Jolie Laide: Pretty Ugly

Recently I have been so busy, I haven't had a chance to promote a cool project I was a part of. So here's the first one I think is important to talk about:

If you've been around Chicago recently, you've probably seen their posters popping up on every street corner. Les Amateurs, is a group of creatives (photographers, stylists, makeup artists, ect.) who put an interesting spin on fashion and editorial projects.

Recently I had the pleasure of working with them on their project "Jolie Laide." Four other models and I partnered with Les Amateurs (and the creator of the project Lauren Fern) to make crisp, clean, and unique images that stand out from my other work. I have to say, this shoot and these people were some of my favorite to work with in Chicago.

THIS is what makes the project have such a lasting impact. When you ask a bunch of models what beauty is, you'd be shocked to get such humble answers from people whose job it is to look amazing every day. At the end of the shoot each model was asked to write about what beauty is to them. Here is what I said:

"Beauty, in my opinion, is a hard topic to talk about. It's complicated. To me beauty is something that has to come from within. It's when you are doing something good for yourself or others. Beauty is the foundation to making you a better person. Pretty is something that is appealing to the eye, beauty is pleasing to the soul. My parents were the ones that influenced that idea more than anyone else. Both my parents were in the entertainment industry, so looks were very important when they were working. When my siblings and I were growing up, our morals were more important than looking as good as everyone else. We did more charity work and saved money, rather than spending it on frivolous things. In an industry based off of looks, I find it extremely important to hold onto the beauty I was taught.”

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