankrupt.

Famous for its 70s psychedelic imagery, and experimental storytelling the film Belladonna of Sadness explores heavy themes such as misogyny, feudal oppression, witch-hunting and moral depravity through its poetic, animated watercolour frames. In this photo series model, Baiyun emulates the tragic character of Jeanne, a French peasant woman who is at first violated by her town, spiralling a tale of transformation that eventually leads her to a crossroads where she ultimately makes a deal with the devil and fully embodies becoming a witch.

Choker: Mukcyen Top: Mukcyen Dress: Borboleta Kozue Corset: Mukcyen Shoes: Lepotokio

Shot primarily on 35mm film, Belladonna Obscura uses light, layered colored gels, and translucent fabrics to evoke the texture of fading memories, like water-damaged prints or ghostlike hallucinations that are reminiscent of the psychedelic, watercolour imagery of Belladonna of Sadness. Balancing violence with softness and shifting between vulnerability and rupture, garments are worn as symbols of beauty, femininity, and pain. With metallic spikes, corsets, lace, and bloodied dresses featured in the styling.

Belladonna Obscura recreates feudal France in modern-day Tokyo, with the clash of harsh concrete and boxy architecture against stained glass, floral arrangements, and sheer-lace backdrops. Baiyun is styled as a form of armour, emphasising the strength fashion has in our daily lives to protect us from our surroundings. Just as Jeanne transforms from vulnerable to powerful, the styling undergoes developments from soft and feminine to dark and dynamic.

Belladonna of Sadness is debated whether it is exploitative or a feminist film, referencing complex subjects such as female sexual empowerment, but despite whatever the intentions are it cannot be denied that Belladonna of Sadness was ahead of its time; with ambiguous themes that similar to our reality reflect endless shades of grey against what people try to label black or white. In Belladonna Obscura, similarly, Baiyun is in an ambiguous space where the city is a stage for fashion as a ritual, and fashion expresses the inherent pain that accompanies beauty and femininity.