ANDROGYNOUS SPECIES (2022)

Androgynous sensitivities bind all human beings; to each other, but also to the environment and other species that inhabit it. We know this to be true since the blurred boundaries between what is sexual and what is gendered are not humanity’s exclusive domain. Rather, it is a bond between us and the animal and planetary kingdoms that is integral to our earthly legacy.

London-based artisanal silk scarves brand HELIKON XX started as an art project that pays homage to the Greek muse. Under creative direction of textile and print designer Aneta Sebestove, classical aesthetics are extended to render all living and breathing things as muses, regardless of sex, gender or even species.

Aneta founded the brand to act as a space where she and other creatives can connect and explore together. In her latest collection, she collaborated with documentary-style photographer Rossella Damiani who specialises in the portrayal of society through the body. Together, the two explore physicality through an androgynous lens, whereby non-binary bodies — and the souls that inhabit them — express innate, raw and unrestricted sensuality.

To complete the ethereal, futuristic aesthetic of the campaign, Aneta was also supported by 886 Studio, a “cyber jewellery” brand that lent their unique pieces which acted as a suitable bridge between nature and digital, through the staging of models in front of a surreal, metaverse-esque backdrop.

This holistic perspective of the world led to the creation of magnificent, inspiring prints, as shown in a photo series chronicling the relevance of androgyny in today’s fashion landscape — not as a futuristic trend, but as a grassroots movement that symbolises freedom from prejudice, judgment and assumptions. Per HELIKON XX, androgyny plays on our connection to our innermost selves as well as to nature and the planet. No wonder it feels refreshing.