Merging by Masha Reva

all photos by Synchrodogs [via Masha Reva]

It was the ever-inspiring Au Courant Daily that introduced me to Masha Reva with a feature on her bold botanical sweatshirts for Ukrainian brand Syndicate. But it was among the pages of Reva's own portfolio that I recognized the depth of her talent and an originality belying comparisons to better-known designers.

The young Ukrainian who I once mistook for a Mary Katrantzou copycat reveals herself as so much more with utterly unique patterns and a striking collection for her MA at Kiev University of Technology and Design. Perhaps the best example of her work, though, is this clashing hodgepodge of a photo shoot for Contributor Magazine #5.

Called "Merging," Reva explains that the project explores the confrontation between natural and artificial in a world where we have the "opportunity to create a superficial representation of ourselves [on] the Web." And if that all sounds a little too Catfish for you, just ogle the beautiful clothes and paper objects that Reva has created here.