Introduction:

Who What Wear (WWW), a prominent fashion media platform, approached me for their exciting collaboration with Crate and Barrel. The project involved selecting staffers living in the Chicagoland area and redesigning their at-home offices using Crate and Barrel products. WWW tasked me with curating props from the Crate and Barrel store to complement the larger furniture pieces chosen by their Creative Director for the office redesigns. Additionally, I artfully utilized each talent's personal items to give the spaces a very personal and unique touch.

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We worked in the homes of two different Crate and Barrel executives in the Chicago suburbs. The project presented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the team communicated via Zoom, and all on-site crew members had to submit negative COVID-19 tests before arriving. Working in real people's homes added an extra layer of logistics and necessitated extreme care to be respectful of the homeowners' spaces. Before starting the styling process, we took "before" photos to ensure a seamless clean-up after the shoot, restoring everything to its original state.

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Development:

The concept revolved around making these work-from-home spaces both aesthetically pleasing and truly functional in a real-life environment. This involved mixing Crate and Barrel products with the talents' personal items, giving the spaces a special and unique feel for each individual. As Crate and Barrel has a specific aesthetic, I worked closely with their Creative Director to ensure that brand guidelines were consistently followed.

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To showcase artwork without licensing concerns, we used a stylist's trick of creating custom art pieces for the frames in one of the talent's bookshelves. This allowed for seamless publishing without any copyright issues. We also collaborated closely with the Crate and Barrel team, following their corporate process to select and approve the perfect pieces from the store for the project.

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Execution:

My team and I handled all aspects of prop curation and shopping, including plants, art, and other necessary supplies to execute the assignment. We then traveled to the location with everything ready to go. Post-production, we ensured a smooth process by taking everything with us.

In addition to working with Who What Wear and Crate and Barrel teams, we were delighted to collaborate with Cynthia Lynn Photography (www.cynthialynn.com and two work-from-home professionals who generously opened up their homes for this project.

 

Conclusion:

The project resulted in a custom-branded feature story published on WhoWhatWear.com, showcasing ten stunning "after" images where Crate and Barrel products took center stage. To ensure a seamless process with larger furniture pieces, we had them delivered and set up prior to the shoot day. The highlight of this project was working with professional women, both working mothers, to upgrade their work-from-home spaces. They deserved functional and beautiful environments, and it was incredibly rewarding to bring their visions to life through styling.