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TASONI x ANGELA ZILTENER

RABANNE, DELFINA DELLETREZ, CHRISTOPHER ESBER, GOOSSENS

Angela Ziltener: A Life Among Dolphins

TASONI dresses the Swiss marine biologist and conservationist for the Zurich Film Festival world premiere of Dolphins: My Close Encounters

For more than 15 years, Swiss marine biologist and conservationist Angela Ziltener has spent her life alongside wild dolphins in Egypt’s Northern Red Sea. Her work has taken her beneath the surface to observe the animals in their natural habitat, documenting individual dolphins, their social relationships and behaviors while working to protect the ecosystem they inhabit. 

Founder and President of the Dolphin Watch Alliance, Ziltener approaches conservation through three interconnected areas: research, protection and education. Years of observation have contributed to a deeper understanding of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins and informed practical conservation measures, including protected zones and initiatives promoting more responsible wildlife tourism in the Red Sea. 

Her research has also revealed remarkable behaviors that are difficult to observe from the surface. By studying dolphins both above and below water, Ziltener and her collaborators have documented behaviors including the selective rubbing of different parts of the body against specific corals and sponges to treat skin problems or injuries. Her work turns close observation into a tool for understanding how these animals live, and ultimately, how they can be better protected. 

Dolphins: My Close Encounters

This extraordinary relationship with the underwater world is at the heart of Dolphins: My Close Encounters, the new feature documentary directed by Barny Revill and produced by Silverback Films, with Keith Scholey as executive producer.

Filmed against the coral reefs of the Red Sea, the documentary follows Ziltener through more than 15 years of diving alongside wild dolphins. Moving between scientific observation and the increasingly personal relationships that developed over years of encounters, the film reveals rarely seen behaviors while asking a fascinating question: over all those years, who was really observing whom? 

The film celebrated its world premiere at the 22nd Zurich Film Festival on September 28, 2026, beginning a journey that will next take it to Egypt for its MENA premiere at the El Gouna Film Festival, close to the coastline where Ziltener has conducted much of her research. 

To mark the occasion, TASONI dressed Angela Ziltener for two appearances at Zurich Film Festival, bringing together pieces from the TASONI selection for two distinctly different looks.

The Green Carpet

For the Zurich Film Festival Green Carpet on September 24, Ziltener wore a Rabanne Crew Neck Long Sleeve Long Dress in Deep Navy, its elongated silhouette and godet detailing paired with the Rabanne Ring Leather Belt in Silver.

Metallic accessories continued throughout the look with the Rabanne Metallic Round Discs Shoulder Bag, constructed in silver and gold with chain embellishment. Fine jewelry came from Delfina Delettrez Fine Jewelry, with the Domino 4 Dots Ring in 18K white gold, diamonds and pearls. Vintage Bo Pin Riviera Stud Earrings, in 24K gold-plated metal and pearls from @edigemofficial, completed the look.

The World Premiere

For the September 28 world premiere of Dolphins: My Close Encounters, TASONI dressed Ziltener in the Christopher Esber Cashmere Monument Long Dress in Ink. The deep blue floor-length silhouette offered a fitting reference to the world that has shaped so much of her life and work.

The dress was paired with the Balenciaga Hourglass Flat Pouch in black shiny crocodile-embossed calfskin and a layered selection of jewelry. Ziltener wore the Delfina Delettrez Fine Jewelry Marry Me Eye & Lips Ring, crafted in 18K yellow gold with black and white diamonds, sapphires and ruby, alongside the Delfina Delettrez 1987 Grandma Eye Bracelet in 18K yellow gold with emeralds and black and white diamonds. A Goossens Talisman Astro Pisces Necklace, crafted in 24K gold-plated brass with garnet and a chunky chain, completed the look.

For TASONI, dressing Angela Ziltener is also an opportunity to celebrate the woman behind the film: a scientist whose sustained commitment to observation, education and conservation has created an extraordinary record of life beneath the surface of the Red Sea. MORE STORIES