CLASS PROJECT TURNED EDITORIAL

wardrobe: Back In Style

photography: Valerie Petralia

styling/design: Brandy Swope

models: Chris Robair, Brandy Swope

i'm working on a project creating a campaign for a menswear line coming out and i had to create an actual advertisement for it. and i had to be in it. so i thought - this is the perfect opportunity to force my loving and supportive boyfriend, Christopher, to shoot a few shots with me (because obviously, i need a man for a menswear line.) he was amazing as our model. and as you can see, he cleans up nice. gosh, i'm a lucky girl... and who ever said you'd never wear your senior prom dress again? 7 years later and i'm still not yet embarrassed of what i wore *phew! - fashionista in the making i was. and i remember i found it in a really unassuming store under $90 (because oh, you're never going to wear the thing again) ha.

anyway, my very good friend and owner of the absolutely fabulous vintage shop Back In Style who sells high-end designer vintage clothing and accessories is such an amazing woman and she graciously let me use that exquisite jacket you see there, the lush shoulder wrap, and the patterned rhinestoned vintage Gucci sandals. ...yeah. if you are ever craving a beautiful piece and want to support a truly wonderful store, please go to her website and treat yourself. 

the photo above is one of the "money" shots (as i've been saying a lot lately) from the day. valerie snapped amazing photos of us wearing these pieces and i can not wait to make a full editorial out of it. check back. a lot is happening so i know there is a lot of bits and pieces of everything coming up on the blog but, it's all going to come together soon. :) hope everyone had a great memorial day weekend! 

SERIOUSLY, WE WERE JUST . . .

wardrobe: American Apparel

styling + design: Brandy Swope

photography: Valerie Petralia

so the location of this particular shoot was kind of barren and we made the best of what we had, which turned out to be pretty great actually... these christmas lights were perfect because they were nice and bright - not the teeny little ones that probably would've taken us the entire day to unravel.  so grateful for that. 

and Valerie caught this photo of me that i love quite a bit i'd say. i was simply going to make it my super cool profile pic, but then i started messing with it. . . there is a beautiful window in the original image of this that i cropped out during my experimental process which i will probably make use of someday. but until then. . . i'm still gonna make this my profile pic. cause long hair, pretty glare - don't care. 

whaddya think? i'm likin the pattern! :)

STYLE - 3 - THE CREATIVE

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this outfit is inspired by one of the greatest graphic designers / art director / stylist / teacher / blogger / badassmug's work that i have ever seen. bri emery: owner and operator of designlovefest.com and blogshop. she has honestly, single-handedly (and unknowingly) given me the confidence to find my own voice through my very own blog. i've been stalking her for a while now and i feel like she's so much like me (or i'm so much like her) - except she's way more . . . successful. she's obviously doing everything right. and her style has really taken a tight grasp onto me and my creative thought. i'm constantly finding new ways to design and being confident in my natural style + aesthetic as a designer and stylist and i really couldn't thank her (or love her) anymore for that. i slowly but surely am finding my own unique image for my brand simultaneously as i post content on this blog (which could be a good or bad thing) but either way - it'll be an interesting thing to look back on someday. (real quick, let me freak you out by saying we've never met at all - she lives in LA - but she did reply to a tweet of mine the other day.... which i am totally not above bragging/name dropping about!

this outfit (maybe with a few changes of replacing the brown tones with brighter/more cheerful ones) is something i think bri would wear on a day out with a fun friend - casually shooting and making her magic. 

ONE DAY AT WORK - 2

 

looks + accessories: American Apparel

styling + design: Brandy Swope

EDITORIAL - 2

wardrobe: Maddie Flanigan

photography: Valerie Petralia

styling + design: Brandy Swope

model: Maddie Flanigan

this shoot was a lot of fun to say at the least. basically a mini party of 3 girls throwing shakers of glitter and dancing to a gloriously loud ipod.. it was a very cute surprise to find out Maddie gets her groove from lil wayne and rihanna.. i know there's a short video of this somewhere.

the beautiful dress Maddie is wearing is another one of her amazing pieces. my jaw dropped to the floor when she removed it from it's wrapper (that's the only appropriate name for this little droplet of eye candy) and then she told me it was hers... i adore the way it falls, the way it looks when she's dancing. simple yet fancy.. classy yet fun. actually, a lot like Maddie herself.

TIMELESS

photo: Valerie Petralia

model: Joy Balla

i can't believe i forgot about this... from oh i don't know,  a year and a half ago? I had forgotten about how fabulous this was, i mean this is natural light people - she looks amazing! I do remember holding reflectors and fixing lots of curls though.. fashioned a perfectly torn orange..

it's nice to go back and see things like this.. see how your aesthetic has evolved.. even though it's just as gorgeous as i saw it the first time. joy was a total doll as you can imagine. sweet as pie. and funny as hell.

ONE DAY AT WORK - 1

looks + accessories: American Apparel

styling + design: Brandy Swope

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN

the entire album is amazing!

UNDERBOARD

wardrobe: American Apparel

photo: Valerie Petralia

styling: Brandy Swope

the more and more i'm involved with the interesting experience of photoshoots, i realize how special and personal each one of the photos becomes to everyone involved. i mean, not to mention the entire day spent with the photographer, model, and assistants (if we're lucky) running around, driving around, sweating like pigs, lying on the floor (sometimes in the dirt), sharing cigarette breaks and wardrobe changes... we all have memories of the photos and the day we shared. i fall in love with so many of the photos we produce that it's easy to forget the necessity and importance of editing. 

the lack of editing can really smudge up a great piece. a piece of art through fashion, writing, decor... maybe some of the attempts to express a creative idea and/or direction within the emails of the freelance world - whatever it may be! to me it's all about trimming the fat, getting to the point, and making it easy to see and/or read. to read how it flows along in my mind - which is super fricken hard. but it has also, miraculously, given me the power of writing. i've been so terrified to express myself online in fear that number one, it can never be taken back slash who knows who will end up reading this and then number two, the very possible and embarrassing risk of misrepresenting myself, alongside work that i'm very proud of. well, i saw this today that made me change my mind about that. i just need to be strict on my editing. 

so, to take my own advice.. i went back and edited "A Summer Shoot", the very first project Good Exposure and i worked on as a team. we've came a long way since then and we can credit a lot of that progress to the magic of other things not making the cut. every one of our photos will serve a [great] purpose at one time or another and it shouldn't be all at once.

STYLE: CUTE TOGETHER / 2

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cute outfit for a day in May. wouldn't ya say?

EDITORIAL - 1

 

wardrobe: Maddie Flanigan
photo: Valerie Petralia
styling: Brandy Swope
model: Maddie Flanigan

COMING SOON

wardrobe: Back In Style, Public Image
photo: Valerie Petralia
styling: Brandy Swope
model: Marcos Rezende, Thomas Bowins

PROOFS!

wardrobe: Public Image
photography: Valerie Petralia
styling / makeup: Brandy Swope
model: Maddie Flanigan

i just couldn't resist uploading these gorgeous photos. the best proofs i've ever seen! i mean, do they even need editing?! good job to the amazing Val, uhgan. i loved the styling in this session, it has a magical feel that i wish i lived in everyday! maybe if i just throw some glitter around my house it will give the same effect..