It started long before these invitations were sent out...
Back in February, I started to think about what I wanted to do to introduce the FLY modeling experience to the lovely ladies who were nominated for 2014. I knew back then that I wanted to go really big this year with the FLY Model experience and especially the kickoff gathering. All sorts of really cool things have been in the works for the model experience in the past few months for the c/o 2014, and I wanted our gathering to be just a sneak peak into what being a model with FLY feels like. Truly, I wanted to give the incoming girls and their parents the supermodel treatment.
I set to work designing how the event would layout and then what I wanted everything to look and feel like. I wanted it to feel intimate and personal, while being fun and light and playful. So, I started thinking about ways to do that. Putting the event in my backyard was the perfect solution, since we were expecting almost 80 guests, my little 650 square foot apartment wouldn't work. For weeks, I worked on the decorations, using my jumbo circle cutter to punch holes in old magazines and newspapers, then stitching them together to build newspaper circle garland for the backyard. My favorite was the newspaper kissing balls strung across the yard over the seating.. so cute! I made signs trimmed with gold glitter, shopped around for the cutest cupcake holders, and ordered giant balloons for the front yard. Because I had so much interest in the experience this year, I rented a bunch of chairs to make sure I could seat everyone, then ordered a vintage table from Found Vintage Rentals in Fullerton for an extra special table to display all my products. I used to have a brick wall in my Biola dorm room in college, so I knew that they sell wall hanging hardware for brick, which is how the canvases were to be hung along the brick wall of our pathway.
Now, my mother is chef, and runs a production kitchen out in Murrieta, serving as many as 1500 people a day. So when I asked her about helping me with cookies, she almost laughed when I told her I only needed 8 dozen. For her and her incredible staff, 8 dozen is a walk in the park. Fabio and I on the other hand, undertook the task of making 6 dozen Sprinkles Cupcakes (my favorite). I bought a bunch of the mix at Williams Sonoma, and like 5 pounds of butter, and we started baking Friday night. Lets just say it was NOT a walk in the park for us, but it was fun to see Fabio use the kitchen aid. We frosted the cupcakes the following morning, and then started setting them on all of the cake plates I'd collected from my own kitchen (I'm a little obsessed with serving dishes), but mostly we used the adorable collection of cupcake displays I snagged from my favorite neighbor and photography friend, Jen Disney, whose kitchen I raided a few days earlier. The cupcakes were insanely delicious and so so cute! I love sprinkles. Totally worth it!
As we were setting up Saturday morning, we had several cars stop to peak at what was happening at the house. Delivery trucks pulling up, and the crew of friends helping me get everything put together (BIG thanks to Lindsay, Naomi, Bree and Katy.. and of course my fabulous husband Fabio) must have been quite the spectacle in the neighborhood that morning. After everything was finished and we took a breath to stop and evaluate all our hard work, I was super pleased and excited. The result was absolutely fantastic and so much fun.
An hour or so later, my first guests arrived, and the gathering had begun. I watched as my guests strolled through the pathway and looked through products, enjoying cupcakes and cookies and strawberry lemonade, and eventually making their way to the backyard seating area for the presentation. If I'm honest, I was a little nervous! I'm not sure why exactly, I'm very comfortable speaking in front of groups, but I was. Fabio and I had worked on a promo video last month to show a little bit about my photography philosophy and what a shoot with FLY entails. We opened the event with welcomes and thanks for coming, and then played the promo. Check it out here:
Afterward, I had the full attention of 35 girls and their mom or dad, and was able to explain all of the cool photo shoots and parties that will be taking place for the c/o 2014 FLY Models next year. Our first photo shoot is one of the coolest add on's to this next year from previous years. FLY will be shooting a look book using our 2014 Model Team for the local Fullerton clothing boutique Roadkill. I couldn't be more excited that the girls will have legitimate modeling experience using the styling of Roadkill's vintage-meets-urban-outfitters clothing and accessories. The Class of 2014 FLY Models will also be participating in several other photo shoots including Trash the Formal, Prom 2015, and Graduation, and of course all of the girls will be doing Senior Portraits with FLY this summer. It is going to be an absolutely sensational year, and our gathering was just the beginning!! Stay Tuned!
By Jess Spinella