Her Mess, the publication, is the published documentation of an ongoing guerrilla campaign of the same name, that has taken over the streets of Mexico City, Athens, and Berlin by visual artist Olga Migliaressi-Phoca. What appears at first like a luxury advertising campaign reveals itself, on closer look, as something far more intimate and disruptive.
Playing with the visual language of high-fashion branding, the project riffs on the iconic Hermès logo, transforming it into HER MESS—a tongue-in-cheek brand that reframes femininity behind the scenes. What is often considered messy, taboo, or unpresentable is recast with humor, care, and a sense of luxury. From menstrual blood stains on underwear and swimwear, to trims of pubic hair, or small, often unnoticed bodily details, the work brings what is usually kept private into public view.
Blending feminist body art, subvertising, and urban intervention, Her Mess critiques the commodification and control of women’s bodies under capitalist and patriarchal systems. By isolating bodily elements rather than presenting the whole figure, the work resists eroticisation and exposes the contradictions of beauty standards. Its ephemeral, anonymous installations function as acts of protest, aligning with a broader tradition of culture jamming that challenges dominant visual and social norms. Installed as flyposters across the three cities, the im- ages blend seamlessly into the visual noise of the street—until they don’t. By occupying public space, HER MESS disrupts expectations, confront- ing viewers with what is typically erased or polished away.