VENDULA SPÁČILOVÁ

Once Upon A Thread

Photography Studio

Your graduate work consists of a photographic editorial for a fashion collection which you yourself worked on. What was your collaboration with designer Zuzana Hliněná like?
This is not the first time I have collaborated with Zuzana – we have been collaborating naturally for several years, and this work was an extension of that. We are on the same wavelength both personally and creatively, and often have a similar vision, so the whole process worked very naturally. We knew from the beginning that we wanted to work with 1980s aesthetics, and we gradually focused on power dressing. I mostly provided visual research, photography and experiments with AI, while Zuzana worked out the design of the collection, the silhouette and its distinctive elements. For me, the most valuable thing was the way our approaches connected – it was not just about photographing finished models, but about jointly creating the entire visual concept from scratch.

How would you describe the relationship between fashion and fashion photography? After having tried out both, has your approach to this relationship changed in any way?
Fashion and fashion photography are inseparable for me and they shape one another. I have long been involved in fashion photography, and the longer I have worked in the field, the more I realize its essential role in the wider fashion world. Photography is not just a means of presentation; it can also give clothing additional meanings, atmosphere, even its own story. The editorial often determines the collection’s ultimate impact. I am also fascinated by the collective nature of fashion photography – it is not just about the relationship between the designer and the photographer, but about the cooperation of a creative team that connects different approaches into one whole. Joint creation is one of the most inspiring parts of the whole process.

Your work addresses the phenomenon of “power dressing”. What does this mean? Its roots go back to the 1980s, so do you think it is still relevant today?
Power dressing originated in the 80s as a symbol of female emancipation, self-confidence and women’s new position in public and work spaces. Expressive silhouettes, sharp shoulders and suits worked not only in the aesthetic sense, but also as a way of communicating authority, strength, and ambition. Such fashion helped women assert themselves in an environment that had predominantly been male. The historical context of power dressing is fascinating. Its current meaning is not the same – contemporary fashion is more casual and power dressing often functions as an aesthetic or artistic element. Nevertheless, it remains relevant precisely because it can still express strength, identity and the transformation of social status, albeit in more contemporary language.

photo: Polina Davydenko