The Shoot

Lisa works at Sue Rice.

She organises the production & manufacturing, she plays with patterns and cuts the garments out. Cutting involves making marker by drawing the pattern pieces on to another piece of paper then layering the fabric and cutting it with a cutting machine. It is a field mostly dominated by men because you need to be quite strong to lift up the rolls of fabric (lycra is quite heavy about 20kg per roll).

So Lis, how was the shoot?

To begin with, the studio where we shot was very high tech. It was electronic and digital stuff I wasn't familiar with like a camera on a tripod that automatically slid up and down and the biggest lens I've ever seen.

When we first arrived, the photographer and his assistant were busy setting things up and checking the light levels on the computer while the make up artist was working on the first model. While she had her hair done, Sue and I arranged all the swimsuits on the rack in the order Sue wanted them shot.

I learned some interesting things, like the fact that models really do eat! And if you don't fit into your bikini - just stuff a toilet roll down the back. Well I guess that might not work so well for people who are swimming - but if you're having your photo taken in a bikini that is to big for you - then it's a great idea. Thanks for the tip Alana! Alana is our size 14-16 model.

What did you think about having a bigger model?

Well that was really Sue's decision & it was a great one because the average size of a Sue Rice customer is probably a 14 or 16 so it makes sense to shoot on a beautiful lady who is that size. Also Alana is just amazing and looks incredible in all the photos.