One thing to know about me is that I love creating in groups. There’s a special kind of magic that happens when you’re on set with creative people who own their power and aren’t afraid to push the envelope, play with different elements, and make work fun.
That’s exactly what happened on set of my latest magazine feature with Muze magazine. We shot this editorial at Hype Studios in DTLA back in January with a crazy talented team who made me feel so comfortable. The issue is out this week so I thought I’d give you all a behind the scenes look and talk about my favorite parts of the shoot!
One thing no one really talks about when you’re getting into the entertainment business is how intimidating it can be (especially as a young woman) to walk onto a set with people who are two or three times your age and have been working for a long time. It’s such a good feeling when you get the vibe that all the pros you are working with take the time to lend some of their genius, which is exactly what happened on set this day. Everyone was incredibly gifted in their own right and the vibe of the shoot was so fun! We were blasting Ariana Grande, drinking Starbucks and getting adventurous with my looks for the day.
The stylist, Sky JT Naval, was so cool to work with because he looked at my instagram before and his approach to creating my looks for the day was to put an editorial spin on the look I already have. I loved his method because instead of feeling like a stranger in front of the camera, I felt like myself. With, you know, like one million times more makeup and hairspray than usual lol.
Our hair and makeup for the day was done by Richard Benn and Aime Ramirez and they were so sweet. We compared astrological signs and analyzed our big three together. I learned a trick from Aime to achieve the perfect, photo-ready dewy skin: she uses banana boat sunscreen for the wet-look photo finish. Richard slicked my salty beach hair into the sleekest updo and then it was time to shoot.
I’m usually pretty comfortable in front of the camera, but I’m also usually being shot by one of my best friends or my brother, so shooting with new people can be a little nerve-wracking when you know you’ve got to deliver. The photographer, Brian Fowlkes, and the videographer, Clint had such incredible creative visions and it made posing, moving, and serving that much easier. The photos ended up being some of my very favorite that I’ve ever taken! I feel so much better about photos of myself when I know I’ve had a genuinely good time shooting them. That’s definitely what happened in these shots.
For the last look of the day, I was so excited to wear a custom piece by TYCE, a talented LA-based designer who has designed looks for Normani, Gwen Stefani, and Tina Knowles, to name a few.
He is so genius at what he does! The dress I wore reminded me of water, with the teal, gray, and lavender colors coming together on the organza fabric that moved so beautifully. He chatted with me through my last looks of hair and makeup and gave me great advice about how to maintain your creative drive, focus on your goals, and block out the haters. Working with him was an incredible gift and I hope I get the chance to do it again!
To the team at Muze, thank you! I had the best time with everyone and I am so proud of this work. It’s such a special thing to be around brilliant creative minds and I hope everyone reading this gets the chance to collaborate with people who help you feel like you belong! My feature in Muze is live now and you can find it here. <3
