Spotted is the cover editorial of the May issue of LYUN Magazine. It is a blend of quirky polka dots and mod fashion, all in a striking color palette of black, white, and red. This is one of my all time favorite shoots to date. From concept to execution, I thoroughly enjoyed every step of the process!

The main inspiration for this editorial is the artist Yayoi Kusama. Her signature polka dots with bold colors are so captivating; I have wanted to do a series based on her for a long time. I didn’t want the props to turn into inferior copies of Kusama’s brilliant work, so I decided to keep the polka dot theme minimal, as a subtle nod to her style. Some of the sets and wardrobe are based on photographs of her with her work in the 1960’s-70’s.

As I pulled wardrobe, a mod-fashion cohesion began to emerge. Many of the pieces featured are vintage, which I liked since they fall in the same timeline of the early Kusama work I was inspired by. The wardrobe wasn’t meant to be too defined to one theme, but I believe the vintage clothing mixed in nicely with the modern garments and the constructed pieces.

The mood of this series was meant to be graceful, serene, and dreamy. Alexis brought a delicate poise to the shoot that was perfectly aligned with my vision. I think we achieved a nice balance of whimsy and sophistication.

I had such a great time creating the props and designing the sets for this shoot. So many circles were cut out! The paper gown turned out exactly how I envisioned, making her look extremely tall and statuesque. I wanted the backgrounds to stay clean and minimal while still having some interest, so I made red and white “walls” to give some added dimension and shadow. The image with the white spheres on the table was a spur of the moment idea in order to include the Kate Spade scallop top, and it turned out to be one of my absolute favorite images.

I had sketched out each set with props and wardrobe, and included notes on how I wanted the posing. Being a meticulous planner was a tremendous help on shoot day as it kept everything running smoothly and we wrapped on time, even with building multiple sets and shaping the paper gown. It can be challenging to be shoot coordinator, set designer, wardrobe stylist, photographer, and retoucher, but I enjoy each of those roles so much and love having a hand in every part of the process.

Spotted can be found on the May cover of LYUN Magazine, and the full series can be viewed here.