Stories are told from the first photograph you see by Josephine Meng to the last. Often dark, always mysterious, her worlds draw you in and allow you to decipher her characters. What do they adore? How do they live? What stories hide in their sweethearts, their hair, their nails? A love letter to women, fashion, and cinema, Meng’s work exists in a realm where, as she puts it, there is “no beginning, no middle, no end.”
Josephine Meng is a Berlin-based artist and photographer known for her visual storytelling through photography, creative direction and film. She moves between mediums and has worked with figures like Emma Chamberlain and Jesse Jo Stark, as well as brands like Maison Margiela and Chrome Hearts. We got the chance to speak with her about her first lavender flared trousers, her influences, her passion for storytelling and more.
Hi, Josephine! We love your work and it’s a true pleasure to be speaking with you. How has 2025 been treating you so far?
Nice to talk to you. It's been great so far, I'm looking forward for what's to come.
You moved to Berlin when you were only seventeen years old. What are your strongest memories from those early years? How do you think living in Berlin has influenced your personal style?
I was so eager to move to Berlin and it shaped me in so many ways. In London, everything closed at 11pm, and in Paris, you might be able to stay out until 1am. But in Berlin, no one ever tells you to go home. I loved that.
I don't think living here really influenced my personal style as to how I dress, but it did allow me to feel more at ease. Any place would’ve influenced me in my coming of age, I believe there is more to our reality than what is obvious and palatable and immediate. I don’t know what Berlin did for me, but there is something.
I don't think living here really influenced my personal style as to how I dress, but it did allow me to feel more at ease. Any place would’ve influenced me in my coming of age, I believe there is more to our reality than what is obvious and palatable and immediate. I don’t know what Berlin did for me, but there is something.
You started out modelling and have since moved into photography, working with fashion houses like Margiela, Valentino, and Chrome Hearts. Has fashion always been a part of you? Who or what first sparked your love for it?
I’ve always loved dressing up and experimenting with clothes. I remember writing shopping as my hobby in a friend's book when I was seven years old. I still wonder where I could have even done that, considering I was a child living in the countryside in Germany. The first piece of clothing I ever truly longed for as a child was a pair of lavender flared pants. That was the first garment that made me so happy. I got matching lavender platform shoes at some point.
And nowadays? Is there a fashion brand you especially like?
I’m not interested in present-day fashion or its consumer-driven side. I never buy new things, everything I wear is either on the verge of falling apart or already has. I love fashion history, that's what inspires me and fuels the fantasy in me. Movies excite me. I’m emotional about clothes.
Soon after starting, you realised you preferred being behind the camera, directing, rather than posing. What is it about directing that you love most?
I think it’s because I have my own fantasies that I want to bring to life, rather than being an instrument for someone else’s ideas. I like the exchange, and I like being in control.
Who do you look up to in terms of creative direction?
Not a person but movies.
How does cinema shape your approach to photography?
I like to think of every photograph as a film. I really enjoy getting lost in a photograph and imagining a whole story in my head that goes beyond just a still image. I do love Hitchcock films. Fassbinder, David Cronenberg, John Waters, and of course, David Lynch, are some of the directors whose work I’ve gravitated towards.
When photographing women, what is it you aim for? What’s your favourite part about capturing them?
When creating a scenario, it feels relatable for me when it’s about a woman. My approach comes from my own life. I like to photograph women who appear to know something about life.
You experiment with various grains, cameras, and mediums. How do different techniques influence the way you tell stories through your photography?
It's really just about shaping the emotional tone for me. The process of shooting analogue is also slower and more deliberate, every shot is a kind of collaboration with the medium itself. There's no instant gratification or the luxury of endless edits, and I like having that challenge.
What do you hope to transmit through your work?
I hope it pulls you out of your reality and takes you to a place where you can let your imagination wander and fantasise. My photos have no beginning, no middle, and no end.
You've explored so many creative roles. What other areas do you see yourself exploring in the future?
I sometimes daydream about making clothes with my best friend. We always think about garments and concepts that don’t exist and wish they did. Nothing practical ever, but that’s not something I care about anyway at this point in my life.
I do love what I get to do right now. I love constructing scenarios, from how a character’s hair falls to the shoes they wear, to imagining what they might go through and creating a picture story out of it.
I do love what I get to do right now. I love constructing scenarios, from how a character’s hair falls to the shoes they wear, to imagining what they might go through and creating a picture story out of it.
