Country Fashion Shoot | Anastasia Chatzka

When I’m not in the studio painting, in the gallery hosting exhibitions, travelling doing shows, or toiling away in the office creating new graphics for bands and apparel labels I take pleasure in getting back to my roots as a creative director. Last fall I had such the pleasure squeezed in between lengthy projects to work with some talent in the Midwest Fashion scene. Fellow designer and creative Anastasia Chatzka and I began the task of putting together a fresh line of patterns and designs for her 2013 spring/summer line. Pieces of the prints were inspired by floral gardens, vibrant color palettes, and even classic Russian architecture. While designing and pushing production we began the process of documenting the line for the upcoming season and a future lookbook.

In an industry where foresight hinges on current trends while predicting the inevitable shifts that occur seasonally, intense planning and deadline coordination keep the team tightly wound to push product out with strategic implementation. Gathering the perfect party of photographers, hair & makeup artists, stylists, and peripheral creatives is a formidable endeavor. An assignment of which takes vast amount of preparatory teamwork to pull off in a timely manner while keeping departments on task and efficiently fueling creative inspiration to drive the machine of production to new levels. I’m proud to be at the helm of such a ship when we set into the deep waters of a project which demands managing brilliant creatives, dashing models, and extremely compassionate photographers. Knowing your team with personal affect is a true key to a successful shoot.

I was fortunate to work with an array of beauty and professionals while diving into this particular project. What would have typically been a 3 day shoot that involved various indoor/outdoor locations, vast wardrobes and looks, multi-faceted prop assimilation, and even unpredictable animals we accomplished in roughly 12 hours. Keeping the models and photo team fed and happy, coordinating shifts with weather and daylight, wrangling farm animals, and staying organized with set locations is daunting but eccentrically exciting. In the end we are all exhausted, but the fruition of our inevitable hard work is always a pinnacle of pay off when the final photo edits get back into our hands.

This section is dedicated to the hard working ladies that were exceptional in keeping the energy lit throughout the entire process. The level of satisfaction working with passionate and professional affiliates is nothing short of exhilarating and simply gratifying. Here you will find a few top picks from the Anastasia Chatzka S/S 2013 Country Fashion Shoot.