IN CONVERSATION WITH ANNA & KARO
Karolina Ine and Anna Gornicka are best friends, creative collaborators, and a model–photographer duo currently based in Bali.
Karolina is the founder of premium Pilates studio Summer B and works as an interior designer. She models for like-minded brands that align with her aesthetic and way of living.
Anna is a photographer, book creator, and art curator whose work travels the world — documenting beauty, people, and the details most pass by without noticing.
Both arrived in Bali from different paths, but with a similar pull toward slower living and more intentional creative work. It’s become the place where their work overlaps most naturally — and where this shoot unfolded.
Together, they work intuitively — and this shoot followed the same rhythm.
We had planned for a softer, sunset-led Bali story for the transeasonal, summery element of our latest offering. Instead, the weather arrived differently — wind, rain, heavy cloud. Not what we had imagined, but one of those moments where you either resist it or work with what’s in front of you.
We chose the second.
The girls shot on a black sand beach near Anna’s villa, and the tone shifted immediately — darker, more textured, more instinctive, more raw.
There was a quiet stillness in it all.
Karolina, in particular, seemed to merge with the landscape — her form echoing the rocks and shoreline she moved across, almost like she belonged to it. It felt aligned with something we often return to in Blyss: the body in relation to nature, not separate from it, but existing alongside it.
Kate: You’re both creative collaborators and best friends — how did your relationship first begin, and what do you think keeps your dynamic so strong creatively and personally?
Anna: We’re both Polish and, funnily enough, we met eight years ago right here in Bali. I was running The Slow restaurant and Karo came in for a drink — and the story began from there. At this point in my life, I think what holds us together is honesty, not taking things personally, and a complete lack of judgement. We want to grow together in every aspect of our lives, and after so many years and shared experiences, those things have become our guiding principles. I can see how much faster we evolve because of them.
Kate: Karolina, you’ve built a very considered life in Bali — from Summer B to your work in interiors. How did you end up in Bali originally, and what drew you to building your life and work there?
Karo: Haha yes, I’d say it’s been quite a journey. I was actually about to return and begin my bachelor’s degree in a more “serious and structured” way after my gap year, but then an opportunity came up to join a student program in Bali — and I felt like I had to try it.
I arrived alone, knowing almost nothing about Bali. Back then, the only way to really learn about a place was through a Lonely Planet guidebook. I ended up living simply alongside locals, with no hot water and very limited savings… but it all felt magical.
The weather, the beauty, and especially the smiles of the Balinese people — who had so little materially yet seemed so much happier than many people back in Europe — completely shifted my perspective. It opened my eyes to a different way of living. That less can truly mean more. That daily sunshine, simplicity, and the unpredictability of each day can create something quietly magical.
Kate: Anna, you also made the move to Bali from abroad — what led you there, and how has it shaped your creative practice as a photographer and storyteller?
Anna: I think like most people who end up living in Bali, I’d probably say the same thing — coincidence. Bali is just an endlessly inspiring place to be. The light, the landscapes, the diversity of people constantly passing through, the access to beautifully designed homes and spaces — it all blends together and inspires you every single day.
Kate: What drew you to working with Blyss?
Anna: At this point in my life, I’ve become much more conscious about the clothes I wear — how they’re made, how they’re dyed, and who’s behind the brand. I think it’s something that crept up on me gradually. You start paying attention to what you’re putting on your body every day and realise it’s not just aesthetic — it genuinely affects how you feel, your energy, your mood.
There’s something about wearing a piece that’s been made with intention that you can actually sense. Does that sound Bali enough? laughs
Kate: Your work together feels very instinct-led. When conditions changed so dramatically on the shoot, how did you both approach it in the moment?
Anna: Honestly, it’s so much easier when you’re working with your best friend. There’s no ego, no awkwardness — you can just roll your eyes at each other, say “fuck it, let’s try this,” and figure it out together.
That kind of trust means you can adapt without panic, and sometimes the unexpected conditions end up giving you the most interesting images anyway.
What made it even funnier is that we were both leaving the next day, so there was this energy of: this is our one shot, we’re doing it regardless. Maybe that pressure actually helped. There’s something freeing about knowing you have no choice but to make it work.
Kate: Karolina, there was a point where you felt almost indistinguishable from the landscape itself. Do you feel that sense of connection to a place often when you’re in front of the camera?
Karo: Oh yes — the environment, clothing, accessories, weather… everything plays a crucial role in shaping the energy of a shoot. It can almost transport you into a specific mood or state.
As a model, it’s important to be like a sponge and absorb the atmosphere of a place. That way, you can fully embody the vision and become an extension of the concept, rather than simply standing within it.
Kate: Which Blyss pieces are you both looking to add to your wardrobes next?
Anna: Oh, I cannot wait for the cardigan — the blu one called Surrender. I love that name so much; it feels exactly aligned with where I’m currently at in life.
I’ve just arrived in Australia for a few weeks and it’s been such a beautiful autumn, which I’m genuinely so happy to experience again after Bali. So I’m waiting for my delivery to arrive and wrap me up during these cooler days — it couldn’t be better timing.
Kate: What’s next for you both — individually and creatively together?
Anna: We just launched my travel book, Off Tomorrow in collaboration with EEYS, a beautiful perfumery in Bali, which felt like such a meaningful way to close that chapter.
Now that I’m in Australia, I’m already deep in conversations with a few brands around creating immersive events and collaborations, so a lot is beginning to take shape.
As for Karo and I, we’re currently approaching brands across Europe and Australia to shoot content together, and we’re also about to fly to Sri Lanka to finish a villa project — pulling together the interiors, placing artworks, and photographing the entire space.
It feels like a real moment of new beginnings, which I suppose is very Surrender of me. Wink.
Karolina is 5'10.5 and is wearing size S/M in all styles.