In the first slide Angela wears a chainmail headpiece and black corset while Ivan sports a gold textured jacket and a floral crown. The looks reinterpret medieval knight and warrior imagery through a contemporary lens. ELENA VELEZ is a rising New York brand known for architectural construction and historical references. This season featured prominent metallic materials and asymmetric cuts.
The couple revealed in interviews that the runway made them more nervous than standing atop skyscrapers. A banner reading "WHEN THE TRUTH ... THAT'S THE LOVE OF MY LIFE ... WE LIVE / THE WORLD MARTYRS DEATH" appears in one slide, visually declaring that love is the force that conquers doubt and fear. For a couple who've risked arrest through illegal climbs, public scrutiny is nothing new.
They are icons of rooftopping, an extreme photography genre. Angela is a Moscow-born acrobat and model; Ivan is a photographer and climber in the same field. They met atop Shanghai Tower in 2016 and became partners, later scaling structures in Dubai, Hong Kong, and Paris. The proposal took place at 443 meters above ground on the Empire State Building's antenna tip.
The runway is new territory for them. Here the fear is not of falling but of judgment, not of height but of gaze. Yet they chose to move forward anyway, and that choice is their message. What choice do you make when fear stands in front of you?
FAQ
Where did Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus get engaged?
Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus got engaged in July 2024 atop the Empire State Building's antenna spire in New York, 443 meters above ground. The couple are icons of rooftopping, an extreme photography genre, and have illegally scaled supertall structures worldwide.
What kind of brand is Elena Velez?
Elena Velez is an emerging New York-based fashion brand known for architectural construction and historical references. For SS27, the label reinterpreted medieval knights and warriors through metallic fabrics and asymmetric cuts.
How did Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus meet?
Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus met at the top of Shanghai Tower in 2016 and became a couple. She's a Moscow-born acrobat and model, he's a photographer and climber. Together they've scaled skyscrapers in Dubai, Hong Kong, and Paris, becoming rooftopping icons.
