In her “Rendez-vous Parisiens” story, French fashion photographer Coco Neuville mixes stylistic elements of fashion and reportage photography. In her documentation, she stages Parisian female artists without changing the individuality of these unusual personalities.

S Magazine: Your story “Rendez-vous Parisiens” looks like a blend of fashion and reportage photography – was this your intention?
Coco Neuville: I think documentary also works in this case. I didn’t really have any intent as to what the results should look like. I just had an idea of what I wanted to do and once you’re there things become real, go quite fast and you’re shooting with who you are, what you see and what you like.

Which of the stylistic elements of your commercial work did you use and what did you consciously do differently?
I used the same basic lighting equipment I use on any other shoot. There was no fashion stylist however, and everyone was dressed in their own clothes. They were also shot in the “natural habitat” of their homes.

You have chosen a special topic, which we are showcasing here in the S Magazine. How did it come about?
These are women I find cool, because they appear very natural – like in their everyday lives. That observation was definitely a guideline for the story.

You photographed four female artists or pairs of artists respectively. What did you want to show and how did you want to portray them?
I wanted to show them as real, but preserve their coolness at the same time, and I tried to connect them to their work.

What criteria did you use in choosing your “models”?
I already knew some of the girls, others I contacted and they agreed to take part. I guess what they all have in common is creativity.

Do you see this series as the starting point of a bigger project?
It’s hard to say. Ideas are mostly a spur of the moment thing and what I want to do. I do think I’ll always want to shoot cool women though; and there are quite a big number of them out there. So yes, it’s probably the starting point of something bigger.

Who are the artists you photographed for this project?
Bérangère McNeese is a half Belgian, half American actress. She's just directed her first short film called “The Sleep of the Amazons”, which has received awards. She spent five years in college studying journalism. Eventually, she started writing, and a script came to her mind immediately. She is not into posing, but I somehow got her into it.

Noémie Ferst used to be a DJ. She's also an illustrator and a so-called sound curator, which actually means that she's quite involved in the online radio channel radioooo.com, where people can upload or download songs and create their sown play lists to match their current mood. For her it is The Musical Time Machine. Pick a decade, pick a country, and let yourself get carried away by the most beautiful musical collection on the web, literally from 1900 up to now.

Dana Fiona Armour is a German model who's come to Paris to study at Les Beaux Arts, the most prestigious art school here in Paris. For her, art is a means of reflection on the environment in which each and every one of us evolves. Her current focus is on the changing roles of men and women today, and issues like overconsumption or excess - the most absurd aspects of modern life. She opened me up to a wide spectrum of artistic practices, which I now chose from to correspond best with my subject and intended effect.

And then there is Girls, Girls, Girls, a DJ collective founded in 2012 by DJ Louise Chen and Giulietta Canzani Mora aka “Piu-Piu”, who is a renowned DJ from the Parisian underground scene. Louise Chen grew up in Luxembourg where she developed a love of music through making DIY mix tapes of the latest hits for her relatives in Taiwan. Piu Piu started her career in the fashion magazine industry, but later on became fully dedicated to music as a singer, songwriter and DJ. The all-female DJ/art collective Girls Girls Girls is currently breaking up the male-dominated confines of the Parisian creative scene. GGG's residency at the Social Club has become an integral part of the Paris, London and Berlin night-life, from DJs to dancers and everything in between, with recent guests including the likes of Sampha, Lil Silva, Jackmaster, Mykki Blanco, Kelela, and many more.