HJ INSPIRATION
BEHIND THE LENS Simplicity
Sally Brooks shares the story behind her 2018 collection, Simplicity
STYLING: ANN SHORE PHOTOGRAPHY: JENNY HANDS HAIR: SALLY BROOKS, BROOKS & BROOKS MAKE-UP: LAN NGUYEN GREALIS
What do you love about this collection?
It’s timeless and simple. I love the way it is shot with beautiful, simple lighting and a stripped back feel; it really was a beautiful collection to shoot.
What was the inspiration for the hair?
I wanted it to be real and effortless hair that just breathes and is allowed to ‘be’ - showcasing that sometimes it’s the simplest things that speak to you. I wanted the hair to breathe, working with natural undertones in the colour and simple textures that are not overworked, allowing each picture to have a beautiful moment of simplicity.
How did you go about setting up the shoot?
Collaborating with Jenny Hands has always been the most incredible experience because she captures what is in my brain! Her lighting and movement on set always inspires me as well as the choice of background and her trust in the concept. It’s a dream team. Choosing models that had a simple beauty meant we had a blank canvas to work on and it allowed the hair on the day to just be – not overworking anything. The shoot day had an organic feel where it was about capturing a moment of natural beauty and effortless style. One linen dress was morphed to suit the model and emotion of each image without being overpowering, and the make-up emphasised each model’s natural beauty, while photography was muted and saturated so the finished look was like a painting. This collection is about all the elements working together and capturing simplicity at its best.
Did anything go wrong or surprise you on the day?
Shooting something this simple is always harder than it looks; you feel like you should be doing more. Pulling everything back is not as simple as the end result makes it look. You have to trust the process, so no ,nothing went wrong but keeping a calm mind and a calm energy allows the pictures to have a very calm feel.
Do you have a significant memory from the day?
Just how beautiful each image was and how much the girls in the pictures loved what they were seeing. Each frame that Jenny shot was beautiful, it was pure art working on this with her.