Marina Afonina

If anything Marina Afonina should be applauded for is her sophisticated, classic, neutral palette she continuously brings to life in every styling shoot.

Every time I clutch my new issue of Bazaar, I immediately search, nose pressed hard against the shiny pages of colour and fantasy, until I stop at what feels like an old friend.
Reliable, dependable and neverendingly stylish chic Marina Afonina.

Her style is instantly recognisable. Beige, cream, caramel, tan, camel, taupe, (I could go on), against striking black bodysuits, man styled pants or an always crisp shirt. The models are spared the over the top makeup, Marina prefers them to appear effortlessly glamourous with an Au natural appearance. Bronze sun kissed skin, with sea water misted hair in a loose braid or bun, with natural wisps subtly framing the face. Perfection.

And boy does she practise what she preaches. I was lucky enough to work with Marina when I was in Sydney interning with Bazaar for almost two months. This lady really lives and breathes her style and projects that into every issue, photograph and story that has her byline.

For instance, I was given a package for Marina from the courier, what was in the bag were a pair of Givenchy beige wedges. These wedges were not a pair to be outdated, you can see this women knows what to invest on (to be fair she did receive them with a large discount).

She turns up to work in khaki coloured pants, mocha coloured tanks, faded leopard cotton harem pants (to die for) and her hair is always back in a small messy bun, with of course the ever noticeable wisps around her temple and ears.

It seems this once market editor for Harper's has found her true calling. In a world where fashion is often dominated by bold intense colours, prints and outrageous designs, with designers constantly trying to outdo one another at each fashion show, it is impressive to still see a stylist still work with the basics.

For Marina Afonina, it all comes down to the cut, the tone, the material and the awe inspiring effortless chic.

get the look.

From top left clockwise: Fendi leather zipper-pocket shorts, Acne acupuncture asymmetrical mini dress, Camilla Skovgaard saw suede mules, 3.1 Phillip Lim berry leather carry-all wallet, Missoni ginepro woven tank dress, James Perse paneled cotton shirt, Chloe canvas and leather sandals, Zimmermann laced silk-satin dress.

Photo shoot images scanned from March issue of H.B.