Not Born for War: a gender-subversive fashion editorial for Flanelle Magazine

This editorial for Flanelle Magazine was born from an international creative collaboration that brought together Ukrainian designers, a Vienna-based art team, and male model Esra Mueller (@Tempo Models). Titled “Not Born for War,” the fashion story reinterprets a traditional Ukrainian proverb—“women are not born for war”—by turning it on its head: casting a male model to state, visually and symbolically, that no one is.

Shot at Hotel Urania in Vienna, a location full of quirky vintage interiors, the editorial draws on magical symbolism and shamanic undercurrents. Styled by Ukrainian stylist Anna Romanko and art directed by Kara Grin, the shoot features custom pieces by designers GA.EVA, Limarenko, and MyBird.in.ua, including wedding-inspired garments embroidered with sacred heart motifs and protest symbolism.

The rich burgundy and mauve hotel backdrops mirror the folkloric aesthetic of the viral Ukrainian witches’ ritual—an incantation for liberation that gained attention during the early days of the war. In a similar spirit, this editorial channels magic as resistance, turning fashion into a ceremonial statement of peace, transformation, and collective power.

The beauty direction by makeup artist Marlene Voss adds painterly red accents that amplify the mystical narrative, while the heart-shaped props evoke themes of sacred embodiment, vulnerability, and emotional rebellion.

This was my second time working with Esra, whose presence once again brought both tenderness and strength to the visual concept. The result is a gender-subversive, symbol-rich editorial that reclaims fashion as a site of transformation—not just of bodies, but of meaning itself.

Interested in working together? Whether you’re a designer, stylist, or publication—contact me here. You can also view more editorial work and work on location.