Famous Model

Laura was our model for the second Minnie + Ree photoshoot with photographer Karolina Stus. Laura is a brilliant writer. Here's her story about being a Famous Model.

Lily dress with boro

Being taller than the average and heavier than the average, feeling and looking great in clothes can be a challenge.  Partly because many clothes are designed and constructed with a set of assumptions that don’t work on my body.  The other part of the challenge is how I see myself in clothes – sadly a common challenge.  

This is why agreeing to be a clothes model was a quietly confronting proposition.  Minnie + Ree clothes are great, and I feel great in them, but with very very limited experience in modelling could I make them look great?  Would I feel great when I saw the photographs?  Would I be happy for other people to see the photographs?  But I did it anyway.

I approached the day with a small amount of trepidation, a reasonable amount of ‘what the hell?!’, and a large amount of “ohmigosh I don’t want to muck this up for Minnie + Ree.”  Turns out, when you are wearing Minnie + Ree clothes, and being photographed by Karolina Stus, there isn’t anything to worry about.

On the day (following essential coffee drinking and outfit planning) we were straight into the modelling.  With a confident Ree and Karolina who knew exactly what was needed I was surprised at how quickly I relaxed and enjoyed it.  Karolina was clear and professional, giving me excellent and supportive direction on what to do.  I felt fantastic in the clothes.  Unexpectedly, and awesomely, I didn’t have to be anyone other than me.  I was wearing clothes I like, in the way I like to wear them, with my hair style, my make up, my jewellery, and my shoes.  I was so comfortable, in fact, that I found myself standing on a public walkway in M+R pants and my bra while Karolina photographed the linen dress looking gorgeous in the long, dry, summery grass!

Lily gauze dress

I love these clothes, so yes I want to support M+R.  Having said that, I don’t say things I don’t believe so this isn’t a puff-piece – I own Minnie + Ree clothes.  When I was thinking about why I feel good in these clothes, it’s because they don’t assume your shape.  When you put them on it feels like Ree has crafted them with the assumption that women want to feel fabulous.  She seems to know that we want to wear clothes that have enough personality to be interesting, but with enough space for us to inject our own personality into the outfit.

When I saw the photographs, they felt real.  Karolina has done a wonderful job of making them true to the clothing, true to me, and true to how the day had felt – warm, relaxed, fun.  I even thought I looked really good (I know!).  While I knew the photos would be used far and wide for promotion, I did wonder how I would feel about that when the time came.  Now I know – I have no qualms at all.  That’s because Minnie + Ree clothes are awesome, Karolina’s photographs are awesome, and I feel awesome about how I look.

https://www.facebook.com/MinnieReeSmith/

https://www.minnieree.com/

https://www.instagram.com/minnie.faux/