Hemma's Must Reads

Not to be confused with the infamous Oprah's bookclub, this is the first edition of Hemma's Must Reads. After four years of undergraduate studies at NYU plus time spent reading leisurely, Edna and I have racked up a large set of favorite books. The subjects will be diverse, from philosophy, sociology, fashion, history, to mystery. Here's the book of fashion books: The Fashion Designer Survival Guide: Start and Run Your Own Fashion Business by Mary Gehlhar. I can't begin to express how great this book is about explaining the ins and out of the fashion industry for young designers. The topics discussed includes strategies for production, developing brand awareness, and sales. What I love the most about this book is how specific it gets: Gehlhar lists opportunities a designer can take to break into the industry, factories that openly accept new accounts, and places where you can find a great patternmaker. She also did extensive research with luxury designers, allowing the readers to learn from the best. With a forward by Diane von Furstenburg and a great review by Zac Posen, how can this book not be amazing?

AHM Fashion Show - Behind the Scenes

Out and About in Hemma - Model Citizens Event

Edna, Annlouise and I dropped by the Model Citizens Launch Event. It was a fashion industry networking event that featured a fashion show and a dance performance.

We gained a slew contacts for future fashion shoots. We met a variety of people from photographers, models, stylists, make-up artists, and the organizer Eden.

There will be monthly Model Citizens Events taking place at Element, and the best part: they all benefit the educational system in New Orleans that has been weakened ever since the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

NYU Alums Bring African Fashion To US | NYU Local

Check Out the Very First Article about Hemma by NYU Local!

Preparing for the Shoot

Preparing for the shoot was of course fun, we but it was nerve racking as well. The photos will be used on all of our promotional materials, so it will determine the first impression people get for our brand.

We learned a great deal about how to prepare for a photoshoot and the next one should be easier to prepare for. Here are some tips on photoshoot/film projects:

1) Props 4 Today - Best prop shop that we came by, they had everything we needed. The best part, 50% discount with a student id!!

2) Research - What better way to turn a shoot/film project into a successful one. We got great ideas from magazines and checking out the set-up at high-end stores in SoHo.

3) Model Mayhem - Great resource for finding photographers, make-up artists, and models for your project. Our amazing photographer, Lisa Ramsay, is listed on there as well.

4) Ask a friend - If you are like me, you sometimes forget what amazing resources the people around you can be. I found our photographer by asking my old NYU professor, we found the prop shop through our co-owners, our make-up artists were friends of ours that studied make-up artistry, and I was so grateful that my close friend offered to help during the shoot.