MEDON 2023
Lookbook shoot for David Vesely.
Designer: David Vesely
Photography & Edit: Isabella Hewlett
Photography Assistant: Max Hofstetter
Styling Assistant: Valerie Gegenhuber
Hair: Marietta Dang
Make Up: Ece N, Chiara
Set Assistant: Yasemin
Talent: Godwin Merano, Duccio Tariello, Sophie Wendler, Lukas Rose, Hyun Yoo, Laurenz (Body & Soul Vienna), Timo (Flare Talents)
Video: Briana Pfaffel, Thomas Klingenbrunner
David in his studio on film,
photographed by me during one of our planning sessions.
Photographing David Vesely’s MEDON collection was a year-long journey of collaboration, planning, and creative exploration. From our first meetings, we exchanged ideas, mood boards, and concepts, gradually building a shared vision for the lookbook.
As we discussed designs, concepts, and moods, our conversations often sparked new ideas for David, inspiring him to create additional pieces for the collection. So while we were planning the visuals, the collection itself was expanding. Together, we developed a shared set of mood boards and conceptual approaches, combining his vision with my photographic perspective to ensure every image would enhance and interpret the collection. This careful and deliberate planning allowed us to think big and realise a bold, visually compelling narrative.
The lookbook unfolds across three distinct sets, each designed to complement and elevate David’s designs while visually interpreting the core themes of his collection:
Red Set:
The first look, against a striking red backdrop, conveys strength, blood, and visceral power. We carefully chose the minimal set to enhance the bold cuts, textures, and the dynamic energy of the garments. My posing drew from classical Greek sculpture, echoing Medusa’s mythological origins, mixed with dynamic posing associated with more contemporary fashion photography.
As David’s statement explains:
“Medusa embodies chaos, eroticism and loss of control. She represents what men fear most: a sensual, powerful woman.”
This set channels her power and sensuality, creating a visual representation of her force and the resistance she symbolises.
White Cracked Set:
The second set involved David and myself crafting a white, textured backdrop over several days, to mirror the “breaking free” and “hatching” stages referenced in David’s statement. This set contrasted with deep, saturated tones and heavier fabrics, connecting these looks to the previous stage of this evolution. As well as, lighter, flowing pieces and patterns, giving us an idea of what this transformation might develop into.
In David’s words, the collection
“describes the loss of control, the sexuality, the potential, the chaos of Medusa. She takes revenge on the heteronormative system.”
Here, the textured white set allowed me to translate this transformation into a visual language of fragility, rupture, and emergence, complementing David’s designs and concept.
Water Set:
For the third set, we introduced a pool in the studio, complementing the softer, pastel tones of the designs. Water became a metaphor for healing, reflection, and the fluidity of transformation. The set was designed to be assembled and dismantled efficiently, allowing us to keep pace with a demanding schedule and to accommodate the scale of production within my compact studio.
This stage aligns with David’s vision of a world
“in which men are released from torpor and begin to accept the chaos within themselves, the unbridled desire, the pleasure, the lack of control and unpredictability that life contains.”
My approach to posing, lighting, and composition helped articulate this sense of fluidity, liberation, and renewal, bringing another layer to his narrative through photography.
This project exemplifies the power of collaboration and thoughtful planning:
by working closely with David, I was able to expand on his vision, translating concept, emotion, and narrative into imagery that resonates. Every detail, from sets to lighting, from posing to composition, was crafted to enhance the collection while telling its story.
MEDON is a reminder of what can be achieved when artists inspire each other, and it reflects my approach:
creating work that not only captures, but elevates, the ideas and artistry of those I collaborate with.