Oklahoma-based fashion photographer Shevaun Williams had been playing around with a particular idea for a fashion editorial spread for quite some time. Mexican painter and feminist icon Frida Kahlo is a huge influence on Shevaun, and she wanted to channel Frida’s energy to create a fashion shoot that portrayed a strong Latina character. Shevaun knew she needed to find a publication that would allow her complete creative control, and she knew she wanted the images in print as well. So when Shevaun reached out to Nicole Nelson at Splurge OKC, she was more than thrilled to hear Nicole shared her vision for the editorial piece.
I have been a Frida Kahlo fan for most of my adult life so I have read everything I can get my hands on about her. I wanted that tough independence to come through. I refreshed my knowledge of her paintings and photographic portraits of her. I then began to collect fabric to tell the background story.
From there, Shevaun brought her team on board. Elizabeth Wheat, a fashion stylist from L.A., makeup artist Teriasia Dean, and hair stylist Desiree Irving. Then lastly, they were able to find a new model from local agency Brink Model Management to bring it all together.
Shevaun knew she wanted a three-dimensional look in regards to the wardrobe, but she still wanted to mimic the look of a painting for the image itself. After going through many different lighting scenarios, she finally settled on a ring flash to pull it all together.
In the end, Shevaun and the publication were thrilled with the results. They are even planning to continue more projects incorporating different themes of diversity.
The magazine flew off the newsstands, and I am still getting calls from people who want to know where to get one. Although it is a local publication, I have had feedback from across the United States…I am very happy with the outcome.
See more of Shevaun’s work on her website.
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