In When No One Sees Me, photographer René Funk captures the quiet intimacy of a woman alone with herself. This editorial steps away from spectacle and into stillness, offering a tender meditation on presence, vulnerability, and the subtle shifts between light and self-perception.
“There’s a space between shadow and skin where truth quietly reveals itself.”
Bathed in warm, diffused red light, each frame moves closer toward revelation. The series moves between stillness and subtle assertion. Across five looks, the model (Mellanie Guzmán) inhabits her own presence with quiet strength.
The editorial opens with a printed coat adorned in winged cherubs from Ocho Peru, styled over a black turtleneck. It’s romantic, sharp-edged, and symbolic—the iconography of tenderness shadowed by introspection.
Guzmán is grounded in a strong-legged stance, wearing a belted silky blazer of the same print but cropped shorter. Styled with this are crimson tights wrapped over pointed heels. The silhouette is assertive but still: “a breath that belongs only to her.”
Funk’s restraint allows each garment—carefully styled by Melany Cruzado—to speak. The soft sculptural white corset dress, almost bridal in feel, evokes themes of transformation and self-reclamation. Though soft in movement, the faux fur look—paired with bold red tights—conveys a quiet self-assurance.
A long, shimmery red gown drapes the model in light and vulnerability—serene, powerful, and full of quiet tension.
“It’s when no one sees her… that she truly returns to herself.”
Ultimately, When No One Sees Me is an ode to that internal moment—when the gaze turns inward, and the self, unguarded, finally comes into focus.
Credits:
Photography: René Funk @rene.funk_
Styling: Melany Cruzado @melcruzado_
Model: Mellanie Guzmán @mellanieguzman
Agency: We Love Models Perú @welovemodels.pe
Styling Assistant: Arhelly Bautista @arhellywithmoon
Beauty: Sara Saldaña @sarasaldana_makeup
Custom Designer: Ocho @ocho.peru / @ocho.official
Photography Assistant: Camila Patiño @camila.pr
Studio: Blitz Studio @blitzstudio.pe
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