alpha decay

Deconstructing Masculinity is a photographic project conceptualised by photographer Iryna Martin, stylist Simoné Esterhuizen and videographer Kelsie Joos that investigates contemporary masculinity as a fluid, evolving construct rather than a fixed or singular identity. Instead of presenting masculinity as stable or universal, the work considers how it is continually shaped, challenged, and redefined through social expectations, personal experience, and shifting cultural narratives.

Through images of the male body in motion, the project explores the tension between rigidity and transformation, dominance and vulnerability. Gestures, posture, and moments of physical interaction become visual cues that reveal the complexity of masculine performance. By emphasizing movement and emotional exposure, the photographs suggest that masculinity is not inherent or static, but something enacted, negotiated, and often unsettled.

Ultimately, the project, which is a production of the MA of Arts in Photography LABA Valencia @ School of Art, Design & New Media, frames masculinity as a performative and unstable process — one influenced by both external pressures and internal conflict — highlighting the ways individuals navigate, resist, and reinterpret traditional masculine norms.

jacket + trousers. Álvaro Calafat
shirt. Carlotta Barrera
shoes. Hoka
ties. Stylist’s Own

jacket. Álvaro Calafat
shirt. Carlotta Barrera
ties. Stylist’s Own

jacket. Álvaro Calafat
necklace. All Blues

left to right
Fran wears
jacket + trousers. Álvaro Calafat
shirt. Carlotta Barrera
shoes. Hoka
Andrei wears
jacket + trousers. Álvaro Calafat
shoes. Hoka

left to right
Andrei wears
jacket. Álvaro Calafat
necklace. All Blues
Fran wears
jacket. Álvaro Calafat
opposite
left to right
Andrei wears
jacket + trousers. Álvaro Calafat
bracelet + ring. Stylist’s Own
Fran wears
jacket. Álvaro Calafat
shirt. Carlotta Barrera

left to right
Fran wears
jacket. Pablo Erroz
trousers. Álvaro Calafat
shirt. Carlotta Barrera
Andrei wears
jacket. Pablo Erroz
trousers. Álvaro Calafat
necklace. All Blues

blazers. Stylist’s Own
trousers. Álvaro Calafat
shoes. Hoka
opposite
jacket + shawl. Álvaro Calafat
ring + bracelet. Stylist’s Own

jacket + shawl. Álvaro Calafat
ring + bracelet. Stylist’s Own

left to right
Fran wears
jacket. RAISED BY DOUBT @ AFLAME Group
trousers. Versace
shoes. Birkenstock
gloves. Dolce & Gabbana
Andrei wears
trousers. Álvaro Calafat

left to right
Fran wears
coat. Pablo Erroz
Andrei wears
sweater. Aitor Goikoetxea
trousers. Lemache

Fran wears
shirt. Carlotta Barrera
tie. Hugo Boss

boxers. Emidio Tucci

boxers. Emidio Tucci

leggings. Aitor Goikoetxea
opposite
leggings. Aitor Goikoetxea

leggings. Aitor Goikoetxea

photography. Iryna Martin
art direction + fashion. Simoné Esterhuizen
talent. Fran Mena + Andrei Chiper @ Carmen Duran
hair + make up. Anna Belyaeva
concept. Iryna Martin, Simoné Esterhuizen + Kelsie Joos
production + videography. Kelsie Joos
production. A production of the MA of Arts in Photography LABA Valencia @ School of Art, Design & New Media
teachers. art Súper Fuerte
fashion coordination. Odile Itrraspe Garland + the Master’s programme direction
lighting assistants. Nikolas Antonopoulos + Andrea Soria Prediger
special thanks. Pedro + Angel @ Espai Center

jacket. Dolce & Gabbana

“WHITE SPARROW” is a visual meditation on exclusion rather than appearance. The white sparrow is not a stable or well-defined category; it exists as a deviation, akin to a glitch in the system. Because of this, it often appears in culture as a symbol of disruption or a shift in the usual order. Throughout the shoot, the image of the bird emerges in fragments — through feathers, accessories, bodily gestures, and locations where birds typically occupy the edges of human environments. These references do not depict the bird directly; instead, they suggest its presence, as if something were quietly observing.

The scene with six sparrows inside the refrigerator is deliberately impossible — an unlikely convergence. It represents a community of rare individuals inhabiting a closed, confined space where their uniqueness endures not because of the environment, but despite it. The editorial reflects on what it means to be different without romanticizing that difference. It centers on the body as a site of vulnerability and on the figure of the “stranger,” someone who does not oppose their surroundings but must learn to survive within them.

shirt. Stylist’s Own

trench coat. Lemaire
opposite
cropped coat. MM6 Maison Margiela

trench coat. Lemaire
suit. Jil Sander
hat. Polo Ralph Lauren
opposite
t-shirt. Jil Sander
jeans. Acne Studios
shoes. Prada

underwear. Ludovic de Saint Sernin
opposite
jeans. Acne Studios
shoes. Prada

trench coat. Lemaire
suit. Jil Sander
shoes. Prada

shirt. Stylist’s Own

photography + cg artist. Arthur Iskandarov
fashion. Alex Klop
model. Michael @ X Management
production. Jenya Garmel
assistant. Anna

jacket. Prada @ Archive Grain de Sell
skirt. Oaks by Ferre (Gianfranco Ferre) @ The Parisian Vintage
shoes. Sergio Rossi
gloves + bag. Stylist’s Own

This Schön! editorial is a fashion story photographed by Carl Niklas that explores controlled elegance and quiet tension. Set in muted, everyday environments, the series focuses on gesture, posture, and subtle emotion rather than overt drama. Classic silhouettes, tactile fabrics, and a cool colour palette with styling by Theresa Garwing and Isa Lethem, and make up by Quan Pham, create a sense of discipline and intimacy, where restraint becomes a form of strength and self-possession.

fur jacket. Kenzo @ The Parisian Vintage
hat. Celine @ The Parisian Vintage

fur jacket. Vintage
skirt. Cacharel @ The Parisian Vintage

striped body. Jean Paul Gaultier @ The Parisian Vintage
hat + fur. Celine @ The Parisian Vintage

jacket. Prada @ The Parisian Vintage
dress. Miu Miu @ Grain de Sell
shoes. Sergio Rossi
gloves. Stylist’s Own
bag. Kenzo @ The Parisian Vintage

fur jacket + military hat. Vintage
dress. Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti @ The Parisian Vintage
shoes. Sergio Rossi
bag. Sonia Rykiel @ The Parisian Vintage

photography. Carl Niklas
fashion. Theresa Garwing + Isa Lethem
model. Elisa Apfel
make up. Quan Pham
lighting assistant. Finn Brücher