This document contains a portfolio for Elke Saenz, who is a fashion merchandising and digital retailing major. The portfolio includes photos from magazine shoots where Elke styled outfits using items from various clothing stores. It also includes written pieces describing different styling concepts for photoshoots.

1. ELKE SAENZJUNIOR
FASHION MERCHANDISING MAJOR
DIGITAL RETAILING MAJOR
1(361)876-5690
ELKESAENZ@MY.UNT.EDU
s t y l i n g & w r i t i n g
p o r t f o l i o

2. Walk the
LINEPhotography Hillary Head
Styling Elke Saenz
Suit from Dillard’s at Golden Triangle
Mall, sunglasses from J. Crew, jacket &
skirt from Francesca’s, sweater from J.
Crew, jewelry from Francesca’s & Target
METHOD SEVEN MAGAZINE | page 50

3. Top: Blazer, top & pants from Ann
Taylor | Bottom: Vest, shirt, thermal &
pants from H&M
METHOD SEVEN MAGAZINE | page 52

4. METHOD SEVEN MAGAZINE | page 54
Sweater & pants from H&M, dress &
jewelry from Francesca’s, sweater from
Banana Republic, jacket from Dillard’s
from Golden Triangle Mall | Models
Alexandra Levee and Justin Miller

13. GARDE
MY UNFAIR LADY, OUTSIDE OF TIFFANY’S

14. Sometimes the most beautiful
version of self is the self void
of the projections of main-
stream societal expectations of
beauty, like the idea of beauty
as long black- could always
be longer lashes, full injected
red lips, blushing and bronzed
cheekbones- please no cheeks,
threaded and painted in per-
fectly arched or un-arched
eyebrows, silky product flowing
curling iron hair, and clothes
tailored just for your body, so
as to accentuate your figure,
well not YOUR figure but the
must have figure, tucked here,
let out there so as to give the
most slender, unbulky version
possible and prevent you for
dragging and sagging. Women
everywhere hit their credit lim-
its, and leave who they are be-
hind, trying to buy beauty and
be what they are “supposed to
be.”
Awestruck by the beauty of a
woman without enough money
to furnish an apartment, who
looks more beautiful than the
most wealthy, high ranking
social queen, the character,
Holly Golightly, inspired me to
see the beauty of ignoring what
society deems as beautiful,
ignoring the beauty that only
money can buy, and instead
find the unpurchasable beauty
of raw self, sans concern for
what others think or who one is
supposed to be.
The coat is over sized, as if
specifically not made for the
model, belonging to someone
else, a someone else’s trash is
my treasure kind of piece. The
bra is exposed, but looking as
though it is an addition to the
dress, a bra-like top, making
a typical shiny cookie cutter
prom dress into a more couture,
one of a kind ensemble. Under
the bust the dress waves and
flows, draping beautifully, but
in actuality it hangs because it
is pulled down and thus on a
smaller part of the body than
it is meant to be. It doesn’t fit
here but that is precisely what
is beautiful. Furthermore, as a
result, the dress is long, drag-
ging in a most beautiful, a-lady-
doesn’t-let-her-clothes-drag-
in-the-streets-rule breaking, I
am perfectly untailored and no
one will pinch, tuck, and cut me
manner. The gloves and jewelry
accentuate the refinement of
the unrefined. The pearls spot
her hand and wrist as colors
spot the coat. The gloves, the
epitome of refinement, do not
fit. She screams- if the glove
doesn’t fit wear it. They are a
bit short and loose at the same
time, causing them to drape
slightly, mirroring the draping of
the dress. The head wrap com-
pletes the look, covering un-
tamed hair in an unstructured,
round about sort of way, draped
around the model’s head, not
adding any kind of manufac-
tured structure or bouffant, but
flattening any volume that was
there so as to say this is who I
am, take me or leave me.
The rawness of the look is ac-
centuated by the fact that the
colors are the model’s colors,
that is to say the dress is the
color of her skin, of exposure,
i.e. nude; the fur coat, the color
of her eyes, hair, and skin com-
bined, i.e. nude and cream with
hints of reddish caramel, mocha
and coal black; the lining of the
coat, the color of her hair fram-
ing her face, i.e. rich copper
red. The black gloves, bra, lips,
and head wrap punctuate the
look like her pupils do her face.
I have short, white lashes, black
lips, blackened, dirt dusted
cheeks, unruly, over grown,
messy whited out brows, un-
kempt, not silky, straight or
curled hair, untailored over and
undersized clothing, I do not
shop at Tiffany’s, I am not a fair
lady, I will not be tamed, I will
not be cookie cut, here I am,
this is me, exposed, and I am
beautiful.

17. RESTYLE A

18. FOREST CHILD
Photographer Emily Soto : www.EmilySoto.com
Model: Fern @Profile Models London
Stylist: Amanda Brown
Makeup and Hair: Julia Wren using Clarins and Bumble and Bumble

19. In the editorial “forest child,” the model is dressed in all white, similarly
the photos are strictly in black and white. This emits a feeling of innocence
and also ironically it seems a loss of innocence i.e. graveyard. Putting
a spin on the “forest child” aspect, I choose instead to highlight the
colorful spirit of innocence, reveling in chaos and glory of innocence.
There is nothing as carefree and colorfully joyful as a child’s innocence.

23. PORTIONS
Due to the oversized nature of the skirt
and shawl, I chose to accentuate her
small frame with the bandeau top. For-
going a shirt, I prevented her from get-
ting lost in the clothes. Furthermore, with
the model’s figure being boyish border-
ing on androgynous, the top pulls forth
womanliness, helping to create curves
and sexuality. The bandeau top in com-
bination with the way the long flowing
skirt hangs low on the hips, elongates
the torso. Finally, the necklaces and
bracelets help balance the longitude of
the outfit.

26. BALANCE