Born more than 9,000 kilometers apart, Serbian stylist Mila Franovic and photographer Alana Paterson of BC’s Gulf Coast eventually met and befriended one another at art school a decade ago. The duo says they have a kind of telepathy that makes collaborating a pleasure rather than a battle of creative minds. With talent multiplied by two, four keen eyes and an armload of clothing, the pair produced a raw and naturally beautiful set of photographs for Styled.


What about fashion and the art form of styling are you drawn to?

My training was a BFA at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design. Spending time mood boarding, making things work, making people happy. I like styling especially, if I can build something greater than clothes.

Do you have a defined process that you like to walk through when styling?

Depending on the project it's usually: moodboard, scout and cast, moodboard, meetings, produce, samples and style, moodboard, fittings, moodboard, accessories, smile and then shoot.

How do you determine whether or not something "goes together?"

I just make the call based on the situation; I feel like I'm there because I can make the call ""winky face." But if someone wants me to theorize printed socks and purple shoes I'll refer to an image or compare it to looks already shot or a situation from a previous shoot. Every article of clothing, even if it's a sample, has a history, just like art, you just have to be able to talk about it.

You first styled for Lifetime Collective back in 2009. How have you watched the brand change and grow since then?

Well basically Trevor Fleming got nicer [laughs]! And Reid (Stewart) has always been so nice!

What about Lifetime Collective, and the in-season collection in particular, did you hope to convey through your Styled?

I wanted it to look different from how I've done it before, and I wanted it to be styled in a less predictable way, messier but intuitive looking.

How did you and Alana collaborate on this project?

I scouted the models Ainsley and Chase. Alana and I collaborated on the three locations. I chose the outfit based on the darkness (emotionally and literally) of the location, and we chose the order of the locations based on how much light each was going to get at that time of day. And then we went with the flow.


Was the colour blue intended as a theme?

No, that was just one of those happy accidents. We knew the model had blue hair... Then it was like hmm blue lipstick is cool... it just worked out, which is neat.

What is your favourite shot of the bunch?

My favourite shot is of Chase smoking in front of the pool. The way he's framed inside the pool, and the way the line in the swimming pool goes right through his eyes is really nice.

Were the photos shot on film or manipulated to appear that way? They look quite grainy.

They are all shot on film, and I shot a little off the mark in order to lower the contrast in the photos just a touch. I'm not really into punchy colours at the moment, so I tone it down a bit with my metering, which also brings out a bit of grain.

What do you like about the use of natural light?

It’s just so honest. I try to use as natural an approach to my image making as possible. I use a lens that is closest to the human eye, I shoot natural-coloured films and avoid postproduction to a large extent. I don't like to feel like I'm fooling anyone. I want people to be able to look at a picture and be like that was really there, that’s what it really looked liked.

www.milafranovic.tumblr.com
www.alanapaterson.com