The shoot for Hour's Best of Detroit issue is always quite a production, but this year took things to another level. The theme was fairytales and legends, and between the cast of nearly 20 characters, the special effects, the incredible crew, and the stunning venue, it felt more like being on the set of a movie than on location for a photo shoot. The entire shoot is imbued with a dark romance, a signature of photographer Roy Ritchie - our inspiration was definitely more Grimm than Disney. From a styling perspective, it was so exciting to think about the shoot as a storyteller. It was honestly more costume design than fashion styling, which felt a bit outside my comfort zone, so I am so proud of how everything came together. I couldn't have done it without the help of two of my Halloween-loving friends - Kelly Lynne and Kellyjean Passage, thank you for letting me raid your costume closets! If you follow me on Instagram, you've seen highlights from the shoot, but you can see the full story below. Enjoy!
Little Red Riding Hood
The gorgeous red velvet hooded cape - Little Red's signature - was so important for this shoot. Luckily, my dear friend Kellyjean Passage created this stunner for a recent Halloween ensemble. It paired perfectly with a lacy Alice + Olivia dress for a modern take on the iconic girl in the woods. We also decided to take a fashion forward approach to the Big Bad Wolf, dressing the predator in a sharp tailored suit. The Woodsman - rugged and strapping in leather and fur - rounded out the cast for this fairytale.
Hansel & Gretel
Starring a twin brother and sister as the title characters, our version of Hansel & Gretel features a seriously sinister witch. Kelly Lynne is an incredibly talented fashion and costume designer - she created the witch's epic hat using found skulls, teeth and pelts. The look wouldn't have been complete without it!
The Ogre and The Fairy
A story of our own making, The Ogre and The Fairy were two of my favorite characters to dress. The Ogre is wearing layers of burlap that my assistant and I literally dragged through the dirt, as well as the ash stained gloves my mother uses for stoking her wood burning stove in the winter. I wanted The Fairy to have a dark but still ethereal look, so I paired black wings with a diaphanous leather-trimmed dress from Free People.
Snow White
Our cover girl and timeless heroine Snow White had the most classic look of our main characters - romantic with an undeniable innocence and purity in a white Tadashi Shoji gown, navy cape and red hair ribbon. Our Seven Dwarves were dressed in natural, earthy colors to give them a more woodsy look than their colorful Disney counterparts, and Prince Charming was given an edgy update with a leather kilt from local purveyor Got Kilt.
The Headless Horseman
Rather than the expected equestrian angle, our Horseman is a leather-clad biker. Our rider brought many of his own pieces but I finished the look with a John Varvatos leather jacket and an oversize scarf borrowed from a crew member. Add in that amazing custom bike and some flames, and it's a truly magic moment.
No comments:
Post a Comment