Photographed and written by Walter Grio.
I was looking through these beautiful photos by a professional fashion photographer and I started to notice that most of the photos I liked were styled by Michael Dye. He is a London and Milan based stylist who’s done work for Vanity Fair Italia, Elle Norway, Elle UK, Vogue Gioiello, and many others. I decided to email him (why not!) and ask if it was possible to do a photoshoot with him to help Shoot for Change raise money for a nonprofit organization in Seattle. He replied yes. I couldn’t believe it.
Michael and his two assistants met me at The Gore Hotel in London. I had already shot at The Gore Hotel (photos), so I was excited to shoot there again. When they arrived, Michael’s assistants unpacked the dresses, laid them out, steamed them, and hung them up for him to see. A dozen designer dresses, shoes, and several thousand dollars worth of jewelry and accessories were all on display in my hotel room. It was ridiculously cool.
I was staying in this beautiful room called The Judy Garland, which was decorated with all of these art pieces and ornate furniture. And the first area Michael chose to shoot was the corner of the room. Why? Because of the wall’s color. It was an eye opener for me. It led me to think more of colors and to look for details in a room. He also worked fast — it was like, shoot photo, change dress, change look. Next. Done. We ended up shooting about 6 different looks in less than an hour. It was amazing and was definitely a turning point in how I approached a fashion photoshoot.
Model: Hannah Ubl
MUA: Alison Cameron
Stylist: Michael Dye
Stylist Assistants: Katy Moore and Sasha Rainbow
Location: The Gore Hotel London, UK
Date: July 2009
Ruth Tarvydas Dress; Butler and Wilson Jewelry; Kate Kuba Shoes
Dye 4 Gething Dress; Louis Mariette Head Piece
Basso and Brooke Dress; Butler and Wilson Jewelry
Roberto Cavalli Dress; Wolford Stockings
Ruth Tarvydas Dress; Louis Mariette Head Piece
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