Behind the Scenes of a Fashion Campaign: NFC Student Styling and Creative Direction Experience with DI’LAMOR
WORDS BY NFC STUDENT CHLOE HANSEN
Ever since I was young I have always been inspired by the world of fashion, from creating hundreds of outfits from all my pink skirts and dresses to obsessing over runways and Vogue. As I get older, I realise I have always been one to thrive behind the scenes and love to take initiative with projects. That's when my most recent NFC opportunity to assist with the styling and creative direction of a campaign shoot for DI’LAMOR came along; I absolutely jumped at the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the exact area I have always dreamed of working in. Little did I know how much direction and control I got to take being a part of the shoot!
At NFC, we get countless emails filled with exciting internship and work experience opportunities in all different areas of the fashion industry, and the amazing careers team makes it seamless to apply for them. The opportunities typically don't require too much prior experience, as they are a perfect entry-level avenue to learn and grow within the industry.
For an opportunity like this one, the Creative Director, Mary Dib, reached out and gave us a rundown on how the day will go, also providing mood boards for the shoot. Mary made a point to encourage our own creative thinking and ideas for the shoot, such as ideas for content and styling. Prior to the day, I was already overjoyed to land an opportunity with a strong female lead designer and to be promoted to share my own ideas; it was a complete dream come true!
On the day of the shoot, I immediately felt welcomed in the warm environment created by DI’LAMOR. The day started with Mary showing us all her creative concepts and content ideas; I felt comfortable and confident to share my thoughts and opinions, which I valued and appreciated greatly. The beautiful model was an effortless talent, and the photographer was highly committed to executing the creative vision.
An aspect that I greatly admired was Mary’s effort to keep circling back, checking in for our opinions and ideas and encouraging us to jump in and make tweaks where we felt. This environment fuelled me with so much passion and pure enthusiasm for my future in fashion, as this is one of my main areas of interest and a career aspiration within the industry. Additionally, Mary got me to film lots of content for socials, such as styling videos and explanations for the pieces. This was another fulfilling part of the day, getting the opportunity to be on camera and talk about the beautiful clothes and the details; seeing the content posted on socials was a greatly rewarding end to the experience.
Overall, the day was the warmest and most encouraging environment to be a part of, I left absolutely beaming. A massive thank you to the team on the day of the DI’LAMOR shoot and especially Mary for being the absolute brilliance behind it all!