THE LENS
URMANOVA
Her photograph graces the first-ever cover of Emirates Fashion Week Magazine — ethereal, magnetic, and infinitely feminine.
Through her lens, beauty becomes more than just aesthetics — it turns into emotion, intuition, and truth.
We sat down with Natalya Urmanova to talk about the art of capturing essence, the language of fashion, and the dialogue between character and form.
“LANA IS THE PURE FORM OF MY HEROINE — SENSATIONAL, LIMITLESS.”
– Your photograph of Lana became the centerpiece of our debut issue. What emotions did you want to express through that image?
– “Seeing my creations seeing the world makes me feel limitless. Lana is the pure form of my heroine — sensational. She’s larger than life. Capturing that essence is not something that happens in one session. We managed to show a multitude of her archetypes, but more importantly — her essence: deep, well-connected, and borderless.”
I envisioned her as a time traveler, carrying certain knowledge through epochs. And by the end of the shoot, I wanted her simply to be — without costumes or props, just a woman in this day and age.”
“FASHION IS A LIVING ORGANISM WHEN FORMING A STYLE.”
– You’ve worked with some of the world’s most iconic fashion houses. How did that experience shape your view on fashion and style?
– “I’ve seen fashion from the inside — not just the creative process, but the moment collections are ready to meet clients. I was Retail Director for Saint Laurent, Prada, and Louis Vuitton. It never killed my romanticism. To me, fashion is a form of art that beautifully coexists with commerce. These brands are extensions of their creators’ visions — and that vision must resonate. Fashion is your cover story. It tells who you are — or who you wish to be. The desire to stand out or stay unseen is also a language.”
Style is like your handwriting; it changes with time and emotion. The purpose of fashion is the joy of discovering yourself.”
“HARMONY ONLY EXISTS WHEN YOU SEE ONE’S CHARACTER.”
– What is more important to you — capturing a person’s character or creating visual harmony?
– “One can’t exist without the other. Harmony comes from truly seeing a person. Forcing someone into your imagined frame won’t work — it looks awkward, artificial. Photography, in the hands of someone sensitive, can be a path to self-discovery. That’s how I use it — to express my vision of a person. And when it’s right, it touches their essence.”
“THE FEELING I GIVE IS TOTAL ADMIRATION.”
– Do you have favorite details or elements that help reveal a person’s personality?
– “There’s no universal object that works for everyone. What matters is the atmosphere — the feeling I give, which is total admiration. I love clothes that emphasize character without overpowering it — garments that free someone from the routine of daily wear. I’m drawn to silhouettes, hats, gloves, veils — details that carry a certain narrative. Perhaps it’s because, in my mind, I’m always shooting a film.”
“YOU STOLE A MOMENT WITHOUT PERMISSION.”
– Which project or photograph became a turning point in your career — and why?
– “It happened at the very beginning, when I knew no rules. I took my camera and went out into the streets of New York — the best place for that. I met a beggar at…”
Times Square dressed in a pink Barbie dress. When I pointed my camera, she screamed at me — that rage is forever captured. A photographer next to me said, ‘You stole a moment without permission.’ That day I realized photography can open Pandora’s box. It can reveal and violate at the same time. The camera doesn’t lie — but it powerfully shapes reality through your vision.”
“A WOMAN CAN BE NAKED YET POWERFULLY DRESSED.”
– How do you see the connection between fashion and the character of a woman?
– “Fashion is only an extension of character, never the character itself. The woman is always the center — fashion is her servant.”
She can be naked yet powerfully dressed, or dressed “well” but without the inner character look odd.”
“THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY, I CAN TOUCH THE INVISIBLE AND TURN IT INTO VISIBLE.”
– What does photography mean to you today — art, exploration, or storytelling?
– “All of it, and more. Photography is life itself — and beyond life. Through it, I can touch the invisible and make it visible. I discover myself and others not through thought, but through feeling. I’m not interested in what people think — I want to see what lies beyond that. Photography lets us step outside our minds and bodies to see what we’ve never seen before.”
