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Julia Chesky

@juliachesky

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& strategist for luxury, cpg, beauty, & tech giants
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18

5 days ago

Going Against The Grain

As one of Dario Vitale’s biggest critics, do I think he should have lost his role after his debut collection? After trying on several pieces, he probably shouldn't have gotten the job to begin with.

Honestly shocked by the actual fit beyond the heinous crotches that plagued the runway pants. Not to make this about body size, but the concept that this size 4 skirt (FROM VERSACE) was two sizes too large on me makes no sense. What size are the fashion girls getting when the 0 was also baggy in a bad way? It seems we have a Raf Simons at Calvin problem...terrible cuts that fit no one. Save us, Pieter.

That aside, I wanted to document this moment in history after online hysteria made it seem like this collection was flying off the shelves like Chanel post-removal. Is that why I haven't seen anyone wearing any of it during my 200+ mile monthly city walks? Because it exclusively lives in the algorithm through imaginary hauls?

But I digress. Let's discuss the inspo for this image. I wanted something wooden and a bit 70s based on the look. I settled on plywood that the lovely @tia_euphemia_rivers wrapped for me, and then I carried my pile onto the subway during morning rush hour.

The lighting was inspired by my window, except this time I actually lit it to make my life easier. And that's it. I'll spare you my mother's new plight of getting me to wear more skirts. I don't think they're for me, although I did pick up a fully sheer one from Margiela. And that's the fun with fashion.

Creative/art direction, set design, fashion styling, lighting, photography, legs!, and retouching by me. taken in Lincoln Square, Manhattan by @juliachesky

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2 months ago

Objects of Desire

1) World Peace 2) everything from @Schiaparelli.

Both seem like impossible surrealist concepts, plagued by equally impossible price tags. Except that one benefits a group of supervillains by not existing, while the other is a victim of my desire to someday own an apartment. Perhaps greedy supervillains are responsible for both woes....

This concept came to mind shortly after the moving images of Earth by @NASA. I had to figure out how to co-create with them and wanted to continue exploring the use of printed matter and fabric in my work. The shirt was created in April, pinned with my first ever piece from the house, a brooch, my mother generously gifted me while we were in Paris earlier this year.

I scrunched through the fabric to create the visible impact we can’t see but will feel for generations to come. Stuffed it with my bootleg Knicks championship tee and multiple beloved pairs of Nike shorts to create further distortion, and then I spent 3 weeks not shooting it because sometimes it's really hard to find motivation to press the shutter button in this dark timeline. But we must create, even if it takes a little more time.

Creative/art direction, prop styling, set design, lighting, photography, and retouching by me. a photo of distorted earth by nasa printed on a tee shirt with a dove of peace brooch piercing through it. taken in Lincoln Square, Manhattan by @juliachesky

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3 months ago

Anywhere but indoors. ⚽️

The Nike Mad 90 Collection at JD. by @juliachesky

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4 months ago

High Gloss (She Has a Point)

I have nothing to say beyond this is such a sexy shoe by Amina Muaddi...and if you’re tired of my hand painted background I made for 1 set and somehow have used for like 5 projects over 2 years, I poked a hole through the bottom board with the heel, so consider it most likely retired.

Creative/art direction, set design, leg!, lighting, photography, and retouching by me. a leg flipped on the side in a maroon patient high heel on a maroon background taken in Lincoln Square, Manhattan by @juliachesky

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5 months ago

Read (but more of an olive undertone)

They finally got me, or I finally got them, because @TheRow's scarcity makes Hermès look mass-produced...pause.

When I decided to shoot my new wares, I knew all they needed were old leather bound books and natural light. Something my apartment isn’t the best for, north facing, so I had a few minutes a day to get this over a handful of very specific sunny days.

Could I have built my own natural light? Absolutely. But I think at this point it’s clear that I like to make things harder for myself, or at least see how far I can push what feels limiting.

The sourcing the books: after striking out again on Marketplace (sigh) I ended up shopping @NYPL monthly book sale. As soon as I saw the titles, I realized they carry a bit more weight than just being colors and shapes. And this is a sign that we need to bring back Emily Post.

I know these can feel like simple images, it is a photo of a shoe after all. And sometimes they are meant to be nothing more, but I wouldn’t be giving myself enough credit if I didn’t acknowledge how layered some of the meaning becomes. And it's okay if the viewer doesn't understand beyond enjoying them (if IG allows anyone to see them). I think it’s important to think, or give thought, during a time that makes thinking seem like a rarity.

The leather trench is my new treasure from Paris (thank you, Clem) I found @envoituresimoneparis. I immediately joked that it might be the same color as the loafers… my color game remains unmatched.

Note to self: absolutely no more green shoes for the personal collection.

Creative/art direction, set design, prop styling, legs, photography, and retouching by me. a flatlay photo of a pair of eel olive colored The Row loafers with grey socks from the gap on top of an olive vintage leather trench taken in Lincoln Square, Manhattan by @juliachesky

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6 months ago

I Know It's Pink

Sometimes you miss a shoe… and it comes back to you heavily discounted in your size, waiting for its end of life on some rack in a Tory Burch box. Knowing it's @MaisonAlaia & that I didn't get a proper chance to send @Pieter_Mulier off on his new journey, it felt right to torture myself one more time in honor of the warmer months ahead.

Shooting anything past its season is something I've thought about for a while. I've faced an uncomfortable reckoning with my love of luxury as I continue to make personal work while the world plunges into darkness. What is valuable? What has value? The endless race to shoot something before it's everywhere, the plight of access, how something trends one season & then we never see it again except on resale sites.

I don't have any answers beyond wearing what you enjoy, owning what still makes sense for your lifestyle, & honoring objects past a season. Luxury was never meant to be fast fashion, but here we are, tucking away things meant to last forever, but often don't make it to the in-between season because of fatigue or trend recalibration. Part of it is the lack of quality plaguing every luxury house, but also the internet & the endless repetition of the same objects, to the point of exhaustion, until the algorithm moves on.

There have always been "last season things," but it felt more on the trend side & less on things with 4+ numbers in a price tag. Maybe I'm misremembering now that I have the access I always dreamt of. Seeing someone in The Row red jellies proves luxury victimhood feels like a recent invention for items clearly designed to be consumed, not kept. Then you think of the 2000s resale market & this current behavior makes even less sense. Why aren't so many keeping things past a season? But on the plus side, allegedly, thong heels are the big summer shoe for 2026, so congrats to all the podiatrists. Ladies, good luck.

Fun aside: the hose is from Temu, & for something claiming to be 6 feet, it's definitely 5'8 on a good day. Such a classic internet problem.

Creative direction, art direction, prop styling, set design, legs, lighting, photography, & retouching: me. legs with a hose wrapped around them filling up water balloons on faux grass and a navy background. taken in Lincoln Square, Manhattan by @juliachesky

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7 months ago

Favorite Reference

This series was going to be called “Untitled 2026” until my 7am walk today. It had many other names like "Groundbreaking," "Dutch Classic," "Soft, Softer." Originally it was shot as "Wild Laurent" because I didn't know where it would land. Mixing artistic genres together to pay homage to some of the artists who trained your eye is hard to name. Also a little wink to the many moodboards I’m clearly on.

This is my first ever floral arrangement! Massive thank you to my friend Jason for holding my hand via WhatsApp of self-doubt, & Eddie at J Rose who played my floral editor once the New Years shipment arrived. Only I could turn making a 17th-century floral arrangement into a week-long investigation. I even asked florists for paid help & was politely turned away. One asked why I was doing all this work for free. I ask myself that often, but I have to create. I'm fortunate to make this work, even when it feels impossible, frustrating, dehumanizing, & confusing.

For as breathtakingly feral as the @YSL Deroche's make me, it might have taken the title of the most painful shoe I've shot. And I'm not alone, the girls seem to be lodging their complaints any chance they get, but they're still buying them. Good luck, babes!

More BTS lore: I used a free scrap of fabric from my previous Etsy order, which created an accidental Jeff Koons-esque plastic-couch vibe with the pink cling wrap my mom uses instead of clear. I paid homage to Warhol, exploring his approach to repetition, unusual color, & shared love of shoes. I spend most of my free time viewing art, visiting it, obsessing over it, & started to wonder why it doesn't always carry over to my work. So I got a new lighting modifier, figured out genres that could work for these shoes, & went to work on this disjointed fangirling.

Yes, this was almost lost in the robbery but it's here. It's the most money I've ever spent on a personal project. My mom called my florals "an interesting choice of bouquet [in person] that photographed better than it looks." Not quitting my day job, florists marked safe.

Creative/art direction, set design, prop styling, leg, lighting, photography, retouching by me. a 17th century inspired still life with florals on a navy background with a ysl heel by @juliachesky

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8 months ago

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8 months ago

Animal Planet / Iceberg

My final personal project of 2025 features accidental recurring themes from this year and perhaps a peek into a creative direction for the future.

It started in the checkout lane at Blick, asking who these tiny animals were for, and ended with me realizing they were for the @MaisonAlaia Le Teckel clutch.

After foolishly thinking I finished the shoot, I decided to tidy my space and part with a damaged (but very well used) piece of Color-aid. As I crumpled it for recycling, I noticed the beautiful lines, and that's how Iceberg was born. Instead of my original grey tones, I knew this had to be the sky of Animal Planet.

Perhaps a subconscious commentary on how we're destroying nature, but also how the sky is always breaking apart with clouds. We are nothing without our care for the environment. It is devastating to see the continued global destruction of land, homes, people, and animals.

I also continued my accidental approach to documenting Alaïa objects with focus stacking. Combining over 10 images to really feel the texture.

Thank you for going on this creative journey with me this year. It’s been fun trying new things. I sincerely appreciate even the .2 seconds of screen time we share together. All of the kind words, curiosities, and shares mean a lot. See you soon.

Creative/art direction, prop styling, set design, lighting, photography, and retouching by me. Many thanks to @TwoMindsNYC for continuing to loan me anything I ask for. I couldn’t do this without your support. tiny plastic animals on a dark red alaia le tuckle clutch bag with a crumpled paper blue background to represent the sky taken in Lincoln Square, Manhattan by @juliachesky

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10 months ago

Teab*gging

Add tea to the list of global activities I don't partake in. Except I've been forced to try it many, many times. I do not understand the alleged joy found in a cup or at a fancy establishment (…and this is from someone who loves a cute accessory.)

After serving its purpose, a teabag always takes on unique shapes. Almost like the wind had been knocked out of them, g*sping for air as steam evaporates through the mesh, twisting towards finding relief and recovery. Its tiny body heavy with boiling water, covered in honey, lemon, sometimes brown sugar, waiting to maybe go for a second round or into the bin, never to be thought of again until another pack is ripped open fresh for enjoyment. Can you tell I was a child who believed all inanimate objects felt something?

Naturally, I asked my mom to collect her used international teabags for me. One failed attempt later, turns out used dried teabags are not fridge safe, and here we are. An observation of some of my favorite little bags, ridiculous cutlery, mixed with discarded Balloon Milkweed found on my way to Home Depot for another project. I guess the universe does provide when you least expect it. I debated for a moment if I should pick them up from the street trash (not even building trash!) but knew they belonged with this series the moment we crossed paths. They play with shapes so well, and as they begin to die, they also twist into unique shapes, exposing seeds, fluff, and cracks through their delicate skin.

Creative/art direction, prop styling, set design, lighting, photography, retouching by me.

This was also the first time I ever went to @MoodFabrics, shout out to those girlies and the lovely people at @ASLNYC for listening to me wax poetic about backgrounds and plants. And a very special thanks to my mom for collecting these for me. There are some bonus shots after the grids. taken in Lincoln Square, Manhattan by @juliachesky

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a year ago

Landing Strip

Creative/art direction, set design, prop styling, lighting, and photography by me.
Retouching: @Shild_Retouch An elongated green suede clutch with faux gator print behind propped up by a single shoe with a curved golden heel and it's mate sitting on top of the bag on an ombre background. taken in Lincoln Square, Manhattan by @juliachesky

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a year ago