Editorial Archives - Alex Kravetz

Paris Fashion Week Editorial

Paris Fashion Week Editorial with Walter Collection

Paris feels different during Fashion Week. The city becomes an intersection of architecture, personal style, and creative energy, with fashion extending far beyond the runway.

In late September, I traveled to France to photograph a Paris Fashion Week editorial for Beverly Hills-based designer Walter Collection. Rather than building the story inside a studio, we used Paris itself as the backdrop. An early morning start gave us the opportunity to move through some of the city’s most iconic locations while the streets were still relatively quiet.

The result brought together two worlds that continually influence my work: fashion and destination photography.

An Early Morning Through Paris

We began before the city fully came to life, chasing the softer light that appears across Paris in the early morning.

Our route took us from the classical architecture surrounding the Louvre to Trocadéro and its unmistakable view of the Eiffel Tower. Later, we moved along the Seine, allowing the city to shift naturally from monumental architecture to quieter scenes beside the water.

Rather than treating each landmark as a backdrop, I wanted the locations to become part of the photographs. Paris has such a recognizable visual language that very little needs to be added. Stone façades, bridges, tree-lined streets, and the Seine created an effortless contrast to the Walter Collection designs.

Walter Collection During Paris Fashion Week

Based in Beverly Hills, Walter Collection brought a distinctly Los Angeles perspective to Paris.

The designs felt especially striking against the city’s historic architecture. Strong silhouettes and modern details created contrast, while movement kept the photographs from feeling overly posed.

That balance became central to the editorial. We weren’t trying to recreate a traditional runway presentation. Instead, the goal was to photograph the clothing as it moved through the city.

At Trocadéro, the scale of the Eiffel Tower introduced drama. Near the Louvre, classical architecture created structure. Along the Seine, the photographs became softer and more spontaneous.

Each location changed the mood without changing the story.

Where Fashion and Destination Photography Meet

Photographing a fashion editorial in Paris requires many of the same instincts I bring to destination weddings.

Location matters. So does clothing. Light can completely transform both.

However, the strongest photographs happen when those elements stop feeling separate. A beautifully designed piece should interact with its surroundings. Likewise, an iconic location should contribute to the photograph without overwhelming the person within it.

For fashion-forward couples, that same philosophy translates naturally to wedding photography. A remarkable gown deserves attention to its construction, silhouette, and movement. Yet the photograph should still feel alive and connected to the experience surrounding it.

This Paris fashion editorial with Walter Collection became an exploration of exactly that balance.

Fashion brought us to the streets of Paris. The city did the rest.

Designer | Walter Mendez

Photography | Alex Kravetz

Makeup | Romagnoli Makeup

Hair | Narad Kutowaroo

Balmain x Mandarin Oriental Residences

Balmain Fashion Event at Mandarin Oriental Residences Beverly Hills

Fashion and celebration have always shared a common language. For Balmain’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection, that connection came to life high above Beverly Hills during an intimate evening at Mandarin Oriental Residences.

Hosted inside one of the property’s penthouses, the event brought together Balmain’s VIP clientele, friends of the house, and a cast of models wearing the newest collection. With expansive Los Angeles views and the rooftop pool just beyond, the setting felt distinctly Beverly Hills while maintaining the energy of a private fashion presentation.

Paris Fashion Arrives in Beverly Hills

For the occasion, Olivier Rousteing traveled from Paris with members of his Balmain team to join the celebration personally. The evening offered an opportunity to connect with clients and thank those who had continued to support the French fashion house.

Throughout the penthouse, approximately a dozen male and female models mingled among guests while wearing looks from the collection. Instead of separating fashion from the party with a traditional runway, the evening allowed guests to experience the clothes in motion and at close range.

That approach made the collection feel remarkably alive. Sculptural silhouettes, intricate details, and unmistakable Balmain tailoring moved naturally through the space as conversations and cocktails continued around them.

The Balmain Spring/Summer 2024 Collection

Under Rousteing’s creative direction, the Spring/Summer 2024 collection looked back to the house’s history while feeling unmistakably contemporary. Roses became a defining motif, appearing alongside strong tailoring, dramatic proportions, and vivid color.

Against the clean architecture of Mandarin Oriental Residences, those details became even more striking. The penthouse offered an understated canvas for the collection, while the surrounding skyline created a sense of place that could only belong to Los Angeles.

As daylight softened over Beverly Hills, guests moved between the interiors and rooftop spaces. The evening gradually shifted from a fashion presentation into an intimate celebration of the house itself.

Photographing Fashion Beyond the Wedding Day

I’ve had the privilege of photographing Balmain client experience events for the past year. Because of that relationship, returning to document an evening of this significance felt especially meaningful.

My approach to photographing fashion events isn’t entirely different from how I approach a wedding. Both require an awareness of design, clothing, light, and composition. However, they also demand an instinct for the unscripted moments happening between everything else.

The photographs need to preserve the clothes and details beautifully. At the same time, they should capture the energy of actually being in the room.

For fashion-forward couples, that perspective carries directly into wedding photography. A couture gown deserves the same attention as a fleeting exchange between friends. Beautiful tailoring matters, but so does what happens once everyone forgets about the camera.

Where Fashion and Celebration Meet

Photographing Balmain at Mandarin Oriental Residences Beverly Hills brought those worlds together effortlessly.

From Olivier Rousteing and his Paris team to the models moving through the penthouse in the newest collection, the evening celebrated fashion as something meant to be experienced rather than simply observed.

For me, documenting it was also a reminder of why fashion continues to influence my approach to weddings. The strongest photographs aren’t exclusively editorial or documentary.

They live somewhere between the two.

Central Park Bridal Editorial in New York

Central Park Bridal Editorial | Autumn Wedding Inspiration in New York

New York in late October has an entirely different character. Central Park begins its transition into autumn, with deep orange and golden foliage appearing against pockets of green. Meanwhile, the surrounding architecture creates a striking contrast between the softness of the landscape and the unmistakable energy of Manhattan.

For this Central Park bridal editorial, I traveled to New York to collaborate with a team of local creatives on a story inspired by the season. We wanted the photographs to feel romantic and distinctly New York without relying too heavily on the expected.

An Editorial Inspired by Autumn in New York

The morning began on the Upper West Side, just blocks from Central Park. While hair and makeup took shape, I photographed the details beside the apartment’s large windows.

FLWR Studio created organic floral arrangements that pulled from the colors and textures of the season. Scribbles & Swirls Calligraphy designed an elegant invitation suite, while antique jewelry from Trumpet & Horn introduced another layer of character.

Together, those elements established the visual language for the day. Rather than approaching each detail separately, we considered how fashion, florals, jewelry, and stationery would ultimately exist within the same story.

Bridal Portraits in Central Park

Once our first bridal look was complete, we made our way into the park.

I had spent the previous afternoon scouting locations, knowing that Central Park offers an incredible range of architecture and landscape within a relatively small area. Bethesda Terrace immediately stood out. Its intricate tile work and classical architecture created a dramatic setting for the softer bridal fashion.

From there, we moved through quieter pathways and open views of the park. Each location offered something different, yet the autumn palette kept the photographs visually connected.

That’s what makes Central Park bridal portraits so compelling. A few steps can completely transform the environment without losing the unmistakable feeling of New York.

Chasing the Last Light Through Manhattan

Light disappears surprisingly quickly inside Central Park. The surrounding buildings begin blocking the sun well before sunset, so we returned to the Upper West Side for a final wardrobe change before heading back into the park.

For our last portraits, we moved toward the lake. Multicolored trees surrounded the water while the Manhattan skyline appeared beyond them. As daylight faded, the combination of bridal fashion, autumn color, and city architecture created some of my favorite photographs from the editorial.

The final images felt polished without becoming overly formal. More importantly, they captured the tension I love about photographing in New York: nature against architecture, quiet against movement, and timeless bridal fashion within a city that never truly stands still.

An Editorial Approach to Bridal Photography

Projects like this continue to influence how I approach wedding photography. Fashion deserves attention to silhouette, movement, styling, and detail. However, the photographs should never feel disconnected from their surroundings.

A remarkable bridal look becomes even more interesting when the environment contributes to the story.

This New York bridal editorial ultimately became an exploration of exactly that idea. Autumn in Central Park provided the color and texture, while thoughtful fashion and design brought the story to life.

The complete editorial was later featured in Magnolia Rouge.

Lombardi House Wedding in Los Angeles

As spring approached, Ivory Birch and I were in the midst of putting together another bridal editorial featuring some of Los Angele’s most inspired wedding talent. The direction of the shoot was to incorporate clean white as a base palette and tie in Pantone’s highlighted hues of green – with a kick of gold. I immediately knew that the creative direction of the shoot would be beautifully executed at the Lombardi House. Nestled in the heart of Los Angeles, this hidden gem set the scene for our bridal editorial.

Boasting vaulted ceilings, expansive white walls, and country French flair – the background was accented by a stunning tablescape, a floral wall installation, and the most pristine vintage Rolls Royce. Choosing a couple for a shoot is a particular task that can become daunting and overwhelming. We were fortunate to bring the model’s real-life boyfriend on set with us. Their chemistry was real, which allowed me to capture more genuine moments between the two. Not to mention, there’s a fun dynamic when working with your significant other. Kicking it into high gear, we had to work quickly to work within a tight timeframe. The amount of detail incorporated, and the flawless execution – was a testament to our creative team.

Lindsey (Ivory Birch) and I painted the scene where integral settings would take place. While Inessa’s team started unloading a van (yes, an entire van!) full of florals, Dianuh was preparing to do a live calligraphy session. Justin prepped the video camera, Mel pulled in the driveway with his beautifully polished car, and we were officially ‘a go’!. They say it takes a village, which couldn’t be more true. I am grateful to be a part of an industry that allows creative minds to come together. A huge thanks to everyone who made this Lombardi House wedding happen.

Featured in Style Me Pretty

Photography | Alex W Photography

Fine Art Desert Bridal Editorial

Desert Bridal Editorial | Fashion-Forward Wedding Inspiration

The California desert has a way of reducing everything to its most essential elements: light, texture, movement, and an almost endless horizon. For this desert bridal editorial, I joined a group of Los Angeles wedding creatives to explore how fashion and thoughtful design could exist within that beautifully stark landscape.

Miles of sand dunes, softly colored mountains, and open sky created a setting that needed very little intervention. Instead of competing with the surroundings, we allowed the desert to influence every creative decision. The result felt romantic and distinctly editorial, with an emphasis on bridal fashion that could translate effortlessly into a modern wedding.

Bridal Fashion Inspired by the Landscape

Four Floravere gowns became the foundation for the editorial. Each silhouette interacted differently with the landscape, particularly as the wind introduced movement into the fabric. Against the muted sand and distant mountains, the gowns felt striking without becoming overly styled.

Vintage and gold accessories added warmth while pulling from the natural tones of the desert. Meanwhile, richer autumnal shades appeared through the bouquet and jewelry. The contrast brought dimension to an otherwise restrained palette.

Inessa Nichols designed the florals with an equally organic approach. A sculptural gold crown made from lunaria introduced an unexpected element to the bridal look. In addition, wild grasses, nigella pods, and ranunculus gave the bouquet movement and texture. Nothing felt too perfect or overly arranged.

That balance is something I continue to love in editorial wedding photography. Fashion can feel considered without becoming rigid. Likewise, a beautiful environment can influence an image without overpowering the person within it.

From Desert Light to Candlelight

As afternoon moved toward evening, the landscape began to change. Warm light disappeared behind purple and green mountains while softer tones settled across the dunes.

We used those final moments of daylight to create a minimalist tablescape inspired by the same palette. Candlelight, antique jewelry boxes, textured florals, and carefully chosen details added intimacy without distracting from the surroundings.

By twilight, the desert felt completely different.

Rather than ending when the sun disappeared, we followed our model across the sand by candlelight. The remaining color in the sky created a softer and more unexpected conclusion to the story.

An Editorial Approach to Wedding Photography

Although this was a bridal editorial, the creative process continues to influence how I photograph weddings today. Fashion, environment, movement, and light don’t need to exist separately. The most compelling photographs often happen when all four work together naturally.

For fashion-forward couples, that philosophy can transform wedding portraits into something more personal. A remarkable gown deserves to be photographed with an understanding of its silhouette and movement. At the same time, the photograph should still feel alive.

This California desert bridal editorial became an exploration of exactly that idea. Beautiful fashion met an extraordinary landscape, yet neither needed to compete for attention.

The desert simply gave everything room to breathe.

As seen in Style Me Pretty.

Bridal Editorial Britt Rafuson Brittany Rafuson Cheek to Cheek Artistry Claire Pettibone Desert Bridal Editorial Fine Art Photographer fine art wedding photographer Inessa Nichols Design Los Angeles Wedding Photographer Newmark Models Sand Dune Bridal Trumpet and Horn Wedding Photographer