You're someone who could obviously model in a number of other mediums, have you ever?
I am actually a model with no signature look in modeling, for me the personal challenge is being as diverse as possible & seeing if you can portray each style realistically. I'm more of a conceptual & emotive artist & that's probably the only consistency in my work. I DO have a personal aesthetic but it's a pretty decent clusterfuck of rock, goth, punk, 196Os, flower child, 8Os, 9Os, 192Os so it ranges from gutterish & destroyed to the classically loathed uptown girl:] I know fashion & love it, I can't limit myself to one style. I do prefer the avant-garde, dangerous, gritty, raw, surreal & emotionally charged/deranged.
And what keeps you coming back to fetish modeling?
I would say that it's the fact that you can create something that is almost like an enhanced version of life or experience. Something that is too good or too beautiful to be real. It's like a superior reality. You take an individual's personality, fetish, physical appearance & collectively capture a remarkable moment. I think people need those types of experiences & to visually witness that type of work because it does enhance your mood & inspire you, this speaks for all styles of photography & all forms of art. One of my favorite forms of modeling has always been anything to do with rope bondage/Shibari. I thoroughly enjoy being rigged/suspended so I will always come back to that. I need escapism from reality. I love working in film & wet plate photography however I also appreciate the possibilities of digital photography & photo editing/manipulation.
Do you think fetishism and sex are intrinsically connected, or can they be separate?
Yes & no. Fetishism has a rich history in religious practices where objects were thought to possess certain powers, however even acts containing the usage of blood were often devoid of sexual meaning but there is also sexual fetishism which is pretty self-explanatory :] You can't restrict what people will & will not find sexually attractive & arousing. It varies for everyone & for the most part anything can sexually stimulate someone somewhere. That aside that's what that form of modeling is about. It's a pretty cool method of taking something highly personal &/or taboo & managing to give it public attention depending on how you present it. Latex is pure sex, but it's often shot with elements of fashion which makes it more socially acceptable. I personally try not to make my work drip of blatant sex appeal because I find it a relatively simple thing to achieve/convey but that doesn't mean that viewers haven't argued the opposite. But whatever makes people happy, we're all entitled to our own opinion/perspective, so long as people aren't negative it's really all I care about. I want to inject something positive or just plain weird into people's lives.
What advice would you give to someone who is new to the scene?
Experimentation is the spice of life. I found shibari through a fashion shoot & it also introduced me to new music genres & cultural scenes. Just know your limits, speak up for yourself, be smart about your work & personal safety. Never do something you don't want to and remember that a small sum of money isn't worth being immortalized in a way you don't desire. Images & especially art LASTS.
Are there any other creative mediums you work in?
My passions are writing, singing/songwriting & music. I used to do media journalism, I write poetry, am a singer in English/Russian, studying music production & have a personal project called SICH that is mostly an electronic based band at present. Additionally, I love photo editing/hair & make-up artistry. I generally style/conceptualize & edit my own work though I love working with other individuals. I've had the pleasure of working as a photography assistant & photo retoucher for a number of talented individuals.
Read any good books lately?
I am rereading the Portable Emerson & Naked Lunch b/c it's incredibly mind numbingly psychedelic.
What's your favorite movie?
I don't have one. I have probably seen less movies & cult classics than the average person sadly, however I have enjoyed the following: The Big Lebowski, Natural Born Killers, Equilibrium, The Holy Mountain, Pi, Predator, Requiem for a dream, Fight Club, The Professional, Alice in Wonderland, The Royal Tenenbaums, Edward Scissorhands, True Romance, The Heathers & pretty much anything with aliens, the apocalypse, cold fusion, senseless violence, car chase scenes, lots of explosions etc. I also <3 Bruce Lee, Pinhead & Freddy Krueger.
Favorite music?
Trip hop, metal, industrial! I listen to pretty much every genre.