The experience of a lifetime

When I started as a photographer, every blog, professional guide, and how-to post I read suggested that each photographer needs a "niche", an area of photography that he or she focuses on, enjoys, and advertises. I wrestled with this idea for a long time because I didn't know quite where my photographic style fit in! However, all it took was one fashion photoshoot in January of 2023 for more to know that that is what I wanted to do for a living. I had found my niche (and perhaps I'll go into greater detail on this in a future post).


So, just like any other fashion photographer, I set big goals for myself and created somewhat of a "professional bucket list". At the top of that list was the opportunity to photograph New York Fashion Week, an event that I knew would celebrate the top designs and designers that the industry had to offer. What I didn't know when I set this goal is that I'd be photographing at a New York Fashion Week runway within the same year!


Through an organization called Charlotte Seen, the team responsible for Charlotte Fashion Week and many other runway events throughout the year, I got the opportunity to team with two designers from the Carolinas as they made their way to New York. Adaline Griffin, an incredibly gifted 18-year-old designer from the Charlotte area (reread that: she's 18 and her designs were on the NYFW runway. Mind. BLOWN.) took her beautiful hand-painted Van Gogh collection to Runway 7, and Kathy Harris featured her newest designs under her label Kottkomm. In addition to photographing both lines as the models walked, I also got to document the experience with photoshoots around New York City! Check out some of those images below!

Adeline Griffin's "Van Gogh" Collection photographed at The Met before hitting the runway at New York Fashion Week.

I met Kathy Harris at Greenville Fashion Week in April 2023 and instantly fell in love with her designs under the Kottkomm label. She is actually the person who connected me with Charlotte Seen, so she was greatly instrumental in getting me to New York, and I'm so grateful!

On the runway

As an approved photographer with a press pass (pictured above), I got to photograph runway shows for all four days of Runway 7's programming. I was instantly impressed and excited by the amount of diversity, both in models and designers featured in the shows. Emotions were high on stage as participants walked down the runway toward the press area. You could almost tangibly feel the energy, pride, gratitude, and confidence that strutted from one end to the other. You can see some of my favorite designs below!

van Gogh at the moma and the met

For Adaline Griffin's hand-painted Van Gogh collection, we thought there would be no better place to shoot than the Museum of Modern Art and The Metropolitan Museum. It was surreal to capture these designs in the presence of the art that inspired them. Check out our shoot below!

kottkomm at Paramount hotel

To capture the timeless designs of the Kottkomm line, we chose the Paramount Hotel next to Sony Hall. The moody lighting and classic furnishings lended themselves well to highlight these beautiful gowns.

What's next?

This week begins Charlotte Fashion Week, another event that I'm very excited about! Otherwise, I'm excited to photograph NYFW again in the future, as well as the runways in other cities. To stay up to date on my work, follow on Facebook or instagram below, and feel free to connect on LinkedIn as well!


Thank you for reading, and stay tuned for the next blog post!