Text by Tony Ward, Copyright 2022
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Behind The Scenes With Shanell Verandez
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On Sunday, July 31, 2022, two very talented creatives: KVaughn and Shanell Verandez booked an Uber from their homes in West Philly and took the 40 minute drive to my studio in Elkins Park for a much anticipated photo shoot. Ms Verandez first appeared on my radar for a new subject to photograph for the new Vixen’s series. I was first introduced to her by KVaughn himself, the brilliant fashion designer and creative director for his exclusive collection of scarves that made him a star with a loyal customer base that he established over the past 25 years. So when KV (as I like to call him), said look at this person, I took a hard look. He was right on serving as my creative director and talent scout. Ms. Verandez was perfectly cast as the newest Vixen! She imbues a combination of raw beauty and musical talent bundled into a complex sophisticated human being.
Here is a reel from the shoot: Shanell Verandez sitting for the Vixens series
During the sitting, Shanell proved that she had previous experience in front of the camera, having modeled professionally for various designers and modeling agencies in her past. She made all of the crew on set comfortable and created an atmosphere of joviality. After a series of garment changes crafted by the wizardry of KV we wrapped the shoot and invited some of the studios friends over for a luncheon to celebrate the success of our collaboration. Before the luncheon began, Ms. Verandez sang and aria written by Mozart, her favorite composer. This was the first time she performed operatically since the pandemic began. You can enjoy her beautiful voice here: Shanell Verandez performing an aria by Mozart
After the luncheon where guests dined on chicken cacciatore, braised salmon, peas with pasta in tomato sauce and nicoise salad, we sat out in the backyard and enjoyed a lively conversation to round out a very stimulating afternoon with new and old friends: Conversation in the yard
To access a gallery of photographs from the new Vixens series, including several of Shanell Verandez, click here: https://tonyward.com/new-work-the-vixens-series/