SALT AND LACE
A simple set, and one with constriction: Nijah and I did our first collaborative brand shoot a few days ago in the backyard of our sweet lil’ home. We’re extremely used to concepts that float somewhere in-between fantasy and reality, so to ground ourselves and meet brand requirements (with our twist, of course) was an assignment we were excited to take on.
THE IDEA:
When I righteously swore off shooting boudoir months ago, I was extremely narrow-minded, and likely dehydrated. I had no idea that I was going to dive more heavily into modeling, nor did I think I’d be able to make the art I craved so heavily if all I was wearing were three-piece sets from Shein. I naively viewed boudoir as a hinderance more than a help, and donated huge handfuls of lace and leather to a Goodwill down the street.
Clearly, I was wrong. I’m currently making the coolest art of my life, and half of it consists of me nude or near-nude. The opportunity that my ass alone has brought me is insane. I’ve manifested an oddly perfect reality, and I couldn’t be happier.
That being said, Nijah and I started the next phase of our business earlier this month. A large part of that was focusing on growth, brand outreach, and collaboration. For the last few weeks, we’ve been on the hunt for brands that are eager to relinquish creative control and trust our vision with their products. Salt and Lace was one of the first brands to get in contact with us, and we were so fucking excited to say yes.
THE OUTFIT:
The lingerie that they sent us is called the ‘Carmella’: an extremely soft, high-quality three-piece set with delicate lace detailing and an adjustable garter belt (that I could bring all the way down to fit snugly on my waist)! I asked for a size small, and it all fit me perfectly aside from being a little tight on the cooch — the underwear is not adjustable, and clearly not made for people with hips.
But the fabrics were comfortable enough that it wasn’t annoying at all. I found the whole thing to be way more flattering than I had anticipated, honestly. And way higher quality than I would have thunk! A huge step up from Shein lingerie.
THE STYLING:
I’ve been trying this new thing with my makeup — thicker brows, way less contour. Trying to get the compliment ‘handsome’ just as often as I get ‘beautiful’, y’know? I kept my look very neutral, since the focus of the content was the clothing more than the identity. A little hairspray in my hair, half a bowl of sativa, and I was good to go.
Naturally, I wanted to clutter the set with frames and pieces of a story, but Nijah kept it tame with just an old sheet + a vase from our kitchen. We were asked to shoot on a background that allowed the lingerie to shine, so we opted for the outdoor backdrop.
THE SHOT:
This whole set ended up being way larger than I thought it would. Post-shoot, we ended up with 15+ images that I would have added to my portfolio in a heartbeat. I felt like we gave an equal amount of attention to both the product + the muse. The poses were androgynous in their nature, mostly from the lack of censored body hair and solid-shapes. Definitely something I’m proud of, and am excited to share more of as time goes :)
I want to say more about this shoot, but the story isn’t that deep; I just wanted to document this first branded shoot so that we can look back on it in a few months, after months of larger, paid brand collaborations. Manifesting, Manifesting. These shots were taken on a Sony A7II + Sigma 24mm - 70mm lens. Edited in Photoshop + Lightroom. The color story and the angles were all directed by my insanely talented partner.
What piece do you want me to deconstruct next? Let me know!
