In Your Nature: Fashion Spread

The ‘In Your Nature’ fashion spread in the last issue I worked on for Ins&Outs is very special to me. Following the departure of our Managing/Fashion Editor, who had previously handled all of the fashion shoots, I had to pick up Managing Editor duties and plan and execute my first fashion spread ever, with absolutely no prior fashion shoot-planning experience.

After attending Subdivision Boutique’s Fashion & Trunk Show at The Foundry, I found a number of local designers I wanted to use for the shoot (including Andrea Corson Jewelry, Rubytone, Feral Childe, & Tulina Bags). I chose the clothing and accessories, often going to pick up the items myself and physically carrying the bags back from the boutiques. I was assisted by my super savvy Fashion intern and right-hand girl, Sophie Cadet, and the two LIC boutiques who generously donated additional items: Ethereal & Subdivision.

I casted the models with Sophie’s help (narrowed down to 5 chosen in total), found the hair and makeup stylists myself, communicated with the designers, created a schedule for the shoot, and worked closely with our photographer, Makoto Takeuchi, on the concept and technical planning. On the day-of, I managed the shoot, the stylists, assistants, and the models, and was lucky enough to have a team of mostly total strangers who were also extremely generous with their time and worked together wonderfully. I can still remember waking up at 5:15am, starting the day at 7am, and finally finishing cleaning everything up after 8pm. The result was an experience I will never forget, and proves that you can do anything – even if you are initially flying blind – if you put your mind to it.

‘In Your Nature’ fashion shoot
Photography: Makoto Takeuchi
Art Direction (of spread in magazine): Gabriel R. Medina
Photographer’s Assistant: Marija Plavsic
Stylist: Sophie Cadet
Stylist’s Assistant: Tamara Benjamin
Assistants: Natalie Gontcharova & Lilly Vargas
Hair Stylist: Akira Yamane for Salon Eiji
Makeup: Emmanuel Macareno
Models: Anat & Geo from Direct, Dre & Blaga from APM, Sarah C., Chloe B.
Special thanks to: Ethereal & Subdivision Boutiques in LIC