Seasons of Florals

So here is the story of how I got to be a "model" for the day….

For our final project for our styling class, my group and I had to conduct our own photo shoot that would be part of a hypothetical magazine spread. We had to choose a theme and create between 6 to 10 looks. As a group we brainstormed ideas for fun and interesting concepts that would be easy to shoot but at the same time captivate the reader. After much discussion, we chose a theme that involved the four seasons of the year: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Because the four seasons are so diverse and can be interpreted in numerous ways, we chose a sub theme which was floral prints. Our concept was simple but unique: we would create different looks that would show our readers how they can wear floral prints throughout the seasons of the year.

The Cover Page

For our cover page, we were inspired by the very famous Beatles' Abby Road photo. At first we wanted to follow the same concept of shooting in the middle of a street; however, it is very hard to find a non-busy street in the city of New York. Instead, we decided to use a garage gate as our background. We came up with the concept of creating an outfit for every season using the same pair of floral shorts to show how it can be worn throughout the year. We started off with the summer outfit and then layered garments on top of it to create looks that would fit into each season. The sequence of the outfits follow the chronological order of the seasons. Because the shorts already had so many colors in the pattern and were the center of attention, we mainly stuck to black complimentary garments. This way the bottoms would stand out more. 

Shorts: Ostwald Helgason

Tops (left to right): Zara, Dries Van Noten (Jacket), Hollister, Urban Outfitters

Shoes (left to right): Sam Edelman, Rock & Candy, Aldo, Free People

Accessories: Hat - Maison Michael, Hat & Gloves & Leg Warmers - H&M

By the way, all the clothes used in this shoot came from our own closets! :)

Winter

For the winter look we found this gorgeous indigo shirt which had a paisley flower print. Down the middle of the shirt there was a plaid print so we decided to pair it with a matching plaid skirt. Furthermore, we added black tights and black booties as complimentary pieces to the outfit. Because we couldn't find the right winter coat/jacket that would look good with this outfit we decided to add a fur shawl. The fur made the look a bit more high fashion so we also decided to make my hair into a bun to add to the "couture" feel to it.

Top: Ostwald Helgason

Skirt: Ostwald Helgason

Tights: Target

Shoes: Rock & Candy (Nordstrom Rack)

Shawl: Vintage

Autumn 

The autumn look was definitely one of my favorites. We used this beautiful long sleeve dress which had a floral/leaves print. We felt this was perfect for fall because the colors of the print reminded us of the color of leaves in the fall. We added a pair of tights and a pair of black clogs to add to the feminine and flirty touch. Finally, we added a black wide rim hat because this has been a growing trend for Fall and it was also a nice way to complete this look.

Dress: H&M

Tights: Target

Hat: Maison Michael

Shoes: Free People

Spring

The Spring outfit was by far the favorite one not just for me but for everyone! The most obvious reason is the incredibly gorgeous skirt. Of course we wanted the skirt to be the main focus so we paired it with a simple turtleneck black sleeveless top. We added an apricot colored necklace that matched some of the flowers on the skirt to give the outfit a bit more pop. The outfit was also paired with a pair of black heels and a bun to keep it classy and a little more formal. Finally, we included a few roses to add to that Spring time feel.

Top: American Apparel

Skirt: Keepsake

Shoes: Kelly & Katie

Necklace: Forever 21

Summer

We really wanted the summer look to be fun and girly we used this really pretty green and white skirt that tied at the front like a bow. The skirt had a tropical feel to it so we paired it with a white crop top which showed a little bit of the stomach but we felt that it added to the flirty and summer feel of the look. As for shoes and accessories we added these gold and brown summer gladiator sandals as well as reflector glasses. Finally, we included the flowers to add pops of summer colors. 

Top: Aeropostale

Skirt: Cameo

Sandals: C-Wonder

Sunglasses: Six

Overall, this project was one of my favorites to do. It was so much fun putting the outfits together and then trying on the different clothes to make sure it worked. Though I am not a model, it was also really fun to go out and shoot the pictures. It was like I got to play different characters and I loved every minute of it!

I hope this gives you inspiration on how you can wear floral prints throughout the year. Have fun exploring your closet for florals and creating amazing outfits!

ps- special thanks for my group mates for working on this project with me and my friend Simone Caprifogli for editing out cover photo!