Behind the Scenes with Stylist Jill Watson
I'm so honored to have Jill guest blog this week & give you a glimpse of all the incredible work that goes to put together the beautiful photos we have on the P&C website. Jill, take it away!
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Hi there! My name is Jill Watson and I am a wardrobe stylist here in Austin, TX. Purse & Clutch was kind enough to let me style a few of their pieces for their website and I wanted to share a peek behind the scene and a bit of the process for me as the stylist. Enjoy!
Day One: Prep
After picking up the bags, the first thing on my agenda was to find inspiration for the photos. There were beautifully written descriptions of the girls that would use each bag on the website and I really wanted to run with the idea of who these girls were. What types of things do they do? What does their daily life look like? What does their closet look like? I started by Pinning looks that inspired me for the shoot as well as some poses that I thought would highlight the bags well.
Next, I collaborated with the wonderful and talented photographer, Jessica Scott, to find locations and models. Jessica loves natural light and is so talented at using it to create beautiful photos. When the forecast showed rain, we had to really consider where we could get great light without being outside.
When it came to finding models, luckily Jessica and I have very beautiful friends. Michelle and Janelle were just what I pictured. We scheduled the shoots with them and we were set!
The last step of preparation was to actually go shopping for looks and props. I really wanted everything to be pieces the girls from the descriptions would purchase. I really tried to think through every detail of what they would carry with them in their bags and what they would be wearing for each scenario.
Day 2: Feminique Shoot
Jessica and I arrived at Michelle’s beautifully decorated apartment and I got all my props and outfits in place. As a stylist, I like to have a space to lay out everything. I always have multiple options for outfits and props because you just never know how it will all come together. After getting everything in place we decided on the outfits for each bag. I am very detail oriented so there is a lot of trying and re-trying until it looks perfect.
The outfit for the Ikat Duffle bag was just not complete without the perfect front tuck of the shirt. We also had a little debate over which cards should go into the wallet slots, but ultimately we settled on my frequent Lick card (if you have never had Lick ice cream, stop what you are doing and go get some). Every detail counts and it is always fun to incorporate things that you love into a shoot.
The shoot was a blast and Michelle’s dog Jessie kept us all company and even made a cameo in a few shots. We also may or may not have eaten all the cherry tomato props by the end of the shoot.
Block Print Shopping Bag - Handmade in India
Day 3: Adventurer Shoot
Janelle, our model for the Adventurer collection, is the epitome of bohemian. Naturally, I went to her house to pull outfits from her closet. I loved her jewelry and I really felt like stacks of bracelets was the way to go. I loved getting to use her pieces because they had a lot of character and effortless style.
Luckily the weather cleared up and we could shoot outside at Houndstooth Coffee. They had these fabulous blue bistro tables and chairs that perfectly coordinated with the Mayan clutches and a beautiful wooden wall that was the perfect backdrop. We ordered our coffees (because the stylist needs a coffee too!) and got to shooting.
Mayan Clutch - Handmade in Guatemala
It was freezing cold, so Janelle was definitely a trooper as we made her sit jacketless in the cold. It was fun to interact with the people coming and going from the coffee shop and get to tell them about the bags. I felt so proud to working with such a cool company. Did I mention Jessica shoots in film? How cool is that? After we were don’t shooting she sent the film off to be developed and it was like Christmas waiting to see the images.
I’m so happy with the way all of the photos turned out and it was a blast to get to work with such beautiful products.