A KALTBLUT exclusive. Design and Styling by Sawada Altynai. Photography by Diana Tskhai. Makeup and Hair by French Studio. Sawada Altynai, a nomad at heart, has carried her sense of in-betweenness across borders, from Central Asia to Japan, turning displacement into creation. What once felt like isolation became her creative force. Her work is a rebellion against conformity and a celebration of self-acceptance. Drawing from punk, nomadic spirit, and witchcraft, Altynai creates designs that act as armour, tools of transformation and self-expression.
This editorial, set in the summer landscapes of Kyrgyzstan, is melancholic, dreamy, and slightly fantastical. It captures the feeling of being an outsider even in one’s own homeland, mystical and otherworldly, reflecting Altynai’s personal journey to her roots, like an alien wandering her own home.
Design and Styling by Sawada Altynai @sawadaaltynai
Photography by Diana Tskhai @tskhdn.jpg
Makeup and Hair by French Studio
Assistants: Saparbaeva Saikal, Kasymov Kubanychbek, Kasymov Kairat, Aliya: @niikisku
Models @looklikeadork @ru_arz @billbeym
