SHOP FOR SUCCESS LOOKBOOK
VCU FASHION EDITION
Dress for Success Central Virgnia is a Richmond based affiliate of the global not-for-profit organization that promotes the economic independence of women by providing professional attire, a network of support, and career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.
Editor's Note
This year, Dress for Success Worldwide, updated our mission to not just include “disadvantaged women”, but “women” in general. It has been great to partner with VCU Fashion Department on this project and serve another demographic of women. I thouroughly enjoyed my time working with some of Richmond’s finest talent to create our last ‘Shop for Success Lookbook’ published in July 2015. It was a teachable moment for myself as a stylist and editor, as it was for the other contirbutors considering Richmond is in no way a ‘fashion capital’ where fashion photoshoot experiences are readily available.
Personally, my journey into the world of fashion began with photography. I adore the art of photography, whether I am shooting with film and working magic in the dark room, or using a multifaceted D-SLR, I have always had an affinity for freezing a moment in time and capturing the beauty of that moment for others to witness. In high school, I wondered to myself, how does one make great money in photography and have the ability to be infinetly creative in portraying the visions of beauty I see in my head. The answer: fashion photography! To me, a fashion photoshoot is the ultimate photographic experience because it mixes creativity, beauty, commerce, and the ability to express a point of view. As I learned more about being a fashion photographer, the world of fashion seduced me into becoming the stylist I now consider myself to be.
Thinking back on my experience in college, and how I was so hungry to gain experience in the fashion industry in some capacity beyond the typical sales positions in retail stores, I would have loved the opportunity to gain experience in photoshoot production and styling. Since becoming the Boutique Manager for Dress for Success Central Virginia, and having published our first Shop for Success Lookbook, I saw the opportuniuty to help other budding fashion professionals who felt the same way as I did. (Read more below)
These students certainly surpassed my expectations. What is amazing is that we completed 9 photoshoots in less that 20 days! The participation I received from this group of young women is immensely appreciated. On top of dealing with their full work load of classes, tests, assignments from other classes, and part-time jobs, they were able to visit our boutique, personally style each look in this lookbook, and make themselves available to go to various locations to shoot these fashion stories for our organization. Planning how this project would play out with the many meetings and correspondence between the student’s course instructor, Donna Reamy, the coordination of it all worked out seamlessly. I am so grateful for this collaboration with the VCU Fashion Department!
Considering our affiliate serves the Central Virginia area, I really wanted to create a Look Book that reflected the greatness of the region, and how a women can see herself prospering in the Metro Richmond area as she works to accomplish her goals. What made these experiences even more worth while was our partnerships with establishments such as The James Center, The Altria Theater, and Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. Having their permissions to photograph at these popular destinations within the city brought such a sense of authenticity and realness to our Look Book and the lifestyles we portrayed. Once again, I hope this look book serves as an example of how Dress for Success Central Virginia goes beyond the suit to help our community and the women we serve!
Boutique Manager and Editor in Chief
Jonathan Copeland