Rising from the rocky cliffs of Calpe in the Alicante region of Spain, lays an architecture marvel named, La Muralla Roja, translating literally to, The Red Wall. Built in 1973 by the architect Ricardo Bofill, the geometric and maze-like building was actually created as an apartment complex, equipped with private swimming pools and roof terraces for resident’s use. Drawing inspiration from North African countries as well as Greek influences, Bofill “characterized the building by a series of interlocking stairs, platforms, and bridges.” He chose vibrant hues of reds, violets and blues so that no matter the weather, the complex would always create a visual contrast with the landscape.

Anna and I had the most exciting day shooting at this location, as it was a creative dream to create some amazing images there. This iconic building has been used for so many of the best global fashion campaigns and editorial magazine shoots from YSL, Lancome, Harpers Bazar and recently, H&M had their campaigns shot there as well!

For my two looks, I decided on some cute summer sandals and dresses to create some fluidity against the rigidness of the building. On the blue stairs, I chose a white, embroidered kaftan style button-up dress from Storets, that came with a matching belt with tassel detailing to add more shape. I wanted to keep the all white theme and paired the dress with some white canvas laced-up espadrille platforms by Castaner. For the pink portion, I went for what has been dubbed the “sexiest dress on the planet,” (per the Fashion Slave) a black, red polka dot, wrap-up mini dress by Realisation Par. It featured a ruffled edge from the bodice to the bottom hem, adding an extra flare to this flirty number. I finished the look with some black suede, laced-up sandals from Chinese Laundry, and threw on a red pair of sunnies to match!

I have seen this magical location a few times portrayed in magazines and of course on Instagram, but had no idea until recently that its actually located in the neighboring town that I spent my childhood visiting! It was a mere half an hour away from my summer home in Spain, so there was no question that we were making it a mission to go there this time and shoot. The photographs turned out beautifully, and I am so thrilled I had the chance to make my creative dream come true. 

Photography: Anna Sandul