Photography remains one of the most potent forms of storytelling. In fashion, it becomes a mirror of society—revealing not only trends, but the evolving ideals of beauty, identity, and representation. It holds the power to shape collective memory. It doesn’t just capture what we wear, but how we dream, desire, and define ourselves through the lens of culture.
Following an intense fashion month, I visited Image Doers, a two-day gallery experience powered by NAKED Copenhagen and Nike Shox Z, redefining how we see, feel, and remember the power of the image. Curated by Lylia Bokélé and Livia Rose Johnson, the exhibition spotlights a generation of femme image-makers of color whose work reclaims the gaze and rewrites the visual narrative with intention and grace. Far more than a showcase, Image Doers is a reclamation of authorship, emotion, and radical visibility. Each photograph pulses with the layered realities of the diaspora: joy, resistance, beauty, futurism. Together, they frame a new visual language where women of color are not merely seen but centered as architects of culture.
The opening night set the tone with a live panel discussion, “Creative Intersectionality: Art, Culture & Authentic Navigation,” hosted by Tyonne Liveti and featuring PR consultant Nawel Abdellah along with photographer Hélène Tchen. Together, they explored creative intentionality, cultural power, and the delicate balance of authenticity in today’s visual landscape offering a rare window into the evolving narrative of femme creativity today. Uniting both emerging and established visionaries, the exhibition celebrates photography as an act of authorship, a means of defining rather than documenting. The result is a body of work that reshapes how we see each other, and ourselves, through the art of representation.
In a field long dominated by male perspectives, a new generation of women is redefining what beauty, power, and identity look like through the lens. As fashion continues to evolve, it’s clear that women behind the camera are leading the charge toward a more inclusive and expressive future. These five photographers are breaking conventions, amplifying underrepresented voices, and reshaping the visual language of fashion and beauty.
ALESSIA GUNAWAN
Alessia Gunawan, a multimedia artist who specializes in photography and moving images, was born in Jakarta in 1995 to Italian and Chinese Indonesian parents. Gunawan focuses on exposing the overly saturated visuals that hide the different facets of today’s globalized and seemingly interconnected culture in her projects. @alygunawan
ERIKA KAMANO
Through whimsical pictures that promote beauty and empowerment by fusing fashion, nature, Erika Kamano, who was born in Hawaii and brought up by Japanese and English parents in Northern England, uses poetry to express her varied origins. Her art creates and expresses intimate, unadulterated human connection. She has shot for Marc Jacobs, Mugler, Givenchy, Fendi, Dazed, and Re-Edition just to name a few. @erikakamano
HELENE TCHEN
The photography of Hélène Tchen Cardenas, a French photographer of Sino-Colombian ancestry, combines boldness, poetry, and authenticity. With a foundation in fashion, her photographs honor various narratives and femininity in all its manifestations, fusing artistic innovation with social consciousness to offer a universal definition of beauty that brings more depth to traditional beauty editorials. @helenetchen
JESSICA MADAVO
Born in South Africa, artist Jessica Madavo’s work combines fashion, narrative, and documentary with a keen awareness of analog image-making. Her photographs capture intimate, poetic moments where the timeless and the personal collide, exploring identity, self-perception, and cultural memory. @jessicamadavo
NEVA WIREKO
The work of Ghanaian-Canadian artist Neva Wireko, who resides in New York, examines duality as well as the transitional areas between identity and consciousness. She consistently dissects and reimagines reality through photography and film, exposing the multi-layered complexity of perception and self. Fenty, Y/Project, Office, and Contributor Magazines are just a few of the publications in Neva’s portfolio. @_____neva
