If you would have said to me when I was 14, “Colette you're gonna be on set of a photoshoot for Vogue when you're 17,” I would have said you're full of shit. Vogue is the crown jewel of fashion magazines. There's no way I would be on set for a Vogue photoshoot. Well it just so happens I was. I think for my whole life it will still be something I can’t comprehend, only in my wildest dreams did I believe that was possible.
Let’s rewind. My family and I have been members of a beach club ever since I was little. Every year commercials, photoshoots, television shows are shot at our beach club. For the past several years, my brother Liam has worked there as security. Security can sometimes be selected to help work with those who are coming in for tv or magazine shoots. It was just this past June when my Mom said to me, “You know Colette, Liam has to work security for a photoshoot for Vogue in about 2 weeks”. My jaw basically hit the floor. I thought why him, I’m the one who knows fashion. My mom said to me, “You know what you should ask him, to ask his boss to see if you can join him”. Well did that light a fire.
For the next week and a half I constantly berated my brother. Sending him texts, asking him the minute he got home, “Did you ask your boss if I can come to the Vogue photoshoot?” My brother said, “no I’ll ask tomorrow.” He did ask and his boss said no. I thought well at least I tried. But in a turn of events his boss ended up changing his mind and telling my brother it was fine if I came. I was over the moon ecstatic, I didn't care if I sat watching the whole entire day because I knew it would be such a learning experience.
My brother sent me the call sheet, which I will treasure forever. I immediately went into insta-stalking every single person on the list. I wanted to see who would be at the shoot. If you didn’t know, my dream job is to be a stylist so I couldn't wait to look up the stylist. It was Camilla Nickerson, a very big name in the fashion world. The weirdest part was that my mom had sent me an article about her only the week before. Coincidence?? She has styled countless Vogue Magazine shoots. Whether it be styling for the front page with Zendaya, Selena Gomez, or Beyonce. As well, Nickerson has styled the campaigns and runway shows for Alexander McQueen for several years. She plays a major role in the fashion community.
I picked out my clothes the night before as if it were my first day of school. I tried on countless outfits, ending up with my cropped corduroy top, cute shorts, and simple gold hoops. I went to sleep giddy as ever. Waking up I immediately rushed getting my clothes on and putting my hair into a low bun. My brother and I picked up bagels and headed to the shoot. Arriving before 9, I was nervous and excited for the day ahead.
To my brother this is just another day on the job. When I first saw Camilla Nickerson, I turned to my brother and said, “She is very important.” My brother, his co-worker (and good friend), and I transported the materials to the location, including the flowers, clothes, and even the model.
Now that last word might have left you confused. When we arrived at the set I instantly knew there would be no model due to the fact that there would need to be more people, and clothes on the set. Of course, my brother and his friend were hopeful for the arrival of the model. They even helped move the box containing the model. As the crew began to take everything out of the box I just knew. When I said to them, “The mannequin, that’s the model,” they absolutely lost it saying no freakin way. But it’s true the mannequin was the model.
I couldn't have cared less if there was no model, I just wanted them to watch them capture the clothes. What's crazy is that they spend hours to get the perfect shot, for someone to only look at the photo in the magazine for a couple moments. I just watched in fascination as the crew ran back and forth maneuvering the dress as the photographer tried to capture the right angle.
While I didn't get to touch the dresses, and be right upfront in everything going on, it was such a learning experience for what I hope to be doing in the future. There were only 2 dresses that they were trying to capture an image for. When I heard one of them say it was going to be in the September issue, I almost fell over. In the fashion world, the September and March issues are the most important. It was a day filled with helping move things, watching, and making sure everything was taken care of. While I never spoke to Camilla Nickerson, anyone I did speak to on the shoot was so kind and polite. The photographer for the shoot was a man by the name of Stefan Ruiz. He spoke to my brother and me and he couldn't have been kinder.
At the end of the day they had loads of flowers left over and were kind enough to give me some. I wish those flowers could have lasted forever. I will forever treasure that day, never in a million years did I think I would get to say I was on set for a photoshoot for the September issue of Vogue.
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