Natasha Gerschon, Photographer
Garnering a reputation for being anything but ordinary, Natasha Gerschon has made a name for herself as a Toronto-based photographer, producer and director. The Argentinian-born icon is known for infusing her creative vision into the worlds of fashion, beauty and hair.
“I used to obsess with the old video camera we had at home,” explains Gerschon of her early passion for photography. “I was always the one recording the parties, and sketching skits with my sister and cousins. Then in high school I picked up a Minolta film camera, and learned to develop my own film. That was it. I was hooked! It’s still hard to express photography as my passion. To this day I think image making is what drives me, and exploring concepts through the camera is another way to get that creative output.”
Gerschon channeled that creative output alongside hair master Peter Gray for the cover shoot, confirming that it was important to keep the looks classic and use light to emphasize the hair. “Since, in a way, this is a relaunch of the magazine, we wanted to go through eras and showcase them through the eyes of modern fashion,” she adds. “Ultimately the inspiration comes from the team, from makeup, to styling, photography and of course hair. Individually, we can only get so far, but as a whole we just kept feeding off from each other, serving as muses to one another.”
Susana Hong, Makeup Artist
The beauty of makeup is that it is flexible, and the looks you plan might not work out with clothing, lighting, or the model. I planned a few general looks for each era we were planning on shooting, and like I always do, I mostly decide after I’ve had a good look at the model in person and an idea of wardrobe, hair, and lighting. I just knew I didn’t want to be literal with the looks.
I had just met the photographer that day, and it’s always a challenge getting to know their light and quickly making adjustments to the makeup accordingly. You have to get to know the nuances of how they work. Luckily Natasha was super professional and very easy going so there were no problems there.
I felt they were a great inspirational representation of classic eras while avoiding looking like a ‘period’ still piece. The hair looks were solid and spectacular, and I was happy to be a supporting piece in the overall mood.
Randy Smith, Stylist
When I was given the task to use all Canadian designers and also have each look fall into a specific decade, I was worried that it would be impossible to accomplish. But as I moved forward with my pull, the more I found pieces that worked beautifully with our concept. I sourced established designers as well as newer ‘up-and-comers’ to complete the full breadth of our shoot.
My biggest challenge on the day of the shoot was deciding which pieces to use as I ended up with quite a beautiful selection. It was hard to choose. In the end, I’m very proud of the images we all created. It was a fabulous day with a fabulously talented group of people!
Mylan Araujo, Manicurist @ CND Nails
When I was approached with this amazing opportunity, I was really looking forward to making nails that would be inspired by the modern classic look and feel. Studying colors and graphic lines of vintage cars allowed me to create a style that would complement past and future.
My challenge on the day of the shoot was hoping that my nails would complete the look. The overall look of the images are mind blowing and I am so grateful to have been part of this creative concept and glad to have worked with a handful of ridiculously talented people.