BETWEEN NOSTALGIA AND NOW: THE ART OF VANELLIMELLI BY ELLIE HAASE

PHOTOGRAPHY TEREZA MUNDILOVÁ
STYLING GÖTZ OFFERGELD
HAIR TONY LUNDSTRÖM
MAKEUP RUBEN MASOLIVER
PRODUCTION LUIS DANKE
PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT PAUL SKULIMMA
STYLING ASSISTANT CHIARA ANZIVINO, ANTONIA SEIDEL
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT ELVIN AYANOGLU
POSTPRODUCTION STUDIO GESSNER
TALENT MELANIE KIEBACK AT PARTNERINCRIME
ALL LOOKS PRADA AUTUMN/WINTER 2025
ALL MAKEUP PRADA BEAUTY

Shirt PRADA Lip Balm U002 BANANA YELLOW PRADA BEAUTY

VANELLIMELLI HAS BUILT A CAREER ON TURNING SELF-EXPRESSION INTO ART. STARTING
OUT AS ONE OF GERMANY’S FIRST FASHION BLOGGERS, SHE QUICKLY DEVELOPED A VISUAL LANGUAGE THAT BLENDS NOSTALGIA, VULNERABILITY, AND A STRONG SENSE OF AESTHETICS. OVER THE YEARS, SHE HAS GROWN FROM ONLINE PERSONALITY TO CREATIVE FORCE —COLLABORATING WITH MAJOR BRANDS WHILE MAINTAINING A DEEPLY PERSONAL VOICE. WHAT SETS HER APART IS HER HONESTY AND HER INSTINCT FOR STORYTELLING: EVERY IMAGE FEELS LIVED, EVERY POST CARRIES EMOTION BEYOND THE SURFACE. FOR THIS ISSUE, WE PHOTOGRAPHED HER IN COLLABORATION WITH PRADA BEAUTY — A PAIRING THAT FELT EFFORTLESS, AS BOTH SHARE AN APPRECIATION FOR AUTHENTICITY, MOOD, AND QUIET TRANSFORMATION.

Coat PRADA Foundation REVEAL FOUNDATION 10 LIGHT WARM PRADA BEAUTY

Loo k PRADA Highlighter LIGHT GLOWING POWDER 01 CHAMPAGNE PRADA BEAUTY

ELLIE HAASE: BETWEEN SOCIAL MEDIA, PHOTOGRAPHY, AND ART: WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE FORM OF SELF-EXPRESSION?

VANELLI MELLI: I ENJOY A MIX OF PHOTOGRAPHY, MUSIC, AND VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE THE MOST. IT REALLY DEPENDS ON MY MOOD AND, OF COURSE, WHAT THE SUBJECT IS. MY GOAL IS ALWAYS TO CONVEY EMOTIONS OR A SPECIFIC FEELING. THAT’S PROBABLY WHY I USE SEVERAL PLATFORMS, SOMETIMES WITH DIFFERENT OUTPUTS.

EH: YOU’VE COLLABORATED WITH PRADA SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE — WHAT IS IT THAT YOU APPRECIATE ABOUT THE BRAND’S VISION?

VM: FOR ME, PRADA IS A BRAND THAT MANAGES TO COMMUNICATE VISUAL POETRY. AS SOMEONE WHO LOVES PHOTOGRAPHY AND DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM VINTAGE AESTHETICS, I’M FASCINATED BY HOW PRADA CONNECTS PAST AND FUTURE SO ELEGANTLY. PRADA WAS ALSO ONE OF THE FIRST BRANDS I DISCOVERED WHEN I FIRST BECAME INTERESTED IN FASHION AS A TEENAGER — EVEN BACK THEN, SOMETHING ABOUT THAT MIX OF INTELLECT, REBELLION, AND STYLE REALLY GRABBED ME.

EH: THE CAMPAIGN PLAYS A LOT WITH THE BANANA MOTIVE. IN WHAT MOMENTS DO YOU FIND IT EASIEST TO BE “TOTALLY BANANAS” YOURSELF?

VM: EITHER WHEN I’M SURROUNDED BY MY FAVORITE PEOPLE, OR WHEN I PLAY GOOD MUSIC REALLY LOUD – THEN THERE’S USUALLY SOME WILD DANCING AROUND THE APARTMENT, A LITTLE BIT “GAGA.”

EH: WHICH ASPECT OF THE BANANA LIP BALM IS MOST “YOU”?

VM: THE TWIST BETWEEN PLAYFULNESS AND LUXURY

EH: ON YOUR INSTAGRAM, IT’S PRETTY BALANCED, BUT DO YOU PREFER SHOOTING IN COLOR OR IN BLACK AND WHITE? AND WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES THAT CHOICE RESEMBLE FOR YOU?

VM: I PREFER SHOOTING IN COLOR. MOST OF THE SUBJECTS THAT END UP IN FRONT OF MY LENS WORK BEST WITH NATURAL LIGHT, AND I LOVE HOW THAT LIGHT INFLUENCES COLOR AND MOOD. THIS MIGHT SOUND A BIT CLICHÉ, BUT I ALSO JUST LIKE HAVING THE CHOICE – I OFTEN DECIDE DURING THE EDITING PROCESS TO TURN A COLOR PHOTO INTO BLACK AND WHITE.

EH: ON YOUR INSTAGRAM, IT’S PRETTY BALANCED, BUT DO YOU PREFER SHOOTING IN COLOR OR IN BLACK AND WHITE? AND WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES THAT CHOICE RESEMBLE FOR YOU?

VM: I BASICALLY GREW UP WITH FILM AND HAVE ALWAYS HAD A FASCINATION FOR IT. WHEN IN 2017 I DECIDED TO WORK ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY WITH ANALOG PHOTOGRAPHY, THE MAIN REASON WAS THAT ON INSTAGRAM EVERYTHING LOOKED THE SAME – EVERYONE USED THE SAME FILTERS. I WANTED MY PHOTOS TO STAND OUT. NOW, OF COURSE, SHOOTING ON FILM HAS BECOME COMMON AGAIN, BUT I’LL STAY LOYAL TO IT, MAINLY BECAUSE I THINK SKIN TONES LOOK SO MUCH MORE BEAUTIFUL ON FILM.

EH: YOU HAVE A STRONG SENSE OF AESTHETICS. HOW MUCH DO THE EXPECTATIONS OF YOUR FOLLOWERS INFLUENCE YOUR WORK?

VM: HONESTLY, TOO MUCH IN THE PAST FEW YEARS. ALTHOUGH… IT’S NOT JUST THE FOLLOWERS’ EXPECTATIONS, IT’S ALSO THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE INDUSTRY, THE BRANDS, AND MY OWN EXPECTATIONS OF MYSELF. I’VE BEEN PUTTING A LOT OF PRESSURE ON MYSELF THESE LAST YEARS. BUT RIGHT NOW, I’M REALLY TRYING TO MOVE IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION: TO DO WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY AND ALSO JUST WHAT I PERSONALLY WANT TO SEE.

EH: YOU AVOID LABELING YOURSELF OR YOUR WORK. HOW IMPORTANT WAS THAT DECISION IN SHAPING YOUR IDENTITY TODAY?

VM: NOT FORCING MYSELF INTO A SINGLE LABEL WAS CRUCIAL FOR ME. IT GAVE ME THE FREEDOM TO MOVE BETWEEN MEDIA, STYLES, AND MOMENTS WITHOUT HAVING TO EXPLAIN MYSELF. THAT FREEDOM HAS SHAPED MY IDENTITY AS AN ARTIST: CURIOUS, OPEN, AND ALWAYS READY TO REINVENT MYSELF.

EH: HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH PEOPLE WHO TRY TO PUT YOU OR YOUR WORK INTO BOXES?

VM: OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS, I’VE LEARNED THAT IF SOMEONE WANTS TO PUT YOU IN A BOX, THEY’LL DO IT ANYWAY. IT TAKES TOO MUCH TIME AND ENERGY TO CONVINCE THEM OTHERWISE, SO LET THEM PUT ME IN A BOX! [LAUGHS] I KNOW I CAN OPEN A LOT OF THEM!

EH: WHERE BETWEEN INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK, AND YOUTUBE, IS THERE STILL ROOM FOR MEL?

VM: ALWAYS AND EVERYWHERE. SOMETIMES I MANAGE TO FIND TIME FOR MYSELF BETTER THAN OTHER TIMES, BUT SINCE MY ONLINE AND OFFLINE SELVES ARE BASICALLY THE SAME PERSON, WITH LOTS OF OVERLAP, I REALLY CAN’T COMPLAIN. IT GENERALLY ALL FEELS PRETTY ORGANIC.

EH: WHAT SIGNIFICANCE DO YOU ASSIGN TO VISIONARIES? DO YOU HAVE ROLE MODELS YOU WOULD DESCRIBE AS VISIONARY?

VM: VISIONARIES INSPIRE ME BECAUSE THEY PUSH THE BOUNDARIES OF WHAT’S FAMILIAR AND MAKE US SEE THE WORLD DIFFERENTLY. YES, THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT ROLE MODELS FROM FASHION, ART, AND MUSIC. I THINK OF ARTISTS WHO RADICALLY EVOLVE THEIR AESTHETICS, WHO TURN THEIR BACKS ON THE MAINSTREAM AND PRECISELY BECAUSE OF THAT, CREATE A NEW VISUAL LANGUAGE.

EH: TELL US ABOUT YOUR VISION FOR THE FUTURE – IN GENERAL OR PERSONALLY.

VM: MY VISION IS TO CREATE SPACES THAT FEEL DREAMY AND
ATMOSPHERIC – TANGIBLE. PLACES THAT SLOW US DOWN AND MAKE US REFLECT. FOR MY WORK, I WANT TO CONTINUE DISSOLVING THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN MEDIA, GENRES, AND MOMENTS, AND KEEP FINDING NEW WAYS TO EXPRESS MYSELF. IN GENERAL, I DREAM OF A WORLD WHERE CREATIVITY IS FREE AND NOT BOUND BY EXPECTATIONS
– JUST LIKE I TRY TO LIVE IT THROUGH MY WORK.