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Gender Wars: Tom Le French subverts ideas of female empowerment

Tom Le French is an award-winning French art and creative director, living in London. He's worked on a range of creative projects, both with big agencies like R/GA, BBH and Publicis Groupe, and on his personal work, including this latest side project, 'Hold Up'.

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Black handgun with a red lipstick inserted into the barrel against a pale pink background, from Tom Le French's Hold Up series

He sums up the concept behind the project as "If beauty is a weapon, who is really pulling the trigger?" In a series of eye-catching photo manipulations, Le French combines images of mass market beauty products and instruments of violence and control (sometimes overtly, sometimes more subtly), to convey a provocative message. "I thought it would be interested to create objects that represent female empowerment and objects that show societal norms which can be oppressing," he explains.

Le French hopes to develop the concept further in future. "I designed the visuals by combining photography from a stock image bank, but the longer plan is to work with a model maker to create these objects in real life, perhaps for an exhibition," he reveals.

Black Chanel Coco Noir perfume bottle with a grenade pin and lever attached to its cap against a yellow background
Black metal handcuffs with a peach-coloured makeup compact attached to one cuff against a lilac background
Green gas mask with large circular lenses combined with a hot pink hair brush against a yellow background, from Tom Le French's Hold Up series
Black stiletto heeled sandal with gold buckle detail and a black metal shackle attached at the ankle against a pink background
Two black round hair brushes with gold-coloured handles and pink bristles connected by a gold chain against a mint green background
Black mascara wand merged with brass knuckles and a pink lipstick tube against a light blue background, from Tom Le French's Hold Up project
Three ammunition cartridges with gold casings and black tips arranged against a lavender background, combining weapons with beauty product imagery
Bright pink hair straighteners with a black circular element integrated into the handle against a light blue background
A rifle with wooden furniture fitted with a large black spherical head containing bright pink and purple hair rollers in place of the barrel, against a light blue background
Black Chanel Coco Noir perfume bottle with a grenade pin and ring attached to its cap against a yellow background
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