Three Stylists, Six Looks

Stylists - Alexis Molina, Lana Nassir, Halle Sweeter

Production Lead - Emily Nelson

Photographer - Sammy Allen

Models - Charlie Garden, Laisia Lashall, Stephanie Mariani

Diversity of style is the exciting part of fashion and having the freedom to dress in the ways that express us is a privilege and a luxury. Three stylists joined Ändern for the day to style models in front of the camera and show us what they are capable of as artists of clothing. Each person showed such different looks from one another which was the absolute goal of the shoot. Each detail was thought about and cared for, even down to who they wanted to represent their expression; the models reflect the story each stylist tells.

Lana showed us light and dark while still keeping to a consistent style, but it was imperative she kept Stephanie, her model, in mind with every choice she made: "My model, Steph, emanates a lot of darkness. I don’t think it connotes anything negative at all. She styles the shade so beautifully, always. I thought, why not connect it to the black-and-white nature of life—light and dark? You can picture angels, funerals, weddings, gothic couture, gargoyles, the ocean, castles, and so on. I believe it can symbolize many forms of realism and the deepest appreciation of art in two shades, outside the spectrum of colors." It is a beautiful way to view light and dark, seeing as one is viewed as more positive than the other when what is more beautiful than the night sky with specks of light.

Alexis styled using her friendship with Charlie, her model, in mind: "Charlie and I live so far from everything that when we pick out an outfit for the day, we are also thinking of how it would look in the night. Our idea was "on-the-go". I wanted the outfits to be casual, fun, and comfortable; but still something you could run around in and get into some trouble! It was a little daunting to figure out the looks because I have never styled someone before, but Charlie is my best friend and I own a TON of clothes, so I blasted some techno and we basically played dress up. We knew we found the looks when Charlie would start dancing in the outfits and say, "Okay, let's go out!". These looks remind me of the many times in Phoenix, and when I was living in Ridgewood, Queens for a hot minute, where I knew once I stepped foot out of the door in the morning, I wouldn't be back until the next! You don't gotta get ready, if you stay ready!" The inspiration of what inclines us to dance is a heartwarming sentiment that I hope we can all bring into our life when choosing our next outfit on the town. 

Halle imagined the perfect holiday packed suitcase for her styling which compliments her model, Alaisia, perfectly. She spoke on her inspiration: "When creating these outfits, I wanted two distinct looks that embodied the duality of how people dress for a vacation. There's the majority of the trip where you feel comfortable but still polished enough to transition from activity to activity, and there's the one day that everyone has planned and takes up the majority of space in the suitcase to be worn once to get that "perfect" outfit photo. Either way my model Alaisia is the definition of a sunshine girl and she told me that both of these outfits reflect her personal style when she goes on a vacation." Whether it is a day-to-day look or the perfectly curated look for an outfit photo, an empty suitcase can be a blank canvas.