Introducing Her Majesty Self. Starring NINI MOLNAR @ninimolnar
Love to oneself is one of the most difficult yet incredibly rewarding feelings we have to deal with. All of us are capable of treating ourselves with kindness and forgiveness. At the same time, we are sometimes guilty of putting ourselves on a pedestal and allowing ourselves to be blinded by our gorgeous reflections in the ponds of consciousness.
According to Greeks, Philautia, or love to oneself, was a goddess with two faces: evil and kind. The first one is associated with selfishness and narcissism, and the second represents the ability to practice self-compassion (talk about the blueprint for Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde). Her Majesty Self is the epitome for duality that exists in each one of us.
In our very first digital cover, Philautia, or Her Majesty Self, was embodied by Nini Molnar, the Hungarian fashion designer. The cover was shot on the streets and outskirts of Budapest, where the rich history of Hungary was manifesting itself through architectural masterpieces of the Austria-Hungary times and blending with the city’s overall dynamic ambiance.
Love is an Altruist. Starring NINI MOLNAR. @ninimolnar
Thinking of Love to oneself as an act of altruism sounds truly psychotic at first. The way such a contradictory statement can be interpreted is through understanding that self-love stems through being loved and loving others.
‘If you can’t love yourself, how the hell are you going to love somebody else’, says RuPaul. Well, let’s go back to the silver age of Russian poetry. Here we have Marina Tsvetaeva, whose deep emotional poems to her husband were filled with profound love, passion and great sorrows, while, about herself, she wrote ‘There is no place for me today or in the future’. Tsvetaeva went from being confident and happy to the life of misery and self-pity, but the one thing she held next to her while racing down that dark, scary road was her pure fiery love for others. Her children and husband especially.
In the second instalment of September’s #GAHSPzeitgesit , the neon monochromes and futuristic silhouettes turned Nini Molnar into a figure that treads lightly in-between a femme-fatale and a sensual fever dream vision. The overall austerity was accentuated through the dark skies that birthed a storm minutes after the shots were taken.
Allow Me. Starring NINI MOLNAR
How difficult is it to foster a kind relationship with oneself? Many say it all stems from the ability to forgive and be compassionate. Naturally, people who struggle to be compassionate and forgiving towards others will inadvertently find it difficult to allow themselves to forgive their own mistakes.
When thinking about self-compassion and its importance, one cannot ignore the tragic story of Empress Elisabeth of Austria. Referred to as the brightest woman in both Austria and Hungary, Empress Sissi was the textbook example of a perfectionist. Her physical regimen that included hours of exercises and strict dieting, was a topic of many whispers around the kingdom. After Elisabeth’s son died in a murder-suicide pact, she was destroyed. She was open about feeling guilty of her son’s death, so she started punishing herself through even more intense exercises and starvation, while simultaneously developing a strange obsession with death and asylums. Such bizarre fascinations served as the main topic in Michael Kunze’s ‘Elisabeth’ that involves multiple references to the Empress dancing with Death himself and begging him to take her.
In the final instalment of #GAHSPzeitgeist September cover, we shifted to the indoors, where the gorgeous Victorian interiors served as an elegant backdrop to Nini wearing layers of white and orange. The contrast of soft colours and sharp shadows painted a picture of duality, harmony between the inner and outer expressions.
Photography: @kriszmathe
Styling: @styledbytominaga
Hair & MUA: @juliahorvath.concept
Art direction: @juliahorvath.concept
Pieces from @ninimolnarofficial