A book that had to be made. On Fashion Flip Book with Agata Serge

You studied at the National Film School in Łódź and developed your career in Amsterdam – how did these two cities shape your visual sensibility?

I left Łódź very early, right after high school, so in many ways it shaped me more through my family home than through the city itself. My parents were incredibly supportive and encouraged me to express myself creatively from a very young age – I think this built the foundation for everything that came later. Amsterdam was a completely different chapter. That’s where I feel I became an adult, but also where the idea of photography truly came into my life. It gave me a sense of freedom and independence, and that moment of realization that this could actually become something real. So in a way, Łódź gave me sensitivity, and Amsterdam gave me direction.

How did the idea for the “Fashion Flip Book “come about?

It really goes back to my childhood and my mom’s drawings.

She used to draw figures in different outfits for me, and I would color them – there was always this element of interacting with the image, of not taking it as something fixed. The idea of the flip had been with me for a long time, but I didn’t feel ready to execute it. There were a lot of doubts, and I think I needed time to grow into it – both creatively and personally.

Around six years ago, I started thinking about it more seriously, at first as an editorial idea, but very quickly I realized it wouldn’t fit within the structure of a magazine. What pushed me to actually start was the feeling that I couldn’t ignore it anymore. The urge to create became stronger than all the practical limitations - production, budget, the scale of it.

Once I started, it became something much bigger than I initially imagined. Every image in the book was shot specifically for it, which was probably the most challenging and at the same time the most rewarding part. It was a very long process – building the concept, approaching creatives, producing each shoot, and then being involved in every step of postproduction. Shooting on film, hand printing every image in Warsaw, scanning and retouching everything myself – it was extremely personal. I think that’s what defines this project for me. It’s not just the final object, but everything that happened around it – the people, the trust, the process, and the fact that I allowed myself to create something without knowing if it would work, but feeling that I needed to do it.

In a digital-first world, why was it important for you to give a physical form to this project?

We live in a time where everything moves very fast and where images are consumed almost instantly. We scroll, we move on, and very rarely do we actually stop. With this project, I wanted to create something that slows you down. Something you have to touch, hold, and interact with. The flip element invites you to engage with the image, to spend more time with it, to look again. Shooting on film and hand printing each image was also a big part of that intention – making the process more conscious, present, connected to the final result. But there was also an intuitive side to it. When I feel that something needs to be done, it somehow starts to take shape. That’s exactly what happened with this project. I felt that this was the moment, and very clearly that it had to exist as a physical book – something that encourages you to pause and stay with the image a little longer.

The publication reflects on identity and the changing role of fashion models, featuring icons like Helena Christensen, Anja Rubik, and Milla Jovovich. How did you want to portray them?

The flip is a very important part of how the project works, because it gives the viewer the final say – the possibility to build their own version of the image, to shift identity depending on how the pages are combined. At the same time, outside of the flip, each model has her own space within the book. I wanted to create individual editorials that feel very personal and timeless, not focusing on fashion itself but on presence and personality. For me, they are all icons, and I wanted to celebrate them in that way – through something more raw and stripped back. Images that are honest, not overconstructed, that allow their individuality to come through. It was important for me to create portraits that are lasting, less about a specific moment in fashion and more about something that stays.

 It is very palpable, since the project has this interactive, engaging quality. How important is this element in your work?

The concept goes back to my childhood and those first moments of drawing and interacting with images – so from the very beginning it was meant to be engaging. I’m really happy that it’s being received that way. Yet, there is a deeper layer to it. We live in a world where everything is constantly evaluated – from the second we release any form of work, it’s immediately exposed to opinions, criticism, interpretation. Not only for me, but for the models and everyone involved. With this project, I wanted to shift that dynamic. I’m not only offering the work to the viewer, but also giving them a level of control. The final image is not fixed – it depends on how the viewer interacts with it. So in a way, it becomes a shared authorship.

Taking that into consideration, what – in your opinion – makes a good image?

This is always one of the most difficult questions. I think a good image is something that makes you stop, even if just for a second. Something that stays with you a bit longer than expected, even if you don’t fully understand why. It creates a feeling before it creates a thought. It doesn’t have to be perfect – actually, I often find imperfections much more interesting. Sometimes it’s a detail, a movement, a moment that wasn’t fully controlled that makes the image feel alive. For me, it’s also very much about honesty. Whether the photograph comes across as true in some way – even if it’s highly constructed. You can feel when something is real, and you can feel when something is forced. And I believe the most powerful images are the ones that leave space. That don’t explain things, but allow you to come back to them and see something new each time.

In a recent interview, you mentioned you feel you’re still at the beginning of your journey. How do you view professional growth, and how closely is it connected to the personal one?

For me, those two are inseparable. I think especially in a creative field, everything you go through as a person directly translates into your work – how you see things, how you react, what you’re drawn to, what you’re ready to express. All of these evolve together. I still feel like I’m at the beginning because I’m constantly discovering new things about myself, and that immediately finds reflection in what I create. I genuinely like that feeling – it keeps me curious, a little bit uncomfortable – in a good way – and always open.

You’re constantly on the road between projects and book premieres. Where do you truly feel at home?

This is a very difficult question, because I feel like I have two homes. One is in Łódź – my family home, my family, a sense of grounding and something very personal and emotional. The other is New York, where I have my apartment, which has become my professional home. I spend my time almost equally between the two, and both spaces feel mine in very different ways. That’s where I develop creatively, where a big part of my work naturally lives. I don’t think I can choose between them. They represent two very different, but equally important parts of who I am. In a way, I think I exist somewhere in between.

So, what’s next for Agata Serge?

I feel like until recently, everything was very clearly planned. The entire period leading up to the last show in Paris was super structured – every step of the project, every premiere, everything had its place. Of course, I still have projects coming up, shoots planned, and I already have an idea for another personal project. But for the first time in a while, I’m standing in front of a blank page. And that is very exciting. I almost don’t fully remember what it was like before working on the book – before having something so clearly defined in front of me. Now there is space again, and I’m curious to see what will come into it, what direction it will take, and what is waiting for me next.