Hotel Urania: a fashion editorial for New Face Magazine

When I reached out to Diana Gold to style a fashion editorial in a hotel, I knew I wanted a quirky place that would match the vibe of the slightly bohemian wardrobe styling I had in mind. After researching a number of hotels, I had a feeling that Hotel Urania, a family-owned hotel in near Vienna’s old center, would be the perfect location. When I learned of the exact location, within walking distance of the Hundertwasser Museum, and practically across from the Danube Canal, I knew this would be the spot, as I had visited the neighborhood before and loved the quirky non-mainstream feel of the surroundings, with differences in architecture and in character compared to other parts of Vienna.

I was thrilled when both models I had in mind for this fashion series turned out to be available: Chiara Koppelstaetter at Stella Models and Enie Tag at Look Models International. Paired with Vanessa Standhartinger’s expert makeup skills, the models, makeup, and wardrobe seamlessly blended together in a fashion story that became imbued with the Weissgerberviertel’s bohemian past (and present). Inspired by Leonard Cohen’s song about Janis Joplin at the Chelsea Hotel, I initially wanted to name the fashion series “I remember you well at the Chelsea Hotel,” but since that felt a bit long, I opted for simply “Hotel Urania” (which I assume is related to the historic movie theater close by that bears the same name).

I was really in awe of my team who worked tirelessly in the span of an afternoon to materialize all the looks, making sure not an eye lash or a thread is out of place. It was also really lovely that the hotel allowed us to photograph all over the premises, from the lobby to the halls and vintage staircase. Between moving statues, chairs and paintings, it felt like we were redecorating the entire premises! (Though we did have a run-in with one angry guest who slammed the door on us… which had me much more shaken than the girls who seemed to be used to the occasional displays of Viennese grumpiness.)

Wrapping up the series with Ukrainian tarot cards felt like the perfect closure to a magical photoshoot in one of Vienna’s quirkiest quarters. It was a wonderful opportunity to shoot something on location, and I made a resolution to do more on-location photoshoots this summer. After testing the logistics of working with 5-6 people in a non-designated space, I definitely want to leave the studio more often!

Published in New Face Magazine. For inquiries please contact me here.