ON LOCATION: Shooting Spring ‘17 with Garnet Hill, PART 1: NAXOS

In September of 2016, our photography team spent three weeks shooting Spring ‘17 swimwear and clothing collections in two unforgettable settings: the Greek island of Naxos, and Tuscany.

Situated in the heart of the Aegean Sea, Naxos is the largest of the Cycladic islands, and the stage upon which many events in Greek mythology are set.

Zeus – king of the Greek gods, and not one to be trifled with – was said to have been raised on Naxos; Zas, its tallest mountain, is named for him.

The wedding of Dionysus and Ariadne is said to have blessed the island with the fertility in its earth and the wine in its inhabitants.

Morning energy, all smiles.

In the Aegean Sea

The island boasts mountains, fertile valleys, gorges, traditional villages, monasteries, castles, and, of particular interest to us for a swim shoot, seascapes.

We constructed this set on the beach, to add dimension. You’ll see it in our catalog and online.

Crew and model at work.

Did you catch the Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown https://youtu.be/eLu3dUvHVvk episode on the Greek Islands? It was part of the reason we chose Naxos. Many Greek islands have been our backdrop over the years, including Crete, Paros, Mykonos, and Corfu.

Filtering the light. Shoots typically pause for 90 minutes at noon, when the sun is directly overhead and less favorable.

Guess which one is the model.

The crew members we convened for this trip hail from Los Angeles, New York, Argentina, New Zealand, England, France, Greece, and Brazil. Two had birthdays during the shoot and were sung a birthday song in English, Greek, Italian, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. A memorable celebration, though one gets hungry for cake by the end.

We were always made to feel welcome on Naxos by the local folks, many of whom spoke English. But their hospitality came as no surprise. Zeus has always been a protector of strangers and guests.

A long day done.