My Day in Provence

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So, as you know, I’ve been spending a great deal of my time in a tiny town in the south of France. Nothing about my life is the same as it was. Life in New York has me up at sunrise working, emailing, off to the gym, running errands, doing photoshoots, taking meetings, then social engagements until I finished the day around 10pm with dinner and way too much to drink. Not so anymore…

My day starts at 8am when I naturally wake up. I don’t set alarm clocks. Not a lot happens around here until 11. So, relieved that it’s still early, I go back to sleep until noon. I know, outrageous, but I typically work late here – until about 3am when there are no distractions and America is awake and buzzing.

I go to the café and have my daily cafe créme, something I NEVER would have done in New York. Not taken the time, not taken the milk. Since I don’t have cell service here, a blessing AND a curse, and wifi hasn’t hit this town yet, I listen to podcasts I have stored like Claire & Erica’s “A Few Things“. Today’s episode was especially inspiringI buy my baguette, whatever is left of the varieties they sell, since it’s pretty picked over by the time I roll in. Sometimes they come out with a fresh hot batch midday which is really a shining moment for me, when she hands me the loaf and it’s still warm. That’s when I stand outside and munch.

I come home to my little 17th century apartment. The light is perfect this time of day. I have so many options from direct light to filtered window light, reflected light, and softly diffused. I thumb through inspiration images and I shoot from 2pm to 5pm, mostly on black and white film. Still lives, flowers, self portraits, life.

I clean up, I make dinner, I build a fire. I edit digital stories for social media, I edit client work. I do more research on upcoming commercial projects, and look for inspiration for personal ones.

Living here, that small town life, was super scary at first. I cried every day for a month. There were so many challenges at first. How do I get a taxi cab? Why won’t UPS deliver my boxes? How do I tell the butcher I would like a small steak? Where does one buy scotch tape… and why do I have a washing machine but no dryer?

It took a while to actually reset. To want to shoot. I was so burned out.

I also needed to break out of the hard shell I had built for myself. To find inspiration in creating, not being overly stimulated by a mountain of activity. I have discovered, most importantly, that being here limits what I can do. There is not a lot going on, I don’t have a car (yet). I don’t speak French and everything is basically closed 99% of the time. However, it is in those limitations that I am finding freedom to do so much more. Fewer distractions, more time to create. And that is what it’s really all about.–

Above self portrait, in Misha Nonoo jumpsuit,

inspired from the painting “The Red Beret”

A New Class of Designers

CFDA Incubator // Behind the photo shoot from Ann Street Studio on Vimeo.

As you know, we love working with the CFDA. They work to support up-and-coming designers with the CFDA Incubator program, and this latest class of incredible designers happened to include two we’ve worked with before – the lovely Misha Nonoo and Katie Ermilio (Katie even designed my wedding dress!). So when we were asked to take the official portraits of the 2014 class of designers, we couldn’t wait. We created an entire portrait set up in our studio and the designers came in and out throughout the day (which you can see in the time lapse video above!).

It was so wonderful to meet all of you, CFDA Incubator class of 2014! Now tell us…

“What is fashion to you?”

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Misha Nonoo, NONOO

“Fashion is transformative.”

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Dana Arbib, Farah Mailk, Jesse Meighan, A PEACE TREATY

“Fashion is a universal language of self-expression.”

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Lucio Castro, LUCIO CASTRO

“Fashion is clothes plus feelings.” Continue reading “A New Class of Designers”

Nonoo

Fashion Week is always a special time for me: though busy and intense, it’s a week of celebrating beauty, creativity, and innovation. And there’s nothing more special than seeing a friend debut on the runway…

And what a debut it was.

The spring/summer 2014 collection of Nonoo was inspired by artist Gerard Richter, who uses an incredible technique involving photography, projection, paint, and a squeegee to make slightly blurred yet stunning artworks. The designs on the fabrics emulated that blur, coupled with deconstructed tailoring to create a powerful and feminine look. Nonoo’s woman is intelligent and active – and her clothing is stylish without fail.

It was love at first sight when I met Misha at her presentation last year – not only for her beautiful collection, but also for her charm and energy. Our friendship has led to some gorgeous creations and I can’t wait to see what comes next for her.

Congratulations to Misha and best of luck in the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Competition!

Continue reading “Nonoo”

Model Casting

I love model casting days, to me it’s so inspiring because each girl is her own story – a sea of endless possibilities. Every photo shoot starts with a vision. For designer Misha Nonoo’s “Once Upon a Time“, we wanted to tell a story of a young banished princess, childlike and beautiful, nymph-like and wild. When you cast, you watch carefully, looking for that perfect muse who will bring your vision to life. And then when you see her, you know.

It’s just like falling in love…

Continue reading “Model Casting”

Once upon a Time…

Once upon a time in a land far, far away, a young princess was banished from her home, the mystical kingdom. Swept away from the only life she knew, she could only dream of what she once had in the beauty of the woods. As the butterflies fly and the flower petals fall, so it mirrors the seasons of our life, the choices we make and the beauty that emerges in the darkest of places. With gowns imagined by Nonoo and handpainted by de Gournay,  she takes us into the woods and takes hold of our hearts…

Gowns by Nonoo New York in collaboration with de Gournay as modeled by Cece Yost for Wilhelmina / Set Design & Styling by Kelly Framel / Hair by Bethany Brill / Makeup by Porsche Cooper for NARS  / Jewelry by Jessie Lane

Photography by yours truly

The Presentations

I love getting up close to the clothes to see the magical little details that are so fleeting on the runway. Here are 4 presentations I stopped by at NYFW:

Nonoo

This adorable British designer, Misha Nonoo, was inspired by a childhood trip to Havana, Cuba with its crumbling facades and faded colors from the relentless sun.

  

Continue reading “The Presentations”