Zora Sicher collaborated with model agency Güerxs to shoot the fresh faces challenging the Mexican fashion industry’s tired standards
Since launching last year, Mexico City’s Güerxs model agency has been commended for its diverse roster of models. Campaigning for a much-needed change within the Mexican fashion industry, this new generation of young talent is paving the way for a realistic representation of Mexican beauty in the fashion world, championing racial, emotional, sexual and bodily diversity.
An introduction through mutual friends and a combined desire to change the industry’s “outdated” aesthetic brought together Güerx’s 20-year-old founder, Maria Osado, and New York photographer Zora Sicher. “There’s pressure to reach a certain standard of European beauty in Mexico,” explains Sicher, “so having something like the agency is really important. They’re getting a lot of positive feedback and it’s really refreshing to have something that provides a more accurate representation of Mexican people. Güerxs is such a great group of people, they’re like a community essentially. Everyone works so well together and they hang out together all the time. It’s going to go a long way.”
In a celebration of the fact the agency recently doubled its books, with the addition of nine new faces, Sicher and agency founder Osado brought the models together for a sun-drenched shoot in the heart of Mexico City. Created with the same authentic approach that Güerxs prides itself on, the series is a beautiful homage to natural Mexican beauty. The resulting images evoke a feeling of honest togetherness; there was no styling, minimal make-up by Adrian Gonzalez, and they shot in the parking lot outside of a studio the morning after both models and photographer had been at a house party. “I love the images where they’re all lying on top of each other,” Sicher muses. “Maria called it the ‘new Mexican renaissance’, which is very explanatory for me, particularly in the current climate.”
Make-up by Adrian Gonzalez.
