Beautiful Game

With the UEFA European Football Championships now underway in Poland and Ukraine, fresh-faced models from the participating countries fly their native colors in acclaimed photographer Roe Etheridge’s portrait series for the fifth biennial edition of Sepp magazine. Paced to coincide with the even-year cycle of international soccer tournaments, Sepp has been celebrating the crossovers between football and fashion since its launch by Editor Markus Ebner in 2002 as a “cool fanzine.” Ebner brought in esteemed creative director Beda Achermann (formerly of Men’s Vogue Germany) and Gagosian artist Etheridge to work together on the shoot. “We wanted to make a map of Europe, to show the faces of Europe with the obvious sports link but with a classic Playboy connotation,” explains Ebner. “But it wasn’t easy to cast 11 girls from 11 countries to pose pin-up style.” The collectible’s latest issue also features witty soccer-themed sketches by Karl Lagerfeld and a hyper-saturated fashion editorial by photographer Jeff Burton. In addition to running Sepp, Ebner also edits handsome German fashion glossy Achtung.