berry sorbet

This is a shoot that I did a while ago inspired by girly cults, dressing up, and springtime in New Zealand. We played around with pastel colours, raspberry sorbet, and so so many clothes!!!

Styling and makeup by my lovely friend Ming
All models at Ali McD Agency

milky

Here's a polaroid story that Lily and I shot together wandering through a hair salon and a laundromat with the lovely Bonnie who is always so tolerant of how long I take at shoots! This shoot is now up on Lady Gunn magazine here.
Model is Lily VB at Ali McD
Makeup is by Bonnie Hu

Georgia Alice

This post is just some serious swooning on my part over one of my favourite New Zealand designers- Georgia Alice. Her designs are so flawlessly simple yet distinct. I love how they channel a 90s girl who loves mermaids with the hint of pale pinks, silvers and bold red text meets a really structured man. And her campaigns are so perfect, they really set a scene for her designs to fit right in. With every collection, I fall just a bit harder than the last. I would love to shoot just about anything by her (with or without Valentina Sykes).

Without any more rambling, here's the visual feast...

circular, exciting things

Today, my boyfriend surprised me with the most exciting present I (as my photographer self) could ever be given... a new lens. And so to celebrate, I forced him into helping me take these self portraits.
Thank you Rhys, for the lovely present that had me buzzing like a bee and for being so resilient when I force you to be my tripod.

museboard: reverse mind knitwear

So I'm not sure exactly why but my mind is working in reverse... Spring came to New Zealand a few weeks ago and I'm preparing moodboards and feeling utterly inspired by the fluffiest, and warmest knitwear! Maybe it's because I'm heading to India towards the end of the year, and it's going to be winter there, or it may have something to do with my idea that winter dressing is so much more exciting than summer dressing (because layers). 

I'm currently mind-mapping a shoot in a large industrial setting, with lots of tall and chipped concrete walls. Metal staircases, dust toned and musty lighting. And in all of that messiness there were be a gloriously warm model in the most excessive knits with large draped sleeves, or a high roll neck that is swallowing about half her face (but in a maximalist amazing way!). No props, nothing luxurious about the setting just stripping the shoot down to the models and the milk/ bone/ sand toned knitwear. Ahhh why do I want winter after six months of complaining through it?

And for anyone from the Northern Hemisphere, if any of these jumpers catch your eye and I haven't already labeled them, comment and I can let you know where they are from! My personal favourite is the bottom row, left-hand cream coloured Acne Studios one...

Images via pinterest, Acne Studios, Zara, Topshop, The Cut and Asos.

crisp ivory

This story is about a girl who comes from a planet of all-white. She was sent away because her hair was like fire, and not like milk. So she spent the afternoon taking pictures with us instead. 

Model is Sophie McElwain-Wilson at Kirsty Bunny. Sophie is the softest, and one of the loveliest people I have ever worked with, and just as she seems on camera is how she was in person. She's an absolute dream... Instagram @sophie_mae_grace
Styling is by the amazingly talented Bridie Alman who also made most of the clothes in this shoot. Check out the collection images here. Makeup is by Jacqui Mellow, who made the whole shoot feel like a Tim Walker type dream!

Only Love Is Left Alive: Company of Strangers SS15

Company of Strangers, a Dunedin based label had a live installation night where they invited Lily and Alannah to channel a sombre Stevie Nicks vibe as representation for their new Spring/ Summer 2015 collection. And in true, Company of Strangers style they didn't do the conventional florals, or light summer colors but stuck to their trademark (and absolutely amazing) flowing blacks, textured charcoals and introduced their potion shade of purple.

Here are some pictures I took of Lily and Alannah in their Edgar Allen Poe inspired sooty, dusky and shadowed setting.

And if you haven't already checked out Company of Strangers find them here and here.
Models are Lily VB at Ali McD and Alannah Kwant
Instagram: @lilsvb and @kweenkwakwa and @companyofstrangers