Natural Beauty: Portraits of a Protagonist
By The Line
The refined silhouettes of New York-based Protagonist are quietly distinctive, designed to highlight rather than overshadow, to whisper rather than shout. The fall 2015 collection offers the opportunity to focus on one strong character—model Georgia Hilmer—and to see the world through her eyes. Hilmer’s own photographs, scanned from the 35-mm film she favors, combine with those of Thomas Lohr to bring new dimension to pieces inspired by transitions: of rough to smooth, raw to polished, nature to culture.
Protagonist Tunic 08 Exaggerated Tunic with Plastron
“I started taking pictures with a Polaroid-remake—the Fuji Instax—in high school. I loved immediately having a physical photo to hold,” says Hilmer, 21, who grew up in Jersey City and is a student at New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study. “Then I really fell hard for photography when my ex-boyfriend gave me a Yashica T4 point-and-shoot film camera for my twentieth birthday. I don’t leave the house without it now, and I usually develop a couple of rolls a week, shooting as I walk around and hang out with friends.”
It was exactly a year after receiving the fateful gift of a film camera that Hilmer decided to treat herself to a birthday bouquet at the Union Square Farmer’s Market, and the blooms soon proved worthy subjects. “I got home right as the light was going gold. The flowers turned a buttery color and seemed to melt into a piece of cardboard I had lying around,” she says. “For a tomboy, I’m in love with flowers. Watching them bloom and decay and dry out, changing color and shape the whole way, never gets old.”
The understated ease of Protagonist makes me feel like myself but just polished enough. There is room in each piece for my own personality—the refined version of it. Georgia Hilmer
Protagonist Dress 17 Strapless Nipped Waist Dress
Walking the runway for the likes of Chanel, Céline, J.W. Anderson, Protagonist, and MM6 Martin Margiela makes for a busy international travel schedule, and Hilmer is constantly on the hunt for visual inspiration. “I’m attracted to the changing light at daybreak and golden hour, to wonky shadows and reflections, to colors and patterns wherever I find them,” she says, turning to her photo of sunlight glinting off the Hudson River.
“Ever since a mess of work trips scrambled my sleep cycle in March, I’ve been waking up before sunrise. In spring, when I stayed at my parents’ house in Jersey, I’d get out of bed as soon as the first light broke through my bedroom window and go down to the Hudson to watch the sun come up behind Manhattan,” notes Hilmer. “Half the time the show in the sky was matched by an equally dramatic play on the river’s surface. I love the glow and froth in this photo—some mornings the sun reflected pink or orange or blood red on the water.”
Another one of Hilmer’s favorite photos is a recent shot of tree bark illuminated by the sun. “My family has been going to Rhode Island every summer since before I was born. As I get older and have fewer chances to go, I make it a point to explore the wilds around our house,” she says. “Coming out of the woods in July, all the trees were dappled with amber light. I almost didn’t take this photo. It’s hard to tell what’s going on at first glance, but I’m glad I looped back to freeze the spotted trunks. My summers are different now, they move faster and involve more time alone, and this picture feels true to that change.”
Protagonist Coat 03 Double-Breasted Overcoat and Skirt 11 Double-Split Skirt, NewbarK Roma IV Sandal
Looking toward the transition from summer to fall, Hilmer plans to continue chasing golden light as she trains her lens on dancing tree branches, colorful leaves, fading petals, and moments when her friends are “either super-relaxed or super-excited.” She also has her eye on some Protagonist pieces. “At this shoot, I fell for the strapless black dress I wore,” she says of the new nipped-waist style. “The understated ease of Protagonist makes me feel like myself but just polished enough. There is room in each piece for my own personality—the refined version of it.”
Protagonist Pullover 05 V-Neck Pullover with Collar
I am lucky to get to take photos selfishly, for pure pleasure, and I’m obsessed now, always trying to document what’s unfolding around me. Georgia Hilmer
Protagonist Coat 04 Kimono Wrap Coat with Leather Belt
Protagonist Tunic 07 Panel Tunic with Tie and Sweater 14 Ribbed Apron with Side Slits
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