is a visual study of beauty, control, and contradiction—told through the lens of a girl who’s learned to weaponize her silence.
The TOXIC Series (2025) by Mikael van Lichtberg is a cinematic analog photo series captured in the volcanic landscapes of Iceland, featuring a blonde fashion model in flowing neutral tones. Shot entirely on location with natural light and minimal styling, the editorial explores a young woman’s quiet defiance against societal expectations of femininity. Through wind-swept hair, poised stares, and distant backdrops, the series subtly reflects on the tension between softness and control, beauty and detachment.
They told her she was dangerous once.
She wrote it down in cursive on the inside of her coat. Now she wears it when it rains.
She doesn’t like metaphors, but she collects them anyway.
A white dress in volcanic ash.
A bouquet stolen from a funeral.
An unopened book with your name on the spine.
There’s a certain kind of girl who gets blamed for the weather.
Too much wind in her voice, too many clouds behind her eyes. You know the type. She walks ahead even when she’s lost. She waits until your hands are full before dropping the truth.
She doesn’t cry in front of strangers. Not because she’s strong, but because she’s scared it might look rehearsed.
She dreams of disappearing in places no one checks for bodies:
A hotel bathroom at 3am
The notes app
A moment that almost looked like freedom
Her softness is always questioned.
Either it’s fake, or it’s a trap.
Either way, she knows how to use it.
That’s not the compliment you think it is.
Sometimes she says “I’m fine” just to prove she can lie better than you.
In the end, she stays quiet.
Not out of guilt.
Out of style.
