And then there were 12.

When the danger gets too wild for our polished, city-dwelling heroes, it’s time to call in the heavy artillery—meet Warrior Nkiru. Little is known about Nkiru’s mysterious past, but the SlickforceGirls are more than happy to have her join their fight.

Longtime Slickforce fans will recognize model Kersti Pitre playing our newest hero. Kersti’s first shoot ever was at SlickforceStudio when she was 18, and she’s returned several times since, including our Mastering Retouching series. This time, she returns to play her toughest role yet—and all for a good cause. A portion of profits from sales of Warrior Nkiru artwork are donated to help the fight against breast cancer.

This tribal warrior concept required more planning than any other character besides Astronaut Vanessa, predominantly due to detailed costume demands. Each piece of Nkiru’s jewelry was handmade in Kenya by the Maasai women of Enkolili village specifically for this shoot. Kersti patiently sat with Ivory Coast braid-artist Aline Ansansame for hours to create the authentic African braiding, while makeup artist Therese Williams carefully painted her face with tribal marks. Special weapons—and even trees—were all brought in to complete Nkiru’s warrior motif.

Go backstage with Kersti as she suits up for the shoot of a lifetime by clicking on the video above. And welcome Warrior Nkiru to the SlickforceGirl team!

Model: KERSTI PITRE
Photographer: NICK SAGLIMBENI
Makeup: THERESE WILLIAMS
Hair: GANOHON ALINE ANSANSAME
Wardrobe: DIANA CHAN
Jewelry made by THE MAASAI WOMEN OF ENKOLILI VILLAGE in Kenya
BTS Stills: JOYCE PARK