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Aathirai

@aathi.rai

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creative direction | stylist
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berlin london paris
ஆதிரை
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A little look at the show notes for „Taking Up Space“ First presented during @berlinartweek as part of @softpowerfestival at Haus der Visionäre, this work has been such a personal project for me, and it feels nice to share a little more of the thoughts behind it. The show notes bring together some of the ideas and feelings that shaped the installation, and the layout was designed by my sister, which makes them even more special to me 💕 Festival curated by: @berlinartlover @mi_plaza @gonzalezhaase_aas Layout: @iamlutricia Artist / Creative Direction: Aathirai Valentine @aathi.rai 
Set Design: Pelin Gebhard @pelin_gebhard 
Make Up Artist: Florina Vyas @florinavyas Hair Artist: Lana Berginc Predovič @laberpre.makeup Performers: @biancadelaluna @dammryy @priyaxravi @miomijou Photo: @pelin_gebhard by @aathi.rai
„Taking Up Space“ Presented for the first time during @berlinartweek , as part of @softpowerfestival curated by the incredible @berlinartlover and @mi_plaza at Haus der Visionäre. Thank you for your trust 💗This performance installation is very personal to me, but it also comes from the political moment we are living through. At a time when women’s autonomy, freedom and place in society are increasingly being questioned, I keep thinking about how much we are still taught to make ourselves smaller, how we should look, behave, dress, speak, move through the world, and how much space we are allowed to take. Taking Up Space explores femininity, restriction, visibility and personal boundaries through pink fabrics, ruffles, oversized garments and domestic forms. I wanted to take familiar symbols of femininity and distort them, making them excessive, beautiful and slightly unsettling. For me, taking up space is not only about physical space. It is about having the right to exist, to be visible, to have boundaries, and to occupy the world without constantly adjusting ourselves to what is expected of us. Especially now, I feel that this is an important conversation to keep having. The work is about women taking that space for themselves, without asking for permission. Thank you to everyone who helped me bring this work into the world. 💕 Artist / Creative Direction: Aathirai Valentine @aathi.rai 
Set Design: Pelin Gebhard @pelin_gebhard 
Make Up Artist: Florina Vyas @florinavyas Hair Artist: Lana Berginc Predovič @laberpre.makeup Performers: @biancadelaluna @eastwestmodels @dammryy @vivamodelsberlin @miomijou @vivamodelsberlin @priyaxravi @lemanagement With: @anastasiabeverlyhills @dior @haebmau.atelier @ken__hagen @poorarzhangy @freistil_rolfbenz Photos taken by @pelin_gebhard @florinavyas by @aathi.rai
I never really thought, when I started doing all of this, that simply showing your culture could be political. But as the political climate changes, I have realized more and more how important it is to show who you are, where you come from, and the things that have shaped you. I think there’s a kind of resilience in being visible, in celebrating your culture and taking pride in the things make you who you are. Especially when there’s so much pressure to assimilate, stay quiet or make yourself smaller. It feels more important than ever to make room for the things that remind us where we come from! Some BTS from the shoot with @iamdevitha 🤍 I never really thought, when I started doing all of this, that simply showing your culture could be political. But as the political climate changes, I have realized more and more how important it is to show who you are, where you come from, and the things that have shaped you. I think there’s a kind of resilience in being visible, in celebrating your culture and taking pride in the things make you who you are. Especially when there’s so much pressure to assimilate, stay quiet or make yourself smaller. It feels more important than ever to make room for the things that remind us where we come from! Some BTS from the shoot with @iamdevitha Creative Lead / Styling: @aathi.rai Production: @fiasko.world Creative Production / Photography: @_kojihun Production Management: @dary_d / lautundlaisa Hair & Make Up Artist: @florinvyas using typology Model: @iamdevitha @majin_mgmt Casting Director: @jeehye_lee____ Creative Lead / Styling: @aathi.rai Production: @fiasko.world Creative Production / Photography: @_kojihun Production Management: @dary_d / lautundlaisa Hair & Make Up Artist: @florinvyas using typology Model: @iamdevitha @majin_mgmt Casting Director: @jeehye_lee____ my beautiful Amma <3 by @aathi.rai
This shoot felt especially close to home 🤍 I don’t often get the chance to work with other Tamil people creatively, so working with @iamdevitha felt really special. There was an immediate familiarity in the way we connected, in the traditions and little rituals we both grew up with. It made me think about how some of the things we once wanted to distance ourselves from are the same things we come to appreciate differently as we get older. Creative Lead / Styling: @aathi.rai Production: @fiasko.world Creative Production / Photography: @_kojihun Production Management: @dary_d / lautundlaisa Hair & Make Up Artist: @florinvyas using @typologyparis Model: @iamdevitha @majin_mgmt Casting Director: @jeehye_lee____ Devitha is wearing jewelry from @asteriskonline @maneeshagall by @aathi.rai
When I was younger, my mum would always oil my hair. I hated it. It made my hair look greasy and kids at school would make fun of me. Looking back, I realize it was never just about my hair. It was her way of caring for me. A quiet ritual of love, passed from her hands to mine. This series is about those everyday rituals that are passed down from one generation to the next and how we often don’t understand their meaning until we’re older. Creative Lead / Styling: @aathi.rai Production: @fiasko.world Creative Production / Photography: @_kojihun Production Management: @dary_d / lautundlaisa Hair & Make Up Artist: @florinvyas Model: @iamdevitha @majin_mgmt Casting Director: @jeehye_lee____ by @aathi.rai
A different pose from the same story. The softness stayed, the honesty stayed and so did the feeling of being completely herself 🌹 Photgraphy: Suleika Mueller @suleikamueller Styling: Aathirai Valentine @aathi.rai Hair: Yui Ozaki @ Saint Luke Artists @yuiozakihair @saintlukeartists Make Up: Michelle Dacillo @ Agency 41 @michelle_dacillo @agency__41 Casting: Tess Wilcox @tesswilcoxcast Talent: Iris O @ Present Model Management @irisocarroll @presentmodelmanagement Production: Phoebe Asker @freelanceasker Nails: Hannah Bent @hannahbnt Photo Assistant: Jody Evans @jdevns Hair Assistant: Saiko Hayashi @saikoohayashi 🤍 @submission.beauty by @aathi.rai
Wrapping up the series with one of my favorite moments! This was one of those setups we planned carefully but still weren’t completely sure about it. As the stylist, I spent so much time thinking about the flowers, the textures and how everything would sit together in the water, yet we still didn’t know if it would translate the way we hoped. Looking at it now, I love how calm and grounded it feels. There‘s an honesty and softness this reflects the mood of the shoot. It wasn’t about perfection, just a quiet presence that grew throughout the day. This image also reminds me of the trust in the process, in the choices we made and the in team who brought it all to life, a gentle way to close the series and a moment I‘m truly grateful for 🩷 Photgraphy: Suleika Mueller @suleikamueller Styling: Aathirai Valentine @aathi.rai Hair: Yui Ozaki @ Saint Luke Artists @yuiozakihair @saintlukeartists Make Up: Michelle Dacillo @ Agency 41 @michelle_dacillo @agency__41 Casting: Tess Wilcox @tesswilcoxcast Talent: Iris O @ Present Model Management @irisocarroll @presentmodelmanagement Production: Phoebe Asker @freelanceasker Nails: Hannah Bent @hannahbnt Photo Assistant: Jody Evans @jdevns Hair Assistant: Saiko Hayashi @saikoohayashi 🤍 @submission.beauty by @aathi.rai
„Within these walls“ @submission.beauty This shoot will stay with me for a long time. Being surrounded by women, creating in such an honest and open way, gave me a sense of freedom I don‘t often feel in fashion. There was no pressure to perform or stage anything, it was about trust, softness, and presence. As a stylist, I felt inspired by how naturally everything came together, and how our shared energy shaped the story. It reminded me that beauty feels most powerful when it‘s created from connection. Photgraphy: Suleika Mueller @suleikamueller Styling: Aathirai Valentine @aathi.rai Hair: Yui Ozaki @ Saint Luke Artists @yuiozakihair @saintlukeartists Make Up: Michelle Dacillo @ Agency 41 @michelle_dacillo @agency__41 Casting: Tess Wilcox @tesswilcoxcast Talent: Iris O @ Present Model Management @irisocarroll @presentmodelmanagement Production: Phoebe Asker @freelanceasker Nails: Hannah Bent @hannahbnt Photo Assistant: Jody Evans @jdevns Hair Assistant: Saiko Hayashi @saikoohayashi by @aathi.rai
„The halfway drape“ between what is passed down and what is chosen. This editorial is a visual exploration of identity rooted in my Tamil heritage. It follows a shift from the soft expectations often placed on women towards a self defined sense of strength and independence. Now live on @one_magazine 🤍 photographer: @timloebbert stylist: @aathi.rai hair and make up: @florinavyas model: @dammryy @vivamodelsberlin brands: @sirimajas @almajoergensen by @aathi.rai
The Halfway Drape for @one_magazine 🤍 photographer: @timloebbert stylist: @aathi.rai hair and make up: @florinavyas model: @dammryy @vivamodelsberlin by @aathi.rai
„The halfway drape“ between what is passed down and what is chosen for @one_magazine This editorial is a visual exploration of identity rooted in my Tamil heritage. It follows a shift from the soft expectations often placed on women towards a self defined sense of strength and independence. photographer: @timloebbert stylist: @aathi.rai hair and make up: @florinavyas model: @dammryy @vivamodelsberlin by @aathi.rai
The Halfway Drape for @one_magazine Blue series 🩵 photographer: @timloebbert stylist: @aathi.rai hair and make up: @florinavyas model: @dammryy @vivamodelsberlin by @aathi.rai

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