When I first found Lia on Instagram via @mauikao , I knew I had to work with her. Lia has such a contemporary and vintage style that's unlike any that I'd ever seen with Maui models, and I wanted to create art with her that was representative of both our individual styles.
What was unexpected for me was the magic captured behind the lens, and the chemistry we had in bizarre concepts and alternative fashion.
We met at the local record shop in Wailuku, a few minutes away from where I live. The store owner was able to let us use both floors of the store, and for a good hour, we were just playing around with props, outfits, and moods.
My prism was a perfect addition to the photos, capturing an ethereal sort of effect to the ambient lighting of the store and Lia's vintage clothes. I was so surprised that her red beret belonged to her grandmother! I couldn't get over how accented the red outfit was with a red lip, and how it popped out in a store of neutral tones and lighting. I've wanted to do a thrift store style shoot for a long time, and this was the perfect set of circumstances for some of my best images of 2019 to be created.
This was my first time working with Lia, and I doubt it'll be the last, especially considering the laughs we had and the powerful photos we were able to create together.
