Images for handbag designer KALU, with a message of hope.

I'm thrilled to share with you all these look book / ad images for designer Kalu. This shoot was originally meant to be a simple lifestyle shoot to show the Kalu handbags. But listening to the news lately is suffocating and overwhelming, so I am using all the discomfort to create art. There is something really amazing about working with designers and makers who share similar values and ethics. I really enjoy creating conceptual ad images that send a message of perseverance and hope. The biggest challenge here was how to send the message without feeling cliched, and without loosing track of the product. The focus here is on creating ad images that balance power, hope, and beauty. In my opinion, we did just that.

Kalu's words about the ad images:

With everything going on it has been very hard for me to find the motivation to post about my handbags and fashion related images. I soon realized that's what this administration wants. They want us to disconnect from our art and business, to disconnect from the things we love and are passionate about. We all have the POWER to merge our art and resistance, our businesses and our beliefs. I create with intention and purpose. KALU is more than handbags and accessories, more than pictures and beauty. I am the daughter of refugees turned entrepreneurs, an immigrant, a black woman, a mother of 3, an independent designer/artist, a small business. To all my fellow artists and entrepreneurs, let us continue to create with intention and help unify a very broken America. POWER TO THE PEOPLE!"

“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” - Maya Angelou