Prop Closet

Fun Times at FIT Styling Class

Here I am with Gabriella, from BMG Models during my FIT class fashion shoot in December. I made her wear my glasses for a Nerd Chic look. She couldn't see out of them, and I couldn't see a thing but we had a lot of fun! Class starts again tonight and I can't wait to meet my new group. Photo by Keri Shean.

Bridal Market, Here I Come!

Fall Bridal Market mania is in full swing! Been going through loads of invitations and working on my excel spreadsheet, the only way to keep track of so many appointments over so many days. October Bridal Market has been a routine for the past 10 years. It's that time of year when the most talented and fashionable bridal design luminaries put on their runway shows to an adoring cast of bridal editors and bloggers. As Creative Director of Bridal Guide I hardly ever attended the whole week—I just dropped in to see a handful of my favorite designers. But in the past few years I've covered the entire market for Newsday and now this is my second season representing the gorgeous magazine The Bride and Bloom. I'm excited to see what's new and how many trends will carry over from last season. I'm in love with the bridal fashion scene! From Pier 94 to The Essex House to Kleinfeld Bridal to EZ Studios to Cedar Lake we'll be criss-crossing town, up and down and back again. There's a lot to get in order. Comfortable, yet stylish shoes—check. Dresses dry cleaned—check. Notebook, camera, business cards, a small collapsible umbrella...I'll have the survival kit ready. Can't wait to catch up and connect with friends both old and new, especially Holli Ehrlich of Wedding Podcast Network, Susan Schneider aka The Wedding Writer, and Diane Forden of Bridal Guide. See ya at the shows! Bouquet photo above is from the Oscar de la Renta April 2011 runway show. Photo by Robin Zachary.

Good Day Sunshine

it's a beautiful morning here in New York City. It's not too hot but the beautiful sunshine is streaming. I'm sitting outside my neighborhood coffee spot Champignon where I've come every day for years through all of the seasons, all kinds of weather. These kinds of days are what I live for! I'm thinking about all I have to do today and where to start to get everything done. I can get lost in the rush of the day to day busyness, but I'm taking this moment to be thankful that my family is safe, and think of how lucky I am to have all that I have going on in my life. Thanks for reading my blog and have a wonderful day!

The Wedding Writer - My friend Susan Schneider's book!

  One of the benefits of freelancing is having the space between the busy times for casually meeting friends for lunch without watching the clock. After a whirlwind June, during which I styled 4 back-to-back jobs and every other minute I spent celebrating (and lamenting) my son's graduation from his sweet little elementary school, I finally have some free time to catch up with life. I spent lunchtime yesterday with my friend and former co-worker at Bridal Guide, Susan Schneider who has just released her first novel, The Wedding Writer. I have to gush about this book which is a hilarious glimpse into the crazy world of wedding magazine publishing, a subject close to my heart. For all of you who might wonder what it's like to work at a magazine you get a peek into the the dreams, the drama, the office politics, the quirky personalities as well as the fun of putting together the gospel followed by brides-to-be. For me, I enjoyed picking through Susan's funny magazine titles and editorial ideas having done the real thing with her for a long time at Bridal Guide. This fictitious tale could take place anywhere, in any office-based career so anyone could relate to the 4 heroines and side characters. Chapters are simply called "Sara", "Lucky", "Felice" and "Grace" alternating their points of view and individual escapades. The Wedding Writer is totally juicy with all the right ingredients to be a great movie along the lines of Sex in the City and Devil Wears Prada so movie people take notice! I had such a blast reading it that when I was done I started all over again. Take my word for it, this will be your great summer read so please run out and get this book! Keep up with Susan on her blog Books and Bridal and follow @thewddngwriter.

Seashore Inspiration

It all started with a trip to Catalina Beach Club in Atlantic Beach, Long Island last weekend. A throwback to the 1930s, it's where I spent my youth (much, much later on!). Then on Tuesday I worked for Sports Illustrated Kids and styled a shoot  in a 6' x 6' sand box. After getting my feet sandy two times last week, I pulled out my Cape May photos from last summer (see below) and started working on my latest inspiration box. Although not in an actual box, I used pieces of weathered dock wood as a base. With a blue seastar from Cape May, a piece of loosely woven blue fabric along with a cool breeze off the hudson through my window, I was transported to the shore. 

Photos by Robin Zachary for Prop Closet.

Summer Musings Part I

Cape May, N.J. Summer 2010. Andy and Jacob were playing ball on the beach while I took these photos. Each time the tide receded I found random groupings of shells and rocks. It got me thinking about how things naturally fall into place into groups of 2, 3, 4, and 5 while some end up solo. I have been thinking about these photos all year and how I would arrange them into a grid showing the variations while making a nice composition. It has inspired me to do a series of shoots with a sea shore beach theme.

Summer Musings Part II

This photo I took of Jacob and seagull is called, "Doing their own thing." I can't wait to go back to Cape May in August.