I was born in the picturesque, mountainous Northern Caucasus, one of the most ethnically diverse regions in the world. From an early age, I was drawn to anything that allowed me to create, imagine and express myself.

 

At the age of four, I started dancing, improvising and creating my own dances. Soon after, I began taking classical ballet classes regularly . By the age of ten, apparently deciding I am old enough to be a teacher , I started my own little dance class, at school for younger children , with my sister accompanying the classes on piano. The children loved it – to the point that they were chasing me around during the summer holidays , asking when the classes would resume!

Later, I moved into folk dance and studied at the choreography school of the renowned Lezginka dance company, performing on stages around the world. I eventually qualified as a Dance Artist and Choreographer before moving abroad at seventeen.

 

From a very young age, my sister and I were fascinated by making things ourselves. We began creating little outfits for our dolls when we were around four or five, experimenting with fabric and ideas long before we knew anything about sewing. Years later, around the age of twelve, we taught ourselves to sew using my grandfather’s sewing machine, each creating our own garments and developing our own ideas.

 

At seventeen, I left my home country and moved abroad, alone, to a place where I knew neither the language nor the culture. I spoke only a few words of the local language and couldn't even recognise its written alphabet. My sister had moved six months before me, and my parents were only able to join us six years later. For a long time, we were all finding our way separately. It was a completely different world from the one I had known, and learning to navigate it became an early lesson in independence, adaptability and finding my own way.

 

My background is as varied as my interests. I first studied sports sciences and worked in health, fitness and nutrition before moving into medical sciences. I went on to study for a Master’s degree in Medical Sciences, researching the impact of physical activity on atherosclerosis. Alongside my studies, I worked as a cardiac exercise physiologist within a cardiac rehabilitation institute at a major medical centre.

I genuinely enjoyed the research — starting with a question, exploring possibilities, examining evidence and bringing different pieces together until a clearer picture emerged. Looking back, I recognise the same curiosity in much of what I create today: an idea becomes a question, the pieces begin to connect, and eventually something tangible takes shape.

 

After moving to the UK, I built a career in digital marketing, developing a strong commercial and analytical perspective alongside my creative pursuits.

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In 2010, almost by chance, I found myself on a fashion editorial photoshoot for a US magazine. What began as a creative curiosity and a hobby in fashion styling gradually evolved into a profession in art direction and full photoshoot production.

I was entirely self-taught, with no formal fashion education or degree. I learned through experimentation, collaboration and creating real projects with photographers, models and other artists, gradually building a portfolio of my own.

 

In 2011, I applied for the newly introduced BA degree in Creative Direction for Fashion at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts. I genuinely wanted to study the subject and was excited by the possibilities the degree could open up. At the time, however, I was already working with photographers, models and garments and had begun creating real photoshoots, while many of the other applicants were presenting much more introductory portfolios.​

During the interview, I was told that my portfolio and experience were considerably ahead of those of the other applicants. I began to wonder whether the structure of the course would actually allow me to move forward at the pace I was ready for, or whether I would spend much of my time working at a level I had already passed. After thinking it through, I decided to continue developing independently.

It was not a decision to stop learning. Quite the opposite. I simply chose to learn by doing — taking on increasingly ambitious projects and gradually moving from fashion styling into art direction and full photoshoot production.

 

A few years later, the journey came full circle when I was invited to become a Senior Lecturer in Art Direction for Fashion at London College of Style, teaching both the Basic and Advanced Diploma programmes — a discipline I had never formally studied myself.

 

Today, I find myself creating across image, fashion, interiors, movement and choreography — returning to some of the creative languages that have always been part of me, while discovering new ones along the way. I remain curious about where an idea can lead, and open to unexpected creative possibilities.

 

At the heart of everything I do is a simple curiosity: an idea, a question, a collection of pieces waiting to connect. I am interested in discovering what something can become — and in giving an idea the vision, structure and form to bring it into reality.