The Shoot.
At the start of 2020, I purposefully wrote down words that I wanted to live by: elevate, heal, inspire, and intentional.
Elevate. Verb. To raise or lift something up to a higher position.
Heal. Verb. To become sound or healthy again.
Inspire. Verb. To fill (someone) with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.
Intentional. Adjective. Done on purpose; deliberate.
This photoshoot was a manifestation of all of those words.
I decided to include several of my friends in this shoot to represent the community that Namaste by Jay stands for. Audre Lorde once said, "without community, there is no liberation." This community enables us to free ourselves from past experiences.
The women in these photos are unidentifiable because their stories are shared anonymously. I believe that by not focusing on who is in the image or who is dictating the narrative, we can dedicate all of our attention to the experience being shared. Without putting a face to the account, we can more easily step into the storyteller’s shoes and find pieces that resonate with our own journey.
While I provided the words that I wanted Namaste by Jay to embody, the creative directors, Keirsten Lynnette and Jazzmin Robinson, assigned each word a color for the shoot.
Keirsten Lynn and Jillian Woodard
Paul Scott and Jillian Woodard
Red symbolizes empowerment and strength, while inspiration is represented by the color orange. Healing is emblematized by the color purple, and success by the color green. Lastly, yellow is included to invoke a sense of joy.
On the “Go Off, Sis” podcast, Traci Ellis Ross said, “Fashion used to be an armor for me, and now it’s a form of creative expression. It is how I wear my insides on my outside. Different parts of my identity come forward.” Retail therapy is real thing, and the outfits selected recognize shopping and styling as a form of healing.
I found that spending time outside helped me overcome my depression and anxiety; this shoot to captures that odyssey. Inspired by Ari Lennox's "Up Late" music video, the photographer, Paul Scott, and one of the creative directions, Jazzmin, found the perfect locations. The open space with a scenic background represents the freedom and courage to decide and define who we are on our own terms.
Overall, this shoot served as an opportunity to inspire. To inspire others. To inspire myself.
My hope is that you enjoy this art as much as we enjoyed making it! See below for where the outfits were purchased!
Green Jumpsuit: Originally purchased from Zara on sale, pulled from Jillian’s closet for the shoot
Orange Dress: Missguided (Originally $133, purchased on sale for $66)
Yellow Dress: Lulu’s ($68)
Purple Dresses: Boohoo (Originally $25, purchased on sale for $10) and Oyemwen ($350)
Red Dress: Originally purchased from Abyss by Abby for $265, pulled from Jillian’s closet for the shoot