MOEVIR Magazine November Issue 2025

[ Lesia Labunska ]

https://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/3211813

Photo @OLGA LADUR

Style @HANNA KATRENKO

MUA & Hair @ALENA PRYHOTSKA

Clothes @LA SPILLA

PR @natasha_galivec / @aleksandra_britan_

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Lesia Labunska is a Ukrainian model and creative personality who has spent years bridging the worlds of fashion, performance, and art projects. She stands out for her ability to transform her image while maintaining authenticity and inner strength. Lesia’s journey has taken her from glossy magazine shoots to more meaningful projects, where emotion and depth take precedence over outward appearance. 

Her portfolio includes advertising campaigns, fashion editorials, and collaborations with various brands, yet today she is drawn to projects that allow her to co-create and express her personal vision. Lesia combines the discipline of professional work with the subtlety of personal intuition — a balance that makes her presence on camera both genuine and memorable.

You work in modeling, cinema, and television — how do you manage to balance these different forms of self-expression while staying true to yourself?

Each of these directions is like a different melody within the same orchestra. Modeling taught me discipline and attention to detail; cinema — how to live through emotions deeply; television work — how to refine my voice and speak with simplicity. I’m learning not to be torn between roles, but to merge them into my own artistic signature. When every form reflects a part of me, balance comes naturally — and I stay true to my principles.

What first attracted you to the world of fashion and performing arts, and how has your understanding of “beauty” changed over time?

At first, I was drawn to form, line, and light — to the aesthetics of the frame as a perfect picture. Over time, I realized that beauty is not only about appearance, but also about the inner state and the truth of the moment. True beauty for me now lies in genuine emotions, in imperfections that make an image human. When you stop blindly chasing appearances, beauty begins to shine from within.

You have been the face of several major advertising campaigns. How do you find balance between embodying a brand’s message and maintaining your individuality?

For me, it’s important to find in a project something that resonates with my values — and to leave space for my own truth. I don’t aim to disappear behind a brand’s image; on the contrary, I offer my perspective and energy, which make a campaign come alive. When a brand is open to authenticity, collaboration gives birth to something more than just an advertising image. This is how I preserve individuality within commercial work.

As a guest editor-in-chief, you shared your vision of renewal and self-development. What does the word “renewal” personally mean to you today?

Renewal, for me, is an inner reordering of priorities — a shift from perfectionism to acceptance. It’s allowing myself to let go of roles that no longer reflect who I am now and to choose projects that resonate with my heart. I see renewal as a gentle transformation: not a rebirth, but a more honest version of myself. In daily life, it reveals itself through new habits, the courage to say “no,” and the willingness to listen to my own rhythm.

Can you tell us about a recent creative project that became a real challenge or changed you as an artist and a person?

A recent rooftop shoot became an unexpected point of grounding for me: technically simple, yet emotionally very profound. I had to let go of familiar poses and allow myself to be truly vulnerable in front of the camera. That project taught me to embrace softness as strength — and to see that an open heart speaks louder than a perfected pose. Since then, I’ve been drawn more often to projects where I can be a co-creator, and where emotion matters more than the image itself.

How would you define your aesthetic philosophy — the style that reflects you as a person?

My style is, above all, a mood — not just the clothes in the closet. I gravitate toward simplicity that highlights the honesty of the image: posture, gaze, and inner state matter most. For me, aesthetics are a kind of silence in which personality can be heard — the ability to leave space between the lines of an image. It blends elegance with strength, delicate femininity with inner grounding.

What advice would you give to young models looking for their authentic voice in an industry that often pressures them to “fit in”?

Work on your own voice, not on others’ expectations. Don’t be afraid to be transparent and even vulnerable — that’s what makes you stand out. Learn to say “no” to projects that compromise your integrity, and choose those who are willing to work with your truth. Remember: your uniqueness is your strength, and ultimately, the industry values authenticity more than idealized images.