When Fashion Becomes a Mirror

Every now and then, a photography project arrives that is less about documenting an object and more about engaging with an idea. Recently, I was invited to assist Ukrainian artist Bohdan Kunashenko with a fashion shoot centred around a striking and unsettling wearable artwork that challenged viewers to reconsider humanity's relationship with animals.

The artwork by Bohdan Kunashenko

With the support of GRETB Roscommon, we were granted access to facilities containing medical equipment and clinical surroundings that became an integral part of the final images. The sterile environment provided a visual language normally associated with care, treatment, and recovery, creating an uncomfortable contrast with the costume itself.

The work consisted of several handmade latex pieces. The dress, suspended beside the final photograph in the exhibition, featured a large opening through the midsection. Knee-high boots transformed the wearer's legs into cloven hooves, blurring the distinction between human and animal. Completing the ensemble was a handbag fashioned from a latex human head. A zipper crossed the crown of the skull while the handles were attached through piercings in the nose. Individually, each element was provocative. Together, they formed a powerful statement.

For Bohdan, the inspiration came from the treatment of animals within modern society. Animals are routinely bred, altered, transported, displayed, and processed in ways that many people accept without question. By transferring similar visual cues onto a human subject, the artist sought to create a moment of discomfort and reflection. What happens when the roles are reversed? How do we react when the body being altered, displayed, or commodified is recognisably human?

The photographic challenge was to present the costume as both fashion and commentary. Rather than creating a traditional fashion image that celebrates beauty or glamour, the objective was to preserve the tension between attraction and unease. The clinical setting, medical equipment, and carefully considered posing all contributed to a narrative that invited viewers to pause and examine their own responses.

As photographers, we are often asked to capture what is in front of the camera. Projects such as this remind us that photography can also act as a bridge between artist and audience, helping complex ideas find a visual form. Whether viewers agree with the message or not, Bohdan's work succeeds in encouraging discussion, and perhaps that is one of the most important roles art can play.

The resulting images formed part of a wider installation where the photograph, the costume pieces, and the sculptural accessories were exhibited together as if presented as a department store window display. Seen as a complete work, the project became more than a fashion shoot; it became an exploration of empathy, identity, and the often-overlooked relationship between humans and the animals with whom we share the world.