ISSUE II: YULIA FOMENKO

In a world that too often feels muted and predictable, the cover of The Dream Issue invites you to step inside a kaleidoscope, a surreal, color‑soaked living room born from the imagination of Yulia Fomenko. What began as a creative escape from a grey‑skied childhood has become a visual allegory for how vision, play, and intention shape not just art but reality itself. As Yulia says, “creativity is a form of manifestation and it works in many ways. The energy you put in and where you put your attention in your work create your reality.”

Yulia, also known as Cat, translates that belief into everything she touches. A Brooklyn based writer, director, actor, and fashion collector, she also holds a degree from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in Film and Television. But her journey is defined by curiosity. Her work teases the edges of medium and memory, from micro shorts that feel like dreams you’ve lived to get ready with me videos that unfold like whispered rites of passage and fashion explorations that treat clothing as narrative, not ornament.

Cat’s fashion collecting began as fascination and evolved into devotion. She mines archival and pre‑owned pieces with a scholar’s eye and a poet’s heart, stitching together eras and aesthetics into ensembles that feel both timeless and radically new. For her, garments carry stories. Their textures, histories, and quirks become tools of expression that help rewrite how we see ourselves and the world.

Audiences say her digital spaces are “both stimulating and soothing,” places to think deeply, laugh freely, and imagine without apology. In an era that can feel detached, Cat’s creative universe is an invitation to take risks, embrace wonder, and view the everyday as ripe with possibility. Here, fashion is not just worn, film is not just watched, and creativity is not just admired, it is lived.

Photographed and styled to reflect Cat’s uncanny ability to make the extraordinary feel inevitable, this Dream Issue is an ode to color, concept, and the kind of magic that only takes hold when you believe it is possible.

FML: You have said you did not dream of a specific job as a child but rather of beauty. What did beauty look like to you growing up in an industrial town in Russia?

YF: Since everything around me was just some shade of grey – I always dreamt of color, texture, and light.
When I was old enough to start sewing school and make my own clothes – all of my projects were grand in prints (animal print jacket for my mother), textures (a faux fur cropped jacket to make winter more fashionable) and lots of Swarovski crystals 😂 it had to be loud, it had to be visible from far away, it had to stop you in your tracks when you saw it.

FML: Do you remember the first moment when you realized imagination could be a refuge or even a way out?

YF: Yes. I was about to turn 10 years old and I had never seen my father — well, I saw him as a baby but I didn’t have any recollection of him. I was playing at my friend’s house when my mother called and said I should come back home because my father returned to see me. I obeyed my mother’s instructions and came to see him. We spent about 15 minutes together and I invited him to my upcoming birthday party — he promised to come. But… I never saw him again. After the birthday party — I had to tell all my friends at school that my father didn’t come because he was actually a KGB spy and he left for a very important mission. Was it true? Unlikely. Did I believe it myself? I think part of me did. Did it save my world from crumbling? Absolutely.

FML: Your work today feels like an intentional act of bringing color, texture, and wonder into the world. Do you feel like you are now living inside the dream your younger self was quietly building?

YF: I do feel like I’m living inside a dream — and the special part of it is I am not alone: I get to share in the dream worlds of other creators with whom I can play and build.

FML: You have spoken about turning inward creatively during the pandemic. Did that period feel like a detour from your dream or the moment it finally clarified itself?

YF: Pandemic was a turning point for everyone but I think for a lot of creators it was incredibly challenging. Let me elaborate: Back in 2020 I mostly worked on set as a director/producer. When the shutdown started my social and work life disappeared overnight — all projects were put on hold or canceled — you couldn’t make a movie via zoom. Unlike the business world, with film and video work you need other people to collaborate with — I’ve always been part of a team — you need videographers, production designers, models and actors, lighting, sound people, etc.
I felt extremely anxious because my creative energy had no outlet. I bought a sewing machine, went back to my roots and started sewing masks from shoe bags. I began drawing compulsively, making sketches of anything I could see. And then I couldn’t contain it anymore and out of necessity I became my own actor, director, cinematographer, and I started filming myself. Being in front of camera was terrifying and liberating all at once. I think this was a turning point in my creative journey — I wanted to collaborate with other people but I also learned how to channel the energy inside of me.

FML: Being behind the camera once felt safer than stepping in front of it. What inner shift allowed you to claim space as both the storyteller and the subject?

YF: As I said before — it was purely out of necessity –
I had no actors or models around that I could work with so I started filming myself as a subject. And it took a while to get comfortable — I think some of my first videos I had 20 to 30 takes of the same scene and all of it felt so silly to me while I was editing — it’s hard to escape the judgement when you see yourself on camera or hear your voice for the first time. I think the shift for me happened after I had done at least 20 videos — it just becomes less foreign to you — you simply get used to seeing your own face and hearing your own voice, and as someone who has an accent the voice was even bigger of an issue than the face.

 

FML: Your micro short films feel almost dreamlike, fragmented, emotional, and soothing. Are dreams, memory, or subconscious thought part of your creative process?

YF: I am a very emotional creator. I need to feel things when I write, when I make an image, it has to move me.
Because the most important thing about being an artist is lending your perspective to others. You can share moments that fill your heart with joy, moments that put that lump into your throat, moments that make your stomach turn, heart skip.
I feel divine when something complex hits me, something that I can’t quite put into words.

FML: Do you believe creativity can be a form of manifestation? In what ways has your work online materialized opportunities that once felt distant or unreal?

YF: Absolutely — creativity is a form of manifestation and it works in many ways. The energy you put in and where you put your attention in your work create your reality. That’s why I never participate in “rage bait,” controversy, or other negativity online even though it might create views and clicks. I’m interested in building the world that I find beautiful and inspiring — not farming attention.
In film school I’d work on a project for months and maybe 100 people would see it if you’re lucky. Posting online has helped me bring my work to so many people, and it created an opportunity to connect with people across the globe that I couldn’t before imagine.

FML: You have built a digital world your followers describe as their favorite place on social media. What kind of emotional experience do you hope people leave with after entering your universe?

YF: I hope after you interact with my work you walk away with a sense of peace and slowing down, inspiration to be yourself and be creative, and feeling that the world is more kind and loving than you thought before.
I hope it regulates people’s nervous system rather than puts you on edge. And I of course hope you’ve learned something about the evolving history of fashion (either through my videos directly or through community comments).

FML: Fashion plays a central role in your storytelling. Do you see clothing as costume, armor, fantasy, or all three?

YF: Clothing is one thing that connects us all — everyone gets dressed in the morning (or is expected to get dressed) and clothes can be a tool, a statement, an armor, or an invitation to play.

FML: You collect archival and pre owned pieces with great intention. What draws you to garments that already carry history?

YF: I wish I could tell you I had a system — but it’s always instinctual. When I see a piece of clothing I just either get this little itch of beauty that I need to scratch or I don’t. It’s an intuitive affair.

FML: Do you believe clothing can hold memory or emotion, almost like a dream preserved in fabric?

YF: I do. But I also believe that we are more powerful than we think and we can create new meanings of love and grace with old garments.

FML: Many people interpret fashion through the lens of what is flattering. What excites you about silhouettes that challenge expectation?

YF: I think it’s a very natural way to look at fashion as a tool to enhance the body and present ourselves in a flattering way (or to make ourselves feel beautiful). But once you’ve played “pretty princess in a pretty gown” enough times your curiosity will ultimately take you other places. What else can we explore? Can I make you see beauty in things you haven’t paid attention to before?

FML: Your grand aunt Baba Galia sounds like a mythic figure in your life. In what ways do you feel like you are carrying her spirit forward?

YF: (Lol lol lol)
First of all, she’s a die hard cat lady. Second, she was never afraid to be silly, or not to be taken seriously, to be wrong about something — and I think there’s tremendous power and freedom in that attitude.
I always bring myself into that mindset when questions like this cross my mind — What if people laugh at me? What if they think I’m crazy?
There’s nothing wrong with being a bit foolish while expressing yourself, and exploring the world.

FML: Many people wait for special occasions to feel magical. You have spoken about choosing to dress dreamily every day. Was that a conscious rebellion against reality or an embrace of it?

YF: We create our own reality. So I choose to dress for the dream I want to live — not wait for the world to present me with an occasion.

FML: Motherhood has become part of your life alongside your creative practice. How has becoming a mother reshaped your understanding of dreams, ambition, and time?

YF: I’d say before I had kids I didn’t realize how much free time I actually had! Being a mother is limiting in some ways because you physically have to split your time between work and childcare but in other ways it brought new clarity — no more procrastination, no time for superficial relationships, there’s only time for things and people I truly care about.

FML: You often blur humor with beauty and intellect with play. Why is laughter important in your work and in dreaming big?

YF: I’m a cat — and cats are silly. But they’re always majestic even when they make us laugh.
We need humor to not take ourselves too seriously — how laborious would life be if we didn’t allow ourselves some levity. It’s ok to be a foolish once in a while — don’t worry, you will still be magnificent.

FML: When you look at your career now across film, fashion, and community, what feels most surreal about where you have landed?

YF: The breadth and depth of my audience feel absolutely surreal. I hear “meows” from every corner of the globe.

FML: You have inspired many followers to take creative risks. What advice would you give to someone who feels their dreams are too strange or impractical?

YF: One of my followers once sent me a quote saying, “Every shot you don’t take is a missed shot.” And I agree with that statement 100%
Sometimes it’s hard to convince ourselves to do it — but if you need to hear it again — take a chance on your dream!

FML: Finally, when you imagine yourself five or ten years from now, what kind of world do you hope you are creating, both for yourself and for others?

YF: It is so hard to do, but I am really trying to be present — here — right now. Because the present is the only place of true creativity. But when I think of the future, I envision a better world for more people.

In Yulia Fomenko’s world, the boundaries between reality and imagination dissolve, leaving only color, texture, and possibility. What began as a child’s dream of beauty in a grey industrial town has grown into a living, breathing universe where film, fashion, and storytelling coexist in harmonious wonder. Each garment she collects, each frame she shoots, and each playful twist of humor or surprise is a deliberate act of creation, a way of manifesting the world she believes is possible. Yulia invites us to step into that universe not as spectators but as participants, to embrace curiosity, to dress for our own dreams, and to find magic in the ordinary. In a life and career defined by risk, joy, and relentless imagination, she reminds us that the truest form of artistry is not only in the work itself, but in the world it allows us to see, feel, and inhabit.

Yulia’s #FMLFaves

Fave Song / On Repeat rn: Right now we have “Entry of the Gladiators” by the Big Top Orchestra on repeat. It is that quintessential circus tune everyone knows. We play it with my three year old while pretending to do circus performances with our two sausage dogs.

Fave Movie: It’s hard to narrow down to one because there are so many films that informed my worldview but today if I had to pick one I’d say “Happy Go Lucky” by Mike Leigh.

Fave Dish: Spaghetti Vongole, Peanut Butter Toast, Cottage cheese in all its forms.

What’s in your bag? It depends on which bag you caught me with: I either have a giant mom tote that contains a wide range of objects – there’s always a random stone, dried branches, a half eaten banana, a ton of wipes, sanitizers, bandaids for boo-boos, two week old cookie, broken crayons and etc. If you catch me with one of my tiny minaudières I’m lucky if it maybe will fit a lip gloss, a few bills, and an attitude 💸

This season’s Must-Haves: Anything you see that has tassels – grab it and run.

Fave Archival Piece in your Closet: There are too many to pick one – but this year I’ve been really enjoying my 1999 Dior Massai Necklace from John Galliano – which I got as my push present – I’ve used it with so many outfits already and I love it.

Fave look you’ve ever done: I’d say the cover look for this issue of FML is one of my favorites – it has everything: the jester energy, the wit, the play, and wearability.

Fave project you’ve worked on: It’s hard to pick and choose because every project I do I get 100% of my energy invested into it. They’re all beautiful in their own right and every single one teaches me something. I’m currently writing a feature length screenplay that tackles coming of age, parent and child relationships, and courage – I’m very excited to see where it takes me.

EIC: Gina Kim-Park ( @ginakpark )

Photography & Creative Direction: Reinhardt Kenneth ( @reinhardtkenneth )

Muse: Yulia Fomenko ( @fomenkojulli )

Production Manager: Min Lee ( @lee.a.min )

Fashion Stylist: Fausti ( @sofausti )

Set Designer: Karen Weber ( @kwyoyo )

Deputy Editor: Briton David ( @briton.dvd )

Production Manager: Deki Namgyal ( @detailsbydeki )

HMUA: Yevgeniya Kozlova ( @my_in_genius )

Lighting Director & Digitech: Oliver Barile ( @oliver.barile )

Key Grip: Luis Lopez ( @luisisnotthatstupid )

Videography: Christopher Broe ( @cwbroe )

Photographer’s Assistant: Meghan Cronin ( @meghancroninphoto )

Set Assistant: Marcella Antiko ( @godeliva.ella )

Retouch: Valeria Mediana ( @medianaretouch )