Some creative relationships quietly weave themselves over time, waiting for the right moment to bloom.
We first met Rossi V over a decade ago through a mutual friend who loved yoga. Over the years, we stayed loosely connected, crossing paths here and there, cheering each other on from a distance. But when Rossi shared her growing interest in photography, something clicked for us. We’ve always known her as deeply multi-talented, so of course we wanted to see what she was creating behind the lens.
This season marked our first time officially working together at Denver Fashion Week with Rossi photographing and it felt both brand new and long overdue. We caught up with Rossi to talk about her creative path, her yoga-informed perspective, and that undeniable moment when photography and fashion aligned.
Check out all of Rossi’s DFW pictures here!
From Yoga Mat to Runway Pit
How does your background as a yoga instructor influence the way you approach shooting fashion?
As an artist, I’ve always loved the human form. Drawing it, sculpting it, photographing it. Yoga just deepened the way I pay attention to people. Teaching yoga made me more aware of posture, breath, and the subtle ways energy moves through someone’s body.
When I’m behind the lens, that sensitivity is still there. I try to help the model feel at ease so they can explore something new without losing themselves in the process.
As an energy practitioner, I believe there are two energy flows and we all carry both. Masculine energy creates structure. It builds with intention and purpose. Feminine energy is boundless, playful, and exploratory. I think of the camera, the lens, and the equipment as that masculine structure, while everything else, the design, how it moves with the body, the personality of the person wearing it, becomes this fluid, playful interaction. That blend of structure and flow is what I’m always trying to capture.
Creative Cross-Training
You’re an artist, photographer, and yoga teacher. How do all these identities blend together when you’re shooting fashion?
I’ve been creating in different mediums for as long as I can remember. My first camera was a tiny point-and-shoot I got in third grade, and I immediately started photographing people. I went to a ceramics-focused high school where we studied drawing, sculpture, and painting. Later, a friend and I even turned her bathroom into a darkroom just to experiment.
All of that shapes how I see things now. Fabric, light, movement, makeup, it all feels like part of one large art piece. It’s not much different than positioning elements for a still life or arranging a model for a drawing session.
When I’m shooting the runway, I’m trying to honor the creativity of everyone involved. The organizers, casting teams, producers, musicians, designers, models, hair and makeup artists. I hope to capture not just how it looks, but the feeling everyone is contributing.
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The “A-Ha!” Fashion Moment
Was there a moment during DFW when you thought, “This is where I’m meant to be”?
Last season, I attended Adaptive Night in collaboration with Guided by Humanity and Denver Fashion Week in my role as Community Outreach Coordinator for GBH. I was mainly there to help organize our part of the event.
At that point, I’d been playing around with my Nikon D850 for a couple of years, mostly shooting my friends’ Bulgarian dance group, Gaitani. Before the show, I researched and ordered a lens recommended for runway photography because I wanted to capture a few images for GBH.
But once the runway started and I began shooting, something just clicked. It felt natural. I found myself smiling for days afterward while editing the photos.
After that, I reached out to Weston Mosberg for mentorship. He’s incredible at tailoring guidance to each photographer, and learning from him helped me explore this path more deeply and confidently.
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First-Time Magic
Since this was your first major step into the fashion world, what surprised you most?
Honestly, there weren’t any big surprises. This DFW felt like being with my people.
I’m used to creative environments, even though I took a long break while raising my children on my own, with support from close friends. During COVID, I finished a graphic design degree, which reminded me how much I love creating and being around others who do the same.
At DFW, I loved shooting alongside my mentor and connecting with other photographers, models, and designers. It felt good to be in a space where everyone is creating together. I try not to show up with a cup already full of expectations. That way, I can really experience what’s unfolding.
Style Meets Soul
If your photography style were a yoga pose, what would it be?
I think my photography is more like a flow, like a Sun Salutation, rather than a single pose. It’s shifting, alive, always moving.
In all forms of my art, I can’t stick to one lane. That’s probably why I’m a jack of all trades. I don’t really see it as “my style” as much as the energy of the moment. I don’t want to bend my subjects to fit me or a preconceived aesthetic. I want to capture their nature and discover what might be possible, even things I haven’t imagined yet.
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