The series of images within this book is the result of an online casting call that posed the question ‘How do you express your own idea of ‘femininity’ through your personal style?’.

Policed expectations of femininity within society are an everyday occurrence, which not only comes from mass media advertising and social media, but these unattainable stereotypes have been ingrained throughout history for hundreds of years. The diversity of the subjects photographed within this book is only a small representation of how diverse feminine style can be. Each individual has a different relationship with the term ‘femininity’, but together, they represent a strong and expressive feminine unit intending to encourage more inclusive and diverse imagery of what it means to be feminine.

Victoria Barrell is a fashion and portrait photographer based in the south-west of England.

Victoria's work exhibits an empathy of femininity, aiming to amplify uncontrived reflections of her subjects.

Victoria's research has focused on how patriarchal influences have impacted idealised representations of women, through the use of female archetypes. This has encouraged Victoria to use herself and people around her as a vehicle for tackling gender misrepresentations.

"My work is about embracing a female driven image of beauty in both men and women rather than one that is only complementary to patriarchal systems"