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Blanch in Action
by guest blogger Elizabeth Kellogg
If you’re a mere mortal like me, you’ve never set foot inside a fashion photo shoot. You may have drooled over the flashy ads and glamorous spreads in Vogue, but never gave much thought to how they were created. That’s how it was for me, until I had the pleasure of observing Andrea Blanch in action.
Enter the luxury apartment where Blanch has her next photo shoot, on the famed Upper East Side of Manhattan, and you enter another world. No screaming pedestrians or honking taxicabs here. Instead, the chirping of birds is the only sound heard through the floor-to-ceiling French doors. Treetops, a rare sight in Manhattan, are visible through the enormous bay window. It’s an oasis in the urban desert, and an ideal place to bring the magic of fashion to life.
There’s excitement in the air from the moment I arrive. Stylists are buzzing, prepping hair and makeup. I’ve never seen so many beauty products in one place! Nor did I realize how long the preparation would take. Tresses are styled and restyled. Wardrobe, courtesy of Michael Kors, is adjusted and readjusted. Makeup is…. Well, you get the idea.
Hours pass. Finally the models are ready for Blanch. As Megan strikes a pose, light streams through the window and highlights her golden hair. She is delicate and ideally proportioned. If fairytale princesses exist, they must look like Megan.
Megan lounges luxuriously on the sleek, contemporary furnishings. Her brilliant yellow accessories stand in sharp contrast to her jet black swimsuit. Blanch furiously clicks away, while others scramble to hold lighting and a reflector in the right places.
Later, Lauren lies topless on crisp white sheets, caressing a feather pillow. Her smoky eyes and pouty lips give new meaning to the phrase “making love to the camera”. Blanch grooves to Coldplay as a fan blows Lauren’s hair into flawless wisps.
Blanch instinctively knows what’s working and what isn’t, changing tactics midstream. Her process is fluid and fascinating to watch. Like Blanch herself, her method of encouraging the models is unique: “Be quirky but natural,” she instructs. And as Lauren cradles a beach bag, Blanch tells her to “pretend that it’s your boyfriend’shirt”. I can’t help but smile. Who knew fashion was this entertaining?!
Themocracy