The Lake and Stars, whose name derives from a Victorian euphemism for a woman’s skill in the bedroom (I’m still trying to figure it out), combines sensuality, humor and intelligence to create a new vision of feminine style.

I first discovered the New York-based The Lake and Stars in the pages of a fashion magazine, and couldn’t help but gush over the pretty styles. The lingerie and swimwear are the perfect blend of streamlined designs and traditional details.

While their latest Spring/Summer 2010 campaign is essentially ‘fashion photography’, the photographs unfold like that of a story. The vision behind the campaign was developed by the brand’s designers Nikki Dekker and Maayan Zilberman. They looked at accidental heroines such as Marion Ravenwood in Raiders of the Lost Ark as inspiration. The model in the photographs plays a wild runaway, who plays both hunter and hunted.

The pieces within the collection feature menswear detailing and athletic elements such as the use of silicone elastic, which is mainly used to line strapless bras, but when turned inside-out provides a ‘surf’ feel.

I just love the juxtaposition of the structured pieces set against the untamed and wild landscape in which she inhabits; the campaign is dreamy, sensual and very slick. Can’t you just envision one of these photographs mounted on a wall as art? Not only is it a beautiful ad campaign, but it tells a story, immersing the viewer into an imaginative world that is inspiring.

Visit thelakeandstars.com for more information.