Zara Williams
Zara Williams is a UK-based photographer whose work explores identity, femininity, and rebellion through a lens that is both gritty and glamorous. Her imagery is defined by bold color palettes, theatrical styling, and a cinematic approach that blends surrealism with sharp emotional honesty.
Zara’s photography reclaims and reimagines the aesthetics of the past, particularly the glossy, pastel-coded worlds of 1960s women's magazines. infusing them with radical joy, rage, queerness, and a refusal to conform. With an eye for playful detail and a love of clashing textures, her work spans intimate portraits, editorial fashion, and narrative-led shoots that challenge traditional ideals of beauty and gender.
Through smeared lipstick, unkempt hair, soft fabrics, and expressive poses, Leah’s photographs celebrate feminine complexity in all its forms,whether it’s the vulnerability of girlhood, the quiet strength of nonconformity, or the messy, glitter-soaked chaos of modern identity. Each image is a story: bold, cinematic, and full of heart.
Welcome to the second edition of Desire Magazine!
This time, we are diving into the pastel-colored world of 1960s women’s magazines, but we will explore it through a queer, feminist lens. In my debut issue, we delved into the dyke community with both grit and love. Now, for my final piece of my third year, I have created a glossy reimagining of the ‘60s that not only revisits the past but also rewrites it. Think of it as part time capsule and part glitter-soaked rebellion.
This issue does not romanticize the ‘60s; rather, it reclaims that era.
Within these pages, we dismantle the polished façade of the ideal housewife fantasy, subvert worn-out gender clichés, and play with pin-up aesthetics without ever conforming to them. It’s about smeared lipstick and unkempt hair, the juxtaposition of tender girlhood with wild nights, and the interplay of simmering rage and radical joy—all conveyed through striking photography, sharp interviews, and storytelling that refuses to apologize.
This is nostalgia with an edge. The question, “Are you getting fat?” doesn’t just sting—it resonates powerfully. Though the games may be tucked away at the back, true enjoyment is woven into every unapologetic, chaotic, and heartfelt page.
This issue isn’t about playing the bunny. It’s about becoming the whole damn show and doing it our way.
I hope you experience the same thrill in reading it as I did in bringing it to life.
With love from your favorite girl,
Zara Williams
Editor & Photographer
Find more of Zara’s work below: