The Female Spirit

Photographer: Ava Moussalem

1. What significant life experiences or events have influenced and shaped your artistic vision?

I fell into the world of fashion pretty late, I completely changed my major right before graduating to fashion when I realized my love for it was stronger than I thought it was. I grew up with fashion as someone who loved doing fashion shows with my Monster High and Bratz dolls. That is where my fashion sense grew from and is really what my style is a mix of today. When it comes to photography, I didn’t pick up a camera until my senior year of highschool, which is when I really started discovering myself within fashion. But a lot of people didn’t quite enjoy my fashion journey as much as I did. The negativity I experienced is really what pushed me to want to do things that are different and be able to have a wide range of artistic vision. Having little to no outside influence for what I wanted to do at the time really made me have to be artistic in my own sense and grow my art as a whole by itself. As someone who likes to express myself differently, I like to be able to show that in my work and hope to continue that as my work grows. I think people and things that are different need to be represented in all mediums, and I get to do that in the photos I take and it’s a great feeling knowing I am doing what I want to do and that people enjoy it.

2. Collaboration often sparks fresh creativity. Can you share an example of a collaboration that led to an unexpected and exciting artistic outcome?

I had the amazing opportunity to study abroad this semester at the London College of Fashion. In my Fashion Styling course, I was able to shoot “The Female Spirit”. I collaborated with a friend I had made along the journey abroad and she actually ended up showing me all the designs she had made during the semester. So while she was our model, she actually was the designer of all of the clothes which is really what drove our shoot to be what it has become. If we had different garments, the shoot would be completely different and the vision would have changed. Our talented model and designer, Toula Rumery, is a collaboration I couldn't have seen a better outcome for. This shoot has been noticed by so many people and has brought on so many opportunities I didn’t even think were a possibility this early into my photography journey.

3. Walk us through a specific project that challenged your creative boundaries. How did you approach it, and what did you learn from the experience?

A specific project that challenged my creative boundaries is definitely a shoot I did at Lasell University in the Fashion Photography and Styling Club last semester. The board said they had specifically chosen me for this shoot, which of course added some extra pressure, but I had only done shoots that are seen as weird or creepy. This shoot was not that, so it really stretched my boundaries and creativity. I approached it as something that will help me gain experience and better myself as a photographer by being able to do more wide range shoots. Looking at it as a new experience rather than a challenge really helped me create photos that myself and the club enjoyed. The shoot, “Clustered”, actually ended up having some of my favorite photos I have taken. The experience taught me to look beyond what I was comfortable with and showed me I can do more than I limit myself to.

4. In the ever-evolving art world, what do you believe sets your work apart and makes it unique or groundbreaking?

I believe uniqueness comes more from the artist themself more than the work. What sets the art apart is the artist and how they put the work together piece by piece. I believe that my work is set apart from others because of what pushes me as an artist and what makes me want to create the work that I do and have. It is hard in an art world that is constantly changing, but I’d like to believe and hope that my work will continue to stand apart from others because of the story behind me as the artist. With my story and how I integrate it into my work, that is how my work is set apart, how my work is unique.

5. As you reflect on your journey, are there any specific goals or milestones you've set for your artistic career in the coming years?

I am still really early into my photography journey, as this is only starting my third year into actually taking photos. I would say in the coming years, I would love to be able to land a spot with an agency and be able to do shoots for big name magazines and celebrities. I think overall just being noticed for my work and people wanting me to do photoshoots for them is really just something I’d like to hope for. Then hopefully be able to do shoots for magazines like Dazed, Vogue, or The Face and be able to have celebrities as models, that is definitely the main milestone. I also think a personal goal is just making sure that no matter where my work goes, I make sure that I always remember why I make my work the way it is, the story behind why I wanted to start in the first place.

• Team Credits

  Fashion Designer/Model: Toula Rumery

  Wardrobe Stylist/Creative Director/Set Designer: L.K Shaw

  Wardrobe Stylist/Creative Director/Makeup Artist/Hair Stylist/Photographer: Ava Moussalem

  Wardrobe Stylist: Tanvy Gujare

  Fashion Designer/Wardrobe Stylist/Creative Director: Zeke Davis

• Wardrobe Credits

  White Button Down: Van Heusen

  Black pants: Zeke Davis

  Fabrics: LØVCHLD

  Black Corset Top: Tuola Rumery

  Piano Jacket: Ralph Lauren

  Black Shorts: Thrifted

  Fabric: LØVCHLD

  Brown Slip Dress: Toula Rumery

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