White Button-Front Lace
Our group had the privilege to photograph a dress donated by the Australian owned, mother/daughter company, Purity Lace Designs. Facebook | Instagram
We approached them with the concept and they loved the idea, allowing us to choose a dress from their collection, we picked the Moroccan Dress. Below is our project presented in the order the dress was photographed in. Enjoy!
Melissa Brown
Website | Instagram
Melissa Brown is in South Australia. She collaborated with a dancer, who happened to have the perfect location.
"What a privilege to be asked to join so many amazing talented women in this travelling dress collective. For me photographing this dress meant working on something personal I’ve been wanting to do for a while, a project for the soul. So I found myself an amazing young ballerina whose parents happened to have property in the Barossa Valley and crossed my fingers for a dreamy sunset and together we created something beautiful." -Melissa
Krystle Ricci
Website | Instagram
Krystle Ricci is in Western Australia, she varied changed it up and did studio portraits that are clean, elegant and timeless.
"The dress arrived just before Christmas and I was pleasantly surprised by it’s beauty, the lace work is exquisite and delicate pearl buttons run down the length of the front. As soon as I opened the parcel it took me back to being a child, sneaking into my grandmother’s bedroom to try on her things. Her bedroom, to me, was always a parlor of glamour. It smelt of rose talcum powder and I loved spritzing her perfume into the air and catching the drops with my face. I would stand at her dresser and admire every glamorous object, her jewellery wasn’t expensive but I thought it was the most precious treasure I had ever laid eyes on and this dress possesses all the appeal and old world charm of my grandmother’s bedroom. I wanted to step out of my comfort zone with this shoot and try a photograph a style that I admire for its glamour and timelessness, but find challenging. I have always adored the work of Sue Bryce and Elizabeth Messina, their photography pares back on the background and you are just left with emotion and light. I wanted my work to echo the photos that hung on the walls of my home growing up. The ones that captured my grandmother’s beauty and youth. I’m so delighted I was contacted to participate in the travelling dress collective and would encourage others to partake and step out of your comfort zone, I’m now inspired to explore all areas of portraiture." -Krystle
Camilla French (Group Leader)
Website | Instagram
Camilla is in North outback Queensland and used the dress for a series of self portraits.
"I had big plans for the dress, I had a strong vision, I knew the model I wanted and I knew exactly how I wanted my photos to look, however, there was one tiny little problem ... I live in remote Northern Queensland, my nearest neighbors are 2km away and my closest town 160km (which consists only of old men). Needless to say, I had to change things up. The only model I could find was ... me! So, self-portraits it was. I set off with my tripod, remote shutter and intervalometer (my son), the weather was dreary (again not what I had envisioned) but I was impatient and wanted to create. I love to freelens and knew that I had to include that in my set, so after setting the camera up, handing out strict instructions not to drop anything I allowed my 7 year old to freelens, stressful times for all. I loved my time with the dress, it is a beautiful garment and I had so much fun, I recommend everyone to form a group and do the same thing." -Camilla
Peta Hood
Website | Instagram
Peta is also in Queensland, but at the southern end of the state. She captured the dress with a free spirit that is both powerful and raw.
"My immediate instinct was to take the dress into the wild. It was February and we were experiencing a period of heavy rain here in the Noosa Hinterland. The forest was calling me, and I birthed a vision based around Clarissa Pinkola Estes' book "Women Who Run With the Wolves". I contacted the daughter of a friend - a beautiful, intelligent, humble, gentle, and courageous young woman; grabbed a feather from my collection for her hair; and a crystal to adorn her neck. All the elements came together. Both of us dedicated to trusting and surrendering. I took her into the wild. We shot in the rain. Nestled deep within the magic of the forest. Connecting with the spirit. Until we finally emerged... at sundown, near an old farmhouse; in a beautiful emulsion of color gifted to us at the day's end. It was such a privilege to be a part of this project; to witness the embodiment of the wild feminine, and to document it with my camera." -Peta
'The real miracle of individuation and reclamation of the Wild Woman is that we all begin the process before we are ready, before we are strong enough, before we know enough; we begin a dialogue with thoughts and feelings that both tickle and thunder within us. We respond before we know how to speak the language, before we know all the answers, and before we know exactly to whom we are speaking.' -Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Next the dress crossed to ocean and went to New Zealand to visit
Olga Levien
Levien Photography | Instagram
Olga Levien | Instagram
Olga used the dress in one of her couple sessions, in a beautiful location, it was a session filled with love and emotion.
"The dress arrived as a surprise. I never expected I would be so excited to open the parcel to see what was inside. I had no idea dress from Purity Lace Designs going to be so gorgeous; I fell in love right away. I took this parcel with me in the car; I planned to shoot an engagement session that day on the beach. My clients arrived from Australia to New Zealand for their pre-wedding photoshoot {and also to visit groom's family}. They looked so gorgeous, a couple crazy in love. I carefully offered the bride to be a chance to change into the dress halfway through the session and explain the meaning of the Travelling Dress Project. Luckily, she was excited to try it on. We had many beautiful, emotional and romantic moments. It was such amazing experience. I right away sent the dress to Helen Whittle back to Australia. Its unbelievable results to see how nine photographers come together to create something beautiful, powerful, making their vision come to reality with the same item. It is truly an inspirational and amazing experience!" -Olga
Helen Whittle
Website | Instagram
Helen also showcased more spectacular Australian scenery, this time in New South Wales.
“The dress arrived from New Zealand in late February. Delicate with beautiful embroidery, I just adored it. As I live in rural NSW, I wanted to capture the dress with views and sunsets. Having not rained for months, the land around me is dry with orange and brown hues, which compliments a sun setting. Usually I work with children and in black and white, so I found this project particularly challenging. All the stars aligned in the evening of the shoot, with my beautiful friend agreeing to model, along with the perfect weather and sky adding drama to my images. What a wonderful project to take part in.” -Helen
Danielle Dobson
Website | Instagram
Danielle is in Melbourne, Vic, meaning by the stage the dress had come full circle and returned to its starting location. Danielle took the dress down by the ocean with spectacular scenery and dramatic wind.
"I knew I wanted to take the dress to the water and came up with some big ideas that didn’t work out. Thankfully the Mornington Peninsula has endless options of beautiful and wild beaches, so my back up options were pretty amazing. We went to two different locations, both were incredibly windy, which my model friend took like a boss. I had such a blast shooting for me, exploring new places, trying new things and just having fun. It is a reminder for me to keep shooting for myself regularly and allow myself to stop, listen, pay attention to my surroundings and shoot how I’m feeling." -Danielle
Fran Jorgensen
Website | Instagram
Fran is also in Melbourne, Vic and she too took the dress down by the sea. And all I can say about it is seagulls!!! (all the heart eyes)
"As a creative I feel the need to be constantly creating and always thinking about the next project or the next client. This year I have discovered the importance of building a supportive community and also create for my own soul, this is why I joined the Dress Collective. The dress through history has been a symbol of the feminine, through my work I wanted the viewer to feel a duality between the delicate and feminine dress and a the wilderness of her surroundings. I want to transmit a sentiment of empowerment and freedom mixed with a sea of emotions that can be our interior lives. I was grateful to the other creative souls that joined this project along and that allowed me to open my mind to something completely out of my comfort zone." -Fran
In total the dress went all around Australia, visiting 5 out of 6 Australian State, it also crossed the Tasman Sea and went to New Zealand. It showcased a variety of beautiful work from talented photographers, also with showing off the landscape. -Camilla (Group Leader)
Artist and Photographer since 2013, specializing in Fine Art Portraiture for Wall Art located in Vancouver, WA, USA.
