“The most dangerous thing about the witch was never her power, but her refusal to be defined by anyone other than herself.” In their new book, ‘Witch’, Dilara Fındıkoğlu and Harley Weir reclaim intuition, sensitivity and imagination as human capacities that have long been suppressed.
A journey through Romania lies at the heart of Witch, the new book by Turkish-British fashion designer Dilara Fındıkoğlu, known for her rebellious approach to femininity, and British photographer Harley Weir, whose work explores identity, intimacy and the body. Published by IDEA (2026), it brings together fashion, photography and personal stories to rethink what it means to be a witch today.
Along the way, they met women who live beyond conventional expectations. Among them is Mihaela Minca, a Romani witch whose spiritual knowledge has been passed down through generations. Their stories speak of tradition, independence and different ways of being a woman.
In the book’s manifesto, Weir and Fındıkoğlu question why qualities such as intuition, instinct, sensitivity, imagination and the ability to nurture, heal or create have been dismissed or feared. These are not supernatural gifts, they argue, but human capacities historically associated with femininity and valued less than reason and control.
Weir’s intimate portraits meet Fındıkoğlu’s unmistakable aesthetic. Corsets and contemporary silhouettes appear alongside traditional Romanian clothing, bringing together different expressions of strength, vulnerability and rebellion.
The women featured also challenge expectations around gender, beauty and bodily autonomy. Their experiences expand the idea of witchcraft beyond spiritual practice, revealing how the figure of the witch continues to resonate with those who refuse to conform.
There is also a sense of possibility running through Witch, an invitation to explore who we are without fear or imposed limitations. As Weir and Fındıkoğlu write in their manifesto, “Imagine how expansive we could be, how many different versions of us could exist within ourselves, beyond definitions, beyond categories…”
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