Berlin Lovers - Container Love Magazine,
The Identity Issue
Editorial Art Direction, Casting
The Identity Issue
Editorial Art Direction, Casting
Berlin Lovers is the Berlin chapter of Container Love Magazine’s The Identity Issue,
an editorial exploring queer identity, intimacy, and self-expression.
an editorial exploring queer identity, intimacy, and self-expression.
While the issue featured artists from different cities and countries, I was responsible
for shaping the Berlin story. My focus was to keep it local, personal, and emotionally grounded, highlighting people who represent Berlin’s queer community through
how they live, love, and create.
for shaping the Berlin story. My focus was to keep it local, personal, and emotionally grounded, highlighting people who represent Berlin’s queer community through
how they live, love, and create.
Role: Art Director
Concept
The idea behind Berlin Lovers was to portray Berlin icons who are in love, with each other, with their art, with their work, or with themselves.
Queerness was approached as something lived rather than performed. The cast reflected diverse backgrounds and disciplines: Alexander (model), Khan (model & designer), Fahim (singer), Lamin (actor, photographed as a couple), and Gialu (influencer).
Art Direction Process
I led the project from casting onwards. I curated the cast, selected the photographer (Nikos Karpouzis), and built the creative team, including styling and HMU, to align with the emotional tone of the story.
The shoot took place across two locations over two days. Visually, I aimed for warmth, honesty, and playfulness, positioning Berlin Lovers as the emotional “joker” of The Identity Issue: expressive, human, and full of personality.
From Editorial to Community
After the shoot, the project expanded into film. Director Sven Gutjahr joined to capture intimate, sincere interviews with the participants.
Shortly after, Container Love was invited by CUPRA to collaborate during Pride Month in Munich and Berlin. Berlin Lovers became the foundation for exhibitions and panel talks in both cities, transforming the editorial into a multi-format community project spanning photography, video, exhibition, discussion, and print.
Launch & Afterlife
Together with the creative director, Christian Ruess, I co-organized the launch event for The Identity Issue at our studio, designed as an intimate gathering for Berlin’s local community. I also supported the event as an event photographer.
Reflection
Berlin Lovers reflects how I approach art direction: starting from people, building trust, and creating work that lives beyond images, through community, conversation,
and shared experience.
and shared experience.
