EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

ELEN. A QUIET LIGHT WITH A SHARP EDGE.

Conducted by Guillaume Jean Lefebvre

1. When you guide a woman through a transformation, what is the subtle, often invisible moment when you sense something has truly shifted within her?

I see the shift first in her eyes, then in her movement and her voice. At the beginning she does not always recognize herself. She studies her reflection, trying to align the image with her inner sense of identity. Slowly, her posture changes. Her spine lifts, her shoulders release, and her presence becomes more defined. Her movements grow more fluid and quietly feminine, no matter the aesthetic direction. Even her voice settles into a calmer, more assured tone.
A true style transformation is never a one-day process. It can unfold over months or even a year. It depends on self-acceptance, emotional readiness, and where a woman is in her own inner journey. The external shift may happen instantly, but the internal one takes time. When both align, the transformation becomes real and lasting.

2. Your work relies heavily on intuition. How do you distinguish between a true intuitive insight and a fleeting emotion?

My work stands on knowledge first, intuition second, and psychology woven between them. Empathy gives me access to what a woman feels before she says anything. A true insight is quiet and precise. A fleeting emotion is loud and unstable. I follow the direction that stays calm after everything else settles, as that stillness never lies.

3. Creating seems to be a form of language for you. If you had to describe your artistic “inner voice,” what would it sound like and how does it manifest in your work?

I am not sure the term “inner voice” fully describes how I create. In my editorial work I focus on meaning. I explore themes of modernity, the place of a woman in society, her sense of space, her pain, and her joy. My artistic instinct speaks through these ideas. It is less about being gentle or rebellious and more about expressing what women live through today.
When it comes to personal style, everything depends on the client’s goals. I rely on professional knowledge, intuition, and a strong sense of proportion. Our interaction becomes a dialogue built on clarity and purpose. That is how we reach the result together.

4. You often emphasize respect and authenticity. What personal experience taught you most profoundly that an image can sometimes distance a woman from herself instead of revealing her?

There were several moments in my life that shaped this understanding. I never saw myself as someone with a model look or model proportions. For a long time I did not pay much attention to my appearance, and I learned firsthand how sharply society reacts to the way a woman looks. Appearance can influence how people treat you, what opportunities open or close, even how far you can move in your career. It can be unfair, yet it is real.
I also remember situations where the image created for me felt completely disconnected from who I was. Those experiences showed me how easily styling can erase a woman instead of supporting her. This is why I take my work seriously. When a woman decides to invest in her personal style, she is committing to a process that requires time, emotional energy, and financial resources. She deserves precise, respectful guidance. She deserves a transformation that builds her, not breaks her.
I went through my own stages of rebuilding myself and I am still working on myself. That is why I want to help women do the same — not to turn them into someone else, but to reveal the version of themselves they have been waiting to meet.

Elen carries a rare minimalist form of the name Elena, a name that symbolizes light. Her version of light is not soft or sentimental. It is focused, intentional, and shaped by experience. She grew up sensing proportion, atmosphere, and the emotional resonance of image. Creativity was never decorative for her. It was her instinct.

Her entry into the fashion world began with a shock. During her early years she tried modeling classes to understand posing and visual movement. Instead of guidance she met carelessness. A makeup artist treated her face like a surface, and a photographer dismissed her presence. The result was an image that felt unrecognizable. It hurt more than she expected, yet it became a catalyst. In that moment she understood something essential. A woman deserves to feel seen. A woman deserves beauty that respects her identity. That realization shaped her mission long before styling became her career.

Today Elen works with a precision that feels almost architectural. She approaches image as structure and emotion fused together. She has an instinct for atmosphere, for the way a garment shifts energy, for the subtle confidence that appears when style aligns with identity. Her eye is calm and sharp at the same time. Her work is clean, contemporary, and quietly bold.
Elen continues her education with international stylists, art and creative directors whose work defines the modern industry. Her education comes through courses, masterclasses, and industry analysis. She prefers not to select one mentor because her growth is shaped by many leading voices in fashion. She follows professionals whose work defines modern aesthetics and pushes creative standards forward.

What separates Elen from others is the way she reads women. She pays attention to tone, posture, hesitation, the quiet emotional patterns behind a person’s choices. She builds looks that do not overpower the woman but reveal her strength. The moment she values most is when a client’s reflection softens and brightens. That shift says everything. It means the styling reached the place where confidence begins.
Transformation in Elen’s hands is subtle and deliberate. Editorial work allows her to explore concepts with freedom. Personal styling channels those ideas into real life, where clothing becomes a tool for self-connection. She never forces runway exaggeration onto everyday women. She translates aesthetics into something lived and authentic, something that moves with the woman rather than performing for the camera.

One story remains central to her philosophy. She once worked with a mother of six who had forgotten what it felt like to see herself with tenderness. The transformation revealed a softness and pride she had not felt in years. For Elen it was a reminder that styling is not superficial. It is a return to self.
Elen balances her creative drive through family, faith, and the act of uplifting others. These foundations keep her grounded in an industry that often values speed over substance. Travel, nature, and new environments continue to expand her visual vocabulary and sharpen her sense of direction.
For Elen, success is simple. It is a strong family, meaningful work, and the ability to create something that genuinely improves another woman’s life. She hopes to leave behind a legacy of warmth and empowerment — a trace of light in the lives she touches.
If she could speak to her younger self, she would say: "Start sooner, trust your instincts, and never wait for someone’s permission." If she were to be associated with one word she chooses "Inspiring." It reflects everything she strives to offer. Strength. Growth. Light that transforms.

INTERVIEW

5. Your work touches deeply on the intimate. How do you protect your own inner space while receiving the emotions, stories, and vulnerabilities of the women you work with?

For me it is essential to create a safe space for a woman, and confidentiality is the foundation. When a client opens up, she does not share only her wardrobe challenges but often her fears, her history, her hopes. My work becomes emotional as much as visual. I support her with styling, but also with presence and with words. This creates a deep connection, sometimes even a non-stop emotional involvement.
I try to set boundaries, but I cannot always distance myself. I absorb a lot. It can make the work heavier, yet it also gives me an advantage. I feel women very clearly, and that sensitivity allows me to achieve more accurate and meaningful results. For my clients this becomes a strength. They feel understood, not analyzed.
To restore myself, I turn to silence. I need time alone, small rituals, my favorite films, travel, and moments where I step out of my daily rhythm. Sometimes I need a complete reset and a sudden change of activity. I even dream of returning to boxing. It gives me the release and clarity I often need. Protecting my inner space is a continuous practice, but it is part of what allows me to work with women on such a deep level.

6. If you could capture the philosophy of your work in a single image, what would it look like and why?

I see a woman standing in light with a clear and unapologetic gaze. Her clothes are fluid and effortless, the kind of silhouette that shows she can breathe and move without restriction. She holds flowers not as decoration but as a quiet symbol of her own softness and power. Around her there is space, air, the sound of water somewhere nearby. Water is a symbol of movement, renewal, and life for me. The whole image is about freedom — a woman unbound, grounded, elegant, and completely certain of her direction. That is the energy I would like women to carry.

7. How does your cultural, spiritual, or family background influence your vision of beauty, femininity, and transformation?

My background taught me that beauty is not decoration. It is a constant part of life. It lives in the environment we create, in the relationships we build, and in the way we experience the world. For me femininity is grounded in confidence and inner calm. A peaceful woman is a powerful woman.
I believe true beauty starts inside. When a woman feels steady, when she can look in the mirror with honesty and still choose to move forward — even on the days she does not feel perfect — that is real femininity. We all have moments when we do not look our best. But when the inner core is strong, the exterior can grow, evolve, and shift with her.
That is why personal style matters. When a woman steps into an image that reflects her essence, even for one photoshoot or one styled look, something unlocks. She sees a new version of herself and begins to claim it. That moment becomes the starting point of a larger transformation.
I do not believe in instant change. Transformation is internal work that slowly shapes the external. My role is to create the visual language that supports this evolution — to build an image that gives her permission to step into her own strength. Beauty for me is inner force made visible.

Creative Director and Wardrobe Stylist/Publication: Elen Martianova
Photographer: Sofia Martianova
Model: Katherine Beard
Makeup Artist: Ivana Ferreira
Hair Stylist: Ijala Retriegue

8. You’ve built your journey without a single mentor, learning from many influences. What piece of advice shaped how you create or see others?

I process everything I do and everything I learn from professionals whose work I follow through my own lens. Their vision becomes a catalyst, a push that expands my understanding and sharpens my technique. One piece of advice stays with me: practice and evaluate your result.
Each new project makes me reassess my previous work. I always see something I could refine, strengthen, or approach differently. This keeps me growing and allows every image I create to become more intentional and more precise.

9. Your work blends imagination and high standards. How do you balance dreaming big with staying true to the emotional reality of the person in front of you?

When I work with a client, my first task is to understand her personality and emotional state. I ask questions, listen, observe, and only then build the direction. Not every woman needs the maximum. The look must match her energy, her lifestyle, and the purpose behind the image. Personal style is a tool, and every tool works differently depending on who holds it.
When I style a model for an editorial shoot, I can push boundaries and create something fearless, abstract, or far from reality. But when I work with personal style, the approach is different. I consider her profession, her environment, the goals she wants to achieve through her wardrobe, and the message she wants to send. Every woman dresses with intention even if she doesn’t articulate it yet.
My job is to merge imagination with precision — to create a look that aligns with her mood, her identity, and the moment she is stepping into. When that alignment happens, the style becomes powerful.

10. You often speak about the way women see themselves. In your opinion, what societal change would allow women to see themselves with more kindness, freedom, and truth?

For centuries women have lived inside frameworks built around appearance. The pressure to match expectations, to fit into someone else’s idea of beauty, has shaped how women see themselves long before they fully understand who they are. Comparison has become the default lens, yet every woman is singular. Her body, her face, her expression, her temperament — there is no identical copy. There are similarities, but never the same story.
If society shifted its focus from appearance to individuality, everything would change. If we valued a woman’s character, her values, and her inner world as much as we value the surface, she would gain the freedom to express herself without fear of judgment. The truth is that we still meet each other through visuals first. Appearance becomes the gateway. It decides whether a woman is seen, heard, or even given space to reveal who she really is.
Imagine a world where a woman is not measured against a standard, not compared to the “collective average,” not expected to look a certain way to be respected — a world where visual identity is expression, but not obligation. In that kind of culture, women would look at themselves with more honesty and far more compassion. They would stop apologizing for their individuality and start owning it.
Freedom in self-expression begins where comparison ends — and I believe women deserve that freedom.