Honestly? Woke up Tuesday already thinking about that Skims shoot. Client wants that seamless, second-skin look, zero distractions. Knew it wasn’t just about showing up and clicking a camera. Grabbed my notebook first thing – gotta organize the chaos.
The Clothes Hunt Was… Interesting
Client sent a rough idea, but needed specifics. Dug through my own reference pics of past Skims campaigns. Focused heavy on pieces that looked invisible, you know? Ended up grabbing a stack of options: bodysuits, bras, briefs, tanks – all neutral shades mostly. Didn’t wanna gamble on wild colors messing up the skin tone focus. Washed everything twice with unscented stuff – nobody wants itchy skin mid-shoot.
Prepping My Space? Pure Stress!
Cleared my usual studio spot like a maniac. Needed maximum floor space. Wrestled my seamless paper roll onto the backdrop stands – nearly lost a finger. Seriously hate doing that. Set up two key lights and a big softbox to get that soft, even glow Skims loves. Dodged a major bullet by remembering to tape down all the cords. Tripping over cables mid-flow? Nightmare fuel.
Model Prep Became My Focus
Knew the model’s skin was half the battle. Sent her a brutal prep list days before:
- Hydrate like crazy: Water, water, water starting 48 hours out.
- Shower morning-of, no lotions: Grease = shine under lights. Hated it.
- Wear loose clothes arriving: No sock marks or bra lines!
- Skip fake tan: Streaky tan ruins everything.
Had my kit ready: mattifying powder, lint rollers (so many lint rollers!), spray bottle for flyaways, even little toe pads in case the pieces rubbed.
Shoot Day Chaos (Obviously)
Model arrived perfect – bless her, actually followed the list! Started dressing her, and boom: static cling. Those thin fabrics love attaching to skin. Spent 10 minutes just smoothing, spraying, cursing softly under my breath. Had the fan running on low to cool everyone down, but aiming carefully to avoid messing the hair.
Direction was tough. Needed poses showing the clothes stretching without creasing awkwardly. Like, “Lift your arm, but slowly… okay stop! That crease looks weird. Twist back slightly…” Had to constantly check the camera screen zoomed way in to catch those fabric distortions or skin marks. Sweaty work, mentally. Ended up shooting way more frames than planned for safety.
The Takeaway? Tiny Details Kill or Win
Honestly, it’s exhausting. You think “underwear shoot, simple!” Nope. It’s down to:
- Hyper-clean skin and fabric.
- Flawless lighting setup to avoid shadows hiding detail.
- Obsessive smoothing during shooting.
- Insane patience directing micro-movements.
Turns out the “effortless” Skims look takes a stupid amount of actual effort behind the scenes. Would I do it again? Probably. But man, I needed a huge coffee afterwards.