True Cinderella: A Rococo Inspired Shoot | Chicago Fashion Photographer

With a creative dream team, I joined Rachel Goldberg of Thanatos Courture to shoot her garments about the original Cinderella story. With poise and grace, the beautiful models emphasized the visceral and dramatic real story that varies greatly from a Disney fairytale. Using subtle hints to reference bold moments in the story, the garments offer a unique aesthetic on a seductive interpretation of the tale. Keep reading for more details!

Rachel Goldberg, an independent Chicago designer now living in California was the talent that gave birth to this amazing garment collection. They are one-of-a-kind masterpieces based on the original Cinderella story. The series is named “True Cinderella” to reflect how the collection aims to expose the traditional, cruel, gruesome story of Cinderella in contrast to Disney’s happily-ever-after interpretation. With grace and elegance, I tried to emphasize the hints Rachel put in her design to the original story. The best example of this can be found in the stepsisters’ details. Their shoes are adorned with concentrated red rhinestones to reference how the sisters mutilated their feet to fit the slipper, and there are black birds tangled in their hair to illustrate how birds came during Cinderella’s wedding to punish them with blindness (also shown with their red velvet eye patches).

I feel that this series offers a unique aesthetic on not only a “well known” story, but it uses my personal style to deliver a visual treat. All of the models were stunningly gorgeous (yes, even the prince was pretty) and carried themselves with such poise. It fit the vibe given off by the stylized garments flawlessly. The overall look strives to be daring yet seductive while exposing the world to something it’s never seen before.

The shoot itself was a great all day affair. My team came together like a well oiled machine, touching up makeup, making sure the garments were intact, blasting the smoke machine to add a soft haze to a whole section of photos, lighting tweaks, and endless collaboration. A great addition to the atmosphere was how much everyone enjoyed being there. Even when the first two models (Cinderella and the Prince) were done, they stuck around for a while to watch what happened next. The hard work paid off, and the shoot was featured by several magazines and blogs (Unfolded, Glassbook, Dark Beauty, Trend Hunter). Check out some of my favorite shots below the credits to see how the shoot turned out for yourself.

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