I’ll never forget the feeling of seeing my own ad promoted to me on Facebook. I was still a student when I created this illustrated flyer and ad for the official Moët & Chandon party in Berlin – and suddenly it popped up on my own timeline. That surreal, proud moment when something you made is suddenly out there, in the real (and digital) world.

The illustration was inspired by burlesque aesthetics and Dita Von Teese – but the style was heavily influenced by Malika Favre, whose work had a huge impact on me back then (and still does). Her minimalist approach, with bold colors and roots in graphic design, taught me how to say a lot with very little. That sensuality in shapes and clarity in negative space — it shaped how I see, design, and illustrate to this day.

It’s been almost a decade since I created this piece. Revisiting it now is like a snapshot of who I was back then — young, excited, hungry to make things, and experimenting with form and visual language.

Here’s to my younger self, who said yes to the challenge, and to the future selves who will keep creating. 🥂