Annalisa Hartlaub, a 16 year old student at the Ohio State University created an interesting photography project titled “Counter // Culture”, that captures a glimpse of the fashion and makeup trends of different eras, starting with the 1920s up until 2020, using herself as a model.
Annalisa Hartlaub’s project, which was an assignment for her photography class project at her school, illustrates nearly 100 years worth of fashion trends in a series of stunning photos that reveal both the mainstream trends and the counter cultural trends that helped shape every decade and eventually influenced subsequent decades, as well as the amazing transformation that occurred in the meantime.
While the left image in each group illustrates the mainstream trends of the decade, the right side highlights the counter cultural trends that fascinated teens and managed to create an interesting subculture. Each of the photos are created with painstaking attention to details in order to give the impression that each of the images captured were shot in the decade they are meant to portray.
1930s Mainstream/Counter Cultural Trend
1940s Mainstream/Counter Cultural Trend
One of the reasons why the student’s historical selfies are so interesting is because they tapped into one of her passions. “I’ve always been fascinated, and a bit infatuated, with counterculture and how it shapes society and mainstream culture as well. So I decided to mix that interest with my love of fashion, makeup, and photography to create something, ” she told Huffington Post.
The photography style, the hair, makeup and fashion choices are all carefully selected. While the 30s are reflected with the help of the sepia effect, the 1980s shots, are underlined using the Lomo effect, a popular choice for the decade.
1950s Mainstream/Counter Cultural Trend
1960s Mainstream/Counter Cultural Trend
It’s definitely interesting to see nearly 100 years of fashion evolution from this creative perspective. Another compelling aspect revealed in the “Counter // Culture” project is how the counter cultural trends managed to shape the mainstream trends soon after.
1970s Mainstream/Counter Cultural Trend
1980s Mainstream/Counter Cultural Trend
1990s Mainstream/Counter Cultural Trend
2000s Mainstream/Counter Cultural Trend
2020s Mainstream/Counter Cultural Trend
Which decade do you think suits her best? What fashion decade is the most representative for your style?
See also:10 Beauty Icons of the 20th Century10 Beauty Icons from the 90s
Photos: Annalisa Hartlaub
