Cute as a Bug Jacket: Fashion Against Iqaluit Mosquitoes

A few months ago, Sara and I were looking at some pretty summer fashion photography. You know the type: stoic models in lace and gingham, sitting forcibly in grassy meadows or lying amongst flowers. While gazing at the sun-filtered shots, I remarked, “We’d need bug nets to do that up here.” And so a concept was born.

For those of you who don’t know, Iqaluit has crazy bugs. I mostly see mosquitoes, but the Arctic is no stranger to insects. The mozzies here are, in a word, intense, such that Iqalummiut who enjoy going outside all have within their possession an arsenal of bug defenders, from sprays to nets to jackets.

To style this shoot, I wanted to use soft colours and textures, to stand in juxtaposition with the heavy, dark bug nets. I also needed models who could look serious and chic while being sprayed with mosquito repellant. At my service came Sara and our friend Bibi Bilodeau, author of the blog Coffee Girl and our Nunavut news parody post. The three of us hiked the Apex Trail under last night’s evening sun in order to showcase the very latest in bug protective fashion.

Bug Net Photo Shoot

Hair and Make-Up: Sara Statham and Bibi Bilodeau
Clothing: Models’ own
Bug Paraphernalia: Anubha Momin and Sara Statham

Do the bugs bug you? How do you protect yourself? Let us know in the comments below!

Thank you to Sara and Bibi for being such brave models – bare skin with Iqaluit mosquitoes and/or Arctic wind is no small challenge.

To see more fun photos and previews of our upcoming photo shoots, follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

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• # bugs
• # iqaluit
• # photos
• # tundra