Fashion flat lay featured image: kittkalio.com
What is a fashion flat lay?
You can spell flat lay as one of two words or #flatlay. A flat lay is, in essence, a collection of items, laid on a flat surface, photographed from above, usually to a theme, generally to give customers/visitors an insight into collections of objects they may not have thought would work together. Flat lays in fashion consist of clothing, accessories, shoes, makeup and generally props to enhance the theme. Flat lays are used a lot by Instagram and Snapchat influencers.
Examples of flat lays I have done recently.
Other industry styled of flat lays.
Flat lays in fashion consist of clothing, accessories, shoes, makeup and generally props to enhance the theme. Flat lays are used a lot by Instagram and Snapchat influencers.
Products included in flat lays:
- Beauty/cosmetics/skincare
- Fast fashion
- Accessories
- Food /beverages
- Books and magazines
The most enticing, shared and liked flat lays will use a combination of items to tell a rich story about a person or brand.
“Storytelling has always played a part in successful marketing. Stories enable us to build personality and create a connection with consumers. But can we actually tell a story on social media? Is it possible to narrate a story with social media posts that are supposed to be short and sweet?” Via blog.bufferapp.com
Why create fashion flat lays for your store/company?
Content creators become the photographer/stylist/art director/producer and negate the need for models to showcase the design. The storytellers of content need graphic design, styling, photography and production skills on top of marketing and business acumen. Any weaknesses in these areas spell brand dilution.
As a former art director of a skincare company, we spent a fortune on models, makeup artist, retouchers and prepress for a catalog that, in the age of digital communication, could be replaced by a pdf. Before the web, the lead times were longer, and we had “seasons”. We would use images for years, but with the trend towards”fast fashion”, this is prohibitively expensive. The set up of the camera can be simple, utilizing natural lighting.
How to choose the elements to use?
First I pick a key item, the grab 3 times as many props you need and find a background. It’s easier to shoot on an actual background.
The scale of the elements is an important thing to consider. When you are shooting a large gown, you’ll need bigger background. It’s easier to shoot on white if you want a white marble or further background. Dark backgrounds are also very dramatic and stand out from the crowd.
What to share your recent flay lays? Comment with a link below.
