Drastique is the model who has been published the most in Gothic Beauty Magazine. Many alternative models tend towards being personas who wear clothes, which, don’t get be wrong, can lead to some terrific images, but Drastique truly modeled. Drastique could embody so many different moods, always with an alternative flair, but with such amazing variety. Drastique was Model of the Year in the Gothic Beauty Awards. Some of the fashion designers Drastique wore in the magazine included Vecona, Follow the White, TolllKirsche, Savage Wear, and Tatjana Warnecke. She appeared in Gothic Beauty Magazine 19, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, and I think some other issues as well. She is one of very few models who has appeared on our cover more than once. She collaborated with photographer Roman Kaperski on the cover of Gothic Beauty Magazine 23 and with photographer Annie Bertram on the cover of Gothic Beauty Magazine 19, and I think only people who carefully read the credits realized those two covers featured the same model.
As Drastique is our most published model and Annie Bertram is our most published photographer, it seems only fitting to include one of her photos created with Annie Bertram in the retrospective calendar currently funding on Kickstarter. If you pledge the Gothic Beauty Kickstarter project, you can help curate which images we publish. I am very excited about getting to interview such icons of our community. Excerpts of this interview series will be included in the Gothic Beauty 25 Year Reunion of Original Artists – Calendar Project, but I wanted to share the full-length interviews as well. 
Always an animal rights activist, today Drastique still cares for our furry friends and has also taken up righting Icelandic horses. Here is Drastique’s thoughtful story of her journey modeling for Gothic Beauty and beyond:
I am a child of summer, born in July, a time of light, warmth, and creative abundance. Perhaps that has shaped me all along: this natural openness, the love for beauty, nature, and for everything that tells stories—whether through fashion, places, or images.
My first encounter with Annie was more than twenty years ago. She contacted me back then on a photography platform. Her message came completely unexpectedly and touched me deeply. I still remember the genuine joy and appreciation I felt when she asked whether I would like to collaborate on a photo shoot. Even then, she radiated that unique blend of professionalism, sensitivity, and artistic vision that still defines her today.
For our first shoot together, we traveled to Belgium. The location was an abandoned, almost mystical place—full of silence, history, and poetic transience. Although it was winter and bitterly cold, there was a special energy in the air. The cold felt like part of the scenery, an element that amplified the atmosphere. We didn’t let it intimidate us; instead, we transformed those harsh conditions into images full of depth and magic.
Annie has an extraordinary eye for detail. Her creativity isn’t loud—it is precise, intuitive, and astonishingly powerful. She discovers beauty in structures, light, colors, and in fleeting moments others might overlook. This ability makes working with her so special.
Many more shoots followed, often involving long journeys—Switzerland, France, and more. But every trip was worth it. The locations were always chosen with great care: abandoned places with their own character, full of hidden stories. Some felt suspended in time; others like silent witnesses of long-gone eras. Many of them held a touch of magic, a feeling that shaped the atmosphere of the entire shoot.
Our sessions in nature also carried something spiritual. Between pine trees, soft forest soil, and the scent of resin and earth, images were created that felt as though nature itself was co-creating. The energy of these places—their calm, their strength—shaped the results just as much as our shared creative harmony.
What makes working with Annie so special to me is not only her art, but also her personality. Our conversations were always warm, appreciative, and friendly. In her presence you feel instantly comfortable and respected—something invaluable in the creative field. Every encounter with her was more than a shoot; it was an experience, a source of inspiration, and often a moment for the soul.
Looking back on our work together, I don’t just see images—I see memories: places full of poetry, unique atmospheres, creativity born in the moment, and a collaboration that was professional, human, and in its own way spiritual.
My passion for photography has accompanied me for as long as I can remember. It was never just a superficial interest but rather a quiet fascination for what a photograph can convey—emotion, movement, atmosphere, depth. I was always drawn to fields where people and places tell stories: portrait photography, street photography, abandoned locations with their melancholic beauty, dance and ballet with their flowing poetry, and, within an aesthetic artistic framework, nude and fetish photography, which holds a very unique form of expression.
I could spend hours on photography platforms, immersing myself in visual worlds and drawing inspiration from a wide variety of styles. There were contests, votes, discussions—a vibrant creative exchange that went far beyond merely presenting images. It was a kind of digital atelier, a place where artists of all backgrounds met, learned from one another, and grew together.
I especially valued the dialogue: the positive feedback that motivated me, and the constructive criticism that helped me evolve. Both were important. Both had value. You didn’t just learn about photography; you learned about yourself—about patience, expression, perspective, and the many different ways one can see the world.
This exchange, this boundless creative flow, shaped me. It sharpened my sense of aesthetics, nurtured my curiosity, and showed me how powerful the connection between people, places, and images can be.
I believe that modern social-media platforms have opened many new doors—visibility, networking, fast communication. At the same time, they have closed some of the old, beautiful paths: those personal, heartfelt, creative connections that required time and real encounters. Creativity used to be something you experienced together—in conversations, in projects, during meet-ups, in shared spaces. Today, many things are faster, louder, more fleeting.
As for the evolution of the gothic scene—it is constantly in motion. Everything changes, blends, grows into something new. Each generation brings its own expression, symbols, and attitudes. The scene lives, and like all living things, it transforms without ever truly disappearing.
When I found my home in this world in the early 90s at the age of fourteen, everything was different. It was another era—shaped by a different technology, culture, and its own energy. The internet was not the center of life. Not everyone had a phone or a computer. Many connections were formed through face-to-face encounters, conversations at concerts, browsing small shops, nights in clubs, handwritten address lists, or self-developed photographs.
We had different values, different perspectives, different experiences in the 80s and 90s. It’s not really comparable to today—not better or worse, just different. And perhaps that is where its magic lies. Every era carries its own melody, and I am grateful to have been part of that earlier, almost mystical phase in which creativity and subculture had something more secretive, rare, and deeply meaningful.
I feel deeply honored to have become a part of this scene, and that my work has gained iconic meaning for many people over the years fills me with gratitude. It is a beautiful feeling to know that something created out of passion continues to live on in others.
It has always brought me great joy to pour my energy into projects, to create new beings, moods, and characters, and to bring them to life for a moment. I love working with creative photographers who carry the same inner flame—that quiet fire for art, expression, and transformation. The staging, the immersion into new worlds, the merging of ideas and visions—all of that has always been a profoundly enriching process for me.
There was a phase when I worked closely with the same artists for many years because a special creative harmony had developed between us. And there was also a time when I stood behind the camera myself. There, I could transform my inner world into images, shape atmospheres, and make inner landscapes visible. Those moments were like small gateways into my own soul—a quiet, personal growth I wouldn’t want to miss.
Today, I especially cherish the peace of nature and my connection with animals. A matter close to my heart are wild animals—the children of the forest, as I like to call them. Many of them need our attention, our care, and sometimes simply someone who gives them a second chance.
At the moment, I am caring for a small female hedgehog, only nine weeks old. With love and patience we have been nursing her back to strength so she can one day return to the wild. In the past, I have often had visits from the forest: injured squirrels, young ravens, seagulls, and other animals in need.
These encounters touch me every time. They remind me how important it is to keep our eyes open for the quiet creatures who share this world with us—and who depend on us when they are in distress.
In 2025, I fulfilled a childhood dream. In my late forties, I began horseback riding. Icelandic horses stole my heart instantly—they are wild, free, powerful, and at the same time mysterious. It is breathtaking to spend time with a herd, observing their dynamics, their silence, and their natural wisdom. My own horse shows me new paths, opens inner spaces, and helps me grow.
The time I spend with my cat and my dog is pure, unfiltered quality time. They ground me, bring calm into my daily life, and remind me to stay present. Yoga, hiking, and drawing enrich me as well. They give me balance, clarity, and new ways to express my creativity.
Every now and then, I still do a photo shoot—carefully chosen and aligned with what feels right. My time today is more consciously distributed, more intentional, and I choose projects that resonate deeply.
Thank you for the beautiful time with Gothic Beauty.
Namaste,
Drastique
Facebook: drastique.plastique
The Gothic Beauty reunion retrospective Project is on Kickstarter until December 11.
