Our most recent Spring/Summer 23 campaign was shot in the magnificent glasshouses of Kew Gardens, one of the most iconic places in London. Replete with stunning architectural design, not to mention the beautifully verdant fauna all around us, it was the perfect setting to bring to life a collection that was largely inspired by the greatest muse of all: Nature. If you've ever been on a photoshoot, you'll know that it's all glamour, champagne, and pouting. One could hardly call it work really. The photographer presses a button, the model throws a steely yet enticing glare, and the interesting background does the rest. If only that were so!
Shooting in what amounts to an oversized greenhouse brings with it some problems. Not least condensation, which causes havoc with camera lenses, but also does the model's make-up no favours either. That said, it was a pretty chilly shoot in late January, so we were lucky that it wasn't a huge issue.
Nevertheless, attaining a collection of beautiful images involves a good deal of standing around, head-scratching, experimentation, tweaking, scrapping, reshooting, hauling, breaking, fixing, and yes, a little pouting here and there. It is, despite all this, an extremely rewarding process when it all comes together and one sees the final images, as you do here.
As you can see, there was no shortage of natural light, which was perfectly diffused as it passed through the glass panes and deflected off the great many species of amazing plants. When the clothing is in more raw and candid settings without the benefit of artificial lighting, one gets a true sense of how the colours and fabrics come alive in natural light.
The verdant background was the perfect complement to both the soft pastel tones in the men's waistcoats, as well as the delicate floral embroidery featured throughout this season's womenswear collection
Many thanks once again goes to everyone involved in the shoot, not least the team at Kew Gardens who made the day seamless.
