For those unfamiliar with Anoeses’ work and mission, could you please share what inspired your interest in creating a fetishwear brand, and how has that journey unfolded?
What drove us to create Anoeses was our passion for eroticism – the aesthetic of sexual desire – intertwined with our intimate journey as lovers and creatives. At first, we opened a small kinky showroom in Kyiv, but soon there were not enough suppliers with premium-quality products that would make you feel like they were made by someone who really understands and shares your passion. So, in 2018 we decided to launch our brand and gather a community of like-minded people around it. Originally, we had been creating designs by ourselves, but with time Anoeses has grown into a much bigger fashion and kink space with more than 40 professionals in our team. Russia’s full-scale invasion in Ukraine has presented us with challenges, but thanks to the people who work with us, we have managed to stay flexible and strong enough to keep going and supporting Ukraine.
The brand’s name is a clever play on the psychological concept of “anoesis” – the experience of pure sensory impressions without cognitive context. What was the significance behind choosing this term as the brand’s name, and how does it reflect the underlying philosophy and essence of your work?
Since the very beginning, we have considered customers to be a community of people whom we can share our passion with and actively engage in the journey of our brand. This is why when it came to the name, we decided to ask our followers. ‘Anoesis’ won, but we changed one letter in the final version. This name resonated with our mission because it is about the inner feeling of being free, sexy, and true to yourself – without judgments.
Could you provide insights on how the personal relationship between Kostya and Katya Savvopulo, marked by interdependency, secure attachment, and co-creation, has influenced the development and core principles of the Anoeses brand? Furthermore, how do these relational dynamics persist in shaping the brand’s evolution and creative direction?
Our relationship was built on honest and open communication with each other. This allowed us to understand our feelings, values and, most importantly, our desires. Having this experience and realizing how much closer it made us, we aspired to create products that would ignite intimate and frank conversations between others. Plus, of course, we love different kinky and sexy items, so it only made sense for us to channel that mission through erotic wear.
Your garments possess a unique quality – they are designed to serve a specific sexual purpose, yet they exude an undeniable high-fashion aesthetic. How crucial was it for you to tap into that aesthetic? Was that a deliberate consideration?
Combining sexual purpose with a high-fashion aesthetic is the core goal of our brand. Both of us are highly visual people who savor the pleasure of owning and creating items that are not only kinky or explicit but also embody a sophisticated sense of style. It is also worth noting that being into kinks and sexual exploration very often means having a specific lifestyle. So while you might not always want or can wear revealing clothes, you still might want to include this aesthetic in your daily outfits. And we’re so here for it.
