After a very big delay (due to covid and moving and homeschooling and lots of other general life stuff!) we are very pleased to be opening our prop section this week, tomorrow in fact!
Alongside providing props for my styling and photography clients I have been trusted to source props for several cookbooks this year including The Pie Room by Calum Franklin, Ekstedt by Niklas Ekstedt and the MasterChef cookbook.
It feels so good to be finally bringing this part of my work into the BVS offering here!
My first 'job' after returning home from uni was in the Red Cross charity shop for two afternoons a week. Of course it was an unpaid, voluntary position, but what I did get was first dibs on all the cool vintage stuff that came in!
In those days, soon after completing my fashion degree, my passion was clothes so I would buy all the vintage clothes, get my skinny sister to model them and style them up as Vivienne Westwood-esque couture to sell on eBay. I loved the transformation and to show old things in a new light - breathing new life into them.
And I love that same buzz of finding tarnished old cutlery and gnarly trays, knowing they will add texture and interest through the lens. There's something very satisfying in seeing magic in something that somebody else has overlooked.
Some of our props are beautiful antiques, others are salvaged finds and discarded modern homewares; sometimes what doesn't work in a real-life kitchen works great as a prop!
Being a food and prop stylist myself you will find all of our props perfect for food, product and still life photography, following my prop rules they are -
1. not too big
2. not too shiny
3. not too grabby
to ensure they are beautiful but sit back and play a supportive role, allowing your subject or food to shine as the main attraction. And also that they don't give you nasty reflections to have to deal with in your lighting or editing. (Great for beginner photographers and DIY content creators.)
As always, I promise to source all of our props as if i was sourcing them for myself - the hard bit is letting them go!
Now listen up for the science bit!
All of the props on offer here (until we start selling our own ceramics ranges, coming soon too!) are one-offs and single items, often vintage or rare antique treasures. So if you are into your props you will need to be fast to grab them.
Visit our prop section here.
Here's how we will release new props -
- they will be launched in regular chunks, but NOT on a set day or time
- we won't announce every new collection to our mailing list (it might get annoying!)
- SO! please follow us on Instagram @blackvelvetstyling AND turn on post notifications
- we will announce new prop launches on Instagram a few hours before they go on sale on the website.
Please understand there will be no pre-sale 'bagsying' if you spot something you like in a preview or story. To be fair to everyone, please don't ask!
Inline with our commitment to using sustainable materials we will be shipping your props in recycled packaging - reducing waste and enabling us to offer the same flat-rate P&P prices to you. And as usual if you order props or backdrop sheets before 12pm (on a working day) your items will be dispatched the same day.
The packages might not look as pretty but we hope you agree that as long as they arrive securely and safely its what's inside that counts!
I look forward to sharing this first collection with you and getting my shop' on for the next juicy prop drop!
Happy styling,
Sophie xx
Happy styling,
Sophie xx
FIRST PROP COLLECTION DROPS ON THURSDAY 26/11/2020 - GET ON THE MAILING LIST AND FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @blackvelvetstyling FOR UPDATES!
