June 08, 2026

From Mood Board to Portfolio

The Story Behind the Shoot

One of the things I love most about styling is that every project starts with a conversation.

In this case, the conversation started with photographer Jim Stone of Tytan Pictures.

Jim had been hired to photograph updated development images for model Katie Hopwood. Her agency had provided inspiration boards featuring references from Phoebe Philo and Alaïa—clean lines, strong silhouettes, modern tailoring, and the kind of effortless luxury that looks simple until you actually have to create it.

When Jim shared the mood boards with me, I knew this was going to be a fun challenge.

The Fitting Day

Before the shoot, Jim and Katie came into the studio for a fitting.

What I remember most about that day is how collaborative it felt. We spent time reviewing the agency references, discussing the overall direction, talking fashion, sharing movie recommendations, and pulling garments that we felt aligned with the vision.

Some pieces worked immediately.

Some pieces surprised us.

And some pieces looked completely different once they were on Katie.

That's one of the reasons I love fittings. A garment on a hanger only tells part of the story. Once it's on a person, everything changes.

Together, we reviewed multiple looks before narrowing the final selection down to five.

Styling the Vision

The agency references focused heavily on silhouette and proportion.

That meant the goal wasn't to create flashy outfits or rely on lots of accessories. The goal was to create shape.

One of my favorite examples was a pair of tailored trousers that were approximately six sizes larger than Katie's actual size.

Most people would assume the solution was to tailor them to fit perfectly.

Instead, I altered them to fit intentionally.

I refined the waistband and adjusted the proportions while keeping volume through the hips and legs because the oversized silhouette was part of the story we were trying to tell.

The goal wasn't perfect fit.

The goal was the right fit for the image.

Once the final looks were selected, my team and I prepared everything for shoot day, including steaming garments, finalizing accessories, and packaging each look so it was camera-ready.