LONDON, United Kingdom—Photographer Onin Lorente finally realized a dream he had been harboring for a long time: a photo shoot for a European issue of Vogue. I had the privilege to witness it unfold as he excitedly did an editorial for Vogue Portugal.
By coincidence, we were in London at the same time, in early September, and he invited me to sort-of assist the assistant to the stylist. But they were top-notch at their job, so I only ended up being more of an observer, proudly soaking the heady atmosphere as creative people giddily, but methodically, work at an editorial for an important magazine.
“I usually do my shoots in London, as it is a prime spot for creatives. Not unless it is necessary to do it in other cities, due to the availability of the model, or preference for location setting,” Lorente, a Legazpi City native, said.
No other Pinoy photographer has ever been featured so prominently in any Vogue title, and Lorente has done so not just once, but twice.
“In September, I had an editorial published for Vogue Taiwan. This shoot, however, is my first for Vogue in Europe. Vogue Portugal sent me two copies of the issue, and I will stock more. First is always memorable,” an ecstatic Lorente exclaimed.
How did the whopping 12-page Vogue Portugal fashion editorial come to be?
“I prepared a mood board for the Holiday/December 2019 issue, and I sent it to the Vogue Portugal team. Sofia Lucas, the editor in chief, liked it,” said Lorente, one of the most tireless and relentless young creative talents I know.
The theme for the holiday issue was “Family Affairs,” so Lorente researched about the most memorable holiday movies. A Very Brady Christmas appealed to his aesthetics the most. The 1988 American made-for-TV comedy-drama was
directed by Peter Baldwin and starred Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, Ann B. Davis, Barry Williams, Maureen McCormick, Christopher Knight, Eve Plumb, Mike Lookinland and Jennifer Runyon, all, original cast members of the 1969–1974 sitcom The Brady Bunch.
“It was the perfect inspiration. Stylish and fun. I focused on the theme of a Christmas dinner. So there were cakes, macaroons, wine and tea. Aside from the setting, I also wanted to showcase fun, conflict, harmony and eccentricity among the family members, through direction of the poses and characterization,” Lorente said of the editorial, which the magazine titled The Vogue Bunch.
The preparation for the Vogue shoot occurred almost simultaneously with a shoot he had to produce for Esquire Spain, which was also published this month. How challenging were the preparations?
“It was my first commissioned shoot for the magazine, so I wanted to make sure that I would be able to deliver the best. That was the challenge,” Lorente explained. “It also occurred a few days before I flew to Singapore, which made the preparation and organization tighter.”
While waiting for the commissioning letter, Lorente started completing his crew of collaborators and casting his models. The stylist was Lorna McGee at A&R Creative, prop styling by Olivia Clifford, casting direction by Lyly Bui, hair styling by Asahi Sano at Caren, makeup by Jo Frost at CLM and manicure by Edyta at Beautii. Their assistants were Adrian Critchley, Reggie Erecre, Daniel Maglente, Hiroki Kojima and Tilly Jones. The models were Brian at The Squad; Mercedes at IMM Models; Maude at The Hive; Millie and Dylan at Supa; and Nico. Retouching was done at Retouched Studios.
“The creative talents I worked with were a mixture of agency-represented and freelancers. I created a short list, then forwarded it to the Vogue Portugal editorial team. Most of them have already worked for the magazine and other Vogue editions,” Lorente shared. “Executing the idea was really about an ideal team, and I had a great one.”
The stylist had free rein over the selection of clothes and pullout of samples. Prior to doing that, Lorente discussed the theme of the looks (the quirky 1980s) and number of cast members (6). Among the brands showcased were John Smedley, Nadya Dzyak, Lucy Williams X Missoma, Max Mara, Salvatore Ferragamo, Chloe, Rejina Pyo, Prada, Louis Vuitton and Lanvin.
“Aside from this Vogue shoot, my latest work for Esquire Spain December 2019, which combines dance and fashion photography, is also another favorite as I am passionate about both art forms,” said Lorente, who has been toiling around Europe, the US and Asia for eight years. “I will always include in my portfolio the first cover for a men’s fashion magazine I shot featuring Ton Heukels for L’Officiel Hommes Thailand March 2018, and the cover shoot with supermodel Alek Wek for L’Officiel Indonesia April 2017.”
What’s next?
“In December 2017, for a BusinessMirror interview [published in January 2018], I mentioned that my dream is to shoot for Vogue Italia, French Numero and W. It has not happened, yet. But definitely, I am already very pleased with my journey. I will quote a line from the same interview: ‘Pursue the dream, and enjoy the journey and learn as much as I can’—that’s what I’m doing now.”