Backstage in Italy and Spain. Bridal, Part 1

Written By Alina Manova
_DSC0950.jpg

There is a risk, that this post may sound like bragging with beautiful images at beautiful places…and to an extend, maybe it is. But I love my job and that is why I don’t feel ashamed. Our work is done for the sake of being visible and accessible. I hope most of you would see it as an inspiration or as a slight “push” to be proactive and never quit on your dreams of doing any kind of art.

 

One of the greatest aspects of my profession is travelling. It has taken me to wonderful spots in Italy, Spain, France, Greece, Iceland, Switzerland and more. Here I will tell you about how the photos for a big wedding dresses campaign are happening and how much effort it is actually needed to get the right shot. You will see that the work of a model is not so easy at all and it is not just about being tall and beautiful. Moreover, the best part is that by showcasing the images, I will virtually take you on a walk to some of the best places where we have worked.

When one of my favourite clients, Julia Kontogruni, contacted me and invited me to work together for their upcoming campaign, a tour of Rome, Florence and Pisa awaited us. How could anyone refuse such a job offer?! We got along great and for three years now, we have been finding ourselves at the perfect locations in Europe.

 

Noto, Sicily

 

Julia Kontogruni invests not only in the quality of their dresses, but also in the whole vision that they present to their customers. And this is extremely important for the image and the reputation of a brand and its product. That is why in their field, they are valued and invited to participate in exhibitions such as New York Fashion Bridal Week, Milano Fashion Bridal Week, Barcelona Bridal Week, their dresses are covered by various media, including VOGUE Spain and their gowns shine in showrooms in Paris, Sicily, Grenada, Seoul, the Netherlands, California, China and many more.

Their work attitude is important to me too, because when the client trusts the team he has chosen, then the magic happens. And here we come to the man without whom these shots would have never looked so "wow", the photographer - Nikola Borissov. Living between Milan and Cape Town, besides being an absolute professional, he is also the polyglot in our group, who enchants people with his perfect Italian, French, Spanish, English (maybe I am missing a language), wherever we find ourselves.

 
 

After the “commercial break”, let's go back to the photoshoots. At a glance everything looks great, but sometimes it’s a challenge behind the scenes . These type of photos are taken mostly at sunrise, because the light is the best. At sunset too, but then the time window is smaller and the locations are full of people. At midday the sun is directly overhead, respectively the shadows on the face are the largest, so we can not shoot at that time.

This means that for me and the model, the work day starts at dawn, when everyone else is still asleep. We get up at 3:30 a.m. to do makeup and hair, in order get to the location in time for the sunrise and the beautiful early morning light. Next is putting on the gown, which, believe me, is not an easy and quick job at all. This is a whole process that requires a minimum of three people - huge crinolines, plumes, sleeves and corsets with dozens of miniature buttons, thousands of pearls and Swarovski crystals, embroidered by hand and so many more details to carefully arrange in a pricise way, and last but not least to position the model in the right place in order to get the images and then a speed backstage video done by George Kazakov (you can see the edit for YouTube down below)… Then the whole “installation” must be removed in reverse order and then onto the next one. With it comes the next location, because we do not stay in one place, as in studio productions, but move constantly.

Sometimes we climb up small narrow streets with all of our luggage, because cars are not allowed to enter. For example the ones in Girona (where some scenes in the Game of Thrones were shot as well) or maze parks, like the one in Barcelona - Par del Laberint d’Horta. Of course, after every change of a huge dress, the hair and make-up need to be re-touched… It is often very cold in the morning, then it becomes unbearably hot during the day and we all get sunburn with T-shirt and sunglasses marks, or it is so windy that only the impressive mass of the dress keeps the model from flying away. Sometimes we play tag with the coming rain, and other times with curious tourists who want a picture with the “princess”. We wait for permits, try to hurry for a shot in the Vatican before tourists start coming in, or for a shot in a cathedral before the bells ring so we do not to disturb those who come to pray… or to beat the tourists who take Instagram photos in front of the Trevi Fountain or the Tower of Pisa. 

 

Rome, Florence, Pisa

 

Sometimes accidents happen - on one campaign I fell down a spiral staircase, I had the feeling that I was going face down for at least 2 minutes and I was limping with bruises for at least 2 months after that. During the photos the next year I burned my palm and had do hair swirling a French twist bun with my left hand and 2 fingers on my right, makeup too (which was easier for me)… But, an Italian old lady saved me with a secret skin remedy - oil from St. John's wort, which immediately stopped the swelling of blisters… As you can see, we have fun.

 

Backstage

 

But to tell you the truth, the most difficult job in this case is that of the models - of those real "machines" that do not wine, but simply act fierce. They are heroes. They have to withstand any weather or exterior conditions, people constantly directing them, dressing and undressing them, putting on and taking off make-up of them, etc. And all that while posing beautiful and remaining professional, calm and showing the dress in the best way possible, because we all look at them in the end. And the next day, they have to be in full combat readiness again.

 

Barcelona & Girona, Spain

 

The best thing is that at the end of the day you feel tired and happy with the completed work and the good teamwork. You may see these people three times a year, but in those three times, you move as a family. Everyone helps and depends on the other.

And, at dinner we are a noisy bunch at the table where everyone is wondering what to order… pasta, lasagna, pizza, gluten-free, non- dairy, more cheese, more pasta, wine, something sweet… And Nikola (the photographer) of course has to translate all of our questions, explanations and orders in Italian or Spanish to make it happen faster, until he goes “insane” and so on until next time. :)

 
IMG_7305.JPG
 

P. S. In the second part, expect some practical advice, recommendation for brands and professionals you can trust for such events…in other words, a typical blog post.

 
 
Alina Manova
Next

My Secret Makeup Technique