Lately I've been looking to take a break from my normal beauty and lingerie photography and expand more into fashion but i've been running into a roadblock, namely finding pieces that fit the looks I want to shoot. I've tried both putting up castings for designers & wardrobe stylist as well as cold messaging people but haven't really had any luck so far. What techniques do you guys use to get the pieces you need for a shoot or access to wardrobe? I know the obvious answer is to just pay for a wardrobe pull, but that's not really an option right now
i leave it up to the model. the motivated ones (like my avatar) will hit a thrift store and come up with some fun options. we've also purchased clothes at walmart for a shoot (the clothes are thin at walmart but that makes them less expensive).
some do the use and return thing although i've never done that.
yeah that's pretty much what i've done so far and it's worked out pretty great. It's a bit easier for a model to come up with the correct pieces for a lingerie vs a fashion shoot though
Never considered walmart ( not that many in nyc) but I guess its an option I could look into
A lot of models have a pretty good wardrobe of stuff to use. Just communicate with them in the casting that they need to provide wardrobe in xxxxx style and then work out the general look with whoever you decide on. I just tell them to bring a bag with a bunch of things. If a girl wants to shoot fashion, she probably loves fashion and has a whole lot of clothes.
ArtistryImage
Posts: 2,379
Washington, District of Columbia, US
Novocane wrote: ...I've tried both putting up castings for designers & wardrobe stylist as well as cold messaging people but haven't really had any luck so far...
Having an outstanding portfolio focused nearly exclusively on fashion is paramount to attracting tenured talent i.e. clothing designers and wardrobe stylist...
Novocane wrote: ...I know the obvious answer is to just pay for a wardrobe pull, but that's not really an option right now
Actually that is not the case... All that is necessary is a pull letter typically from the editor of the publication you've been retained to shoot for... however your wardrobe stylist will need your CCard for deposit on the pieces, and be prepared to pay for professional cleaning on all garments/accessories...
Tear sheets are excellence credentials of merit for fashion collaborations...
If you have a specific outfit in mind, find it on-line cheap, then find the model interested in that outfit, and get the right size for her. I've done some shoots where the model's compensation was the outfit.
Novocane wrote: ...I've tried both putting up castings for designers & wardrobe stylist as well as cold messaging people but haven't really had any luck so far...
Having an outstanding portfolio focused nearly exclusively on fashion is paramount to attracting tenured talent i.e. clothing designers and wardrobe stylist...
Actually that is not the case... All that is necessary is a pull letter typically from the editor of the publication you've been retained to shoot for... however your wardrobe stylist will need your CCard for deposit on the pieces, and be prepared to pay for professional cleaning on all garments/accessories...
Tear sheets are excellence credentials of merit for fashion collaborations...
all the best on your journey...
Yea I never really considered the fact that most of my current work is beauty & glamour so that might put me at a disadvantage when it comes to attracting talent. Maybe It's time I considered starting a profile focused just on fashion
photo212grapher wrote: If you have a specific outfit in mind, find it on-line cheap, then find the model interested in that outfit, and get the right size for her. I've done some shoots where the model's compensation was the outfit.
Sounds like a good strategy and it makes the shoot that much more attractive for the model.
I don't like to rely on models for wardrobes, what i have found useful is amazon, thrift stores, discount stores like Ross, swap meets and knock off stores. You will be suprised at what you can mix and match for different outfits.
liddellphoto
Posts: 1,698
London, England, United Kingdom
It is a serious problem because the clothes and styling are such a big and integral part of a fashion shoot. Going to charity shops the clothes will look like they came from charity shops and what are you going to put in the styling credits if you try and get anything published? Relying on models to have a number of expensive, non-trendy, current clothes from designers that exactly fit what you want to shoot is a shot in the dark plus it will be 'ready to wear' stuff rather than anything avant-garde. I have sometimes even struggled to even get them to bring a plain pair of black heels!
Try some local boutiques and see if they will lend any for copies of the pictures. The elephant in the room of course is buying and returning them which is what many new stylists you might use will do anyway…
Kincaid Blackwood wrote: Then you're fucked. Especially in NYC where you could toss a rock in the air and it would bounce off of five talented, well-connected aspiring fashion photographers who have their own teams before it hits the ground.
Then you're fucked. Especially in NYC where you could toss a rock in the air and it would bounce off of five talented, well-connected aspiring fashion photographers who have their own teams before it hits the ground.
If you can't pay a stylist, then you probably don't have the funds to buy and return either (especially buying really good pieces). Until you have a solid selection of fashion images, publications will be hesitant to take a chance on you (so pull letters will be scarce) and stores with the good stuff may balk at allowing you to pull (because they can't be sure what will happen to the garment once they give it to you). The problem with allowing models to bring clothing is that they have what's on hand which is, by definition, old. Unless you have a model who buys her stuff overseas (where their fashions will filtering into ours down the road) what she brings is unlikely to have the fashion-forward "I'm-ahead-of-the-curve" look you need to have an upward fashion trajectory to your images.
Your options are limited but it doesn't mean you are without them or without good ones. If you can't pay a stylist who can pull clothes ahead of the curve then go completely opposite and comb thrift stores for exceptional pieces from yesteryear. In NYC, they should be plentiful. Do that until you can build a proper team. You'll have better pieces than what you could pick up from Wal-mart.
Don't stop trying stylists though. It's the easiest solution, as they're worth their weight in gold. I used to do styling and loved it but it's a fucking job. I prefer to focus on photography and allow stylists to do what they do best.
Amazing advice from someone that sounds like they are speaking from experience. I guess I'm just going to have to slowly beginning opening up my wallet to pay for pieces or a stylist, just another necessary expense such as studio time & payed shoots. Maybe ( sadly) just shoot less often but with higher production values. I'm going to take the weekend off from shooting though and hit the thrift store circuit here in Astoria and the city to see if I can come across any gems
Once again everyone who took the time to respond, thanks for the great advice
I have a huge wardrobe and prop collection! Of corse I have been collection for over 25 years and I think it has gotten a little out of hand... OK so I am a pac rat!!
As a college student I was able to get on good terms with the school's costume designer. She was legitimately excited that someone wanted to use the clothes, and she let me rent them out indefinitely. Most theaters have a stockpile of costumes that just sit around collecting dust for most of the year. I would suggest asking your local theater, whether it's community, college, or high school, if you can rent out some of their costumes in exchange for a small fee or in exchange for headshots or event photography (which is what I offered the costume designer).
If that's not an option, then I'd suggest raiding the local thrift stores. It's amazing what you'll find in there. Fair warning though, you almost never find exactly what you're looking for.
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