Klaudia and Co X Bernie's | Girl Meets Grandmas

Hello again, my wonderful Klaudia and Co family!

Do you ever have those days - women in business, you’ll know what I’m talking about - where you wake up and you hate everything and think everything is destined to go wrong? Well, that was the kind of morning I was having the day of this shoot. There’s this great video I love of Dame Vivienne Westwood, probably in her seventies, going through a rack of her designs. She goes “It’s crap! I really don’t like it. Anyways, so I don’t really know if I want to show any of this ****. And I don’t know what the **** this is.” She’s frustrated and disgruntled and throws something down, and the video then cuts to her, with the clothes walking down the runway, and she’s beaming. I think of that video a lot. I don’t know what makes us that way- maybe we’ve all looked at something for too long, or it was a full moon, or if we just need something to eat.

Well, as my partner will tell you, that is basically what I did. I woke up at four, a good hour before I had planned, and I couldn’t get back to bed. I did the New York Times Connections, and ran into my mother, who also couldn’t sleep and was also doing the New York Times Connections. I scrolled through this great blog I found about abandoned places in North Dakota; ghost towns, and the like. I decided to put my press on nails (that’s my secret. I go through them like crazy. I don’t think I’ve ever had a proper set on shoot day) and promptly dropped them on the ground. I spent the next twenty minutes trying to get the glue off my fingers. I bet if you look real close at the photos, you’ll see that my index finger nail is crooked. So, my dear Klaudia and Co family, I implore you, do not look real close.

Days where I’m both modeling and directing are especially hard, but I love them nonetheless. It’s nice to show up nice and clean-faced in comfy clothes. I had some frustrations with the dresses, even though I had picked them prior, and grumbled my whole way to the venue.

I was very excited for the Bernie’s shoot. This shoot was the first time I got to collaborate with one of my good friends, which was totally awesome. Getting to bridge Molly and my’s work was so wonderful. If you don’t watch Molly Yeh’s show- you have to. Girl Meets Farm. I promise you, she’s that awesome and charismatic in real life.

Well, that’s when I had that moment I mentioned to you all earlier. The second I got out of the car, put on my pumps, and walked into Bernie’s the whole day turned around. “Wow, this shoot is going to be perfect!” My partner found it hysterical. It was a total 180.

The crew at Bernie’s absolutely pampered my team. We worked with a great woman, Bobie Brown, who instantly asked us if we wanted any coffee. I had this iced vanilla espresso that was practically addictive. I unloaded the car, and my hair and makeup team got there at about the same time! Good sign everything was going to go well. I got to work with Carly Irene Artistry, which was a first time for me! I had met her before, at the Klaudia Klaire Couture shoot probably about a year ago, but I hadn’t gotten to truly work with her myself. She was lovely and oh-so professional. The hairstylist we worked with was a friend of mine who attended Josef’s school of Design, and it was her first time working on a shoot. Carly engaged with her right away. She was such a blessing to have on set! We all had the best conversation while I was getting my hair done. You know those environments that are just so relaxing, so non-combative? Those times when you know everyone just wants everyone else to succeed, and you don’t have to worry about any drama? Yeah, that was the Bernie’s shoot. By far. It was so wonderful. When I stepped away for just a moment to text Molly, I came back and the entire shoot crew was engaging my partner in spirited conversation, all laughing. It was her first time being on set with me, and I was so so glad that the team was so friendly and welcoming.

Carly’s artistry on my face was TO DIE FOR. It was so calming to get done, and it was my first time working with airbrush. When she finished, I felt like I had just had a spa treatment. Somehow, she had managed to take the looks straight off of my moodboards and shoot-briefing and put it straight on my face. I was so impressed. Sarah, our other model, came from work and was another bright addition to this dream team. She sat down and started getting her hair done, and I started scoping out Bernie’s for shots. Right when I was thinking, okay, ugh, I need to be assisted: boom. There was Charlotte Sonterre, ready to be the assistant of my dreams. She brought the clips I had so intelligently forgot in my morning grumping, and I got to meet our photographer.

We were working with Aspen Jewkes, which was another first-time collaboration for me. She had been raved about to me by my models, and so I just had to see what all the hype was about. She was great. Totally energetic, game for anything, and very attentive. We walked around, getting some solo shots, and Bernie’s was filling up. Earlier, I had spotted a table of wonderfully-scandanavian grandmothers… exactly what I had dreamed of for the shoot. I slipped in a booth near them to model for some photos, and one of them looked at me with the widest eyes. What can I say: love at first sight. It’s moment like these when I fall in love with fashion all over again. When I looked at her, I saw a little girl, excited and overcome seeing a model in public! I couldn’t help it. My mouth got ahead of my brain and I practically shouted “would you take some photos with me?” And they gleefully said yes. We had the most amazing interlude of talking, picture taking, and giggling. It was wonderful. An absolute forever memory.

Sarah and my mouth’s started watering as we modeled with the delicious pastries. We could barely hold straight faces- especially when we had to “fake eat” them. OMG, you guys, the smell was overwhelming.

Finally got to take a bite, and it was AMAZINGGGG. I had the chocolate chipper cookie and then a lemon poppyseed muffin… which was absolutely to die for. Aspen was a superstar. She heard everything I said and had a wonderful artistic flair that got the photos to truly come to life.

This one was a good one, folks! I hope you all enjoy it just as much as I did. The Bernie’s team treated us with so much respect and everything about it was a dream come true.

Wishing you all good health, vibes, and exciting spontenuity as you age,

Adina Moore Weinstein

Creative Director of Klaudia and Co