When it came to creating &ASIAN's first editorial shoot, Creative Editor Yin Ting Lau worked meticulously with Styling Consultant Kaitlin Kimbro in order to style a variety of looks that they felt could show different sides of Aimée, specifically the balance between the softer and tougher sides of the actor. With the actor being a big music lover, Lau encouraged her to create specific playlists that could compliment the variety of different looks being crafted.
Hair & Makeup artist Isabel Galwey meticulously applied a variety of jewels to Aimée's face with the assistance of Visual Editor Joa Yang. While Lau helped to supervise the shoot from all the way over in New York, when it came to the gems her instructions were clear: "when you think you've added enough, add more."
The look with the Sau Lee dress was created with the intention to show the truest version of the actor, who said, "I feel like I'm a big romantic, but I've got... a bit of an edge to me, perhaps. I explained this to Yin Ting, who understood quickly and alongside Linda and Kaitlin, put together a vision around this pink dress and a natural-feeling setting that was one of my favorites on the day."
The Daya by ZENDAYA burgundy vinyl coat was quickly loved by Lau and the team, who used it specifically to build around the concept of a private vs a public persona and Aimée's own scorpio sun sign.
On the day, Lighting Assistant Robbie Ewing helped photographer Linda Wei create the perfect setting for a look that was meant to be potentially the most provocative and intriguing of all the looks crafted.
The concept of light and reflectivity was behind the selection of the Needle & Thread Scarlett dress. The piece had to be carefully clipped to the actor's frame in order to make sure it would fit.
Wei and Ewing played with different spotlight sizes during this particular look, and Wei said, "The editorial sought to capture in still form Aimée "in the spotlight" while tempering that with more intimate and vulnerable perspectives. Lighting was used to create different worlds in which those facets of her would best catch the lens."
Improvisation was needed on the day. The Iris Apfel for H&M jacket was meant to be one of the biggest moments of the shoot, though the team improvised quickly by retooling the gold dress moment - originally intended to be outside - for inside spotlight shots.
Instead, the Apfel jacket arrived just in time for the planned outdoor shoot as well, which meant that Wei could instead attempt visions of dynamism and action that Yin Ting Lau with the jacket outside instead. Lau had originally aimed to create, through movement, visuals that could represent how many newcomers to Hollywood strive hard to succeed in an industry so heavily based on image.
Of the overall shoot, Yin Ting Lau said "The creative direction was shaped around showcasing Aimée's many facets; in many ways, the range of her diverse talents and interests mirror the shapeshifting qualities inherent to a strong dramatic performer. It is our hope with visualizing these artful yet distinct looks, our readers can witness the embodiment of her fluidity in both identity and storytelling.
This has been &ASIAN's most collaborative photoshoot yet. These images came from the sincere trust we all placed in each other's strengths, and I'm so proud of what we achieved together."
Recounting the shoot, Kwan said, "It was magic seeing the team put together the shoot throughout the day. The entire talented team pulled together all the different looks, and it was so much fun to be a part of their creative process on the day. I hope people can feel the creative expression behind each look because you could feel the level of detail and care put into each moment by the team that day, and even beforehand."
John Wick: Chapter 4 is out now in cinemas worldwide. Aimée Kwan can be found on Instagram and Twitter.
CREATIVE TEAM:
Creative Editors: Yin Ting Lau & Francesca Verceles-Zara. Styling Consultant: Kaitlin Kimbro. Hair & Makeup: Isabel Galwey. Visual Editor: Joa Yang. Lighting Assistant: Robbie Ewing. Creative Assistant: Maddie Armstrong. Graphic Design: Brooke Colao. Production Assistant: Ray Chan. Photographed in the Arch Photo Studio, South East London, and Bermondsey, South East London.
