Pretty Boy Joy is a Miami fashion editorial photography case study built around a clear creative premise: expand the visual language of masculinity without treating softness, beauty or expressive styling as contradictions. Produced on August 9, 2022, the nine-look editorial combined planned shot coverage, coordinated beauty direction and a restrained set language into one cohesive image system.
Project Overview
- Production: Nine-look fashion and beauty editorial
- Date: August 9, 2022
- Location: Miami, Florida
- Creative approach: Separate research for wardrobe, makeup, shot direction and set styling
- Coverage: Full-length, three-quarter, medium and close beauty portraits
- Lighting: Planned two-light left/right setup
This was an editorial production rather than a client campaign with measured advertising or sales results. This case study therefore focuses on the production system, creative decisions and resulting asset range rather than claiming commercial performance that was not measured.
The Creative Brief: Pretty Boy Joy
The concept explored freedom from narrowly imposed ideas of masculinity and femininity. Tailoring, makeup, jewelry, sportswear, softness and strength were allowed to coexist within the same visual story. That gave every department a shared decision filter while leaving room for contrast between looks.
Pre-Production: Four Mood Boards, One Direction
Creative research was divided into four practical boards: wardrobe, makeup, shots, and set styling and feel. The wardrobe research combined structured menswear with expressive color, jewelry, hats and unconventional proportions. Makeup references moved from polished skin toward graphic and metallic treatments. Shot references explored low viewpoints, expressive hands, full-length fashion, close beauty frames and sculptural movement. Set references favored chairs, curtains and neutral environments so the styling and performance could remain dominant.
This is the same principle behind a useful fashion mood board: inspiration becomes valuable when it clarifies decisions rather than when it is copied literally.
Translating Research Into a Shot Strategy
The production documents converted the visual research into executable coverage: vertical full shots, three-quarter portraits, medium frames and close-ups, with a two-light setup positioned left and right. The second sequence also included both seated and standing full-length compositions.
A mood board establishes intent; a shot list protects coverage. Using both creates room to improvise without depending on improvisation for essential deliverables. See the related fashion editorial shot-list case study for another example of this approach.
Nine Looks Without Nine Separate Visual Worlds
The styling moved across tailored suits, colored trousers, sportswear, mesh, denim and graphic knitwear. Continuity came from controlled backgrounds, recurring low viewpoints, expressive hand placement and a consistent portrait treatment. Instead of rebuilding the aesthetic for every outfit, the production changed the emphasis.
Fashion and Beauty as One Content System
The production generated different asset families inside one concept. Full-length photographs record silhouette and styling. Medium portraits balance fashion information with expression. Movement frames change the pace. Beauty close-ups isolate makeup, jewelry, nails and facial detail.
Those formats solve different publishing needs. A full-length fashion image cannot simply be cropped into every beauty placement, while a tight portrait cannot recover the complete wardrobe silhouette. Planning those differences during production creates a more useful library than producing dozens of near-identical frames.
Color, Movement and Editorial Pacing
Yellow mesh, blue sportswear, pink trousers and blue shirting created transitions between styling chapters while the neutral environments kept the palette controlled. This allowed the editorial to change energy without losing visual continuity.
Beauty as a Narrative Detail
The later beauty treatment pushed the concept further through metallic gold makeup, dark nails, Prada frames and a wide-brim hat. These details concentrate several recurring ideas—tailoring, decoration, beauty and self-defined presentation—into a tighter portrait.
What Brands Can Take From Pretty Boy Joy
- Define the point of view first. A strong concept gives every department a common decision filter.
- Research by discipline. Wardrobe, beauty, shots and set design can develop independently while serving the same idea.
- Translate inspiration into coverage. Mood boards communicate taste; shot lists protect deliverables.
- Plan different asset roles. Full-length, medium, movement and beauty images solve different publishing needs.
- Build variation inside continuity. Images can differ substantially without feeling unrelated.
This approach connects directly to creative direction for fashion campaigns and a media-first campaign photography process.
Publication and Editorial Context
The finished project became Pretty Boy Joy: The Emancipation of Imposed Masculinity & Femininity, which expands on the project’s ideas around imposed gender roles, individuality and empathy. Read the full editorial on The Prestige Mag.
Production Credits
- Photographer: Phil Halfmann
- Creative Director: Sophia Lenore
- Wardrobe Stylist: Sophia Lenore
- Hair Stylist: Sophia Lenore
- Makeup Artist: Aida Greenidge-Gopie
- Model: Troy
- Retoucher: Stas Ponomarencko
- Makeup: Charlotte Tilbury Makeup
- Hair products: L’Oréal
- Nail products: USLU Airlines
Wardrobe Credits
Calvin Klein yellow shirt; Coach sneakers; Dr. Martens boots; Dolce & Gabbana white shirt and belt; Gucci suit and black shoes; Hugo Boss suit; Karl Lagerfeld blue shirt, pink pants, white pants, black-and-white sweater and jeans; Ralph Lauren tracksuit; Prada white shirt, hat and frames; Puma tracksuit.
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