Olivier Theyskens has always harboured an underlying flair for costume and drama, ever since his earliest years designing for the Theatre de la Monnaie in Brussels in the late 90′s.

In NºD, Olivier took the period-inspired garments of Japanese designer Kanya Miki’s 2002 Antwerp graduate collection for Far East Redemption, a photo shoot with Parisian photographer Ali Mahdavi. Staged in the Flemish Opera House in Gent, Belgium, these ethereal images show model Charlotte Pasternak elevated on a plinth and surrounded by a mechanical structure of wooden arms, ropes and pulleys. As little Ella watches on, Charlotte seemes embroiled in an elaborate ceremony as the structure around her manipulates each voluminous outfit.

Photographed in soft black and white, Ali’s shots portray the foreground subjects with glowing whites, and the ornate background wallpapers and drapes fade into obscurity. Some of the images have been accented in post-production – with skirts, bowties, and coats highlighted in oil paint by artist Natacha Ivanova.

Although shot in 2002, the archaic quality of this portfolio lends it to an older era – taking cues from some of the earliest 20th century examples of film photography – adding an intriguing mystery to this strange theatrical ritual witnessed by an innocent child.