The autumn campaign shoot in Paris felt like slipping into a film. The air was crisp, the historic facades doing their usual job of looking important, the streets humming with their usual loud poetry, and talent Fil Xiaobai moved through it all with her unmistakable mix of style and cool. Working with Jesse Laitinen again was a gift. He’s a playful character.
I’ve always loved those pauses between shots, the ones where the guard drops and the talent simply becomes themselves. Fil, lost in a moment of thought, or lighting a cigarette while watching the city swirl around her. Paris itself seemed to lean in, offering its soundtrack. Passing conversations, heavy traffic, footsteps on old stone.
Our styling pad was set in a typically narrow Parisian backyard beacuse of a lack of space. There we met an woman whose tiny dog strutted toward us with the confidence of a local celebrity. It briefly stole the show.
