This year marks the 40th anniversary of the British label Reiss, which was founded by David Reiss in 1971. In celebration of this milestone birthday Yana Sheptovetskaya has exclusively styled a fashion story dedicated to the minimal and quality
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the British label Reiss, which was founded by David Reiss in 1971. The son of a city tailor, David Reiss has nurtured the brand into the directional and modern men’s and womenswear that exists today in over 100 global sites. From the credentials of the in-house design team and atelier to the newly launched made-to-measure suits, Reiss' design proposition is ever widening. The strength and appeal of the brand is testament to the fact that it is now in its fourth decade of operation.
In celebration of this milestone birthday Yana Sheptovetskaya has exclusively styled a fashion story dedicated to the minimal and quality classics of the Reiss wardrobe. Here we gain a further insight into the creative process behind the shoot and speak to Sheptovetskaya about her favourite Reiss garments.
What were your initial inspirations behind the shoot?
Reiss was founded in 1971 in the UK and I thought that it would be interesting to highlight it’s English heritage and roots but in the original and sophisticated manner. The photographer Letty Schmiterlow was a perfect choice: she has a fantastic talent at capturing British youth in a raw, honest and beautiful way. Our mood board was all about 90s supermodels, independent movies and high-end fashion campaigns. So we decided to put it all together and make a weird mixture of teenage underground London and luxurious fashion production. It came out quite surreal – with an ironic effect from combining mismatched moods and styles.
Who is your “Reiss girl”?
Young and yet mature, effortless and yet wise. She is not trying to look beautiful on purpose, it happens naturally.
Why did you choose these particular garments?
When I first saw the collection I fell in love with the long grey coat and brown belted leather jacket and in a way they formed the style for the whole shoot. I tried to keep it very practical and selected the strongest garments, something I would wear myself.
What does Reiss embody to you?
I guess that the most amazing thing about Reiss is it’s diversity – everyone is able to create their own “Reiss Story”.
Explain your casting for this shoot?
Anna is young, hot and cool! She is perfect for the shoot because she embodies both a British teenager and a confident women. Also she is not trying to be beautiful, I really like it.
Please explain the backdrop used in these images and why you chose them?
We used Letty’s holiday photographs as a backdrop throughout the shoot to create a monumental and cinematic feeling that you get with big fashion campaigns. It was planned in the beginning as a key tool to build a narrative.
What did you hope viewers would get from these images?
I hope that viewers will be left wondering from the mystery of this story. Also I hope they will get the long grey coat and brown belted leather jacket.
Photography: Letty Schmiterlow
Production and styling: Yana Sheptovetskaya
Post-production: Bob at Bowyer Worldwide
Hair: Kota Suizu at Balcony Jump using Bumble and Bumble
Hair assistant: Toshimasa Yui
Make-up: Nami Yoshida
Model: Anna Jackson at Storm
Text by Lucia Davies
