As students at a university headlined by its fashion program, there is an expected interest in fashion that has translated into many clubs and extracurriculars. One of these clubs, the Lasell Fashion, Styling, and Photography club, has expanded largely in recent years, becoming a great opportunity for students to gain experience in various roles related to the fashion industry.
The club offers a variety of positions for those interested. “You can be a stylist, which means you put garments together for the models. We usually pair up two stylists to each model. We usually have three or four models per shoot, and then we usually have two photographers per shoot, plus people for hair and makeup,” said club President and senior fashion media and marketing major Shelby Cranston-Weaver.
The club currently has an astounding 95 members. With so many members and a limited number of people in each shoot, getting everyone involved throughout the semester is an important goal for creative team members.
“My goal for the club as Vice President is to make sure that everyone feels seen and heard and can work collaboratively with the other students on campus. As a senior, I feel as though I have a sense of responsibility to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to express their creativity,” said Vice President and senior fashion merchandising major Jacqueline Minasian.
Another major goal of the club is sustainability, which is something junior fashion merchandising major and Treasurer Sydney Veilleux emphasizes. “We really have a sustainability message behind us. So the clothes that we use either come from a thrift store, which we then return back. Or they come from our own closet. This semester especially we've been really using our own closets,” said Veilleux.
While having so many different roles within the club can make photoshoots hectic, the creative team strives to keep an uplifting environment on set. “Shoot days can be a little stressful just because we have to get everything done. But overall, I'd say they're really fun. I think the models and stylists have a great time posing and just seeing their vision come to life,” said Veilleux.
This environment is something club advisor and Associate Professor of Graphic Design Stephen Fischer can attest to. “The times I have visited the sets for the shoots the atmosphere is quite lively and the spirited collaboration that happens offers so much to a positive creative experience for the students,” said Fisher.
The club strives to do two to three photoshoots each semester, allowing for all members to get involved and have a chance to build their portfolios. While the opportunity to build a personal portfolio is a perceived benefit of the club, Cranston-Weaver notes the work produced in photoshoots often also makes its way into global magazines.
“One of our biggest accomplishments is that we got into Vogue Italy magazine, for our ‘In Bloom’ shoot. We also got into the magazine Proficient for our shoot ‘Unorthodox Promenade’,” said Cranston-Weaver, “It means a lot to me that we have accomplished something that is more than just a school club. We go above and beyond and have achieved things that a lot of people even outside of college have trouble doing. It just makes all the hard work worth it because at the end of the day we know we’re good enough.”
For those interested in joining the club, the creative team encourages students to reach out over Instagram or e-mail to see how they can get involved.
“If you’re interested in fashion, styling, photography, make-up, hair, behind the scenes, this is your club. Even if you’re not interested in any of those, we’d love to see what you can bring to the team. We want as many team members to feel a part of this club as well as join such a great and positive environment,” said Minasian.