Tuscany B-Roll
BTS from our first brand shoot in Italy
Hi lovelies and happy May!!
I’m back from Italy with heaps of laundry and thousands of photos—evidence of a truly successful first brand shoot.
For those of you who don’t know, I’m launching my home and lifestyle brand, Salvē, in about 10 days with Collection I: House Dresses for Daily Wear.
It’s been a true labor of love to bring this vision to life, so when I was thinking about where I wanted to photograph our initial launch, Tuscany seemed like the obvious choice.
For starters, it’s only a quick flight from where we live in Munich, and spring in Italy is truly unmatched (closely followed by summer and fall). The rolling green hills are lush, asparagus shoots up everywhere you look, and the Pecorino is melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
Beyond that, so much inspiration for Salvē—including the name—came from Italy. I spent part of my childhood in a town called Cortona (you might know it from Under the Tuscan Sun), so it only felt natural that Collection I come to life just like that. Under the Tuscan Sun (and rain, as it so happened).
Instead of hiring a professional photographer, I made the very bold choice to shoot the launch myself, and dragged my parents along for the ride. I’ve shot for brands before, but never at this scale, or with this weight behind it.
We rented an old Etruscan farmhouse outside of Siena for three days, and holed up there nearly the entire time, cooking, foraging for flowers, and shooting.
I lived in these Comme Si boxers, Dôen top, and & Other Stories trench.
Controversial, but arguably the best decision I made, was to not hire models. As much as I love the idea of seeing these dresses on a wider range of people, it felt more important to see them worn by my own community: the people I love and admire, in the worlds they actually inhabit.
Which leads me to Stefania, our incredible friend and cheese lady of nearly 30 years.
I’m aware of the stereotype the phrase “house dress” carries—oppressed, trad-wife, and conservative—are all words that come to mind.
But the women I’ve known who wore house dresses were anything but. They were hard-working, driven, and stylish—they needed something to throw on that could keep up with them, and look just as chic doing it.
I wanted to photograph someone who embodied that message, and lucky for me, Stefania was happy to oblige.
We met her at the local market in Sinalunga with her husband Claudio, and let me tell you, this woman was born to model. She made my job very easy, and I left with a whole sim card of shots and my stomach (and suitcase) heavy with cheese.
We then made our way to Porto Santo Stefano, a town on the little peninsula of Monte Argentario (home of Il Pelicano, iykyk). We wanted some photos by the sea and selfishly I wanted a bit of coastal time now that I’m a landlocked girly (sigh). Luckily we got both and I ate my weight in seafood pasta and tiramisu.
Black Dôen dress, Shells by Cheyenne necklace, navy blazer
I’m back home now, busy catching up on work and sorting through photos when I have time.
As I write this Monday night, more on all-things-Salvē are brewing, but I’ll say ciao for now. My bed and book are calling.
Xx,
Serena
PS: You may have noticed a little re-brand here on Substack. It felt natural to merge this world with Salvē, but let me know what you think. Drop me a line if you’d like: serena@salveofficial.com.
I listed to the audio version of this at 6:20am while carving your logo. Magic ✨
Wishing you the best Serena