the hour of enchantment

Sometimes a photoshoot just doesn't go the way you think it will. That was certainly the case when the cast and crew - including an army of hair and makeup artists, six little people, a male model named Fabio, a ram, and a pony - arrived at Goldner Walsh Nursery on a snowy morning in late February.

We were all there for the men's and women's spring fashion shoot for the April issue of Hour Detroit. As we unloaded the clothing and accessories, arranged props on the set, and started on hair and makeup for the extras, Hour's art director Cassidy came to me with a shocking revelation - our female model was a no show, and her agent couldn't get in touch with her. We were already running behind schedule, and with a shoot this massive, we couldn't just reschedule. Basically, our backs were against a wall.

That's when Cassidy asked me a question: "Can you fit into the clothes?"

I am definitely not a model, and I am 100 percent more comfortable behind the camera than in front of it, but since I would fit into the clothes, I told her that yes, I could do it if that was our only option. (But I did tell her the skimpy Herve Leger dress we had planned for one of the looks probably wouldn't happen if I was the only girl around to wear it. We all have our limits.)

Within minutes, I found myself in a hair and makeup chair, getting all dolled up for the first look, a gorgeous ruffled sleeve Gucci gown. Luckily, we were able to call in a real model, and by the time we shot my second look, she was done with hair and makeup and ready to slip into that Herve Leger dress. Her dark hair and eyes were a great contrast to my blonde, blue-eyed paleness, and we started thinking of our characters and the "good witch" and the "bad witch."

In the end, the shoot was a success, the animals and extras all did a fantastic job, and our male model was a dream throughout the shoot. It was definitely a make-it-work moment if there ever was one. Check out all the images from the shoot below, and for full cast, crew, and clothing credits, visit hourdetroit.com.

from the archives: open hunt

Much to my delight, there has been a very British equestrian influence on the fall runways of designers as divergent as Ralph Lauren, Gucci and Emilia Wickstead. I grew up with horses, riding pretty regularly until college took over my life, and I will always have a soft spot in my heart for horses - and the clothes worn while riding them. I always preferred riding English, not only because it was more exciting (hello, jumping) but because it was more stylish. Trim hacking jackets, breeches, tall black leather boots - it's a look that's equally chic in the show ring and on the runway.

Flashback to fall 2008, when I styled a shoot at the Grosse Pointe Hunt Club for the September/October issue of Ambassador Magazine. Photographed by Michelle Matiyow and Lians for LM Studios, the concept was to juxtapose formal, aristocratic portraits of the models with sexier, cinematic shots that told a different story. Check out the full shoot, with credits, below.

the hunt: orange wedding shoes

I love when a bride thinks outside the ivory satin box and goes bold with her wedding accessories, so when an engaged friend asked if I knew where she could find orange shoes for her walk down the aisle, I did a little happy dance. Then the fashion gears started turning. Orange is one of the major color trends for spring 2012, so there are lots of great options hitting stores right now. Here are some orangetastic styles that would certainly add a delicious pop of color to any bride's big day:

1/ Jimmy Choo "Vamp" Platform Sandal
These are perfect for a bold bride who wants a glamorous, va-va-voom walk down the aisle.
$750, Neiman Marcus

ferragamo's creations

Last week I had the pleasure of co-hosting an event at the Salvatore Ferragamo boutique at Somerset. The event celebrated the Ferragamo's Creations collection, a limited-edition series of historical styles created by Salvatore Ferragamo, many of them for Hollywood screen sirens like Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Judy Garland, Ava Gardner, Greta Garbo, Sophia Loren, Anna Magnani, and Carmen Miranda. The re-released styles are made on the original lasts, and each shoe is produced in a limited number of 150, 250 or 500 - and once they're sold, that's it. The style is no longer available.

The event was not just an opportunity to ogle some seriously beautiful shoes, though - I also learned a lot about the Salvatore Ferragamo heritage. For example, did you know that Ferragamo invented both the wedge heel and the stiletto? Ferragamo created the stiletto in the '50s for Marilyn Monroe. Who knew?

Check out all the gorgeous Creations styles at the Salvatore Ferragamo boutique at Somerset Collection through Sunday, November 20, and see pics from the event after the jump.