K&Co x Harry's Steakhouse | Noir Noir Noir

Hello, gorgeous people!

Well, I’m back. Did you miss me?

This is Adina Weinstein, the Creative Director of Klaudia and Co… and I have a confession. We actually have not been doing shoot rollout in Chronological order. This shoot, the collaboration with Harry’s Steakhouse, was actually the first shoot that I ever directed.

I’m not going to lie... I was so unbelievably nervous for this shoot. I was completely torn on whether or not to pretend like this was a thing I had ever done before. I had stress dreams the whole night before about waking up late and missing the entire thing. What only added to my anxiety was the fact that I was working with two unbelievably professional women whose work I had fallen in love with. I woke up incredibly early and bought Siede, our makeup artist, a very sad blueberry muffin from Caribou Coffee because I wasn’t sure what to do with myself. I promptly decided that I was going to pretend I had done this before, sat in the makeup chair, to which Siede then said “This is your first time?” Yes, Siede, this is my first time. She then proceeded to give me the best hairstyle I’d ever had in my life.

The shoot went incredibly well. I had the help of Klaudia and the guidance of Yvonne. Looking back at the shoot, I genuinely believe that this experience with Yvonne helped me learn how to take charge at every shoot after. Both Yvonne and Siede traveled down from Fargo… Siede must’ve left at like five in the morning.

I have many vivid memories from this shoot, but there's one particularly surreal one that comes to mind. It's incredibly indicative of the fact that it was my first shoot. I remember going to the bathroom at Harry's- a beautiful bathroom- and catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I had been so busy running around that I hadn't fully looked at myself... and certainly not in one of our beautiful gowns that I had pulled on concealed by a vinyl booth. I remember looking at myself and finding myself almost unrecognizable- who was this woman staring back at me? This fourties starlet that looked like she belonged in the movies that I watched when I was young? Why, yes, it was me. It was me in a Klaudia and Co dress with my face and hair done by Siede Beauty. 

(Please note, lovely people, that this is not to say that you will find yourself unrecognizable. Siede makes you a beautiful YOU on your wedding day. On set for something fake, however, Siede can transform you.) 

That's a good word to describe it all- surreal. That's the beauty of getting to write here to you about my first shoot. All of a sudden it's a dream come true, and it's happening now, so hurry up and get to it!

Everything, like at most shoots, had a way of seeming for a moment like something bad was going to happen and it all turned out. We had a time and a half figuring out the lighting- but Yvonne, of course, came up with the brilliant idea to cover the blindingly bright bulb with a veil to soften it... while still having it remain bright enough to light the dining room. My fake nail kept popping off. The tables were too heavy for us to move.

And- y’all- the wind. Holy. Something or someone must’ve been watching over me because the sky remained a menacing grey for the whole day but there wasn’t a single drop of rain until the entire shoot was over and I had loaded the last dress back into my car… and then it poured. I’m serious. Cold, big heavy wet drops EVERYWHERE that, in the time it took for me to drive around the block, had completely filled up where the curbs meet the sidewalks. Ready for the worst part, folks? I was in such a rush to get to location after getting glammed that I ran out in my slippers. That meant that I now had two options (since I had to open Klaudia and Co and see appointments). I could either wade through puddles in my favorite fluffy pink FABRIC slippers OR put back on my model shoes- six inch nude stilletos with the skinniest heel and the pointiest toe… the exact shoes that lead me to keep a box of bandaids in the office.

I chose the stilettos. If you were dining in Ely’s Ivy or axe throwing or browsing RH Standard that day… I hope this story clears some things up for you. That girl in the sweatpants, full face of makeup with peeled-off lashes and the wet-cat looking just born baby-deer walk down the soaked street was me. IT WAS ME! I know you saw that North Dakota wind attack my perfect fourties-girl ringlets, and I know you saw me struggle with the key in the Klaudia and Co lock for an embarrassingly long time. That’s our secret. Don’t tell anyone!!! Pinky swear to me!!

But, as always, it all turned out. It was perfect in its own way, and we were able to all produce something beautiful for you. 

This shoot definetly felt like my baby, and the amazing team involved definitely treated it as such. Yvonne put many hours, blood, sweat and tears into the editing of these photos. It’s the only shoot where I cried (from joy!) when I got the pictures back. It was exactly what I’d imagined… and I hope you love it. This is proof that making everyone do exactly what you want all the time has really good and beautiful payoff. (That’s a joke. Kind of?)

I’d also like to include some of my references and inspiration in this post- sorry it’s so short!

I used a lot of photos of Shirley Ross as reference for this shoot, specifically the one in the booth with her big furry sleeves from the early forties. I was obsessed with her hair in Prison Farm (1938). My biggest loves and inspirations for this shoot included (of course Grand Hotel (1932, Edmund Goulding)) and Stranger on the Third Floor (1940, Boris Ingster). And Laura (1944, Preminger). I have to say Laura! It’s in the rules! I know you want me to shut up and show you the pictures by now. Too bad. It’s my blog post.

We’ve also got Angels with Dirty Faces (1938, Michael Curtiz) because I love the Dead End Kids, and I think I might be in love with Ann Sheridan. Please go look up her face on Google Images. I know you’ve seen it before. But we should all be doing it more.

Okay, Adina, get on with it! Fine. I will. Here’s the pictures: and I love them. I hope you love them too. As always, work hard, commit, trust artists and love them. And care!!

Much love,

Adina Weinstein

Creative Director of Klaudia and Co