In May, for the first time, I received an inquiry for an editorial shooting. It was the first editorial, I was supposed to plan and be in charge of on my own. I did some assisting earlier and also had projects together with other stylists. But this was a totally new situation for me. Read about my top 10 moments of freaking-out/panicking/whatever (in chronological order ;))
1. Yaaaaay -> Oh damn
Receiving your first inquiry is always exciting. I felt really honoured to be chosen for my first work for an actual magazine by the creative director. Up to this point, I only did time for print shootings with local photographers and most of the time with hobby models. So this was going to be my first international work. I got so excited, that I sent a screenshot of the subject heading to a friend of mine, with whom I just in this moment talked via WhatsApp about superstitions and why it’s not good to let others in on your new projects too early… Well, it did work out anyway, no need for superstition 😉
2. I can’t do this
I confirmed the message. Yes, I want to do this. Confidently, I pressed the “Send”-button. A few seconds afterwards I had some nervous break down thinking “I don’t have a car… How will I get all my stuff to the location in the inner city?”
3. Too little time, so much to do
I still work part time in an agency, so first thing to do was take a few days off for preparations and the actual shoot. That part was easy. Though, during the first day of requesting appointments for the pulls, I thought the schedule might get a little tight.
4. Will it be fashion, although they are naked?
The problem was, I didn’t get my emails answered. Because designers have other things to do than sitting in front of their computers all day. But I didn’t consider this, because I’m a digital marketer and therefor always connected to the online world 😉 So I freaked out another time, thinking what the models would look like, if I didn’t manage to bring along any clothing – when, finally, the first email arrived.
5. OMG it’s not a PR-sample
Another thing I did not consider is, that small brands and young designers often can’t afford or don’t want to provide a sample collection. So I mostly had to work with shop wares. I never did this before, at least not with designer wear. See the difference: If a top by ZARA gets dirty or somehow destroyed during the shooting, you keep it and lose 30€. A designer piece usually costs a bit more. So I knew, I had to be very careful and no-one but me ought to touch these clothes.
6. Public transport on hot days and the typical Viennese mentality
The average Viennese citizen complaints all the time. For example: When you are a fashion stylist carrying a lot of stuff, entering the tram on a hot day, you will earn complaints. That’s just how it is. Don’t listen. I did learn that as well during the pulls 😉
7. “Your shipping is on the way!“
There are designers, who don’t have PR samples at all, there are the ones, who do have samples in their own showrooms, there are the ones, who do have samples in a showroom somewhere else in Europe and then there are misunderstandings. The latter is what we got. Our creative director asked a designer, if they have a showroom or shop in Vienna. They said, they had. What I found out was, that they had a franchise partner in Vienna, while their press collection is in the showroom of a Parisian PR agency. So I asked their PR consultant to send us some samples to use in the shoot, that would take place in just 5 days. “No problem, your shipping is on the way.” Unfortunately, it didn’t arrive in time for the shooting.
8. “So sorry to see that you are moving out!“
As delivery and carrier services are expensive, young stylists often roam the streets carrying their numerous IKEA plastic bags filled with designer clothing, shoes and accessories. And as my neighbours are not used to this sight, two of them asked me, if I’m moving out. None of them helped me with my bags, though.
9. Stage fever once again
Riding the cab to the shooting location, I once again thought, that I actually had no idea what I was doing there. I even struggled with my steamer’s set up.
10. Did that thing just break?
The most expensive piece I borrowed from a jewellery designer. It was a collar made of 3D print and glass lenses. On location I realised, that one of the lenses was missing. My heart skipped a beat at first and another one after I checked the delivery note with the pictures of the single pieces. It showed, that the necklace was not broken when I got it. Fortunately, I found the missing lens a few minutes later in the hotel room, where we had our little styling space. It must have fallen out of the frame while unboxing. The designer told me later, that such things happen, when the outside temperature vares, because the material is very flexible.
Phew!
Everything turned out to be fine in the end. Now I can laugh about myself and the many nervous moments.
You can see the first part of the editorial, a feature of accessory designer and mask artist AND_i here and in the Here & There Vienna Issue.
Do you have such moments in your job as well? Or do you get stressed out as easily as me?