Arturo Foster
Developing the brand aesthetic for an emerging luxury fashion designer.
Project Type: Photography & Social Media
Agency: COR Marketing
CD: Neil Shastri
DP: Matt Bish
Product Photos: Jae Verde
Models: Clementyne Vega, Janae, and Jayna Davis
Stylist: Lisa Shastri
Arturo Foster is a luxury handbag designer from Mexico City, now living in South Africa. In 2024, he emerged on the fashion scene with a unique lifelong dream: design reptilian handbags of the highest quality, yet at a price point more accessible for customers who cringe at the outrageously high cost of brands like Hermès. Arturo and his partner, Chris, have built their business to maintain the higest standards, with ethically sourced materials and humane production, combating fast fashion that plagues the fashion industry. Caroline Harbin from COR Marketing & Strategies approached me in September of 2024 with the goal to develop brand materials that would empower Arturo with the confidence to step into the world of luxury fashion.
This project is close to my heart because it helped a genuine and kind soul to go after his dreams. It also gave me the opportunity to dip my toe in the water of fashion photography art direction, something that I'd love to explore more of in my career.
Because of the saturation of fashion accessories on the market, it was imperative that we focused on developing quality brand photography that not only showcased the intrictate and artistic craftsmanship within each product, but an aesthetic that communicated quality and luxury to Arturo's target audience.
Our creative team focused on market research, developed mood boards, casted diverse models, and brand messging that aligned well with Arturo's mission and unique approach to ethically sourced, slow fashion.
This project also showed me the importance of attention-to-detail with delicate luxury products and the nuances of high fashion. Especially with handbags, every little element, including models' nails, jewerly, sunglasses, attire, etc was intentionally coordinated with our stylist and models ahead of the shoots. This ensured that the various featured handbag collections had curated & elevated unique sets in place and kept our shoots on schedule. With the limited time we had for each studio or on-set location, we were able to stay on top of schedule on the day of shooting.
Aside from our efforts in capturing high-quality photography within a tighter production budget and limited timeline, we also had to increase brand awareness for Arturo Foster as well as educate his consumers about what sets his product apart from other luxury handbags in the market.
Our team of content strategists and copywriters worked hard to develop unique selling propositions that addressed the issues in today's fashion industry with fast fashion. There was also the matter of addressing the use of exotic animal skins with Arturo's products. With the sensitivity of this subject, we had to get out in front of any pushback by making sure our brand materials and messaging clarified that all of Arturo's materials are ethically sourced in an approachable and light-hearted way.
Combined with this messaging, model and product photography, curated social media content, and an effective social media strategy from COR Marketing, we were able to develop stunning and on-brand key social media content that set Arturo up for success as he first stepped out onto the fashion scene with his stunning handbag collections.
Contact
Twin Cities, MN
neil@neilshastri.design
"Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today."
-Robert McKee
© Neil Shastri 2025
Consulting Creative Director | Art Director | Mentor