Lea Pliger — Beyond the Runway
During Paris Fashion Week 2026, AETH. Collective met Lea Pliger — a model from South Tyrol who has built an international presence within the fashion industry.
From walking for Armani to appearing in different campaigns, editorials and runways, her career has taken her from her hometown in South Tyrol into the international fashion world.
But for AETH. Collective, the focus was not on the runway.
It was on what exists beyond it.
Beyond the Fashion Image
The project was created to meet Lea as a person — to capture her personality, presence and the small, natural moments that exist outside the fashion industry.
The concept was built around a simple city stroll through Paris.
No studio.No set.No pressure of a traditional fashion shoot.
Instead, AETH. Collective walked through the city with Lea, allowing Paris to become the backdrop for a more personal form of visual storytelling.
The camera followed her through everyday moments — walking the streets of Paris, moving through the city and stopping to pet a dog.
Small, unscripted details became the centre of the story.
For AETH. Collective, these moments mattered because they show Lea as more than a model.
Within the international fashion industry, models can easily become reduced to measurements, images, campaigns or numbers.
The AETH. approach is different.
Every person in front of the camera has their own character, energy and story — and these qualities should remain visible within the final image.
A Portrait of the Person Behind the Model
This project was therefore not about creating another perfect fashion portrait.
It was about creating space for Lea to simply be herself.
Within just a few hours, AETH. Collective created a film together with Lea, alongside a series of photographs that captured the same atmosphere.
The result is a quiet, observational portrait of a South Tyrolean model experiencing Paris away from the runway — natural, unposed and personal.
The city became more than a backdrop.
Paris became part of the visual language — its streets, architecture and everyday moments creating a natural environment for the story.
Creative Direction and Production
The concept and behind-the-scenes production were led by Isabel Dialer, co-founder of AETH. Collective.
Camera work and visual direction were handled by Benno Schivari, founder of AETH. Collective, with Julian Lesina Debiasi supporting the production as B-camera operator.
Lea Pliger appeared as the talent, model and central character of the story.
What began as a meeting during Paris Fashion Week became something more intimate — a visual portrait that allows the person behind the model to take centre stage.
For AETH. Collective, the project represents an approach to fashion film and visual storytelling that looks beyond the obvious image and creates space for people to remain themselves.
Because behind every runway, every campaign and every fashion image, there is a person.
Beyond the runway.Beyond the image.Beyond the model.Lea Pliger — a portrait of the person behind the fashion.
