Behind The Scenes Of Our December Catalog

Step behind the lens of photographer Graham Dunn for a few sneak peeks of our December catalog…

I anxiously await the arrival of my new Free People catalog each month. They have an uncanny way of whisking one away to a faraway fantasy land of beauty and fashion. 2016 brought us to some breathtaking corners of the earth — the grand land of Peru, the colorful island of Oahu, and the beautiful corners of Australia, to name a few.

December’s book brings our world traveling back home. Literally. This month, we shot the catalog in our own BLDG 25 on the Free People campus. It focuses on the power of simplicity and how an outfit can affect one’s mood and empowers one’s positivity. Shot by the talented photographer, Graham Dunn (who also shot our May book in Hawaii), the catalog features a range of models — five in fact — encompassing five different personalities and energy. With every flip of the page, a new personality, look and attitude emerges.

I was able to pose a few questions to Graham, as well as FP Senior Stylist Coryn about the shoot. Check it out below.

How would you describe the mood of the new catalog?

Coryn: The December Catalog concept was all about the joy of dressing, how changing your outfit can change your mood, bring confidence or highlight a different side of your personality. We chose a range of models — mixing soft and sensual, hard and edgy. I love how colorful this book is, too… each page has a different feeling — bright and happy, pale and sensual, stark and cool.

Graham: Minimalist, direct, peaceful.

What was your favorite moment of the shoot?

Graham: I really enjoyed shooting a black & white portrait of Crista Cober… sometimes you can feel that all the various elements of a shoot have aligned as you’re shooting and that’s when it’s the most fun.

Coryn: As always, I loved working with our team — so much inspiration and laughter. My favorite moment was our late night edit sessions — making selects and creating the layout. This shoot was a true labor of love.

There are five gorgeous models in this catalog! How would you describe the different personalities of each model?

Coryn: They were all so beautiful in different ways. It was fun the work with each model’s personality and find the right outfit to accentuate her. Sometimes I would try the same look on multiple girls to find the right fit.

What makes you most excited about this catalog coming out?

Coryn: I love how clean this book is — it’s really all about the outfit and the attitude.

Graham: I like the absolute simplicity of this catalog, it’s quite cool to pare everything down to just the basics. It’s exciting to hold a hard copy of the catalog in your hands and see the culmination of so many people’s hard work!

What is the funniest thing that happened on set?

Graham: Probably Crista getting rolled around the studio in a giant recycling bin. Also Producer, Devin, took us out to see Philly at night… we ate at two rival cheesesteak restaurants that are across the street from each other and we saw the most awful karaoke of our lives at Ray’s Happy Birthday Bar.

Coryn: We built a set and painted it different colors throughout the shoot — first white, then lavender, and finally seafoam. My fave moment was seeing our Production Assistant, Adam, in his painter outfit, perched up on the highest steps painting as we were shooting below.