The Haven

I hope you have heard about the awesome jewelry line 31 Bits, but if you haven't heard about it I'm super excited to be the first to share it with you because this jewelry is not only beautiful, it's helping women have a future.

The purpose of this jewelry line is to, "USE FASHION AND DESIGN TO EMPOWER WOMEN TO RISE ABOVE POVERTY." Um...need I say more!?

It was started by a group of young women that met in college, and visited Uganda. They began buying jewelry from six women in Uganda, and have since grown to 63 jewelry makers. Not only is this supporting the women in Uganda financially, but 31 Bits also provides English lessons, finance training, counseling/community groups, AIDS and health education, and vocational training. You can read more about how they help the women of Uganda here.

They have a BRAND new line coming out ON MONDAY called, "The Haven," and my very good friend Promise Tangeman is the model for the campaign.

Check out the SUPER cute teaser video, and make sure to visit 31 Bits on Monday to shop the new line!

"The Haven" - behind the scenes from 31 Bits on Vimeo.

Ann He

Ann He is a photographer that I have been very inspired by lately. It's not just because her photos are GORGEOUS, but because she is only 16 years old and the professionalism, talent and beauty that comes through her work just floors me. Regardless of her age, I am an admirer, but the fact she is so young makes me respect her all of the more. I'm exactly 10 years older than she, and I hope that my future work shows just as much spirit and beauty as hers. Who knows, maybe one day I'll get the opportunity to style alongside her. :)

Here are some of my favorites of hers, especially the one directly below. The combination of minimalism, color, light and posing is perfection in my mind.

Part 2: Menswear "Falling" Shoot

The inspiration of this menswear shoot, in collaboration with photographer Alejandra Vidal and model Alex Lasheen, came from Robert Pattinson's Vanity Fair photo shoot. The debonair musician that Pattinson portrayed inspired Alejandra and Alex Lasheen, and then when they came to me with the concept I interpreted the idea to fit with the west coast relaxed menswear style. I also did this because instead of a piano we had a guitar, and our photo shoot location was in a gorgeous Phoenix home of Geoff Trachtenberg.

I gave Alex four looks with a couple variations on the looks. The outfits weren't complex at all. In fact, they were meant be simple and look accessible, as if this character woke up in the morning and just put his t-shirt and jeans on.

The truth is that sometimes a v-neck t-shirt and a great pair of jeans make the best looking outfit for a man, no?

Add a button down shirt, and then you have some more dimension.

Add a black blazer and then you're ready to go out on a date with a special someone.

When you're home relaxing maybe it's just a comfy cardigan over a henley. No fuss, all comfort and casual style.

A timeless classic is a white shirt and jeans. For the summer, a white linen shirt like this one is a great investment.

I hope you enjoyed the photo shoot. Don't forget to check out our awesome fashion video shared in yesterday's blog post.

Falling - Part 1

I am SOOOO HAPPY to share my first menswear photo shoot with all of you in collaboration with Alejandra Amador Vidal of Imaginale Design with model Alex Lasheen. It was Alex to the third power that's for sure. The title of this fashion shoot is "Falling." Once you see the video below you'll understand the title more.

Alejandra created these cool magazine layouts to showcase some of our favorite photos. More photos will be coming tomorrow, as well as my styling process and behind the scenes images.

Now check out OUR awesome fashion video, and get a glimpse of more photos and looks...

Falling - Menswear Fashion Lookbook by Imaginale from Ale Amador on Vimeo.

My first ever lookbook motion shoot AND menswear fashion shoot. Concept, photos, and video by me (Imaginale Design), styling by Alexandra of AVE Styles, and model -Alex Lasheen. Song by James Blake -"Limit to Your Love."

http://www.imaginaledesign.com

Golden Nugget - Buying & Returning

It has been awhile since I've posted a golden nugget, and this one is an IMPORTANT one for aspiring fashion stylists and industry partners. Before I even attempted my first styled shoot, I had the good fortune of connecting with an industry expert and she told me the biggest mistake young stylists make is buying and returning clothing for photo shoots. HOWEVER - this happens ALL of the time, and the truth is that MOST stylists buy and return clothing from stores without asking because they want to make sure they completely NAIL the look they have envisioned in their head. So, what's a stylist to do?...

Follow the norm?...Heck no!

I'm not going to compromise my integrity and do something wrong for the sake of creating a cool photo. There has to be another way.

Problem solve! Think outside of the box! Get creative! Heck, this is art!

1. Try and use clothing and accessories from your own closet. Start building your wardrobe with pieces that would be great for photo shoots. Now, I'm not a size 0, 2 or 4, and most models are, so that does leave me in another pickle sometimes. So...

2. Use clothing and accessories from the client or model's closet. Most people have a diverse enough wardrobe that you can create fashionable looks from what they have. There are times when a client or model as ZERO style to work with. Then...you...

3. Borrow pieces from your fashionable friends that are the same size as the models. You are bound to have some friends that are fashionable and vary in sizes. On the off chance you can't find ANYONE that has what you're looking for, you can do two things...

4. Quickly make more friends...OR go to thrift stores and GOODWILL. Those are excellent places to find FULL outfits for under $10.

If you think this is impossible, you're wrong. ALL of my shoots have been styled with clothing that I've owned, the client has owned or a spent under $10 at a thrift store.

Of course, the BEST case scenario is having a store lend you clothing with their APPROVAL, and returning the clothing after you've finished. This is the goal you should work toward and that I'm working toward. This takes time and a lot of networking, but you'll be happier doing it the right way than the wrong way.

Don't compromise your integrity for style. Chances are you can create the style anyway without spending a dime. You just have to think outside of the box!