Layers are what come to mind when reminiscing on this dark and sultry fashion shoot. At first look, you would see two models wearing thirty-four different ensembles over a six hour period. You would also see our crew shooting and editing, guiding models, and adjusting lighting to accentuate the styles provided by blkmktplc, a vintage store and one of the social enterprises of Neighborhood Industries.
What you wouldn’t see are the hundreds of lives benefiting from this year’s “Diamonds in the Rough” fashion show for Neighborhood Industries, which we had the privilege of pre recording.
As most things in 2020, this year’s fundraiser for Neighborhood Industries is completely virtual, making it even more necessary for the styles to be eye catching and engaging. Our client found a few unique concepts for the pre recorded show happening in December (including the deprivation chamber scene with Eleven from Stranger Things) creating a shadowy atmosphere with the model as a focal point.
We love being able to take what inspires our clients and reframe it to work for the style of their needs and push boundaries of what one would expect from them – and from us! Lighting was queen in this shoot and we really got to flex those skills.
We see clothes in a different light throughout this shoot, put together on some beautiful people and celebrated wholly. What we don’t see is that all these featured pieces were once separately discarded in a bin behind Neighborhood Thrift and culled by blkmktplc. Neighborhood Industries mission is “to operate businesses that reveal value in people so they can be a positive contributor in their homes and neighborhoods'' – seeing people in a different light than they see themselves. Their main focus is job and workforce development in some of Fresno’s poorest communities.
“This shoot is the marriage between two ideas – discarded clothes and people who think they are discarded from society,” says Alvaro Romero, general manager of blkmktplc.
What excites him most about this project is connecting people who may not think twice about going out to a box store to buy a new outfit to the idea of sustainability in their wardrobe by purchasing repurposed clothing.
Romero says, “We can live an eco friendly life and still look good…It’s more than high time to practice sustainability in our lives.”
Being a part of this annual project is always special for us at MEZA Films not only because we love having a client that is open to taking risks, but also for what it does to better our Fresno community.
To find out more about how to attend this year’s virtual Diamonds in the Rough fundraiser, visit diamonds2020.com
Credits:
MUA + Hair: Durand Carter
Styling: Alvaro Romero for blkmktplc
Styling Assistant: Kayla Castro
Model: Brooke Simpson
Model: Ricky Bennick
Original Composition: Julio Calderon
Director: Enrique Meza
DP: Ryan Abbott
Assistant: Joseph Macharia
Production: Michelle Wong