OLYA CHUK

I started in fashion publishing as an intern. At first, I was helping the styling team. Then I asked if I could help with articles. Later, I became involved in production, budgeting, brand communication, and commercial projects. Every new responsibility came simply because I was curious enough to ask, "Can I help with that too?" What else would you expect from a 19-year-old? :)

Five years later, I had grown from an intern into a Fashion Editor.

By then, I was writing features, styling editorials, producing shoots, negotiating advertorial budgets, attending Pitti Uomo and Fashion Weeks, and working directly with luxury brands and fashion photographers. Fashion magazines of that era expected editors to be specialists in everything. You might be credited as the stylist on set, but you were also creating mood boards, discussing lighting with the photographer, keeping track of the marketing budget, and knowing that if Dolce & Gabbana had only paid for one gatefold that season, one wide-angle shot would be enough. Looking back, I realise I received an education that would be difficult to recreate today: storytelling, styling, production, budgeting, commercial negotiations, and creative decision making, all under one roof.

That's where I discovered something that still defines the way I work today. Every creative project is really a business problem waiting for the right story.

Since then, I've worked with fashion brands, startups, media, cultural institutions, and technology companies, but the process has remained surprisingly similar. Whether the challenge is launching a product, changing public perception, building a community, or making complex technology understandable, my job is always the same: find the story that makes people care.

Fashion was simply the first language I learned. Today, I use whatever medium best serves the idea.