THE
SIGN ME
SERIES
Growing up, being a model seemed far-fetched. It could only happen in my dreams. It was an unstable pathway. Plus, I was too short, eyes too small, nose too flat, etc. but I knew I liked photography and making concepts come to life. I am lucky enough to have a sister that agrees & is talented behind the lens. So with this series, I decided to put myself on the front covers. With various looks and poses all styled and directed by my sister and me, a small Canon camera and some crafty lighting, we created a series that puts a little Vietnamese girl from Georgia in the spotlight. Maybe one day, she'll be signed. Please check out the series on my Instagram @helentkv as well!
Looking back now, I would have made a couple of styling changes for a more cohesive look. However, we were going for simple and classy. Very Forbe-esque. I really wanted to play with the balloon sleeves and the long turtleneck. I remember telling my sister I loved when Korean models would pull their turtleneck a little over the chin on Harper's Bazaar or other publications. Because the look was quite simple, we focused on portraits, capturing details of the natural makeup and ivory sweater.
If you haven't noticed, corsets have made a comeback. For the Sign Me Series, we only used clothing items and accessories that we had at our disposal. This is the closest we could get to a corset. The collared shirt was calling me to be used in the photoshoot, so I paired it with this corset wanna-be and a maxi, pleated, shimmery skirt. The earrings are my favorite part of this ensemble though. They add extra shine and a subtle pop of green. Paired with the green eyeshadow? A fun and modern Renaissance look.
This set was truly an experiment. Green is not a color I favor, and I did not think that I'd look good in it. These shots proved me wrong. The green paired with the many patterns creates an exuberant and funky look. We wanted to play with the net outer layer and odd angles. When I posted these on Instagram, it happened to be on International Women's Day. So, I ran with it. Women rule.
I never liked Cruella de Vil as a kid, but I felt a lot like her in this shoot. I felt quite decadent in the high neck fur jacket on top of my black, floral-patterned dress. The petite black purse was honestly just something I had wanted to use for a long time, so we included it. Throughout this page, you'll see that there are segments of details. The small details are my favorite part of this set. Inner villain unlocked.
I definitely wanted to radiate my inner BLACKPINK member with this set. The plaid shirt along with the corset and pleated black skirt resembled a lot of stage outfits I've seen on Korean pop idols, and I wanted to give it a try. Orange is my least favorite color, yet this set is one of my favorites because of the orange purse and eyeshadow. The highlight of the outfit has to be the choker. As you can see the flowers of the choker are scattered through this section. Their vibrance and quirkiness and the orange mini-purse turned the simple pieces I wore into a complete look.
I just wanted to feel like a celebrity with this one. We thrifted the jacket & it was definitely photoshoot material. We loved the patchwork style with almost a carpet-like texture. We took lots of portraits with the accessories, hair, and makeup creating a fierce and polished look. At first, I thought the look was too simple. After trying out different poses and angles, I came to love the effortless feel the pictures have, like a star featured in a magazine. Enjoy the flashy film theme in this section!
I am all for ending on a sweet note. This soft and hazy set was a favorite. I love how it contrasts with the previous concepts. I thought the muted pink colors in my makeup and filter was beautiful. The tulle shirt and skirt were intimate pieces that helped with creating a personal and dream-like aesthetic. And if you couldn't tell, this set was all about the hands. The silk, white gloves made playing with different poses 100 times more fun.
