These are the remarkable photographs that transformed Merthyr into an unlikely fashion shoot.
They are the result of costume workshops that were held with children at Gellideg youth centre in the town.
The workshops were run by the photographer Clémentine Schneidermann and creative director Charlotte James.
The collaboration resulted in a project lasting nearly three years, between Schneidermann, James and a group of children from the youth centre and the Coed Cae Interact club near Brynmawr.
The striking photographs that were taken as part of the creative project are now to appear in an exhibition called It's Called Ffasiwn (Welsh for fashion).
The exhibition's title comes from the moment when a group of girls from the youth centre were out on the streets of Merthyr having their picture taken when a group of boys stopped to watch and laughed at them.
“It's called fashion!” one of the girls shouted at the boys. “Look it up!”
The pair would stage workshops for the children - Schneidermann, 27, who is originally from Paris, teaching photography tot hose behind the lens, James, 29, who grew up in Merthyr, styling and customisation for the aspiring models and designers.
The workshops became so popular they were also staged at summer schools.
While the children put together their vivid creations, the fashion shoots provided a striking backdrop to the photography with images taken in local streets, working men’s clubs, bingo halls and beaches
The images that emerged from the photoshoots combine social documentary, fashion, landscape art and portraiture.
“We had no aim,” James told The Guardian. “We were just doing it for fun, building something from scratch.”
She added: “Something is keeping us here. We are both really inspired by the place.
“I was once a kid from the area. There isn’t easy access to culture. Young people aren’t encouraged to look to the creative industries as a career. I hope the workshops can spark something and encourage creative practice to grow out of small towns.”
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One of the girls who took part in the photoshoot, 15-year-old Alisha White, who wore a dress made out of laundry bags, told the newspaper: “People were laughing, giving us weird looks – some people asked us what we were doing.
“I just thought of my town as my town. But now we’ve done this, it’s made me think it can be more. It doesn’t need to be what you think it is. If you want it to be a background for a photoshoot, then that’s what it’s going to be. The possibilities are endless.”
• It’s Called Ffasiwn by Clémentine Schneidermann and Charlotte James will be on display at the Martin Parr Foundation, Bristol, from March 27 to May 25. A zine accompanying the exhibition is available online via ffasiwn.bigcartel.com
