Kintsugi: A Contemporary Fashion Editorial Exploring Fracture, Control and Assembly
Kintsugi is a tightly controlled exploration of fracture and assembly, using Japanese visual philosophy as a reference point rather than a destination. The project is not concerned with reverence or quotation. It uses tradition as material, reshaping it into a contemporary visual language built around tension, discipline and construction.
Porcelain teapots recur throughout the series as central sculptural devices. They are treated as objects with weight and consequence, suspended, stacked and worn in ways that shift them out of the domestic and into the symbolic. Gold elements operate structurally rather than decoratively, binding bodies to objects and interrupting clean surfaces. The work is direct in its interest in exposure and repair, and does not attempt to disguise damage as elegance.
Creative direction and photography by Maria Chatziathanasiadis establish a precise visual framework. The black background is not atmospheric but functional, removing context so that form, texture and gesture carry the image. Lighting is exacting and controlled, defining porcelain, metal, fabric and skin with equal clarity. The compositions are composed to be read slowly, with each element placed deliberately rather than intuitively.
In the Blue Branches set, artificial cobalt forms create a rigid environment that feels engineered rather than natural. Teacups hang with an intentional awkwardness, resisting symmetry or ease. The maxi dress by Ioakeim Mitakos introduces a measured silhouette that anchors the figure within the set, allowing the environment to assert itself without visual confusion.
The Tea Table set brings the work into a domestic register, but without comfort. Lace, floral china and bare skin are arranged with a formality that removes any sense of nostalgia. The wearable shoulder piece by Maria Fokara interrupts the softness of the scene with sharp geometry, asserting the body as something structured rather than passive. The cracks painted across the skin establish a clear visual relationship between the figure and the surrounding objects, treating both as surfaces marked by use and stress.
In the Winged Mask sequence, visibility is actively restricted. The gold wire mask by Maria Fokara obstructs the face and reframes looking as an act that must be negotiated. Clothing by Ioannis Koulouris supports this constraint through clean lines and controlled volume, keeping attention on material and construction rather than expression.
The cape by Ioannis Koulouris imposes weight and authority on the body, while gold elements bind rather than embellish. Throughout the project, styling by Yiorgos Kastritsis is assertive and disciplined, treating garments and accessories as compositional tools rather than adornment.
Make up and hair by Philipa Kavvadatou reinforce the constructed nature of the images. The graphic eye work and porcelain skin are precise and deliberate, echoing the ceramic elements without imitating them. The make up does not soften the work or attempt to humanise it. It maintains distance and control.
Videography by Danae Alaxandri extends the still imagery into movement without disrupting the project’s restraint. Motion is measured and minimal, reinforcing the sense that these scenes operate within a carefully defined system.
Kintsugi succeeds through control. It is confident in its visual decisions and disciplined in its execution. The project does not seek balance or resolution. It presents fracture, assembly and constraint as conditions to be examined, leaving interpretation to emerge through form rather than explanation.
Creative Direction and Photography
Maria Chatziathanasiadis
instagram.com/chantziathanasiadis
Videographer
Danae Alaxandri
instagram.com/c.est_danae
Fashion Stylist
Yiorgos Kastritsis
instagram.com/yiorgoskastritsis
Make Up and Hair
Philipa Kavvadatou
instagram.com/themakeupinferno
Talent
Aria Varotsi
instagram.com/.auralite.
Wardrobe Credits
Set 1 Blue Branches
Maxi dress by Ioakeim Mitakos
instagram.com/ioakeim_mitakos
Set 2 Tea Table
Wearable shoulder piece by Maria Fokara
instagram.com/thebnchmrk
Set 3 Winged Mask
Mask by Maria Fokara
instagram.com/thebnchmark
Shirt by Ioannis Koulouris
instagram.com/ioannis_koul
Skirt by Ioannis Koulouris
instagram.com/ioannis_koul
Set 4 Chained
Cape by Ioannis Koulouris
instagram.com/ioannis_koul