The Soft Power of MUR MUR: Anastasia Baukh on Clothing, Desire and the Freedom of Being Yourself

MUR MUR does not introduce itself loudly. Its name feels intimate – almost like something said close to the skin. But behind that softness is a very precise creative world: one built on sensual silhouettes, freedom of movement, cinematic femininity and the quiet confidence of a woman who no longer needs to prove anything.

For designer Anastasia Baukh, MUR MUR marks a transition from fashion as visual construction to fashion as emotional experience. After BAUKH, her design language has become more instinctive, more atmospheric and more focused on the woman inside the garment. The brand’s universe is touched by the 1970s, but not in a nostalgic or costume-like way. It is the ease, sensuality and self-possession of that era that matter most.

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There is also Odesa – not as a simple geographical reference, but as a mood. A city of light, theatre, humour, sea air and beautiful imperfection. In MUR MUR, that mood becomes clothing: relaxed but seductive, feminine but never weak, elegant but alive.

In this interview, Anastasia Baukh speaks about the evolution of her voice, the emotional architecture of MUR MUR and the Ukrainian women whose strength continues to shape the country’s fashion language.

– You were behind BAUKH, and now you are developing MUR MUR. How has your designer voice changed?

– BAUKH was about form. MUR MUR is about sensation. It is about how a woman feels inside the clothes, not only about how the look is perceived from the outside.

– The name MUR MUR sounds gentle, almost like a whisper, while the visual identity feels confident and seductive. Who is the woman behind this mood?

– The MUR MUR woman is not trying to be ideal, and that is her power. She is a woman who has stopped performing. She understands that fragility and strength can exist together, just as seduction and intelligence can exist together. She does not have to reduce herself to one definition.

– The brand is inspired by the 1970s. What draws you to that decade most?

– It is the natural sensuality of that time that feels close to me. There was no heaviness, no obsession with looking flawless. There was space, movement and life. Even when the images were very seductive, they still felt as if the woman was dressing for herself first.

– If MUR MUR were a film, what would it be like?

– It would be a film about a woman coming back to herself. Through love, loneliness, journeys, music and unexpected meetings. The plot would not matter as much as the emotional pauses between the events.

– Your clothes feel feminine, but not naïve. How do you work with softness, sexuality and character without losing balance?

– For me, sexuality is never about obviousness. It is not about creating an effect at any price. MUR MUR pieces are delicate and self-assured at the same time. They carry emotion without weakness, and sensuality without being demonstrative.

– Odesa has its own visual and emotional code – sea, light, freedom, humour, theatricality. How does this city appear in MUR MUR?

– Odesa aesthetics are never sterile or overly polished. They always contain life – a little chaos, humour, temperament. That matters to me because MUR MUR is not about cold perfection either. It is about emotion, atmosphere and memory.

I think the brand carries this relaxed sensuality from Odesa: sexuality that does not feel specially designed, but appears naturally as part of a woman’s mood.

– When you design, what comes first – fit, silhouette, fabric or the emotion of the woman looking at herself in the mirror?

– Silhouette, fabric and fit are the language. Emotion is what appears through that language. I have always wanted to make clothes that transform not only the outside, but also the inner state. When a woman puts on something and suddenly feels a little more confident, calmer, more sensual – or simply likes herself more – that is what I value most.

– Is there one MUR MUR piece that captures the brand’s DNA best?

– I would say our long trench coats with high slits up to the waist. When the body is still, the piece works through shape and clean lines. But in movement, it opens the legs and hips and reveals a sense of freedom – the freedom of the woman wearing it.

– Ukrainian fashion is becoming increasingly visible beyond the country. What makes Ukrainian brands so powerful now?

– Ukrainian women are an incredible source of inspiration. They hold softness, dignity, sexuality, independence and inner strength all at once. Many brands, whether consciously or not, translate that state into their work.

This is why Ukrainian fashion feels so visible today. It is not only about aesthetics. It carries human experience and a desire to create beauty even in difficult times.

– MUR MUR has already entered an international fashion context. What does it mean for you to bring a brand from Odesa to a wider stage?

– It means that Ukrainian brands can move beyond the Ukrainian market and be welcomed in other countries. It is also about expanding borders – for the brand and for me personally. This experience showed me that we can achieve a lot when there is a real inner fire behind the work.

– How do you imagine the MUR MUR woman in the future? Will she remain a bohemian heroine of the 70s, or become bolder, more modern and more global?

– The MUR MUR woman lives her life naturally. She does not need to become stronger or better. She continues to be herself in any circumstances and through any changes in society.

– If you had to describe MUR MUR in one phrase to a woman discovering the brand for the first time, what would it be?

– Try one of our pieces once and feel its energy. If it belongs to you, you will stay with us for a long time.

@anastasiya_baukh | @murmur.clth | murmur-clth.com