White Noise | Styling by STEPHANIE QUADRI | D Magazine september 2013

Walkin’ in the sand…or let’s go with : Stylin’ in the sand…

SisterBrother stylist Stephanie Quadri was put to the task of gathering all white elements for a Texas desert photoshoot with photographer Elizabeth Lavin.
Created for D Magazine’s September 2013 issue, this fashion spread came with a unique set of logistics to conquer.

Stephanie coordinated samples to be sent in from various designers and New York showrooms and also pulled from local Dallas stores like Forty Five Ten, Traffic LA, Neiman Marcus, Gregory’s, Grange Hall, designer Nha Khanh’s showroom, Chanel and more.

“While this was one of the more adventurous and overall enjoyable shoots I have ever worked on, styling an all white shoot in the middle of the summer in sand dunes can present quite a few challenges…”

“We had to figure out how to shoot the shoes without getting sand all over them or scraping the bottoms up…we used big white cubes as an added graphic element that helped with this as well as placing cardboard underneath the models feet (which was later removed in post).”

“There was a handy battery-operated leaf blower on hand that helped clear the sand and bury the cubes. Keeping all of the white clothing clean was a concern, of course. Luckily, we had a lot of hands to help and a model who was a fast yet delicate dresser. We set up a dressing area with a tarp and got those clothes on and off as quickly as possible!”

All of the looks were planned out before changing the model in the desert (shooting three looks at a time). “An umbrella was used for shade when we weren’t shooting. I am happy to say no damage was done to the clothing or shoes.”

“Trekking up and down the sand dunes was quite the workout…especially with equipment, props, and clothes in tow.”
With assistant Elizabeth Farrell, mission was accomplished.
“My assistant really pulled through with all her efforts – ready and willing to help in all aspects. I couldn’t have done this without her. That and lots of water.”