Edward Bess has an eye for atmospheric and unstudied portraiture. In a sweeping photo series featuring Michèle Lamy, a fashion figure, provocateur and performer without equal, Bess reveals dramatic and intimate aspects of her life. Part invitation, part evocation, the images form an enigmatic diary with no fixed time or place.

Born in Charleston, South Carolina, Edward Bess was 15 when he began studying theatre at Manhattan’s Professional Performing Arts School. Three years later, he moved to London where he also pursued modeling. These experiences influenced and defined his perspective on beauty, inspiring him to launch an eponymous makeup line composed of bold but wearable shades in 2006. Edward Bess currently includes a skin care range, hair care, fragrance collections and more – all expressing his pared-down beauty philosophy.