Taking in photographer Marili Andre’s expansive work there’s a raw, playful nature to her images that seem driven by the power of unabashed femininity and glamour. With muses’ hair swinging, dynamic movement, and prevalent hues of pink and blush tones throughout, Andre embraces brazen fun whether it’s commercial work in a stunning collab between Zara & Barbie or a shoot influenced by the zodiac. The Greek, London-based photographer got her start working in the art department of a major modeling agency, test shooting with represented models before she got her big break shooting for brands like Blumarine, Missoni, Miu Miu, and Marc Jacobs. Now a new mother, we spoke to Andre about how she got her start, rejecting ‘signatures’, and the projects that made her feel fuzzy inside.
How did you first start on your creative path?
I started showing interest in photography around the age of 14, it must have been mostly due to my mother’s love for clothes. One day I came across this film segment (for the life of me I can’t remember which film to this day) where it depicted the backstage of a fashion shoot. Kinda David Bailey ‘Close up’ style. Then it literally felt like everything made sense and I knew that very moment what I wanted to do in my life. I started shooting faces of my high school and close friends I found interesting at the time. I truly enjoyed transforming my subjects and completely disregarding my duties as a school student. I remember mainly raiding my mother’s closet and losing a few pieces along the way. She low-key still holds a grudge.
Where do you normally look for inspiration? Do you look to the past? Your dreams? Your thoughts?
Inspiration comes and goes. I love isolating and sketching images. I adore that journey where you have one form of an idea at the very beginning and then come out the other side with something grown that’s taken a totally different turn.
You shot a recent campaign for Marc Jacobs’ Heaven line focused on the zodiac. How was the experience working for the brand for the first time and what sign are you?
Heaven was dare I say…heaven? I got to work with some of my favourite people and shooting based on zodiacs, well, that’s bound to be a fun shoot day, right? I’m a Sag sun w/ Scorpio rising.
Your work has feminine, ethereal elements that make your subjects look like they’re glamorous and floating. How long did it take to develop your signature and how important is beauty in your work?
I have felt that ‘signatures’ can be great and also not so much over the years. They can be a tad restricting. I never really take in consideration any ‘style of mine’ and just follow the image I’m meant to make. What would serve that image best and what would make me excited/content. Maybe that leads me to a different visual language every time and that’s always exciting to me. Having, despite of that, people recognise my work due to its style is also rewarding in its own way.
You’ve gotten to shoot incredible stories over the years, are there any that you consider especially meaningful?
One of the shoots I look back to and feel fuzzy inside would have to be my AnOther story from F/W 2021 styled by Nell Kalonji. I remember having this immense obsession over Bruce Davidson’s subway work and wanting to carry that faithfully into my own world. Transferring the essence of a street image to a fashion image was one of the most exciting things I got to work on. Getting the casting right, Nell getting the clothing colours down, and Hella Keck’s incredible set work, we managed to replicate a subway carriage inside a studio. Just so much fun in one room.
Do you have any muses? Or someone you constantly look to as far as inspiration or somebody you stick to?
A couple of years ago, during COVID and when I had to isolate back home in Crete, Greece, I was thirsty to do some work. I intensely started looking for subjects on the street and ended up landing on Eva, a 15-year-old local girl that I always photograph when I visit family back home. She’s rather precious to me and I love seeing her grow.
If you could have told yourself one thing when starting your career, what would it be?
‘Keep it up, this is going to be more fun as it goes.’
What do you think is the biggest change in your life now that you have a baby?
Every day is just more awesome, with a lot less sleep but so much oxytocin.
What else do you have on the horizon?
I have just gotten back to work and it’s starting to get rather busy fast. I’m currently looking forward to commencing some personal projects in the new year and shaking hands with creatives I haven’t seen in a while.
