Olympic fencer Anne Cebula

Photographer @evgeny_photography

Style @somphone /
Hair Tomojidai @tomojidai /
Makeup Kiki Gifford @_kikigifford_ /

Precision Meets Style: Anne Cebula Fuses Sport and Fashion at Vandervoort

At Vandervoort Studio, we’ve always been drawn to projects that transcend boundaries. So when Olympic fencer Anne Cebula stepped into our Brooklyn photo studio—foil in hand and dressed not just for the piste but for the page—it was clear we were in for something extraordinary.

Shot by the visionary Evgeny Popov (@evgeny_photography), this fashion editorial captured Cebula in a wholly unexpected light. Styled by the talented Somphone, with bold, sculptural knitwear layered over traditional fencing whites, the shoot reimagined athleticism through the lens of high fashion. With Tomojidai (@tomojidai) handling hair and Kiki Gifford (@kikigifford) on makeup, the look was part warrior, part runway—an ode to strength wrapped in elegance.

The soft daylight cutting across the concrete floor mirrored the duality of the concept: softness and intensity, grace and precision. Whether framed against our smooth white walls or captured in contrast with the rough urban textures of the studio, Anne’s movements brought a sense of kinetic energy to every shot—even when standing still.

“There’s a rhythm to fencing that’s deeply visual,” Evgeny shared during the shoot. “It’s not unlike fashion in that way—both are about stance, silhouette, and timing. The idea was to freeze that intensity in a single frame.”

Cebula, a top U.S. fencer with Olympic credentials, is no stranger to grit. But in this project, she embraced vulnerability as much as control. Dressed in exaggerated knits, sculpted sleeves, and structured pleats, she let go of function to explore form—creating images that are just as arresting for their texture as they are for their tension.

Throughout the day, the creative team utilized our full blackout capabilities and movable set pieces to build visual contrast. One series was shot in partial silhouette, using narrow beams of light to carve out form. Another played with repetition—catching Cebula mid-motion, echoing both fencing footwork and fashion’s evolving shapes. The result was editorial, but also deeply personal.

“There’s something empowering about stepping outside your arena,” Cebula noted. “In fencing, every move is calculated. But here, I got to interpret movement with emotion rather than outcome.”

As the day moved on and golden light washed across the windows, the studio transformed again—this time capturing the glow of post-competition clarity. The photos taken at that hour glimmer with honesty: a quiet confidence earned through years of work, reinterpreted with softness.

At Vandervoort, these are the kinds of stories that energize us. We’re proud to be a daylight photo studio in NYC that supports creative work ranging from avant-garde fashion to documentary-style profiles. Our space is intentionally minimal—designed not to dictate a vision but to adapt to one. It’s why leading artists, designers, and now Olympic athletes, choose our Brooklyn loft to tell their stories.

To the team behind this powerful shoot—thank you for trusting our space to host your vision. And to Anne: you’ve reminded us that even the most precise forms of discipline can carry deep creativity.