Photo shoots always take a lot of organization and time, and this one was no exception! Creating a Fall/Winter Look Book was exciting, and the vision was big!
I had a lot of moving parts this go-around...
Apostle Boutique's Fall/Winter Jewelry Collection
Style Photo Shoot
In past shoots I have always enlisted the help of friends to act as models for me. Based on inner and outer beauty, I ask people who I think would be a great representative of the Apostle brand. A woman who is genuine, kind-hearted, confident and inspiring - this is who I try to surround myself with both in work and personal life, and having a model with these attributes is important to me. This is why I reached out to Lesley from Mama By Design.
I had followed Lesley's Instagram account (@mamabydesign) for about a year. As I'm sure a lot of you do, I come across different Bloggers/Influencer's accounts and follow them, but eventually get a bit bored and click the "Unfollow" button. However, Lesley's account is full of beautiful style & fashion inspiration, some shots of her beautiful family, and her posts and blogs are an honest and positive account of her life. There is a light that shines through both her images and her captions, and that drew me in and has kept me tuned in.
Back in July, Lesley's name was randomly brought up in conversation by a customer and friend of mine, and after hearing the great things about Lesley (which confirmed everything I had sensed about her), I decided to reach out and see if she'd like to meet for coffee and chat about a collaboration on my next shoot. And let me tell you, Lesley is lovely. What you see, is what you get. She is a genuine, sincere, beautiful woman and I felt a connection with her right away.
It was such a fun, positive experience collaborating with Lesley for this shoot, and it truly was a real collaboration! After we chatted about what the vision was for the shoot and the different looks that I wanted to achieve, Lesley not only scoured her personal wardrobe, but she went shopping and texted me photos of things she found that she felt would fit the vision and be true to her own personal style as well. This truly was a coming together of minds and a mixture of her style with my vision.
Be sure to follow Mama By Design on Instagram, and check out her website to see all of her previous blog posts. http://www.mamabydesign.ca/
For this first time, we had professionals to help achieve my vision for the shoot, and I could send Lesley to get her hair and makeup done!
First thing in the morning, Lesley headed to Vanity Vault to get her hair done by Bettina. We wanted a loose, easy wave with some volume at the roots- nothing too "done", and Bettina nailed the look! I have been to Vanity Vault myself a couple times, and I love how open, yet cozy it is. There are large windows that allow in a lot of natural light, and the pedicure area (which I am most familiar with) has a cozy, boutique feel. You should definitely pay Vanity Vault a visit, whether you need hair, nails, organic tan, or other aesthetic needs, this is a great little place to take care of all your needs! http://www.vanityvaultcalgary.com/
From hair to make-up! Kate is a wonderful Makeup Artist here in Calgary. She has done a lot of work for Avenue Magazine, as well as bridal, theatre, musicians, television...and the list goes on! Kate is talented and driven, and she is just launching her own high-end lash collection, called Kasha Lashes (100% handcrafted and made with fine silk). For this shoot, Kate used her Better than Bare style on Lesley, and they were so full and pretty. Be sure to check out Kate's artistry website (http://www.katebmakeup.com/), follow her on Instagram (@katebmakeup) and watch for the launch of Kasha Lashes by following that Instagram account (@kashalashes) or click on the Kasha Lashes logo above to visit their Facebook page.
The photographer for the shoot was the talented Chiara from c.f Photograph. If you don't know, Chiara is my sister, and there was a bit of hesitation to work with family, but it has been wonderful to work with Chiara behind the lens and combine our efforts, talents and creativity. Chiara has been Apostle's photographer since day 1, and we quickly got into our groove of working side-by-side.
Chiara, from c.f Photograph, has a passion for photography and her talent to capture people in a comfortable and natural way, is spectacular. She doesn't rely on trendy props or crazy locations, her focus is on the people and their interaction with one another and their surroundings. It is for this reason that I wanted to work with Chiara- I knew her talent and trusted her ability, and I haven't been disappointed!
Follow her on Instagram (@c.f_photograph). Facebook (C.f photograph), and check out her website to see past projects, purchase beautiful landscape prints, or to book your next shoot. http://www.cfphotograph.com/
The ladies at Adorn Boutique in historic Inglewood (in Calgary) are always so fun to work with! This was my second time working with them for our shoot wardrobe, and when you walk through their door (which has now been painted the perfect colour of pink!), you instantly know that their aesthetic is different. Pretty, feminine and fun (yet sophisticated), Adorn is the perfect place to find something that appeals to your girly side (and who doesn't love a beautiful lace, or pretty floral, or stunning colours all year round?!). Lesley and I found a lot of items at Adorn that fit in with the vision for the shoot, but Adorn has such amazing customers and they get so busy, that a lot of the items sold before the shoot, but we were able to get the perfect dusty-purple trench coat, and the coziest grey sweater (which I'm tempted to get for myself!). You'll see both of these items scattered through the photos (but I'm not releasing all of the photos from the shoot in this blog, but if you scroll down to the last image, you will see the beautiful grey sweater!)
If you are in Calgary, or will be visiting, don't miss a trip to Adorn Boutique! They have clothing for a casual day shopping, pretty work attire, and unique & absolutely beautiful formal dresses (plus tule skirts, outerwear, clothing for littles, and accessories!). They also have a great Instagram account (@adorncalgary), or visit them online. http://adornboutique.ca/
The locations were important to me, and I spent a lot of time scouting out the different spots. I wanted us to have three different looks: 1. Outdoor chic/cozy 2. Urban 3. Relatable but unique.
For our Outdoor location I knew exactly where we were heading! For months I had been searching for a spot in Edworthy Park that I knew existed (both from my memory as kid, and from other photos I have seen). It had two rows of towering evergreens trees that allowed streams of sunlight to come through. I found the spot back in July when I was in the park with my boys, and I knew that this was the spot for our shoot!
For the Urban look, I was planning on going to a couple different spots around downtown, but on a drive through East Village, I saw it- murals full of colour, different shapes and a cool, contemporary feel. This was it! Sure, these murals were on the sides of ultra-modern self-cleaning public bathrooms and City of Calgary storage units, but they were so cool and I knew that I had to incorporate them with our Urban look (which included an amazing leather jacket by uber-talented Calgary Designer Aleem, from Bano eeMee. Check out his fantastic designs - http://www.banoeemee.com/ Aleem is not only kind, fun-loving and inspiring, his talent and creativity are incredible! Both Aleem, and Bano eeMee are fantastic!!)
One of my favorite locations to date, was our third spot- Uniquities Architectural Antiques! This is another must-see in Calgary! Uniquities is chock-full of historic artifacts both big and small, and when we arrived both Chiara and Lesley were in awe and vowed to be back to do some shopping (they both tried to secretly shop around while on set, but I didn't mind because I was doing the same!). From lighting, to garden statuary, to furniture, to fireplaces, Uniquities has it all! And if they don't have what you're looking for, they offer "Locator Services" where they will source and supply anything you need. Visit them in person, or shop online! www.uniquities.ca
And that's a wrap!
The Fall/Winter Look Book showcases great style that combines amazing fashion with Apostle's newest jewelry collections. I hope the images you see here, and throughout the website and through our Social Media, gives you inspiration on how to incorporate jewelry with your style and how to make an outfit truly unique to you!