Go Girl: Inside Romane Kouo Nteppe's Latest Editorial
- Jul 15
- 7 min read
Updated: Jul 16
Working between Paris and Marseille, French photographer Romane Kouo Nteppe creates portraits where beauty, fashion, and presence exist in equal measure. Kouo is drawn to quiet moments of individuality, using composition, light, and posture to create images that feel both sculptural and deeply intimate.
Of Afro-Caribbean heritage, Kouo's perspective is informed by lived experience, though she resists reducing her work to identity alone. Instead, her background shapes her visual instincts, influencing the faces she gravitates toward and the way she photographs skin, texture, and form. Over time, portraiture has become a way to explore individuality through the image itself.
"I've found myself continually drawn to faces, gazes, and postures that carry a quiet sense of strength," she says. "Ultimately, photography has become a way of reclaiming space."
That philosophy is woven throughout her latest editorial collaboration with Paris-based stylist Ophélie Hippocrate. Rather than producing a traditional fashion lookbook, the pair chose to develop the project as an editorial, giving themselves the freedom to build a narrative through casting, beauty, locations, and atmosphere. The result is a series where portraiture is just as essential as the garments themselves, allowing every image to communicate something beyond the clothes.
For Kouo, the sculptural quality of an image begins with composition. The relationship between the body, light, and surrounding space creates a sense of form, while intimacy comes from something far less constructed.
"The sculptural quality comes from composition," she explains. "The intimacy comes from searching for presence within the person I'm photographing. I'm interested in photographing individuality rather than directing a particular emotion."
Rather than asking her subjects to perform vulnerability, Kouo creates an environment where authenticity can emerge naturally. Her portraits never feel overly directed or theatrical. Instead, they invite viewers to slow down, finding strength in subtle gestures, quiet expressions, and the way a person simply occupies space.
That same philosophy shapes her approach to fashion photography. While clothing provides the visual framework, Kouo never allows it to overshadow the individual wearing it. The face, posture, and atmosphere remain central to every frame, ensuring fashion becomes an extension of identity rather than its replacement.
"I never want the person to disappear behind the styling," she says.
The collaborative nature of the editorial also played a significant role in shaping the final work. Produced alongside an all-women creative team, the project evolved through conversation, trust, and a shared willingness to build upon one another's ideas. Rather than following a rigid plan, the images developed organically throughout the day, with each creative contributing their own perspective to the story.
"I've become more comfortable leaving space for collaboration, intuition, and unexpected moments," she reflects. "This editorial reminded me that not everything has to go according to plan. Instead of trying to control every detail, I learned to adapt, trust the process, and respond to what was happening in the moment."
Choker Lola Casademunt Corset Lena Hoschek Joggers Arthur Jeandat Bracelet Ti Sento Bangle Luc Kieffer Boots Jayco.Studio
Location played an equally important role. Rather than treating Paris as a recognizable backdrop, Kouo and Hippocrate sought spaces where texture, color, and architecture could naturally interact with the styling. The city becomes part of the narrative, adding atmosphere without competing for attention.
"We also photographed in neighborhoods where Ophélie grew up, which naturally influenced the way we approached the city. Those places already carried a personal history, making Paris feel less like a backdrop and more like a lived-in part of the story."
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