Flatlay Fever

Flatlays are the ultimate must-have accessories to every modern-day blogger's Instagram feed. A well placed and professional layout of products - flatlays are the latest strategic marketing tool being used by bloggers and fashion companies alike to subtly promote their product to a wide spread social media audience. If you're an aspiring fashion creative looking to break into this tough industry, having the ability to produce a high-quality flatlay is a great attribute to have and adds one more element to your resume to help you get noticed.

Because of the rising popularity of flatlays (and because I consider myself pretty alright at producing a decent flatlay) I thought it would be a great time for me to share my tips and trick on how to create an eye-catching and professional fashion flatlay.

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USE NATURAL LIGHTING

My first tip is to always use natural light. Natural light is the most flattering you can capture therefore is the most complimentary to produce a good photo. Personally I take my images on the ground in front of a big window but you could shoot on a table, your bed, anywhere as long as its stable and close to a large amount of natural light. I've found you get the best images when you shoot mid-morning or in the middle of the day as this is when the light is at its brightest. Understandably though, us busy fashionistas are constantly working and it can be difficult to find a time, during daylight, to shoot an array of flatlay photos. My suggestion for overcoming this is to dedicate some time on the weekend to put together your images. For example spend your Sunday morning shooting 3-4 flatlays, bank them up on your phone and your Instagram feed is sweet for the next week.

ALWAYS HAVE A WHITE BACKGROUND

If you are really looking to capture a professional and high-end aesthetic in your flatlays its crucial to use a white background. Using white allows the focus to be solely on your products and your well thought out placement. It ensures the products and their labels aren't washed out by a background of similar colours and captures the true shapes of the products used. White also creates a flattering contrast and allows the vibrancy of your products to shine. To create a white background use a piece of white cardboard, a white bedspread, sheets or if you're lucky enough to have access to a studio you could use a studio paper roll.

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CREATE A THEME/MOOD

Creating a mood or theme for your flatlay gives you a concept or idea to work with when compiling products to feature in your flatlay. A theme could be anything from "current fashion favourites" or "Mercedes Benz Fashion Week" to "fitness" or "travel". It can be broad or it can be extremely niche, its entirely up to you, as long as you have an idea to work with you will be able to find and put together an array of products that compliment each other. It is important to keep in mind that you don't have to strictly use products that instantly scream the words of your theme. Be creative and think outside of the box - using products that still have a slight attachment to the key words but are not something you would instantly think of. For example when putting together a flatlay for "fitness" you don't necessarily have to include a plate of salad or a photo of your gym membership. Think beyond these generic items and include your new pair of Nikes, your workout gear or magazine images of fitness gurus who are your ultimate inspiration.

SHOWCASE AN ARRAY OF PRODUCTS

Flatlays aren't all about fashion or beauty products, its an opportunity to share your all-time favourite purchases or products of the moment with your viewers and showcase a variety of different brands. Its important to use an array of items to create a mood and showcase your personality through your images. You can use anything you like in your flatlays from clothing to beauty items, accessories, food, travel items etc. The key is that you place the items you choose strategically and use the products to tell a story. To add depth and personality to your image its important to place your products in different and intriguing ways. For example some bloggers strictly place their products symmetrically and in-line with each other while others will always have their products on a diagonal. Personally I like to use a combination of symmetrical and asymmetrical lines to place my products and create interest at a number of different points throughout the image.

CAPTURE WITH A GOOD CAMERA

Using a good camera is a crucial element in capturing a professional flatlay image. Taking your photos with a clear and advanced camera will enhance the quality and resolution of your images as well as allow the true colours and shapes of your featured products to shine through. Personally the term "good camera" I consider as either a professional DSLR such as a Nikon of Canon or the camera in-built to one of the latest models of a smart phone e.g the iPhone 6 or the latest Samsung. Its also important to note that you should never use flash. In the past I have only found flash to create more shadows to your flatlays and take away the raw and natural element we create with natural light.

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TAKE TIME TO EDIT IMAGES

 Lastly but probably the most importantly it is essential to edit your flatlay photos before upload. Editing flatlays should only be used to enhance the colour and light captured during your shoot and intensify the quality of the image. I also use this editing time to crop my photos. Personally I think flatlays are the most flattering when cropped to a square as it allows the whole image to be filled with product and the labels to be read clearly. It also increases the professionalism of the image. You can achieve a square flatlay by either cropping the photo taken with your DSLR camera or you could simply take a square image of your flatlay with your smart phone. When editing the elements of a flatlay I always like to enhance the contrast and brightness to create the illusion the background is a very stark white and sometimes, depending on the image,  I will enhance the saturation and sharpness to emphasise the vibrancy of colours and reveal the true and raw shapes of the featured products.

High Fashion: Fashion Flatlays - all images used are my own.

So there you have it, those are my top tips and tricks to producing a professional and high-quality fashion flatlay. Getting it right the first time can be a little tricky and sometimes frustrating when the images don't come out how you want them to, but just take your time and strategically edit and the final product will come together. 

For more fashion flatlay inspo head over to Instagram and follow @flatlaystyle and @flatlays for some amazingly creative images.

Leila Joy.

There are many inspirational and talented creatives in the fashion industry however when asked to write about just one it can be a little hard to chose. As I've said before I'm not necessarily your typical mainstream girl, I feel inspired by people who are a little bit off centre, beat to their own drum and achieve success with an edge. I don't typically go for the industry house-hold names and I'd much rather support someone who is a quiet achiever, modest and an undiscovered, underground success. 

These inspirational souls are the people I search for and tend to love best. It was by chance I came across this creative gem but I've followed her journey and continued to be inspired by her ever since.

Please allow me to introduce Leila Joy Berney.

A self-taught photographer living in Sydney,  Leila is a free-spirited, edgy, raw and brave creative who has a deep passion for "people, exploring the world and telling a story through words and images". She isn't afraid to push the boundaries or expectations of any industry and stays true to herself through the purity and rawness of her photographs.

"Trying to capture the essence of a person or place, their vulnerability, their whole, the life inside them."

I first discovered Leila through local Sydney beauty (and my ultimate girl-crush at the time) Dj Tigerlily. I was obsessing over her blog when I came across pictures they had taken together. The images had a gypsy-like bohemian feel, telling a story of a wanderer through the sun, sand and sea.  These elements combined with the juxtaposed environment really caught my eye. Tigerlily's unconventional green-tiped dyed hair mixed with high fashion pieces and a rustic background all bought together this unbelieveable beauty, a combination of high-end luxuries and ultra cool urbanity.  I simply could not believe the breath-taking beauty Leila had created and I loved that they portrayed an unconventional, care-free world.

Another aspect that I love about Leila is that she hasn't permanently dropped herself into one box. She combines her two passions; writing and photography to tell stories. Stories of fashion, nightlife, travel and personal adventure to share and inspire others. Her stories have the ability to connect with the viewer and penetrate deep emotion within their bones, all giving off an incredible energy and defining her unique style.

"With a camera in one hand and a pen in the other, I capture and record little sparks of life and share them with others."

Her editorial work has been published in a number of both Australian and international online platforms and digital magazines including Nylon Japan Magazine, MINC Magazine, The Feed and David Jones online, just to name a few. Aside from fashion Leila has also gained great exposure through the Sydney nightlife and Dj scene by photographing some iconic faces and events including regular shootings of Dj Tigerlily and last year's sold out Alison Wonderland Warehouse Project.

Her style is free-spirited, edgy and raw, and captures the essence of a person or place and moments of “spontaneity and purity”.  She firmly believes that "what is raw is beautiful" and that quote of her's consistently continues to inspire me. Just like Leila has done, I too one day aspire to combine all my passions into one, sharing my obsessions, personality and loves with the world through images and text.

Leila Joy is an absolutely incredible talent and I cant wait to see what she can produce and where her journey takes her next. Its motivational woman like her that push me to keep dreaming big and strive for success.

 For more information about Leila or to explore even more of her amazing content head to her blog:  followthezephyr.com

(all images sourced from Leila Joy sites)

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alexander wang x h&m

Let's talk about fashion collaborations. Whether it be Pharrell Williams for Adidas or Missoni for Target, they all give the fashion savvy public of today's day and age the opportunity to get their hands on an exclusive designer piece.. and we go crazy for it!

One of the biggest inhibitors and enforcers of these types of collaborations are retail giant H&M. Having worked with a number of designers in the past including Karl Lagerfeld, Roberto Cavalli and Versace they have experience in providing these unique opportunities to the public on an incredible scale and as a result have created an amazing and ground-breaking reputation for themselves.

When their 2014 collaboration with Alexander Wang was announced early last year, the world went into a frenzy and waited in anxious anticipation for the collection's release.

That long awaited day finally arrived on November 6th last year when the collection was glamorously unveiled. Held at the Armory Foundation in NYC, the event brought social icons including Dakota Fanning, Solange Knowles and Missy Elliot under the one roof to present an innovative and on trend collection that was unlike anything else and certainly did not disappoint.

From crop t-shirts to sports-bras, weatherproof jackets and even an exclusive run of shoes amongst many more accessories and clothing items, the collection oozes urbanity, modern fashion and all round downtown cool. Its a collection designed for and inspired by the fast-paced lifestyle of NYC, with Wang sticking to a classic monochromatic colour scheme and mixing the aesthetics of both sportswear and performance to offer a range of pieces that are appropriate for the gym and everyday wear.  

The collection is of broad spectrum not only providing pieces for both the menswear and womenswear departments, but a huge range of footwear and accessories including backpacks, boxing gloves and socks to allow buyers to achieve the all round signature Wang look from head to toe.

The collection's style can solely be described as Sport luxe,  a style which we've continuously seen evolve this past year and grow into one of the hottest and most practical trends both on the runway and on the street. Wang has used every element you would expect to see in a typical sport luxe wardrobe throughout the collection to portray a unique and fashion-forward scuba diver cross sport luxe theme. 

Neoprene, mesh, exposed zips, weatherproof materials, stripes and lace detailing take charge throughout the collection with a subtle pop of colour and giraffe print bringing a bit of style and edge to the otherwise neutral collection. He also brought back the puffer jacket and detatchable hoods to allow New Yorkers to stay warm and dry during the unbearable winter months, whilst still looking fashion-forward and cool. The theme perfectly suits this collaboration as it combines the practicality that H&M shoppers look for with the high end, expensive aesthetic that Wang's clients adore.

As expected, the exclusive collection was a huge hit around the world - not only did it make the H&M site crash 10minutes before release by it sold out in Australia within the first 24hrs of it being on the shelf. So incase you didn't grasp the gravity of that, that means that the exclusive, one-off run had sold out in Australia before it had even been released in Europe or the US.

With all that being said its safe to say that designer collaborations,  particuarly ones with lower end retailers,  are a huge success for all involved. Not only do they allow retailers to gain more exposure and broaden their market but it gives designers the chance to share their brand and lifestyle with a different group of people and provides shoppers with the opportunity to get their hands on a special and exclusive designer branded piece.