Behind the Scenes by a Maiocchi Intern

It had never occurred to me, just how much time and effort goes into a look book photo shoot. There is so many different elements to consider- the makeup, the hair, the styling, the photographer, the garments, the model, the FOOD! I have always understood that is a thought out process, but after my experience on the quirky new summer range photo shoot, my hat definitely goes off to Dee and her girls at the Maiocchi HQ in Brisbane.

My morning was started by a not so pleasant wake-up call at 5:30am..One that is never warmly welcomed on a Tuesday morning (or any morning for that matter). The taste of freshly brewed coffee accompanied by a toasted piece of banana bread got me up and running, as I made my way into Black Smith studios in Newstead for a 9am start. I arrived to an already hustling and bustling studio, with hair and makeup under way by the clever Tania Travers, and Jason Zambelli our photographer setting up the studio.

The 2015 summer collection- 'Colour Me Happy' is a celebration of all things bright and colourful. With emphasis on 1950’s inspired frocks and beautiful flowy skirts, this collection shows off bright playful prints, soft jersey fabrics and beautiful Japanese cottons. The flattering frocks were styled with bubbly makeup/hair, accompanied by cute and quirky accessories by Brisbane label Each to Own, and retro vintage inspired glasses on loan from Madonna Rigney Optometry helped to bring the collection to life.

Each season Maiocchi creates an inspirational mood board, this helps create a visual and theme for the shoot. After the briefs were given, and final test shots were made, it was time to start shooting the new collection. Each outfit was complimented with cheeky smiles and cute quirky poses, highlighting the fun and colourful mood of the collection. Time was definitely tight on the day, restricting the amount we had to play around with each look- after all, we had 60+ outfits to shoot! Brooke Crompton our gorgeous model was wonderful throughout the day, showing us her cute quirky side whilst having fun with our retro styles dresses. I was put to work taking Behind the Scenes photos and movies of the day, whilst also in between shots helping out with the dressing/styling of the next quirky look.

Needless to say, by the time the day was starting to simmer down, we were all exhausted. With everyone having so much to do, the day ran smoothly and on time. I admired everyone's patience and happy vibes on the day. Everyone was able to work off each other, creating what was to be a positive outcome of a photo shoot. My favourite part of the day had to be the playing around with the behind the scenes movies. Creating little short clips of smiles, winks and twirling skirts. Just being able to help create the quirky and distinctive look of Maiocchi definitely put a smile on my face.

I learnt so much but made sure to have fun with it. Gaining experience in this area of the industry is something I have wanted to do for a while, and it has definitely been the main highlight of my internship experience with Maiocchi.

Happiness is… following your dreams.

Courtenay. xx

Ps - Don't forget to enter the colouring in competition!!