Spanish stylist Raquel Trejo introduces us into the vibrant world of combining prints and patterns. Discover her latest editorial – “Mix & Match”.
Top & Skirt – Karl Lagerfeld | Bag – Just Cavalli | Earrings – Lola Verona | Shoes – Wonders
Blazer – Bash | Skirt – Pepe Jeans | Body – Champion | Earring and rings – Pretty Rumour | Bag – Leandra Bags
THE ARCHIVE: What is Styling to you?
RAQUEL: To me, styling is more than choosing and combining clothes and accessories, it’s a whole process to tell a story, an inspiration, an idea.
TA: What made you choose styling as a career?
R: It all started a little bit “by chance”: I sent my CV to Vogue to do an internship as a writer, but they had just filled that position and called me to start an internship as styling assistant. That’s how I truly found my passion.
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(1) Dress & Sweater – Just Cavalli | Necklace – Anton Heunis| Shoes – Wonders
(2) Jacket, Skirt & Shoes – Karl Lagerfeld | Shirt– Atos Lombardini | Earrings – Gabriela Mora | Ring – Pretty Rumour
TA: What tendencies would you say are coming back or booming these days?
R: As I saw a year ago in New York, the 80’s are making a come back! Shoulder pads and puffed sleeves – to their maximum extent, shiny and sparkly textures, marked waists … also the feathers, the total looks in beige, the fedoras, the XL bags, the Mary Jane type shoe…
TA: You work both in advertising/editorials and in eCommerce projects, what do you like most about your job?
R: Editorials are the most creative format, the one that allows you to tell stories not only through the garments but also through the location, the model, the make up, the type of light… It’s without a doubt the most exciting part and the one that allows you to explore your creativity in a more free and greater way. However, I also enjoy working on a lookbook for eCommerce or watching how they film an ad.
TA: How would you define your style?
R: Nowadays I like to dress with simple-hearted clothes and neutral colors – like, for instance, a sweater combined with culotte pants and stilletos, or a total look in beige – and add details with accessories – like XL earrings or a colorful bag. Lately I’ve also been looking at everything with midi length, may it be dresses, skirts or pants – I believe it can be very elegant. In summer, I’m a huge fan of shirty-type buttoned dresses with floral or striped prints.
Jacket – Lolitas&Lolos | Skirt – Compañía Fantástica | Shoes – Wonders | Scarf – Karl Lagerfeld
Top & Skirt – Compañía Fantástica | Waistbag – Daniel Chong | Shoes – Pitillos | Tights – DIM | Ring – Gabriela Mora
TA: And what about your creative process?
R: The process usually starts with me looking for the current tendencies of the season. After that, together with the photographer, we define what aesthetic we want to follow or what story we want to tell through the photographs. Sometimes this comes to us when we see a specific location that already suggests what way to follow, or when we see a model with specific traits. Some other times we start with the tendencies and use it as a base to look for where, how and with whom we want to create the editorial – so that everything has a coherence and transmits something concrete.
TA: Tell us more about this editorial, what story hides behind these photos?
R: In this editorial I wanted to show the tendency that combines prints but in a way that it becomes wearable, to give real ideas about how to combine different colors and patterns. The main colors in this story are pink, yellow, blue and green.
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(3) Jacket, Shirt & Skirt – Atos Lombardini | Earrings – Anton Heunis
(4) Body – Chiara Boni | Pants – Lolitas&Lolos
TA: What about the rest of the crew, who accompanied you for this project?
R: The photographer was Jose Campos, assisted by Rubén Barba – they created a perfect light playing with light strokes and shadows. The retoucher was Celia Panda from Studio Yagüe, one of the best retouchers I know. The make up and hair were done by Dalia Cuesta, who used a a violet shade to make a glossy eyes effect, combed the hair backwards and created a skin with texture combined with highlights on the cheekbones. Last but not least, our model was Oksana Soko from Blow Models, who amazed us all!
TA: If you had to create a styling based on sustainable brands, which ones would you choose? How would you represent them?
R: One of my favorite sustainable brands is Reformation, aside from being eco-friendly they have beautiful designs and I think it’s perfect for a romantic and dreamy editorial, with pastel colors in a location surrounded by nature. I also like Ecoalf very much because of their image, the store they have near Alonso Martínez in Madrid is a true referent. I would see this brand in something more urban and futuristic. I also have to highlight the ecological lines from Mango and H&M, who try to bring sustainability closer to all kinds of public, that is, suitable for all pockets 😉
And here I have to mention that I also have a small brand where I developed a line called #SaveThePlanet, made with organic and recycled fabrics and in which for each item sold, 5 EUR are donated to Greenpeace.
TA: You work between New York and Madrid, what do you like most about each city?
R: New York has the best locations, almost every corner can produce a spectacular photo. I also enjoy the magnitude of the productions – I remember one fashion editorial that took us around 12 hours to shoot. And in Madrid I love the nice weather, the “terraceo” (enjoying drinks outside, at a bar’s terrace) and how passionate people are.
Top & Skirt – M Missoni | Earrings – Jude Benhalim | Socks – Asos | Shoes – Karl Lagerfeld
Dress – Laura Bernal | Earrings – Pretty Rumour
Top – Pepe Jeans | Dress – Lolitas&Lolos
MIX & MATCH
Stylist & Art Director: Raquel Trejo
Photographer: Jose Campos
Photography Assistant: Rubén Barba
Photo Retoucher: Celia Panda | Studio Yagüe
Make up & Hair: Dalia Cuesta
Model: Oksana Soko | Blow Models