Putting together a fashion show takes a lot of time, money, and hard work. There’s production costs to be considered—renting a space, lighting and sound equipment, and runway, hiring a DJ, models, hair and makeup stylists, event photographers, and various producers and coordinators, not to mention securing food and drink vendors and sponsors to help pay for everything. And that doesn’t even factor in the blood, sweat, and tears that go into producing the product lines themselves.
A fashion shoot uses many of the same resources—namely hair and makeup, models, photography, and a location. So a collective of Twin Cities designers figured, why not combine the two ideas and pool their resources? The aptly named “The Shoot” combined the collections of three fashion designers (Gina Moorhead’s House of Gina Marie, Emily Trevor, and Kathryn Sieve’s Winsome Goods), a hat brand (Ruby3), a jewelry line (Neal Jewelry), and Minnesota-made shoe brand (Sven’s clogs) into a live photo shoot event, giving onlookers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into what goes on during a fashion shoot, as well as the opportunity to see garments up close and buy them on the spot (an aspect that most fashion shows lack). It was the brainchild of Anna Lee, who recently launched her product development studio, Workerby, and a new line of hats under her label Ruby3, and Kathryn Sieve, the designer behind Winsome, who were interested in reimagining the way fashion collections are shown.
In an interview before the show, Lee says, “Katie [Sieve] and I were having this conversation about fashion shows and how they’re a lot of upfront work. We want to sell our work, and we want good photos to promote our work, and we want to work with good people. And so we wondered, what if we just did a photo shoot instead of the whole production and make that the event?”
During the event, onlookers were able to see hair stylists and makeup artists put finishing touches on the models and make changes to their look while shopping and sipping lattes from mobile espresso shop, Coffee Cart MPLS.
Lee continues, “We were talking for a while the importance of the work that goes into a shoot, highlighting all the artistry and skill that goes into making a shoot happen. It’s not just this glossy end product. The runway is very exciting and appealing to a lot of people, but I think people are equally interested in the behind-the-scenes stuff. Everyone wants to get backstage. So we decided let’s make the show the photo shoot so people can see the process, people can see the images as they’re being shot by the photographer and feel like they’re part of the process. But also in a format where people can try the pieces on and buy them.”
See live photos from the event below, plus a preview of the forthcoming lookbook from the event.
[Read more: Q&A: Anna Lee Debuts Workerby Product Development Studio]
all event photos by Irv Briscoe
Hats by Ruby3
Hats by Ruby3
Below is a preview of images from the forthcoming lookbook for the show, shot by photographer Lauren Krysti (pictured at work above):
Top by Emily Trevor, rings and bracelet by Neal Jewelry
lookbook photos by Lauren Krysti
Jacket by Emily Trevor, earrings by Neal Jewelry
Dress by Emily Trevor, clogs by Sven’s, necklace and rings by Neal Jewelry
Dress by Emily Trevor, clogs by Sven’s
Sweater by Winsome, rings by Neal Jewelry
Dress by Winsome, hat by Ruby3, clogs by Sven’s
Dress by House of Gina Marie, hat by Ruby3, necklace by Neal Jewelry, shoes by Sven’s
Dress by House of Gina Marie, hat by Ruby3, necklace by Neal Jewelry, shoes by Sven’s
Look by House of Gina Marie
Look by Emily Trevor
Look by Emily Trevor
Sweater by Winsome, culottes by Emily Trevor
Pants by House of Gina Marie
Look by Winsome (paired with House of Gina Marie jeans)
Sven’s clogs
Photography: Lauren Krysti
Event manager: Casey Noelle Bahl of Belle Noelle Events + Design
Hair and makeup: Nicole LaRae and Catlin Weston
Models: Rebecca Haddad, Rachel Lee, Tracie Schweich Lillie, and Erin Abbott