Bottega Veneta presents 'Craft is our Language', a new campaign celebrating 50 years of Intrecciato, the house’s iconic leather weave. The campaign, directed by Jack Davison and choreographed by Lenio Kaklea, explores Bottega Veneta craft and creativity, as well as the wider beauty of hand gestures as a universal language.
photography by Fernando Palafox
text by Karly Quadros
Last weekend, Mother Daughter Holy Spirit closed out their three-part fundraiser for the Trans Justice Funding Project with a celebrity-filled bash at Gitano NYC. The party was a veritable who’s who of New York City’s queer underground and nightlife royalty, brining together everyone from film stars Chloë Sevigny and Naomi Watts (and her daughter, model Kai Schreiber) to cult favorites Julio Torres and Richie Shazam to art world darling Tourmaline and supermodel Alex Consani.
“It’s funny, we called Holy Spirit the final event, and that’s how we planned it. But being there, in the energy of it all, it didn’t feel like an ending. It felt like a beginning,” said co-founder John Mollet.
The night’s events rounded out a flurry of fundraising events as trans rights are increasingly under attack under this administration. Mother Daughter Holy Spirit, which was co-founded by John Mollet and Bobbi Salvör Menuez, began with a runway show featuring Alex Consani, Richie Shazam, and more stomping the runway in clothing from the likes of Vaquera, Willie Chavaria, and Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen. Next came a pop-up boutique and online store stocked with garments donated from celebrities like Chloë Sevigny and Hari Nef, with some custom artist t-shirts peppered in for good measure.
Holy Spirit was the group’s largest event yet, scaling up from 200 attendees to over 600 dancing the night away in view of the East River. The crowd was largely trans, a mishmash of underground art legends, it girls, theater kids, and militant leftists all dancing under glittering chandeliers and palm trees. Christeene confronted the crowd with her raw, transgressive drag, while Juliana Huxtable and Fashion bumped pounding dance tunes all night long.
“[Gitano] was an unexpected choice for a crowd that often piles into dark and dank Brooklyn warehouses, but we wanted it to feel glamorous, elevated, even a bit reminiscent of the days when the queers and the artists and the yuppies all partied together at Studio 54 — a New York Moment, but this time, with a special focus on celebrating trans people as culture makers, change makers, and invaluable members of our world,” said head of production Lio Mehil.
So far, Mother Daughter Holy Spirit has raised over $50,000 in funds for trans-led grassroots organizations across the country, with additional closet and t-shirt sales scheduled in the coming weeks. In a time when the need for resources and material support for the trans community is more essential than ever, trans joy and self-expression were front and center at Holy Spirit.
“I’m not a trans person, and maybe this sounds selfish, but I truly believe my world, our world, becomes better when trans people have full equality. The trans people I’ve known throughout my life have brought forward a kind of strength, empathy, and clarity that the world desperately needs… I envision a society that seeks trans wisdom more deliberately and more often. I feel so deeply grateful to be part of a project that says to trans people: you are seen, appreciated, and loved,” said Mollet.
Explore the party with exclusive photography from Fernando Palafox.
Lea Bertucci at L’Atelier Sonore at Valentino’s Midtown Manhattan location
text by Karly Quadros
In his 2012 book How Music Works, Talking Heads frontman David Byrne argues that over time, music and its technologies evolve to suit the spaces where people do their listening: the church organ’s bellows fill the cavernous chapel, the finely tuned bedroom pop of the 2010s nestles comfortably in one’s headphones.
Lately, the fashion world has been dabbling in its own new experiments with music, style, and space, enlisting the help of sonic curators that inspire their own fervent devotion across the globe, like Terraforma and NTS Radio.
Fashion and music have always been tightly bonded from the songs that soundtrack runway shows to the musicians sporting the latest collections. Early hints to the trend came when pioneering LA radio station Dublab released a capsule collection with Carhartt for their twenty-five year anniversary last year. Similarly, Crocs and the ominously lit Hör Berlin released a collaborative shoe in 2022; Adidas announced a collaboration with the collective the year after, featuring a broadcast from Adidas’ flagship store in Berlin with DJs Soyklo, Carmen Electro, Baugruppe90, and DJ Soulseek. Krakow’s own avant music festival Unsound has designed shirts in collaboration with Polish streetwear brand MISBHV and hosted a party with them in an abandoned railway station last year.
As the ways audiences discover music together continues to evolve in the digital age, so does the fashion world’s flirtation with musical communities and experiences that are more specific, intimate, and curated.
On May 15, Valentino unveiled an intimate listening room at their Madison Avenue location in Midtown Manhattan, dubbed L’Atelier Sonore. The heavily curtained room lit with oranges and pinks was outfitted with sloping couches and an impressive sound system in the front, constructed by Francesco Lupia in collaboration with Terraforma, a collective that runs the cult classive Milanese experimental music festival of the same name. Lupia worked with impiallacciatura, a wood technique historically associated with Renaissance-era interiors. The result was something that felt opulent but modern.
“The idea was to build a sonic living room — intimate, soft, intentionally domestic. We were inspired by the Parisian salons of the early 20th century, spaces where literature, art, music, and conversation naturally converged,” said Ruggero Pietromarchi, one of Terraforma’s founders.
Over the course of the day, a small but impressive lineup of selectors took to the decks, spinning records The Loft-style, unmixed, from start to finish. There was downtown icon and New Age pioneer Laraaji, DJ and archival tape label Minimal Wave founder Veronica Vasicka, and Queens-based Nowadays resident Physical Therapy. Vibes were lush and meditative while not taking itself too seriously. Case and point? At one point, a “Careless Whisper” cover from unsung jazz hero Nancy Wilson was trotted out.
“Given the constant acceleration in our society, there’s a growing need for contemplative spaces and shared rituals. Listening requires stillness — it’s a focused, reflective act. The space was designed with that in mind: small, intimate, and free of distraction, to support attention and presence,” said Lupia.
Meanwhile in London, another fashion world plunge into hi-fi sounds was unfolding. Golden Sounds, a joint effort from Ugg and beloved Internet radio station NTS, filled two full days with programming. Panels, led by Saffron Records on Friday May 16 and NTS Radio on Saturday May 17, focused on everything from the basics of how to DJ to building your own sound system. Deep listening sets were curated, largely around South London’s jazz, R&B, and electronic scenes and featured artists like Goya Gumbani, dexter in the newsagent, Errol, and Alex Rita. There was a particular focus on sounds from London’s African and Caribbean diaspora communities: baile funk, hip hop, and soul.
For those used to going to the club for a specific producer for a particular energy, the historic importance of sound systems might not be readily apparent. Sound systems were a central feature of early dance music culture in Jamaica and the UK – often, the sound system itself was more of a draw than any one DJ or emcee. In ‘90s rave culture too, collectives and promotions would advertise on flyers the truly awesome power of their custom sound systems, often with flashy technobabble that had little to do with the actual mechanics of audio technology itself. For those that know and care about the cultural lineage of people dancing together in space, a sound system is the mothership, a monument to hedonistic release but also to the care, intention, and work that goes into bringing people together.
“It’s not just about what you hear, but how you inhabit the space while listening,” said Pietromarchi.
Golden Sounds’ events, held in an open air stone courtyard, were less cloistered than L’Atelier Sonore at Valentino but sought to capture a similar audience and atmosphere. After all, what else inspires the same devotion, obsession, and sense of exclusivity than underground music? DJs guard their rare white labels with a fervence verging on feverishness. In-the-know music fans are happy that artist broke into the mainstream but also know they used to be better (but really, how i’m feeling now will always be superior to brat.) The status, the symbols, the devotion to the archive – it’s attractive for fashion brands like Valentino and Ugg to seek out the kinds of audiences cultivated by Terraforma and NTS Radio particularly for their discerning taste and dedication.
Hi-fi spaces like these split the difference between deep listening on one’s headphones and a dance night out on the town. The question is, is having the time and access to such spaces becoming a luxury in and of itself? Like the historic sound systems from decades past, communities centered around music will persevere sometimes in resistance to and sometimes in tandem with larger cultural forces like fashion. In the meantime, it’s clear that, in a time like ours, the need for spaces that encourage deep, active listening are greater than ever before.
When asked if time and space to pause and listen had become a luxury, Pietromarchi answered honestly: “Yes — unfortunately, it often is. But I don’t believe it should be. Listening is a basic, vital act. That’s what spaces like L’Atelier Sonore try to offer: a kind of pause that isn’t passive, but active. A moment to re-centre.”
L'Atelier Sonore, an immersive listening room, is open daily through August at Valentino Madison Avenue.
The turntable at Valentino’s L’Atelier Sonore
From Calvin Klein to sustainable skincare, the maternal gaze is a guiding principle for Brazil’s prodigal son.
Francisco Costa’s path from the rarefied world of high fashion to the heart of the Amazon is a story of return—both to his geographical roots and to a practice that prioritizes community care by design. Born in the small town of Guarani, Brazil, Costa was raised by a visionary mother who ran a garment factory that empowered hundreds of local women and modeled what would now be considered a quietly radical form of sustainability.
Shortly after losing his mother during his adolescence, the budding young designer moved to New York to study fashion at FIT. An early and formative experience working for a Seventh Avenue garment manufacturer who held licenses for major designers, including Oscar de la Renta, led to Costa eventually working directly under de la Renta, becoming part of his atelier and learning the foundations of luxury design and craftsmanship. This apprenticeship was pivotal—it exposed Costa to the world of refined, couture-level design and helped him develop the precision and discipline that would later define his own minimalist aesthetic.
In the late 1990s, Costa moved to Gucci, where he worked under Tom Ford. This period helped sharpen his sense of modernity, sex appeal, and branding. Best known for his decade-long tenure as the Women’s Creative Director at Calvin Klein, Costa became a defining voice in modern reductionism—an editor of excess, who found beauty in restraint. But even then, his instinct was to reuse, reimagine, and reconnect with materials in deeply personal ways. All along the way, his mother’s ethics of care and resourcefulness continue to shape Costa’s worldview.
With the founding of Costa Brazil, he turned his attention from clothing the body to nurturing it. A pivotal trip to the western Amazon introduced him to Indigenous communities and powerful natural ingredients like breu, a sacred resin with antimicrobial and spiritual properties. Guided by partnerships with organizations like Conservation International, Costa built a brand that honors the land, its protectors, and the rituals that sustain both.
In every sense, Costa Brazil is an extension of its founder’s ethos: pure, considered, and deeply connected to place. Read more.
Image courtesy of Company Gallery
It was February 2024, and one model at the Women’s History Museum show couldn’t stop falling over. Determined, she trundled down the runway only to trip once again. The culprits were obvious: two enormous, cumbersome brown boxing gloves attached to the toes of classic stiletto. “Take them off!” cried members of the audience, a mixture of fashion insiders and queer iconoclasts. Still, the model made it to the end and hoisted the gloves in her hand, triumphant. K.O.
Unlike most New York footwear, the shoes of Women’s History Museum are not designed with functionality as a priority. In a city where pedestrians reign supreme and comfort is a must, the shoes of fashion label/art duo/vintage store curators Amanda McGowan and Mattie Rivkah Barringer are here to tell a story. Whether they’re white wedding heels bedazzled with a clatter of bones and colorful pills or gold boxing slippers rendered into precarious platforms by two wooden pillars, the shoes of Women’s History Museum exist in the sweet spot between strength and softness, power and precarity, barbarity and beauty.
Vintage remains an essential reference point for the duo. They maintain a carefully curated secondhand designer shop on Canal Street, sort of a modern-day SEX, stocked with everything from ‘80s Vivienne Westwood and ‘90s Gaultier to Edwardian furs and linens. In a similar style to early Alexander McQueen, Barringer and McGowan mine fashion references of the past – Victorian riding boots, rocking horse platforms, 70s crocodile skin clogs – for highly stylized fashion performances that entice as much as they reject traditional categories of beauty. The result is something that feels entirely 2025 in all its shredded, everything-out-in-the-open glory. Throughout Women History Museum’s nine staged collections, they return to similar references: animal prints and pelts; competitive sports, particularly boxing; and New York City, with the coins and shattered glass that cover the sidewalks. The clothes bare skin and barb it too.
Shoes, in many ways, remain the ultimate fetish object. They’re exalted, often the most expensive part of an outfit, yet they spend most of the day in contact with the filthy sidewalk. They’re civilizing, often constricting, and conceal the foot, which remains almost as hidden from public life as the body’s most nether regions. Shoes have often been used to control women as with painful and restrictive footbinding practices, yet their erotic potential is undeniable, as with the long, sensuous lines created in the body with a clear plastic pleaser. It’s no wonder that they served as the basis for Women’s History Museum’s latest show at Company Gallery, on display until June 21. Autre caught up with Barringer and McGowan to talk stilettos, surrealism, and the seriously sinister parts of living – and walking – in New York City. Read more.
Tales and Tellers explored the state of modern femininity for Frieze New York 2025.
Image courtesy of Daniel Salemi/Miu Miu
text by Karly Quadros
Last Friday during Frieze, New York, Miu Miu convened a who’s who of the international fashion and art worlds for the second edition of Tales and Tellers, an immersive performance and installation exploring modern femininity through style, performance, and film.
Partygoers ducked out of the rain and bluster into Chelsea’s Terminal Warehouse, a cavernous late-19th-century industrial space teeming with New York City history. It was once home to the infamous Tunnel Nightclub, founded by Peter Gatien who also owned the Limelight and Palladium, and was a beloved haunt of the Club Kids as well as New York’s iconic 90’s hip hop scene. Back in the day, the side rooms of the hangar were lavishly decorated according to theme – a Victorian library in one, an S&M dungeon in another – so it was fitting that Tales and Tellers, which brought Miu Miu’s fashion to life through staged tableauxs, found its home here.
Drawing on her longstanding collaboration with Miu Miu, Polish-born interdisciplinary artist Goshka Macuga used Miu Miu’s archive of short films by female directors as inspiration for the piece. Since 2011, the films – which have included the work of Janicza Bravo, Miranda July, Ava Duvernay, and Mati Diop, and have sometimes accompanied Miu Miu’s runway shows – have explored the authentic lives of women worldwide; mothers, daughters, performers, dreamers, lovers, skaters, and rebels buck social convention in their searches for identity. Miuccia Prada and Macuga first united all the films for Art Basel Paris in October 2024. The show was an unexpected hit, drawing 11,000 visitors over just five days.
This second edition, convened by Elvira Dyangani Ose, director of the MACBA in Barcelona, was indebted to Miu Miu’s rich archive of fashion and curatorial efforts. The dim tunnel-like space was outfitted with screens from tiny mounted smartphones to hefty LED plinths, all playing one of the three dozen female-directed films commissioned by the fashion house. Guests trickled in, sipping champagne and leafing through the Truthless Times newspaper, a remnant from Macuga’s last installation with Miu Miu, Salt Looks like Sugar, which served as the backdrop for their Spring/Summer 2025 runway show. Notable attendees included Alexa Chung, Sara Paulson, Chase Sui Wonders, Paloma Elsesser, Ella Emhoff, Kiki Layne, Pauline Chalamet, and Cazzie David.
One by one, performers outfitted in archival Miu Miu began to roam the space as well. One performer shadow boxed in bejeweled tap shorts. Another in a red dress haltingly performed a standup comedy routine about, what else, but failed love, Plan B, and thoughts of death (one waiter carrying a tray of empty champagne flutes giggled, despite himself.) Several performers sang and danced, while yet another sculpted with Play-Doh in front of a stop motion animation, yet not every tableaux felt so joyous. One woman in a bell-shaped yellow coat, crept along the sidelines, a gas mask strapped to her face. Another in a grey wool skirt suit stared longingly at her screen from a cage. The entire performance culminated in an ecstatic dance party in the center of the room: women, moving and playing freely in a space once known as a haven for self-expression.
The dark, moody atmosphere of surveillance, punctuated by roving spotlights, evoked the troubled times we live in. After all, what feels more true to 2025 then trying to just go about your daily life – putting on makeup, working at the office, playing dress up – while something more sinister presses in? As one performer brandished newspapers and called out, fruitlessly, about “disrupting reality” and “digital malfunction,” the others continued their rituals of self, care, and creativity. This is the state of modern womanhood, after all. What else is there to do?
Image courtesy of Daniel Salemni/Miu Miu
text by Karly Quadros
For a certain kind of weirdo, R. Crumb is a god. The grandfather of underground comix, his work teems with a highly specific dirty-little-bugger-ness that hit just as 1960s San Francisco counterculture was getting into full swing. He defined a sickly funny visual language that inspired the likes of ‘90s alt comic anti-heroes like Daniel Clowes and Jamie Hewlett as well as painters like Louise Bonnet and Nicole Eisenman. In his cartoons, Crumb depicts himself as a combination of ornery, neurotic, and randy, chasing down (or fleeing in terror from) Catholic schoolgirls with chubby thighs and languorous hippie chicks with their asses hanging out of their bell bottoms. His fetishes are unmistakable; a Crumb girl exists in a category all her own.
His other character creations share similar cult status. Mr. Natural, a guru with a Santa Claus beard and a priapic nose, was a great dispenser of ‘60s absurdist wisdom, while his relentlessly bootlegged Keep on Truckin’ cartoon fetches prices in the hundreds if you manage to find a vintage t-shirt carrying its image. Perhaps nothing captures Crumb’s signature cocktail of sleazy satire like his comic strip Fritz the Cat about an unrepentantly hedonistic hipster tabby cat. An X-rated film adaptation of the comic strip from cult animator Ralph Bakshi was released in 1972; Crumb was so worked up over creative differences with the filmmakers that he immediately killed off the beloved Fritz, dispatched by a scorned ex-girlfriend who stabbed him in the back of the head with an ice pick.In recent years, the art world has grown to embrace Crumb’s work a little more. A 1994 documentary by Terry Zweigoff on Crumb brought his work to a larger audience, and he’s now represented by David Zwirner. Crumb’s notebooks, full of obscene jokes and intrusive thoughts, sell for around a million dollars each. On display is his adamant lack of self-censorship but also a technically dense, exuberantly gestural personal style.
Sonya Sombreuil, artist and founder of the LA streetwear brand Come Tees, has found a muse in R. Crumb, inspiring a limited collection of t-shirts, panties, and long sleeves emblazoned with Crumb’s artwork. The collection’s campaign is shot by legendary fetish photographer Eric Kroll who, in addition to his landmark “Sex Objects” series has also shot Robert Mapplethorpe, Grace Jones, Madonna, Kenneth Anger, and Andy Warhol. Sombreuil was joined by Dan Nadel whose biography, Crumb: A Cartoonist’s Life, is out April 15. The two discussed Crumb, fetish, photography, and flesh. Read more.
In fashion, desire is often draped in fabric, but for Kate and Kimberly, it lives in motion. In their collaborative short Love Is Not All, the two artists trade runways for reels, channeling longing, beauty, and decay into a filmic fever dream. Against the backdrop of a world increasingly obsessed with speed and spectacle, their work feels like a deliberate pause - a place where emotion lingers, glances haunt, and the act of getting dressed becomes a cinematic ritual. As fashion continues to merge with entertainment, film has become the new frontier for designers looking to craft legacy, not just collections. For Kate and Kimberly, fashion isn’t just about fabric and fit - it’s about emotion, storytelling, and cinematic escapism. And through their lens, each frame becomes a love letter to the art of getting dressed. We spoke about the allure of the fashion film, the seduction of storytelling, and why, for them, desire can only be truly captured in movement.
Moni Haworth and Petra Collins have always focused on the liminal spaces of American suburbs: teenage dreams confined to bedrooms, silhouettes pressed against Venetian blinds, cut-and-paste condos spiraling down culs-de-sacs like soap in a drain. The two longtime collaborators have teamed up once again for the campaign of another collaboration, Yohji Yamamoto and Adidas’ Y-3 Spring/Summer 2025 collection. From the simultaneously sporty and delicate Regu Mary Jane to Petra’s doppelgängers, duality takes centerstage. Autre caught up with Moni Haworth to talk about crafting the dreamy world of Y-3’s new collection. Read more.
Photo credit: Monty Hamm
New York-based designer Anna Molinari, 27, is the definition of thrifty. For Molinari, plastic forks, when melted and reconfigured, double as voguish rings. Gold and silver beer tabs, when hooked together, become a one-of-a-kind bikini. She sees the potential in everything—her motto: Why not extend its life?
Three years into running her fashion business, Instinct Brand, Molinari has accomplished what many find un-accomplishable: maintaining a sustainable business model with significant growth. Instinct Brand's buying demographic has expanded from friends and family to 130,000 followers (between @annamo.1 and @instinct.brand) who come across Molinari's bubble-wrap corsets or trash bag high heels online. While her talent emerges from her iconic upcycled pieces, she has recently prioritized making custom pieces for public figures like Julia Fox and Pattie Gonia. This paradox — being a successful and sustainable business owner — won Molinari a position on this year's Forbes’ 30 under 30 list. Read more.
Balenciaga’s Winter 25 collection redefines the standard, transforming familiar garments through an intricate exploration of dress codes and proportions. Presented in a backstage maze, the show itself mirrors the creative process—lines blurred, structures inverted, and everyone in the front row.
The collection dissects traditional businesswear, reshaping archetypes with precision. Four standard black suits, identical in cut but distinct in attitude, embody duality, while a deconstructed pinstripe suit and a maxi-skirt pairing challenge sartorial conventions. Outerwear follows suit: streamlined coats, maxi trenches, and a back-to-front quarter-zip nod to historical couture while integrating modern sensibilities. A sheepskin parka references Balenciaga’s 1951 Semi-Fitted line, and a voluminous hoodie echoes the grandeur of the house’s 1967 wedding dress.
Structural ingenuity extends to daywear, where push-up corsetry and anatomical tailoring reimagine standard pieces. Sweater dresses cinched with oversized safety pins, “Luxury” hoodies lined with superfine cashmere, and crushed Dyneema® shoppers demonstrate the brand’s commitment to craftsmanship and innovation.
Technical sportswear under the Balenciaga I PUMA collaboration evokes minimal yet refined streetwear. Swimdresses in water-sport spandex contrast with oversized opera coats in faux fur and nylon puffer. Accessories blend function with subversion—convertible Business Bags, hands-free pouches, and distorted formal footwear subvert expectations. Horoscope necklaces, faceless Geneva watches, and modular ski-goggle-inspired eyewear reinforce the house’s penchant for playful irreverence.
Balenciaga’s Winter 25 is a rigorous exercise in deconstruction and refinement, twisting the familiar into something unexpected while remaining true to its essence. A study of standards—redefined.
Mikio Sakabe is a designer, a teacher, and an experimenter. He runs two labels, MIKIOSAKABE and the footwear brand grounds, creating style that comes to life from Tokyo to the world. He is also a mentor for young Japanese designers, founding MeSchool, a fashion school that provides the same education opportunities in Japan that have been historically limited to Europe.
In a cold, concrete garage, buried behind metal fences and dusty staircases dimly lit by glowing exit signs, a crowd gathered on thin benches. Gold and silver emergency blankets distributed upon entry caught and refracted the light from camera flashes and the fluorescent whites that beamed from above. With the shrieks of a piano and the hums of a deep bass, the grounds Fall/Winter 25-26 show began.
grounds is known for its avant-garde and vibrant designs. Shoe’s understated uppers burst into large, cloud-like soles — a rejection of expectations and mass-market footwear. Sakabe has said he wants to “defy gravity.” With grounds, this has two meanings: the inflated, bubbling soles let the wearer float above roads and floors, but in fashion, gravity is not only physical, gravity is the pull of trends, the temptation to do what’s expected. Sakabe resists this, breaking new ground.
Sakabe continues his experimentation with his latest collection by taking the brand in a new direction. Previously, grounds could be best described as playful, fantastical. But in that sub-level garage the collection was industrial, festering, wonderfully unconventional, and pushing the limits of footwear. Styled by Betsy Johnson, the models began to march down the runway. The shoes where violently oversized, rubber layered on rubber, shoe melting with shoe, the bulbous clouds signature to Ground’s designs erupted out from under thin socks. Cables hung off from shoes like bungie cords wrapped around luggage. Leg warmers scrunched onto sneakers, and padded high socks wrapped around legs like medieval armor. There where large rubber soles like the treads on a tank, and some toe boxes curled upwards like a jester's boots.
The clothes were just as unconventional. Flowing wide legs spilled onto shoes, shoulder pads jutted dramatically from coats. Leather gloves, stacked belts, and oversized sunglasses adorned models with matted hair. Everything was unusual, dark — a collision of industrial and organic — yet, true to Sakabe’s touch, remarkably fun.
I caught up with Sakabe after the show for an interview. Read more.
Models at the Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen runway show at Performance Space.
Photo credit: Colin Savercool
In botany, a vespertine flower is one that only opens in the evening. From Angel’s trumpet to flowering tobacco to night-blooming jasmine, these flowers are often white or pale in color and are only fragrant in the late hours, beckoning nighttime creatures like moths and fruit bats. With her fall 2025 ready-to-wear collection, Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen has taken this lesson from nature — some things only bloom in darkness.
With her latest runway show lit only by candlelight, Whalen’s work is a celebration of the intimate, the domestic, fantastical sensuality, and an avant approach to fashion. She hand drafts and sews her garments from a shiver of wintery fabrics, all vintage and reclaimed, like tea-stained linens, lace, thermals, and quilted wool blankets. This is not to say that all Whalen’s clothing is sleepy and delicate. Models carried spiraled purses, strode in hoop skirts and panniers reminiscent of 16th century court fashion, and donned hammered armor constructed from vintage serving plates. Whalen said she wanted to show armor, not as a pristine suit presented in a museum, but as it would be returning home from war. To me, her armor has an even world-wearier quality, like ancient coins excavated from Roman soil.
Still, there is a distinct sense of coziness to her work. On a day like the February afternoon of Whalen’s New York Fashion Week on-calendar debut, when thin rays of sunlight melt snow into huddles of slush, the clothing did exactly what Whalen intended: it brought us inside from the cold. The show, held in a black box theater at Performance Space in the East Village, was the latest in a run of ritualistic runway shows that break through the breathless pace of Fashion Week and New York living as a whole.
“We were working against the tide, prioritizing things like ritual and intentionality in a city that is super fast, in a time that wants to gobble everything up and consolidate. It’s not the easiest thing in the world. My mom thinks I’m crazy,” said Whalen.
Whalen’s signature gesture is a gentle coil along the body, like a resting bird curling its head beneath its wing. It appears in puffy bombers constructed from quilted spirals and in sculptural padding beneath draped skirts. It’s in corset boning and the arches of wooden sandals, constructed with the help of her partner, a woodworker. The collection evokes elements of Bjork’s iconic swan dress, designed by Macedonian designer Marjan Pejoski, that she wore to the 73rd Academy Awards at a time when the Icelandic singer was delving into her own chilly explorations of domesticity and private loves.
Whalen became fascinated by this spiral motif when she took weekly life drawing classes while she was getting her master’s degree. “Every nipple, belly button, knee, hip, shoulder, I would make a little spiral with my hand,” she explained. Eventually the shape moved beyond the body when she crafted a spiraling labyrinth from soil that her models traversed for her spring 2024 ready-to-wear collection.
Because she crafts all of her garments herself, Whalen sees her clothing as an extension of an artistic practice. For Whalen, fashion is “a form of sculpture in relation to the body, which is what I think is so special about it and why it can be such an emotional communicator.” Her bona fides reflect her journey towards a more holistic approach to fashion. She studied fashion design at FIT, Parsons, and Central Saint Martins, before cutting her teeth with labels eschewing the borders between fashion and art including Eckhaus Latta.
Some influences run much deeper, however. Take, for instance, Whalen’s reverence for craft. “I learned to sew from an amazing quilter named Laura in Arlington, Massachusetts and from McCall patterns on my home sewing machine, surrounded by all of these other women who just loved to quilt,” said Whalen. “It has this deep history as this thing that was relegated to being women’s work, but I think we can use that knowledge to a place where we have deeper respect for it as a craft.”
Whalen points out that in contemporary times, most clothing is based on patterns from the Industrial Revolution when nearly all aspects of life from clothing to the home were being reinvented in order to make more productive workers. The design of clothing — shape, fabric, restrictiveness — always invites different ways of living. The rise of sportswear in the 1930s signaled a world in which women had more mobility, physically as well as socially and financially. Meanwhile, as Jia Tolentino pointed out in a 2018 essay for the New Yorker, modern athleisure encourages women to be perpetually optimizing themselves and their lifestyles.
What ways of living does Whalen’s clothing invite? With her emphasis on craft, women’s spaces, and romantic shapes like tea dresses and corsets, one might be inclined to call it ‘domestic.’ We’ve seen the rise of a deeply political conversation around gender and the home, as exemplified in the stylistic (and financial) prominence of the trad wife, but Whalen suggests a much more nuanced understanding of the domestic. For one, Whalen’s work is hardly restrictive, and she presents her work on models from a wide range of genders, races, and ages. For another, her practice is more expansive, billowing fabrics to invite play, ritualistic runway shows to invite slowness.
Her upbringing was a bit crunchy granola, complete with a hippie “non-school” that was all about treating youth with the same integrity as adults. “My mom raised me, before it was in the zeitgeist, in this very Earth-centered, pagan spirituality kind of way. She was a member of a women’s circle and we’d celebrate the wheel of the year and May Day and the solstices. We did the Maypole. I’ve been reading tarot for more than half my life.”
Perhaps most important to Whalen is technique and craft. To her, these are the key to longevity in a garment, both in its construction and in someone’s willingness to hold onto it and take good care of it. She taught herself to hand-dip and shape the gnarled candles that lit her most recent runway. She stained her garments with rust and tea. She even built the workbenches in her studio. Her time teaching at the Rhode Island School of Design has further cemented her reverence for sewing and the intimacy of passing down that knowledge through the generations. She says moving forward, she’ll continue to embrace new techniques.
“That’s why I’m able to continue diving into wax and woodworking and ceramics and metalsmithing. I have no business doing these things. But why not just try? I love being in the space of continuing to question everything.”
Zoe Whalen blows out over one hundred candles to close out the day’s show.
Photo credit: Colin Savercool
Veste en astrakan d’Azzedine Alaïa, 1980. © Julien Vidal
The legacy of two fashion visionaries intertwines in a new exhibition at the Fondation Azzedine Alaïa, where the artistry of Alaïa and Thierry Mugler meets in a celebration of their shared vision. Running from March 3rd to June 29th, 2025, this retrospective honors the friendship and creative affinities between the two designers, offering a rare glimpse into their personal and professional bond.
Azzedine Alaïa found a kindred spirit in Thierry Mugler, whose larger-than-life creations and theatrical approach to fashion were as iconic as the silhouettes he designed. Their relationship began in 1979, when Mugler invited Alaïa to design tuxedos for his autumn-winter 1979-80 collection. The collaboration marked the beginning of a decade-long friendship that would leave an indelible mark on the fashion world.
In this exhibition, over forty works from Mugler’s archive are displayed alongside Alaïa’s own creations, allowing visitors to see how their shared creative spirit manifested in their designs. From Alaïa’s impeccable craftsmanship to Mugler’s bold experimentation with shape and form, the two designers were united by a mutual respect that transcended the runway. Both were masters of the female form, crafting garments that enhanced and empowered, each piece telling a story of elegance, strength, and sensuality.
Alaïa’s reputation as a perfectionist who favored intimate settings and close relationships with his clients contrasted with Mugler’s penchant for dramatic spectacles and larger-than-life fashion shows. Yet, together, they influenced each other in profound ways. Mugler’s theatrical flair found a new sophistication in Alaïa’s structured designs, while Alaïa’s meticulous attention to detail encouraged Mugler to refine his aesthetic and focus on the body’s natural lines. Their shared vision culminated in the 1980s, when both designers elevated glamour to new heights, drawing inspiration from the silhouettes of the 1930s and 1950s.
This exhibition is not only a celebration of two extraordinary designers but also a testament to the enduring power of collaboration. Alaïa’s dedication to preserving and enhancing his own work—through his foundation and vast personal archive—ensures that the dialogue between him and Mugler will continue to inspire future generations of designers and fashion lovers alike.
The Fondation Azzedine Alaïa, located at 18 rue de la Verrerie in Paris, remains a cultural beacon, housing not only Alaïa’s collections but also a space for art, design, and creative expression. The exhibition invites visitors to immerse themselves in the world of two legendary couturiers whose mutual admiration and creative exchange left an indelible mark on the fashion industry.
Thierry Mugler and Azzedine Alaïa 1980/1990: Two decades of artistic affinities is on view March 3 to June 29, 2025 at Saillard Fondation Azzedine Alaïa, 18 rue de la Verrerie, Paris 4e
This year New York Fashion Week saw a few high profile returns including Calvin Klein, helmed by Veronica Leoni, after six and half years and Joseph Altazzura, back from paternity leave. But, as more labels have decamped for Paris in recent years, NYFW has become about the rising stars making their debuts on the official CFDA schedule. This year’s class of newcomers runs the gamut from ethereal hand-sewn art-cum-fashion to a campy take on jock fare. The result is a picture of American fashion that’s more diverse than ever.
Gabe Gordon lives for the drama. Specifically, the elaborate backstories he concocts for each successive collection, equal parts queer coming of age story and teen horror romp. Beginning with his off-schedule show at the New Design High School last September, Gordon brings a campy take on preppy jock fashion that makes the homoerotic subtext of early 2000s Abercrombie and Fitch campaigns, well, text.
This time around, Gabe Gordon is scaling up. In addition to his signature hole-riddled, curve-hugging sweaters and dresses, he introduced bodysuits in rugby stripes and flouncy cheerleader skirts. The collection, inspired by a midcentury fantasia about a girl’s dance troupe that kidnap and torment the boy’s wrestling team, had a distinct athleisure tinge to it, pairing sweatsuits with blunt 60s wigs. Arch sexuality suffused the entire event, from latex stockings and exposed bullet bras to pom-poms that looked an awful lot like floggers. New York City painter Sasha Gordon (who walked Gordon’s runway last season) contributed a painting printed on graphic tees depicting herself rocking a corseted mini dress with princess sleeves from the new collection.
The New York Fashion Week debut of Dominican label LeBlanc Studios has been a long time in the making. Founded 11 years ago by Angelo Beato and Yamil Arbaje, LeBlanc isn’t afraid to pull back the curtain to explore the power structures that belie not just the fashion industry but Big Tech and global wealth. Models strode down a catwalk covered in salt to scripted monologues for the latest collection, boldly titled ‘Other People’s Money.’ It’s hard not to see the collection as a meditation on the ways in which the Global South and especially Latin America has come to shoulder the more unsavory elements of the fashion industry from maquiladoras in Mexico where women toil for just a few dollars a day to deserts piled with textile waste in Chile.
The clothing, however, was a celebration of Latin American identity, drawing on the aesthetics of Latin American films from the 60s and 70s. Suits with dagger collars and flared trousers were paired with fraying button ups, newsboy caps, and bucket hats in rich shades of chartreuse, ochre, peach, and emerald. Workwear is the obvious reference point, but the tailoring and lush knits recall the luxuriously laid back style of 1970s Greensleeves Records stars.
There is a reverence, a kind of worship, to the handcrafted garments that Zoe Whalen brings to the runway. Last season, her models walked a recursive labyrinth sculpted out of dirt (in another twist of pagan reverence, viewers were encouraged to bring the soil home in their gift bags.) This year at Performance Space in the East Village, the black box was lit only by a small mound of hand-dipped candles and soundtracked with an ambient composition from Silas Edgar, adding to the monastic energy. It was dark. It was moody. To see the clothes, you needed to squint.
This is just the kind of atmosphere of careful attention that Whalen strives to create. The clothing draws from a wide array of historical references from Victorian crinolines and corsetry to hammered medieval armor to 18th-century gowns that are all pleats and bustle. Made entirely of vintage and deadstock fabrics like tea towels and thermals, there were wax-dipped tops and tea-stained trousers, and draped and quilted outerwear that added a much needed winter coziness. Soft sculptural elements still dominate, and the collection is more wearable art than commercial product. Still, some pieces like Whalen’s curlicue wool handbags have the potential to become this season’s obsession.
Vettese is one of the youngest labels on the schedule this year, with just two years under designer Kari Vettese’s belt. And while New York Fashion Week may not scream tube dresses and sandals, the designer made her case for barely-there jersey, bringing her Italian-American by way of Southern California charm. There are plenty of skin tight tube tops (including one in the green, white, and red of the Italian flag and in the shape of the country to boot) and knotty horizontal scarves. But the collection also shows off the more structural side of Vettese’s aesthetic including leather jackets cropped at the waist and tailored trousers.
Slinky, sexy, and distinctly 80s in a way that never seems to go out of style in Italy – it’s no wonder that celebrities have been flocking to Vettese’s work in the last few years from Charli XCX (who wore a custom Vettese skirt during her Glasgow show on the brat arena tour) to Florence Pugh and Kylie Jenner. It’s almost enough to convince you that a steamy Mediterranean summer could be right around the corner.
Prada’s Spring Summer 2025 campaign continues with a book of ten short stories by Ottessa Moshfegh. Fashion can tell stories of the lives of women, evoke their most intimate and personal narratives. As part of the Spring/Summer 2025 ‘Acts Like Prada’ campaign, starring Prada Ambassador Carey Mulligan and photographed by Steven Meisel, the acclaimed American author Ottessa Moshfegh, known for her radical depiction of female characters, devises a new series of ten unique texts, each an evocation of these Prada personae. Inspired by Mulligan’s characterisations, each campaign still is expanded, through Moshfegh’s words, into a fully-realised heroine. Ten Protagonists is written by Ottessa Moshfegh and features the Spring/Summer 2025
Prada campaign images of Carey Mulligan, photographed by Steven Meisel with creative direction by Ferdinando Verderi.
The Rick Owens x Rimowa collaboration is a striking union of functionality and artistic vision, blending Rimowa’s storied craftsmanship with Rick Owens’ distinctive, avant-garde aesthetic. The result is a suitcase that bridges the gap between luxury travel and contemporary design, offering a unique take on both utility and style. The standout feature of the suitcase is its patinated aluminium finish, a design element that evokes a raw, industrial sensibility while maintaining an air of sophistication. This material choice aligns with Owens’ signature aesthetic, which often leans into textured surfaces and a sense of timeless durability. Inside, the suitcase continues to innovate with an entirely leather-lined interior—a first in Rimowa’s 125-year history. From the dividers to the lining, the leather finish introduces an element of old-world refinement, creating an interior that feels as thoughtfully designed as the exterior. The juxtaposition of the suitcase’s rugged outer shell with its luxurious interior reflects the duality that defines both brands: Rimowa’s precision engineering and Owens’ creative edge. Rick Owens, a longtime Rimowa user, approaches design with a focus on essentialism, a philosophy that is evident in this collaboration. Owens has stated that his goal is to reduce life to its core necessities, which is mirrored in the suitcase’s minimalist yet striking design. “No matter how far or long, I only bring one carry-on. I wanted the outside finish to recall a bronze from Giacometti, Brâncuș I, or Richard Serra, and I wanted the interior to feel like the touch of a black leather glove.” Rick Owens added: “I don't need much, but I like my bare necessities to be as supernatural as possible.” The collaboration is highly exclusive, with only 500 pieces being released worldwide. This limited availability emphasizes the project’s collectible nature, appealing to those who value both utility and artful design in their travel accessories. In essence, the Rick Owens x Rimowa suitcase serves as a functional travel companion that doubles as a statement piece. It offers a fresh perspective on luxury, challenging traditional notions of what high-end luggage can represent while remaining true to both brands’ core identities.
Starting January 30th, 2025, the RIMOWA x Rick Owens Original Cabin Bronze (RRP 2900 €) will be made available at select RIMOWA and Rick Owens stores worldwide and online at RIMOWA.com and RickOwens.eu.
Louis Vuitton’s Fall-Winter 2025 Men’s Collection, unveiled during Paris Fashion Week, represents a calculated exploration of the boundaries between luxury and streetwear. Spearheaded by Pharrell Williams, Louis Vuitton’s Men’s Creative Director, alongside Japanese designer Nigo, the collection is a carefully constructed dialogue between heritage craftsmanship and the cultural vibrancy of contemporary fashion. The collection's most striking feature is its ability to harmonize seemingly disparate elements. Varsity jackets, with their bold, nostalgic presence, are reimagined with intricate detailing that elevates them from casual wear to high fashion. Tailored suits, traditionally seen as symbols of rigidity and formality, are imbued with a modern energy, pairing unexpected textures and relaxed silhouettes. Cherry blossom motifs—subtle yet evocative—thread through the collection, grounding it in a sense of delicate refinement often associated with Japanese artistry. This synthesis of aesthetics reflects the creative sensibilities of Williams and Nigo, both of whom have built their careers on the ability to bridge the cultural and stylistic divides between the East and West. Their partnership feels both intuitive and precise, leveraging Nigo's roots in Japanese streetwear and Pharrell’s broader, global perspective on music, art, and fashion. The show itself was a statement. Staged in a the historic Cour Carrée du Louvre, it mirrored not only the collection’s theme of duality but also the house’s commitment to presenting fashion as a form of cultural spectacle.
Fashion and performance both reflect the multiplicity of human identity—a constant interplay between truth and transformation. In the Prada Spring/Summer 2025 campaigns, these ideas are brought to life through the presence of two celebrated actors, Harris Dickinson and Carey Mulligan. Both embody a profound duality: the truth of self and the art of reinvention.
Harris Dickinson, photographed by Steven Meisel, steps beyond traditional role-play, presenting himself as he is—an actor unmasked, yet multifaceted. His presence shapes the archetypal menswear he wears, transforming classic pieces through his dynamic personality. Each image captures varying facets of his character, from contemplative to commanding, illustrating that identity itself can be a kind of performance.
Carey Mulligan, too, challenges the boundaries of identity and transformation. Through Meisel’s lens, she embodies a multitude of distinct characters, each entirely separate yet unified by her craft. Her ability to shift seamlessly between lives mirrors the ever-evolving philosophy of Prada: a celebration of plurality, unpredictability, and the coexistence of contradictions. Mulligan's portrayals reflect fashion's power as a transformative tool—altering attitudes, redefining perceptions, and channeling alternative realities.
Together, these campaigns explore the essence of individuality within the collective. They reveal how clothes, like personas, are not static but alive, reshaped by the wearer. Prada itself emerges as a protagonist, an idea in constant reinvention—both instantly recognizable and endlessly surprising. At its core lies the celebration of humanity's complexity: ever-shifting, multifaceted, and beautifully unpredictable.
Norman wears coat by Stamm & sunglasses by Marni.
Roman wears sneakers by Reebok, jeans by The Kooples, tie by Versace & jacket by Anni Salonen.
What is love?
How do we know when we're in it - or out of it?
Can we even be sure we've found it in the first place?
During Autumn 2024, I sat down with five Berlin-based couples, each living their own unique love story, to explore what love means to them. I wanted to hear about their experiences with love and how they articulate this complex emotion.
Although I began without predetermined themes, common threads quickly emerged as I completed each interview. These included healing from toxic relationships, grappling with codependency, and navigating open relationship dynamics. Despite these challenges, I was struck by their self-awareness and commitment to building healthier, more authentic relationships.
Roman & Norman
As we’re sat in the back garden of their home in Brieselang, 1 hour outside of Berlin, Roman begins to recite a love note that he sent to his partner, Norman, just after they first met.
Dear Norman, across all the ages, all the journeys and time, I whisper in your ear, it is great to meet you again, and I look forward to all the adventures ahead of us. I love you. Roman - 7th November 2004.
Their love story began nearly two decades ago with a chance encounter in Berlin. Norman, working as a Spiritual Guide and Healer, had a last-minute opening due to a cancellation. Roman, a new client, filled that slot. When their eyes first met, they both experienced what they describe as a "loud silence," accompanied by an "intense flow of intimacy." This moment sparked a brief but passionate love affair in Berlin, which ended when Norman returned to his home in Sydney.
What followed was a slow-burning connection, built over years of meetings in cities like Berlin, San Francisco, and L.A. Both were cautious at first - Norman had just ended a 26-year relationship and was hesitant about dating an actor, while Roman was unsure about commitment. Their bond deepened with each encounter, eventually leading to Norman booking a one-way ticket to Berlin.
20 years later, their love continues to grow stronger, rooted in open communication - even when it’s hard - and a commitment to preserving their individual identities.
You must be you. He must be He. I must be me.
Expect nothing from that personality. That's who they are. - Norman
Norman and Roman’s enduring love story can be defined by a profound respect for one another and a commitment to staying calm, even in challenging moments. Throughout their two decades together, they’ve embraced a philosophy of stepping back from confrontation and revisiting sensitive topics when they’re both ready - often over a cup of tea. For them, every challenge is an opportunity for growth, rather than a battle to be won.
As Norman put it:
Life's too short. The older you get, the shorter it gets. I've maybe, if I'm lucky, got 10-15 years to get to 95, maybe 100. I don't know, and it would be a blessing to live to that. But you know, time runs out, so why spend a moment fighting about something that's so insignificant? Come - on.
Jota & Dianna
Jota wears shirt by Moschino, trousers by Javier Guijarro & boots by Vivienne Westwood.
Dianna wears top & skirt by Javier Guijarro & bracelet by Uncommon Matters.
I didn’t use Grindr often because of the challenges of being a trans woman and dealing with cisgender men who didn’t know how to relate to trans bodies. But one day, I saw Jota’s profile - and I was enchanted. - Dianna
After breaking the ice, Dianna recalls the sheer joy she felt upon discovering that Jota was Brazilian - meaning she could speak in her own language. What followed was a marathon video call that lasted eight hours, leaving Dianna with an undeniable feeling:
When the call ended, that’s when I truly realised I was in love.
At the time, Dianna was living in Norway and Jota in Germany, but they embraced the distance, using it as an opportunity to explore each other’s worlds through conversation. It wasn’t until three months later that they would meet in person for the first time.
When we first met in Berlin, in between conversations and affection, we realised that we were no longer in a casual relationship, and that we were already walking a path together. - Dianna
A pivotal trip to Brazil would bring their relationship to even greater depths. Sharing five transformative months there, they closed the distance that had defined their connection, no longer speaking through a phone, but enjoying the closeness and intimacy of being together in daily life.
Now, as they celebrate one year together, Dianna and Jota reflect fondly of their journey of love, connection, and growth.
Growing together as a Brazilian trans black couple living in Berlin brings challenges and opportunities for connection, understanding and mutual support. We created our own safe space, and at the same time we honour our individual identity by respecting our own journey. - Jota
Lara & Valeria
Lara wears suit by David Koma, stockings by Falke & sneakers by Our Legacy.
Valeria wears top by Caterina Giovanelli, skirt by Anni Salonen & shoes by Our Legacy.
I feel like love is like a building, you know. So the first level would be like, lust. Like, you wanna make out with the person. And then infatuation, and then it starts building and building. I would not say infatuation is not love, but you need to nurture it. You still need to go further up the ladder. And the further up you go, the bigger this feeling of safety gets, you know. - Lara
Lara and Valeria first met at a karaoke bar, where they bonded while giving advice to a mutual friend stuck in a toxic relationship, not knowing this would mark the start of a much deeper connection. They met again weeks later at KitKat, where they found themselves talking for hours in the smoking area. The conversation drifted from life and love to Valeria’s open marriage, which she had been navigating for the past year.
There was just this instant chemistry, this warmth between us. It felt different from anything I'd experienced before. - Valeria
As their relationship deepened over the following months, Valeria faced the truth about her marriage. “I was codependent on him, and he was codependent on me” she admitted. “We would have gradually destroyed each other.” Lara, seeing the emotional toll and protecting herself, gave Valeria an ultimatum - this led to a brief separation, during which both reflected on what they truly wanted.
While on a soul-searching trip to Portugal, Valeria gained clarity through conversations with elderly strangers who offered her some sage wisdom. After returning to Berlin, she made the hard decision to end her marriage and committed to building a life with Lara. Now, Lara and Valeria share a home in Berlin, navigating a love that feels both hard-won and deeply cherished.
It hurt. It hurt a lot, but it was also empowering, because I knew it was the right thing to do.
- Valeria
Lin & Alexius
Lin wears sweater by Marine Serre & jeans by Dhruv Kapoor.
Alexius wears hat by A Cold Wall, hoodie by Stamm, jeans by Anni Salonen & boots by Rombaut.
Lin and Alexius' romance is the freshest of the five, but despite only reconnecting three months prior to our meeting, their story was seven years in the making. They first met in Lisbon, during a formative period of both their lives, through a shared circle of queer friends. Although they didn’t develop beyond friends-of-friends at the time, they had definitely noticed each other.
Now fast forward to July 2024, they had long lost touch - only to randomly reconnect on the dance-floor at a Christopher Street Day party in Berlin. From that moment, they spent the following days in a whirlwind together, finally returning to Lin’s apartment after countless hours dancing around the city.
One month later I had to go back to Slovenia to pick up a piece of furniture that I created for a client here, so I got a van, and I said, “Hey, do you want to come with me? It's a 12 hour drive. We can meet each other's parents, but it won't be like a vacation. We have to work.” And he's like, “Yeah, let's go”. We spent most the time in Slovenia, but we also visited Trieste, where his mum resides. - Lin
Sharing this trip together proved to be a catalyst for their romance. During the long drive, a simple card game sparked intimate conversations, allowing them to learn more about each other’s inner worlds, and meeting each other’s parents along the way highlighted the natural ease they found together. Through these moments, they came to fully appreciate the quiet, steady love that was unfolding between them.
I used to think love had to be passionate. Had to be like going insane, crazy, waiting on the end of the phone for a message. And that was my experience with love. My first boyfriend in New York was exactly like this. My first French boyfriend as well. There's this French word—’déchirant’— that means you’ve been cut open, like your insides are being torn apart. For me, that was love. With Lin, I started experiencing calmer love, and slowly, it was like this cut that I had in myself, was slowly healing. And right now I feel good about myself. I feel good about my life. I don't need that kind of love anymore. - Alexius
Kim & Bene
Bene wears glasses by Prada, t-shirt by Marni & string vest stylist’s own.
Kim wears dress by Hauser Collective, tights by Falke, bracelets by La Manso & shoes by Nodaleto.
Berlin is a very quick city when it comes to love. Berlin is not a love city. Berlin does not keep your love safe. You have to do it on your own. Otherwise, the city will grab you—with dark energy sometimes. - Kim
Kim and Bene first crossed paths three years ago in Neukölln. At the time, Kim was in a relationship, and Bene was nursing a bruised heart from his own past. Their early conversations revealed a shared understanding, as both carried scars from toxic relationships. Whilst Bene described himself, at the time, as guarded but vulnerable, Kim became a calm and reassuring presence.
What followed was a natural and pressure-free progression. They spent time together as part of a close-knit friend group, sharing nights out in Berlin, becoming closer friends. Two years later, at a festival, their connection quietly evolved - and they shared their first kiss. Yet, even as they embarked on this new chapter, life brought its challenges - Kim still lived with her ex, with whom she shares a child. But, their relationship, grounded in patience and mutual respect, peacefully prevailed.
Everything fitted into place naturally. It always felt natural. It was not planned. And for sure, there were ups and downs - because it's also not easy to understand what you're feeling. Love means that you are verletzbar (vulnerable), and that you can get hurt. - Bene
Kim and Bene have built a love defined by calmness, trust, and the healing they’ve found in one another.
In the past I had mistaken my true feelings for being in love - and that quickly fades when you realise. You can confuse being in love with someone who is pushing the right buttons for you. The older I get the more I realise what love really means to me. It makes me feel calm. It’s not always just a rollercoaster. It feels like a mixture between butterflies and calmness. I had to realise that I was deeply, calmly in love with someone. Like the calm love I have with Bene. - Kim
Love is as varied as the people who experience it, and these stories are just glimpses into what it can mean. Whether you find inspiration, validation, or simply curiosity in these reflections, their purpose is to offer insight rather than answers. Love is a journey we each define for ourselves.
