Romance seems to be something that existed in a different life or universe, I almost can’t remember how it feels. I have the wardrobe to attend a million candle night dinners and certainly the kind of heart that beats faster when there is something beautiful in the air. But it seems that the air has just become air and nothing more.

But what happened to romance? Why do dates nowadays start with let’s meet at your or my home or an informal let’s grab a coffee between three other appointments wearing sweaty office clothes? When has sending flowers become only an emoji and since when do we hook up instead of falling in love? Staying on the surface must have replaced diving deep into feelings. When have we become so afraid?

Romance used to be found in the little things: A gesture, a blink of an eye, little surprises. Songs still tell about those moments, but reality speaks a different language. It seems that love became like fast food: Something that lasts only for one night. But this is not love at all, how could things get so mixed up?

Romance must have had a terrible fate and been replaced by lust. This makes me sad, because it is so much more, something magical. Something truly desirable. A connection on a deeper level and a strong emotional bond. Do people not miss it and are they truly happy with this modern world that creates loneliness and has a non-binding nature?

A lot of people live and love like they have no time. Feelings became something instantly. It often seems that people do not even bother to make full sentences anymore, not even speaking of writing a full text or even a letter. Where have the poets gone? Where is the happily ever after?

Oh Romance, I miss you. I’m waiting here, wearing my roses.
Please come back, I feel like kissing in the rain and singing in the night. Thank you.

My outfit:
Top: Amorphose, Skirt: Vintage, Gloves: Aelita, Shoes: Manoush, Sunglasses: Anna Karin Karlsson,
Earrings: Tukadu, Fascinator: Pearls & Swine

Pictures: Sarah M.J. Photography

What is a butterfly, if not a tiny and beautiful yet incredible delicate creature? It’s easy to crush a butterfly but very hard not to be dazzled by its beauty. I often feel like a butterfly, spreading glitter and being aware of my own vulnerability.

I want to sing the Die Antwoord song about the butterfly, asking for protection that I never had in my life. But then I think about the butterfly effect and how the most diminutive creature can influence significant events, get up, spread my wings again and fly.

A kid recently asked me if butterflies are angels. This question pops up in my mind and brings a smile to my face. I don’t know, child, maybe yes, maybe not, or perhaps strange angels. How shall I know when I am still busy to find out how far and how high I can fly?

Don’t look at me like I know less than you do! I don’t believe that you know those things about yourself because it’s impossible you’ve been the furthest you can go, seen the highest your eyes will spot. And even if: How can you know, not being a fortune-teller who visits every day ahead… So I spread my wings and went again. Hoping that luck will see me too, levitating over a park or dancing with the statues hidden between the trees and shrubberies.

Thank you, Photorhead and Greta Schoop, for making this shoot come true, inspired by the Egyptian goddess Isis and David LaChapelle. It was a magical day full of glitter and without feeling vulnerable in the wrong way. I guess the visitors of the beautiful park were a little bit irritated about me and my wings, but this is what we do to bring a piece of our dream world to reality!

My outfit
Jewellery: Evelyne-M, Shoes: YRU

Pictures: Photorhead
Styling: Greta Schoop & Me

Can I imagine being a housewife? Keeping home pretty, bringing the kids to school and secretly drinking booze while asking myself if this is all life has to offer? In another galaxy!

These pictures are a quick journey to that galaxy. Since it is far away, things are a little bit different there. But the life of housewives is not less desperate and material for dramatic movies.

The thrilling story of how those pictures came to life: Once upon a time on a Sunday, I was determined to do nothing but stay in bed, watch series and order food. But like in every fairy tale, unexpected things happened. I remembered that Taina, a Swiss street art artist that I truly admire for her work that is full of colour and cuteness, has an exhibition that was only on that Sunday. So what is a girl supposed to do? I got dressed, brushed my hair and told my bed I would be back in two hours.

My bed doesn’t talk to me anymore, it says I’m a liar. I didn’t return after two hours. The exhibition happened to be a completely sprayed flat in a house that was about to be ruined the next day. Taina created the floor, two other female street art artists Eulen Heulen and Elf Kunst, did some magic in the kitchen and living room.

I stood in this pink dreamy flat, wishing I was a witch capable of conjuring a photographer. I tried to blink like Barbara Eden and oh my… I must be a witch because out of nowhere Natalia Zainal appeared. We didn’t know each other, but I got told she was a photographer.

There we had a photographer without a camera, a model with an empty stomach and a once in a lifetime opportunity that would be gone the next day. It took us a few seconds to come up with a plan: Get a camera, fill that stomach and wait till the visitors were gone. We built up lamps and started to create our parallel desperate housewife galaxy.

It was very dark outside when I finally came home, but I felt happier than I could ever have if I would have stayed home and relaxed. And I learned something about myself: In this universe, I am for sure no housewife (and just part-time desperate), I still don’t think I am a witch but my belief that wishes sometimes come true very very fast got much stronger.

I’m off perfecting my Barbara Eden moves.

My outfit
Top: House of Holland (old), Skirt: Nixi Killick, Belt: Essentiel Antwerp,
Shoes: Zara (old), Earrings: Tukadu, Bag: Maria Escoté for Desigual

Pictures: Me is Niza – Natalia Zainal
Art: Taina, Elf Kunst, Eulen Heulen

This one is dedicated to Cleopatra, queen of the Nile. One of the most famous women in history, known for her love affairs, beauty, and power. As long as I can think, her name has inspired me, but why actually?

People often refer to me as the pink Cleopatra, because of my hairstyle. This makes me happy because even if people don’t know about my connection to Egypt, they seem to feel it just from my look and of course it’s very flattering to be named in the same sentence as history’s prototype of the romantic femme fatale. Oh, I imagine how it must have felt to be in a room with this woman, to feel her aura of power and be blinded by her jewellery sparkling in the sun.

Cleopatra had love affairs with two of the most powerful men of her time. But there was a lot of tragedy in her life until she killed herself at the age of 39. To secure her throne, she had to kill a few of her family members. She waged war on Rome and ultimately lost it. Her life must have felt like a rollercoaster, up and down, a true rock-star life, with higher risks at stake than most of us, can imagine. Born into a powerful and wealthy family, a luxury lover, a beauty addict, and a capable ruler and educated woman, this girl rocked. Unlike in many other kingdoms at that time, in Egypt, the women had rights and with Cleopatra an icon to look up to.

In two years, I’ll be as old as her when she died, this star that shone bright and then disappeared. She must have known how to create an aura of magic around herself. I wish I could learn a thing or two from this outstanding woman and the last pharaoh that ruled Egypt. She may be long gone, but her name is still everything but covered in desert dust.

My outfit
Romper: Blackmilk, Jewellery: Evelyne-M, Shoes: Vintage

Pictures: Photorhead
Styling: Greta Schoop & Me

After a break in 2020, Jacqueline Loekito returned with a new collection this year in collab with Swiss Artist Tobias Gutmann. Both creatives spent a lot of time in bed with their newborn babies in 2020, which inspired them to create a collection that evokes childhood memories.

The collection is an expression of their hopes for the future of their children Aviel and Mina (Avina). The looks remind of different bugs and crocodiles in their shapes and colours. Silhouettes and prints come from the expressive drawings of Tobias and Jacqueline Loekito translated into fashion as an expression of love.

Inclusivity and pushing past gender norms have always been one of the main topics of Jacqueline Loekito. In this collection, she expresses this as well with her choice of models. “Everybody is a superstar,” said Jacqueline and cast a group of highly diverse people who could all be characters in an absolutely fabulous but crazy fairy tale or live together at Villa Villekulla.

As one of her muses, it was a great honour for me to be part of Avina and present a unique and wonderful haute couture look with a blue leather corsage and a green laced pencil skirt. Since quite a few of the models are already dear friends, this show felt indeed like a family gathering, and I was almost tempted to say we lived happily ever after, watching Aviel and Mina become the future queens of our fashion kingdom.

Pictures
@luciahunziker for @llhproductions

Earring
@studio.mercedes

Models
Daria, Miel, Edwin, Brandy, Svetlana, Fatima, Glenn, Brutus, Samantha, Dylan, Yves, Tobias, Rambo, Collin, Patric and Sara

Make up 
@n.v.y_beauty @ini_april @pendi_beauty_zone

Hair
Rubi, Nadya and Sherly

Teams in studio 
@meiliain @nabishabba @cocodereyes @baslermargrit and Victoria

Styling assistants 
@siliciumdioxid@nabishabba