Reclaimed in the Rainforest

This past spring I had the absolute pleasure of shooting with none other than Trista Smith of Reclamation Design Company. Or as my mother likes to call her, white lace lady. But alas, it was not just white lace dresses we dawned on this shivery day (though we did wear some.) We wore vibrant red, charcoal grey, and beautiful blush. For lack of a better word, we looked amazeballs.

Aiding this process was Makeup extraordinaire Erin Bradley, hair connoisseur Mandy Rogers of Hunt & Gather Hair Company, and photographer genius, Rita Steenssen. Along for the frigid ride was fellow model Taylor Smith. Have I mentioned it was cold as heck that day?

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The process for an editorial is a lot more challenging than showing up and taking pictures (I have made another post about the art of collaborations here) To make a great fashion story, you need to have consistency. While there isn't so much a beginning, middle, and end, there needs to be a cohesive mood or feeling throughout the work. And let me tell you, that was a struggle.

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We'd tossed ideas back and forth, and our original plan included a darker vibes, nudity, and even a dog. I'm a little upset there was no dog. But, as the dates got closer, we decided to go in a different direction. Call it an artistic 180. The feelings we wanted to evoke were those of finding identity, and so we went back to the drawing board. Many hours of reflection and Pinterest had solidified our new theme. We wanted to illustrate longing to find ones true self, of dressing up in different wears and "trying on" the people or characteristics they represent. Reclamation of clothing and spirit.

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Now it's easy for me to analyze my own work and tell you what our vision was, but at the end of the day, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What feelings came through to you? How does this collection of images speak to you, if at all?

Thank you for allowing me to share my behind the scenes story for this incredible editorial that was made possible by an even more incredibler team (words are hard.)

And if you're wondering why it's been so long since my last post, that is because I am a jerk. I hope I will be able to post more blogs in the near future, because if my three fans want it, then I will do it.

Cheers, Lexi