The photo shoot for our Voyage collection took place during my second week on the team and I was thrilled to be able to make a visit to the set, conveniently located next door to the shop. The few snippets of Betsy's vision I'd gleaned leading up to that day involved a modern dancer, bright lighting, strong poses, and body paint. Needless to say, I was anxious to see how these ideas would play out in front of the camera, and I was grateful to have my phone handy to capture some of the magic. There's a lot of ground to cover between a lookbook concept and the actual shoot, and within that distance, a huge amount of creative energy, collaborative spirit, and logistical coordination that must come together. All of this hard work, when done right, should appear nowhere in the final product. An impressive spread that appears effortless to the viewer? I quickly learned that with this crew, it'd be NBD. 
Getting to observe an hour of the shoot felt a bit like I'd been gifted a VIP backstage pass, minus the obnoxious wristband. Before I started in the retail world, the most I knew about the making of a photo shoot came from The September Issue. Now that I've gotten to witness a few – without the Vogue-sized budget, editor-in-chief vs. creative director tension, or Andre Leon Talley (sadly) – it never ceases to amaze me the amount of people it takes to execute a vision, and how each person brings unique opinions and specific skills that are imperative to the process. 
Betsy and our photographer Elizabeth worked together before on the Road Trip Lookbook shoot last year and the communication between these two was inspiring to watch. They were constantly checking in with each other to make sure the shots were going in the right direction. From the elaborate, dance-inspired poses to the more straightforward product shots, the interactions were seamless, a testament in part to the planning involved prior to the shoot.
All of this trust and communication, coupled with a healthy dose of humor (exhibit A, below) made for a great experience. I'm very excited to see the results from the pro's camera! Be on the lookbook look out in the next few days. - Anna ***Song of the Moment: Pictures of You by The Cure***
Getting to observe an hour of the shoot felt a bit like I'd been gifted a VIP backstage pass, minus the obnoxious wristband. Before I started in the retail world, the most I knew about the making of a photo shoot came from The September Issue. Now that I've gotten to witness a few – without the Vogue-sized budget, editor-in-chief vs. creative director tension, or Andre Leon Talley (sadly) – it never ceases to amaze me the amount of people it takes to execute a vision, and how each person brings unique opinions and specific skills that are imperative to the process. Betsy and our photographer Elizabeth worked together before on the Road Trip Lookbook shoot last year and the communication between these two was inspiring to watch. They were constantly checking in with each other to make sure the shots were going in the right direction. From the elaborate, dance-inspired poses to the more straightforward product shots, the interactions were seamless, a testament in part to the planning involved prior to the shoot. All of this trust and communication, coupled with a healthy dose of humor (exhibit A, below) made for a great experience. I'm very excited to see the results from the pro's camera! Be on the lookbook look out in the next few days. - Anna ***Song of the Moment: Pictures of You by The Cure***