There are editorials that showcase clothes, and then there are those that tell stories. Harper’s Bazaar Kazakhstan’s July 2025 feature, “The Secret Garden,” is firmly the latter. Photographed by Olga Rubio Dalmau, the shoot transforms fashion into an enchanting tale, where elegance and imagination intertwine in a world both serene and dramatic.
The setting alone feels like a dream pulled into reality. Among sculpted trees and winding stone paths, model Anna Hoyos emerges as a figure of mystery and grace. The garden becomes more than a backdrop—it becomes a stage, a sanctuary where style is elevated into something transcendent. Each frame captures not only the beauty of the garments but the atmosphere of a place where time seems to slow down, where couture can breathe.
Stylist Emilia Teresa curates a wardrobe that thrives on contrasts. There is volume and restraint, structure and softness, whimsy and command. A ruffled pink gown sweeps across the garden floor, its folds moving like petals stirred by the wind. Then comes the sleek precision of a blue dress with a single dramatic sleeve—minimalist in palette, maximalist in silhouette. Each look feels deliberate, as if chosen not just for its visual power, but for the way it converses with the setting.
Designers like Oscar de la Renta, Tom Ford, and Self-Portrait bring their distinct voices to the editorial, yet under Teresa’s direction, the pieces harmonize beautifully. Sculptural tulle gowns stand beside sharply tailored jackets, cozy knits echo the softness of moss beneath the stone, and statement dresses gleam like rare blossoms in the garden’s dappled light. The curation itself becomes a narrative—a story of balance between fashion’s boldness and nature’s quiet strength.
Anna Hoyos is the heartbeat of this story. With her presence, the clothes don’t just rest on fabric hangers of the body—they live, move, and breathe. Her poses carry both fierceness and grace, a duality that adds drama against the garden’s calm. There is a sense of performance in her stance, as though she is both character and storyteller, drawing the viewer into the world she inhabits.
The beauty direction amplifies this mood. Hairstylist Nieves Elorduy slicks Anna’s hair back, a choice that feels both modern and timeless, letting her features take center stage. The makeup glows softly, lending her an almost ethereal quality without losing strength. She appears radiant, polished, and entirely in command of the space around her. Together, these choices keep the dreamlike setting from veering into fantasy alone—they root it in the here and now, where elegance can still feel lived-in.
What makes “The Secret Garden” so compelling is its tension between contrasts. It is at once serene and dramatic, whimsical and commanding. Fashion often thrives on extremes, but here, it is the balance that strikes the eye. The lush natural surroundings whisper calm, while the bold silhouettes shout presence. The garden suggests stillness, yet Anna’s movements breathe vitality into every corner.
More than just a showcase of designer names and styling prowess, the editorial reminds us that fashion at its best is narrative. Clothes do not simply cover; they communicate. In this case, they speak of transformation, of the power to step into another world—even if just for the turn of a page.
The title, “The Secret Garden,” feels apt. There’s a sense of intimacy, as if these images have unlocked a hidden space where imagination and couture meet. It’s not just about what Anna wears—it’s about how the story is told through her presence, through the interplay of fabric, form, and setting. It’s fashion as escapism, yes, but also fashion as expression, as art.
Anna Hoyos wears it like a narrative waiting to be lived. And in doing so, she reminds us that sometimes the most memorable editorials are not just about clothes at all—they are about creating a world, however fleeting, that lingers in the mind long after the last page is turned.
