In conversation with Shaz in Lanzarote

Some people bring more than their image to a shoot. They bring an energy that becomes part of the story.

We met model Shaz in Lanzarote to photograph our Volcanica collection amongst the island's volcanic landscapes, black sands, cactus and palms. Over three days together, somewhere between changing locations, chasing light and travelling across the island, conversations began to unfold.

We spoke about femininity, solitude, travel, identity and the quiet rituals that bring us back to ourselves.

At one point during the shoot, Shaz said something that stayed with us:

"I am the sun and the moon."

So we asked her what she meant.

THE QUOTE SHE LIVES BY

During the shoot you said, "I am the sun and the moon." What did you mean by that? When did you first feel it was true for you?

I remember saying that.

What I mean is that I consider myself an ambivert. I have both an extroverted and an introverted side, and I need them both.

My sun is the empathy and sympathy I feel for the people I meet. Like the warmth of sunlight, I want the people around me to feel happy, secure and seen. I love meeting new people, sharing, dancing and making people smile.

My moon is my introverted side.

Some might call it my darker side, but for me it is necessary. I need to be alone, and I love being alone. It can feel like a full moon night, quiet and solitary.

The moon has the power to make you reconnect with yourself and understand who you really are. That is why I appreciate this side of myself even more.

I have always loved philosophy, introspection and poetry. For me, being alone is one of the ways we truly find ourselves, like the moon alone in a dark sky.

At night, while some people become anxious thinking about tomorrow, I think about the day I have just lived. I remember the moments that mattered, from the way I reacted in a meeting to a smile exchanged with someone I passed in the street.

Our days move so quickly that we don't always take the time to really feel them.

The moon calms my body and allows my soul to live. It represents what is deep inside me. I like depth in my relationships too. I want to understand the people around me, and I want to understand myself.

That is why I am the moon and the sun.

They both live in me, and I need them both to feel alive.

LANZAROTE

Lanzarote holds fire and stillness together. What did that land awaken in you?

I never imagined a place like this could exist in Europe. I love travelling and discovering places I don't know, and when I arrived in Lanzarote I was amazed by everything that makes up the island, from the beaches and volcanoes to the rocks and cactus.

I'm a huge believer that there are no coincidences in life. Everything is where it is supposed to be.

This place filled me with excitement, especially because of the beauty of the natural world, but at the same time it made me feel deeply at peace.

It felt like time stopped for a moment.

There, you can simply feel yourself as a human being in the middle of nature. I don't think there are enough words to describe that feeling because it is something that needs to be lived.

You reconnect with yourself.

I still think about it every day. Those 72 hours felt like a dream, and I'm already planning to go back.

WEARING VOLCANICA

How did it feel to wear FARA Boutique in such a raw, elemental place?

FARA Boutique was a discovery for me.

The pieces impressed me because you could feel the soul of the designers and creators through each design. I could feel the energy of every piece when I wore it.

Today, clothing can sometimes feel soulless. These pieces felt like the opposite.

The way the fabric fell on my body, the movement and the colours made me feel feminine in a very natural way.

Being a woman today can be difficult. Women are constantly judged for who they are, what they wear and even how they behave. The FARA Boutique pieces made me feel like who I want to be, but also reminded me of who I have always been.

They brought me back to my own identity.

BEFORE THE CAMERA

Do you have a small ritual that helps you arrive fully in yourself before stepping in front of the camera?

As a professional model, I don't have one specific ritual. My goal is to understand and adapt to the brand I am shooting for.

For me, the connection with the team, the designers and the photographer is incredibly important. Understanding their vision helps me understand the direction I need to take.

I had the opportunity to meet Jonas, the photographer, the day before the shoot, so we had time to get to know one another and understand each other's art.

Then, on the morning of the shoot, I met the FARA Boutique team. There was an immediate connection. I recognised myself in their vision and in the energy behind the brand, and I felt inspired by them too.

Perhaps that is my ritual: connecting with the people and understanding the world of the brand before I step in front of the camera.

FEMININITY

What do you hope a woman feels when she slips into a FARA Boutique piece?

I hope that when women wear FARA Boutique they embrace their femininity.

Femininity is already inside you. It is an inner energy, and these pieces allow you to feel it without trying too hard.

For me, femininity can also be about simplicity. There is a quiet energy in the clothes that can make a woman feel secure, comfortable and feminine.

That feeling is something many of us don't always get to experience in everyday life.

A NEW SEASON

What are you calling in for this new season of your life?

For this new season of my life, I am calling in peace.

I've been through a lot over the last two years, including a divorce. After reconnecting with myself, I've realised that I need to protect my peace and stop losing myself through people pleasing.

I've understood that the people who truly love you will stay as you change, especially when those changes are bringing you closer to yourself and making you happy.

I'm manifesting more travel too. I want to build what I want to build and help other women feel seen.

I want to make them feel safe in a world that is not always kind.

FARA BOUTIQUE WOMEN

There was something fitting about having this conversation in Lanzarote.

Volcanic earth and stillness. Sun and moon. Strength and softness. Shaz's words echoed many of the contrasts that inspired Volcanica itself.

At FARA Boutique, the women who wear our clothes have always been as important to us as the clothes themselves. They travel, change, begin again, seek adventure, crave stillness and carry many different versions of themselves at once.

Our time with Shaz reminded us that femininity does not need to fit into one definition.

It can be powerful and quiet. Social and solitary. Soft and certain.

You can be more than one thing.

You can be the sun and the moon.

DISCOVER VOLCANICA HERE