Can I tell you…about the Rafe photo shoot in Paris.

Sep 6

Vivienne Minaudière — **Vivienne** Minaudière

I've always dreamt of shooting a campaign in Paris; it is one of the capitals of fashion after all. Last October, that dream finally came true.

I have loved Paris ever since my first trip almost 20 years ago. The city is so photogenic and the light is magical. Every little nook and cranny is like a film set. Traveling there for inspiration and research never gets old and I savor every moment.

I began this journey several months earlier casually chatting with my friend and fashion photographer Onin Lorente. He was scheduled to be in Paris during the same period so we coordinated our schedules and planned to shoot my Fall Winter 17 campaign.

It was a tall order but I wanted Paris to be the supporting character in the story. The backdrops are all iconic Parisian landmarks yet they are a little blurred and out of focus. I styled the shoot with pieces from Victoria Aquino-Benoit's soon to debut pret-a-porter collection and Onin took care of logistics and production. We castes the statuesque Victoria Vachtchouk who dances with her hands and a professional model. My friend Na Wel lent an extra hand along and my sister Tesa took photos of the shoot for this blog. We went from the Tuileries Gardens, Pont Alexandre III bridge, Notre Dame on the Seine, the Louvre Pyramid to Montmarte all in one day. We had to be fast and furious leaping in and out of the van at every location because daylight during the season is short-lived.

It was an exhilarating experience and certainly worth the wait. The photos turned out exactly as I hoped they would. Evocative, dreamy and moody. This phrase may be overused but it is so true, "Paris is always a good idea".

Below are some behind the scenes photos from that day. As you can see; it takes a village.