Normally in fashion photography, you have an initial commercial request brief for a shoot and then you start to prepare the theme and concept and plan for the shoot. This time it was the ‘other way around’.
The Director General’s Office of the Grand Palais rang me up and offered me the Grand Palais for two days! It was unbelievable! I took this chance and overnight I worked out a plan: I would construct some wooden shipping crates to recreate the story symbolic of Noah’s Ark, and organize all of the Haute Couture dresses from the finest luxury Parisian fashion houses, into the Ark.
It was very emotional when I arrived that day with my team in this wonderful historic building, it was COMPLETELY empty.
I had the whole Grand Palais for myself!!
What a great creative time! I felt it was like being in a Jules Verne novel … here alone, I could create my own world.
Cathleen Naundorf
