A collaboration between ZOOT Magazine and macro photographer Oliver Dum, this editorial invites us to reflect upon the multiple definitions of beauty in it’s most natural manifestation. Inspired by Oliver’s talent of showcasing the not-so-visible details of insects, ZOOT’s creative director Antónia Rosa partnered with Portuguese designer Ivan Hunga Garcia, hairstylist Helena Vaz Pereira and photographer Sergio Santos to create this collaborative project that is nothing but a love letter to nature and all its wonders.
Creative direction and beauty editor Antonia Rosa
Using Maqpro and Kryolan available at Makeup Kitchen Boutique and ROWE Beauty Europe
Assisted by Frederico Simaõ and Joana Lopes
Production Michelle Silva
Beauty and fashion photography Sergio Santos
Insect macro photography Oliver Dum
Fashion design Ivan Hunga Garcia
Assisted by Soraia Duarte at ETIC
Creative direction hair Helena Vaz Pereira at Griffe Hair Style using Wella Profissionals
Paulo Vieira using Joico
Make-up team
Catarina Mata • Catarina Duarte • Sofia Suki • Micael Cardoso • Mariana Vilhena • Joana Galante
Models Lia at Elite Lisbon • Camila at Blast Models • Naize at Karacter Agency
and Mariia Liakhova at Weare Models
Behind the scenes photographer Joana Linda
Behind the scenes film Liliana Miguez Garcia
Behind the scenes reels Laura Farrajota
Words and interviews Fernanda Russomano
Special thanks to Maria Rita at Studio Here and to our editor Michaela Doyle.
Sunglasses André Opticas
Jewellery Beatriz Jardinha
There are moments in life that makes us appreciate the wonders of mother nature, like flowers blooming upon the arrival of Spring or a much-needed rain after a long period of drought. Moments like this make us realize how small we are compared to the immense planet we live on. Though we tend to forget there is an even smaller-scale world within our own – just as vast and impressive. With vibrant colors and various shapes, there are over one million species of insects in the world today, yet the human eye can barely see the exquisite details of these tiny creatures.
Internationally acclaimed for capturing the minutiae of these diminutive members of kingdom Animalia, Oliver Dum is a Germany-based macro-photographer; his art showcases a subject larger than life, on film. Specialized in capturing insects, Oliver aims to raise awareness about endangered species and climate change through his photos, working closely together with educational, scientific and artistic projects.
Instead of pointing the finger at people and telling them what they need to change so that these species do not disappear, I have chosen the approach of first showing people what they are actually destroying. This way I get many people excited when they see the beauty of these species, which is often not visible to the human eye.
— Oliver Dum
According to Oliver, one of the many keys to the survival of species is our gardens. “Instead of rock gardens or similar ecological disasters, our gardens should be designed to provide food and habitat for insects and spiders”, Oliver explains, continuing “this means not mowing the lawn every week or removing dead wood, and planting different flowers that bloom until late in the year”. In his opinion, everyone can be a part of the change “even just a lavender on the balcony can make a difference”.
Known for their botanical apparel, Ivan Hunga Garcia’s focus as an artist is exploring and reimagining botanical elements that would previously not be recognized as wearable materials, mainly due to the high maintenance and instability of their origin. Using different types of grasses, SCOBYs and bioplastics, the Portuguese designer created exclusive living garments for this editorial to mimic the camouflage techniques of some species.
SCOBY is an abbreviation for “Symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast” that is generated in the procedures of kombucha manufacturing. Growing it in-house, in partnership with the beverage brand Aquela Kombucha, allows me to follow the process according to its thickness and visual appearance as a consequence of the bacterial culture that is taken care of manually. Therefore, it can be approached as a self-generating non-fabric with similarities to skin and leather.
— Ivan Hunga Garcia
According to Ivan, botanical clothing “generates a long-term study of the immediate and long-term interaction of the human body and the contemporary needs … in the shape of a garden”. In spite of the unstable aspect of the materials they work with, they believe that it’s all about perspective. “Each piece and its extension in time is determined by the user’s intentions and goals”, Ivan explains, continuing “for an occasional need, a piece can be seen as a bouquet that eventually dries up without compromise and conscience. On the other hand, a piece can grow and even be guided by the maintenance of the human hand.”
A team effort of endless imagination, this project flies against the conventional. “For the makeup looks I used materials like molded gelatin, plant collages and rose and cactus spikes”, says Antônia Rosa. “I even used kitchen spoons for the bee’s eyes”. As for the hair, Helena Vaz Pereira relied on shapes and textures to reference each insect, while also playing with uncommon materials. “We explored with plants, pieces made from artificial hair and recycled objects”, says Helena.
Together with her talented team and Ivan’s pieces, Antonia Rosa brought to life her vision where fashion meets insecta, making us appreciate nature’s perfection.
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Lia with wings of a blue wood bee —Xylocopa violacea
The blue wood bee is considered the largest bee in Europe and displays on its wings a symphony of blue-purple tones, unique to each individual bee. In a world challenged by climate change, this bee stands as a winner, gradually expanding its territory northward. Like many other species, it relies on dead wood to survive, making the design of our gardens the key to its survival.
Mariia with caterpillar of the small fox —Aglais urticae
Belonging to the noble butterfly family, this species has a suite of intriguing defense mechanisms. Armed with stingers tipped with venom, some caterpillars even produce ultrasonic sounds, a cunning tactic employed to confuse and evade predators like bats. “I found this caterpillar together with 400 others after a storm”, shared Oliver, “we rescued them and later released them into the wild as adult noble butterflies as part of an educational project I participated alongside a client”.
Naize with ground beetle — Falsocameria spectabilis
Predominantly found in Asia, this beetle captivates with its striking array of blue and green tones. Special structures of the body surface, which cause a physical refraction of light, produce spectacular rainbow and iridescent colours. Together with the embedded chemical pigments, this results in the broad colour palette of beetles that is so impressive to us.
Lia with drone of the mason bee — Osmia cornuta
Emerging as a harbinger of Spring among insects, these solitary bees – not bound by the conventions of hive states – make their presence felt with the arrival of the first warm days of March. Considered vital in pollinating fruit trees, these bees are also often regarded as nature’s anarchists among nest builders, seizing every available opportunity, from door locks to wall crevices, to construct their nests.
Camila with march fly — Bibio marci
The March fly, also known as St. Mark’s fly, emerges around St. Mark’s Day on April 25th in swarms. These insects, often mistaken for mosquitoes, are roughly 10 millimeters in size with a shiny black, hairy appearance. They can be found in open areas near water bodies throughout Europe and parts of Asia between March and May. Often observed hanging in large numbers on bushes and small plants, they play a crucial role as flower pollinators – similar to bees – by feeding on plant juices and nectar. Females lay about 100 eggs in the soil, where the larvae develop and overwinter, playing a vital role as humus-formers in soil degradation processes. However, in large numbers, they may consume the roots of various plants like sugar beets, grains, potatoes, tomatoes, and young needle plants
Naize with green golden shining rose beetle —Cetonia aurata
This beetle gleams with a radiant golden hue that transitions gracefully from reddish to greenish tones. It is a delightful summer guest known for its frequent visits to roses and other generously sized blossoms.
Lia with longhorn bee — Eucera species
Male bees can sometimes only be distinguished by their sex organs, not from the outside. The drones mate´s primary focus is to mate with a queen, then they to die; many of them can’t take in food, can’t swallow, or just stop eating after the sexual act.
Mariia with stag beetle —Lucanus cervus
This male beetle, easily distinguishable by the prominent antler-like mandibles that lend this species its name, reigns as the largest, boasting an impressive size of nine centimeters. Regrettably, these creatures have become increasingly rare, primarily due to their dependence on specific trees, such as oaks, for reproduction.
Naize with Egyptian predatory beetle —Anthia sexmaculata
Typically found in the deserts and steppe regions of Africa, the Egyptian predatory beetles are agile and equipped with long legs, a necessary adaptation for navigating the scorching sands of their habitat. Traversing dunes with their bodies held high in order to avoid contact with the searing ground, these beetles resemble giant ants with dotted wings. Their bite is harmless to humans, though these predatory animals deploy various defense mechanisms, like the use of acid to deter potential adversaries.
Naize with tree bumblebee —Bombus lucorum
Belonging to the wild bee family, bumblebees have for long puzzled observers for their seemingly improbable flight, a feat that defies their anatomy. As Spring begins, the queens of tree bumblebees are the first to be seen, taking flight even in frigid conditions just above freezing, starting their vital work long before many other insects dare to venture out.
Camila with twenty-two-spot ladybird —Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata
Also known as the mushroom ladybug, the twenty-two-spot ladybird is a petite member of the Coccinellidae family of ladybirds, measuring between three to 4.5 millimeters in length. With almost a perfectly circular body, their wing covers have a vibrant yellow hue and are embellished by a pattern of 11 black dots on each cover, which gives this species its name.
Mariia with stinky bug — Heteroptera sp.
Belonging to the Hemiptera “true bug” order, the stinky bug is part of the diverse and widespread world of bugs. Within this order, there are plant sucker insects, numerous predatory species, as well as notorious parasites such as bed bugs. These adaptable creatures live in an array of biotopes, ranging from the meadows of forests to the very heart of human dwellings.
Naize with earth bumblebee —Bombus terrestris
A member of the bumblebee family, the earth bumblebee is just one of approximately 250 species from this family. These wild bees predominantly inhabit the temperate and cooler regions of the northern hemisphere – particularly species-rich in Europe -, where they play vital roles in pollination and ecosystem health.
Naize with eye of a comon green lacewing —Chrysoperla carnea
The common lacewing can be recognised by its shiny metallic eyes. They are crop followers and the larvae are also known as aphid lions as they eat up to 100 aphids a day and are therefore extremely important in the control of pests and save the use of chemical agents.
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