#projectbug butterfly lovers

The Butterfly Lovers is a tragic but beautiful Chinese legend. Because of the traditions of the era, Zhu Yingtai had to disguise herself as a young man in order to attend school.  Along her journey to the school, she met a scholar named Liang Shanbo.  They immediately became friends and "sworn brothers." The pair studied together for the next three years.  Zhu gradually fell in love with Liang. Due to his preoccupation with his books, Liang failed to notice Zhu's feminine characteristics. Zhu was forced to leave school at her father's request. When Liang visited her months later, he finally discovered that Zhu was actually an enchanting woman and they vowed "til death do us part." Their joy was fleeting as Zhu's parents had arranged for her to marry a wealthy man. Liang was devastated when he heard the news. His health quickly declined and he died. On the day of Zhu's arranged marriage, sudden whirlwinds prevented the wedding procession from escorting the bride past Liang's grave. Zhu then threw herself on his grave and begged for the grave to open up. With a clap of thunder, the grave suddenly opened and Zhu fell in. A pair of butterflies soon emerged from the grave, embodying the lovers' spirits and ensuring they would never be separated again.

Butterfly Headpiece and Hairpin: vintage and new brass butterflies, amazonite stone, facetted crystal.
Finger Accessories: Filigree brass components with facetted red crystal.

Art Direction: Niki Lazaridou and Candice Wu
Photography: Niki Lazaridou
Headpiece, Hair Accessory and Finger Accessories: Alexa Cach of HOUSE OF CACH
Garments: styled and/or created by Candice Wu Couture
Models: Yuen C Jia (Major Model Management), Adrian Li (Maggie Inc) and Hongshen Jin (Dynasty Models & Talent)
Makeup: Jeremy Stone
Hair: Michael Albor, Stella Cara