Martine Sitbon’s love of alternative, creative figures seems evident in all her endeavours, a fact that can turn even a simple fashion story into a veritable layer cake of meaning. For A#5, guest creative director Marc Ascoli together with photographer Jean François Lepage have executed an exclusive shoot of Martine’s collection featuring Romanian-born model Irina Lazareanu, a girl whose talents lie not only in her powerful aura as a model and muse, but as a singer and songwriter also.

Citing Leonard Cohen as her inspiration to begin writing songs as a teenager growing up in Canada, Irina’s illustrious career has seen her collaborate with friends such as Pete Doherty and Sean Lennon on musical projects in the past several years, as well as creating her own soulful tunes inspired by bohemian artists of the 20th century like Joan Baez.

The production is a dark and moody piece that delivers brilliant chiaroscuro – a heady mix of light and shadow that showcases Martine Sitbon’s Rue Du Mail garments on Irina in an unpolished warehouse setting. Though mostly shot in colour, the images remain almost black and white, with occasional wood tones and one dramatic red backdrop. The formality and delicacy of the Rue Du Mail garments plays against the spot lighting and blurred focus, giving them an organic touch and a personality that assumes them into Lazareanu’s nonchalant, glamorous rock chick character. Just Martine’s kind of girl.