The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of action and lots of hard work leaving me feeling mostly sleep deprived but very creatively rewarding. When Tamara asked me if I'd like to help style the lookbook shoot for one of my shoe brands Soloro - 2 weeks ago - I jumped at the opportunity. Before I knew it I was reviewing images of next years Spring Summer collection and found myself running through peak hour people traffic on a friday night on Oxford Circus the night before the shoot , to pull outfits together for the looming shoot. Running through the crowds , bumping and annoying people in my path I finally arrived at the Goodley showroom 15minutes before 6 on a Friday to do the quickest select and pack my giant laundry sized bag full of options for the morning's shoot. I stayed up till 3am putting outfits together on the floor of my living room - snapping them with my digi cam - so that I would be prepared on set. I woke up at 7 the next morning and put my own outfit together. Comfortable yet cool in Diesel Black Gold Modal hoody and drop crotch jersey trousers I was ready for a days work! On this morning also for the first time in almost 4 months I decided to wear my Alexander McQueen skull ring. The last thing Ben bought me , I haven't been able to wear it as everytime I put it on the thought of what it represents and the memories it holds is too much for my emotions to handle. Something about this morning was different though and as I slipped it on my finger I took one deep breath , & felt that I needed to put my best fashion foot forward & I needed McQueen's support.
The morning had started relatively well, or so I thought. My taxi arrived 10 minutes early and consequently dropped me off to the location half an hour before the start time. As I paid the driver and slipped out of the black cab and into the pouring rain , I looked around me. I was surrounded by blocks of flat. Somehow this didnt look like a place that would have a photographers studio near by. However I gave the cab the address I was given so I assumed it must have been. When it turned into 10 minutes before 9 and I saw no sign of Tamara, a model or a car full of shoe samples pull up I began to panic and as I called my boss I was made aware that the taxi driver had indeed dropped me off in the wrong street. I could have cursed every name under the sun however I took a deep breath and did my best to get to the shoot as quickly as humanly possible with the weight of two giant bags of clothes and one of hangers - in the pouring rain. Of course this is happening to me , a typical Deni scenario - nothing without drama! A 10 minute walk away I finally arrived through a busy market and up a stair well into a warehouse that looked more fitting for a photographers studio. Apologising for the inconvenience there was no time to waste and I started to hang all the clothes on the rail while the gorgeous model was curled up in her chair, coffee in hand, ready for Hair & Make-up...
The brief was simple , as it was a shoe lookbook , the focus had to be generally on the shoes , but the outfits needed to be styled accordingly so that they would compliment the shoe and make it stand out to its full potential - which at times was easier said than done. Shoes laid out on the floor it was time to mix and match and see which outfits would be paired with each style.
The first look - a pair of coral leather heels - was paired with a white floral print dress picking up on the coral in the heels and a sure fire winner , the shoot was off to a great start. Some utfits proved more challenging than others and I soon learnt that it was all about trial and error alternating through different choices for each shoe style. Did a high heel look better with hair up or hair down. How high above the ankle should the Citizens of Humanity jeans be rolled up. Tweaking each look to get the best result is a big part of the process but as soon as you see the model in the right look working it for the camera , you know instantly if the look is a winner or not. When it is, you can feel the energy in the room. The model , the photographer, hair & make-up, the photographer's assistant - you all just kind of look at each other and just know. The model , ever a professional , posed and worked every look to perfection!
Getting the opportunity to work so closely with my boss Tamara out of the every day office environment , was a wealth of experience in itself. Having worked in fashion for over 10 years I was like a sponge trying to absorb all her knowledge and she is truly such an inspirational person to be around. When the shoot is all wrapped up a feeling of joy and relief fills the room and knowing youv'e done a good job is beyond rewarding. As I packed all the clothes up back into my giant bags it made me realise - no matter what I'm doing in life , no matter what is thrown my way , as long as i'm doing something that I creatively enjoy - working in Fashion is my life long passion and the fact that it is finally becoming a reality is an incredible and slightly surreal feeling. What else does the fashion world have in store for me I wonder? We'll have to wait and see xoxo Deni
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