Costume & Production
Designer
Advocacy Campaign
After
Location Before
After
Location Before
Credits
Health Advocacy Campaign
Feat. Mika & the artists from Decorus Atelier Of Figurative Art
Directed & Edited by @Jean Paulo Lasmar
Cinematography by @Auden Bui
Production & Costume Design by @KelseyHannahWalsh
Produced by Renata dy Souza
Original Music by @Henrique Tanji
Mixed at @ritmika_audio_arts
Color Grading by @Ricardo Herling
Surgery can change bodies. Art can change minds. Throughout history, art has dictated beauty standards for women, mostly through the eyes of male artists. This standard, though antiquated, still exists in culture and even permeates into medical care. According to studies, women’s breasts are among the most consequential symbols of femaleness in the US. So, it is not surprising that 50% of the 100,000 American women who undergo a mastectomy every year choose to reconstruct their breasts—even though this might not be a healthier choice for all.
Most women are not given the option of going flat, or Aesthetic Flat Closure (AFC), as an alternative by their plastic surgeons, and many who would prefer to stay flat are dismissed by their plastic surgeons and pressured into reconstruction. There are many stories of women who selected AFC and woke up from anesthesia only to find the surgeon had left excessive skin in place for when they change their mind, saying, “you’ll thank me later.”
The Life Models campaign for Aesthetic Flat Closure Awareness (AFC) tells the story of Mika, a woman who went flat after her breast cancer diagnosis. Mika took a stand against beauty standards, showing that Aesthetic Flat Closure is a valid, beautiful choice often never presented to patients and dismissed by society and surgeons. In the film, Mika poses for a drawing class where typically, conventional nude models pose for student artists. The experience surprised artists and challenged them to redefine beauty in classical art.
We displayed 30 original artworks from the class at an art exhibition in NYC and invited members of the flat community, women with breast cancer, surgeons, and the general public. The class and exhibit both were captured in a short film, which has become a powerful educational tool, moving AFC outside of the medical setting and bringing it into our culture through art.
The Production Designer played a key role in shaping the visual language of the advocacy film, grounding Mika’s story in environments that underscored the film’s themes of resilience and redefining beauty. The classical art studio set created a documentary-style authenticity that rooted the narrative in tradition and history. In contrast, Mika’s apartment was designed with bright, modern colors and nostalgic details, reflecting her vibrant spirit and heroic choice to embrace life after breast cancer without reconstructive surgery. Finally, the gallery setting elevated the artwork produced in the class, combining contemporary, high-end design with a sense of celebration, positioning Mika’s journey—and the art it inspired—as a powerful new standard of beauty. The campaign has received recognition at The Cannes Lions and the Clio Awards.
