Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Brett
Taylor, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
After high school I thought I wanted to go the more traditional SEC college route and then a few months in it clicked that traditional was not really my thing. So I left and started interning with Diana Adelberg, an amazing set designer and my first real mentor. She helped bring out the creative curiousity in me and fuelled my fire towards a creative career.
I started at SCAD and dove head first into Interior Design focusing on Hospitality Design, eventually becoming Student President of the department. Here is where I learned a lot about my passion in curating an environment that dictates a unique experience for users, and I really love interiors, but I started feeling “creatively claustrophobic” and realized my passion extends past just the spatial element. I wanted the opportunity to create these experiences in more ways than just the one.
Around that time I started finding myself on various set and absolutely fell in love with the energy. At first I noticed people were hesitant to let me be a part of their shoots due to lack of experience, so I took things into my own hands and decided to produce my projects – doing set design, wardrobe, and overall creative direction myself to build my portfolio. And, it worked! Over time I collected a lot of experience in wardrobe styling, creative direction, and general campaign production work. I have been so lucky to have had the opportunities to collaborate with other creatives and do work for some cool people like Kanye West and be involved in projects for other like Ciara and Lori Harvey.
Since graduating from SCAD with a degree in Advertising and Branding and a concentration in Art Direction, I have been able to push my projects even further with more intention of creative strategy. Concepting has always been a natural instinct for me, but I now also have the education to think past not only how the visuals will look, but where they will go and why.
Today I find myself pursuing a career in Brand Development and Campaigns across all channels – digital, social, experiential, etc. – and am looking forward to continue to develop a name as an Art Director and Creative Consultant in fashion, entertainment, food & beverage, and other consumer lifestyle brands in the US and Europe.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It’s been a bumpy ride to say the least. Being a multi-hyphanate creative is difficult when you feel like people are trying to put you in a box- its’ hard for them to understand how you aren’t just a graphic designer or a wardrobe stylist. I’ve been told before that I “just needed to pick one” and the fact of the matter is, I can’t! It took me a long time to be comfortable as a jack of all trades but I’ve found it to be the trait that has really helped me propell forward in projects.
Another struggle that I found consistently over the years as a freelancer is having clients underestimate the value of the work I am offering. Since I have been primarily functioning as a young one-woman agency (with a network of great fellow creatives to help in the spots I know I may not be as strong in) I have found there to be some issues with respect for me as a business professional. A lot of the work I have done has been for personal brands or small business and it feels very personal for the client, so it could easily turn in to a grey area of me allowing my boundaries of being a business and the structure I needed to create a balance be blurred. Luckily over time, I have been able to learn what works best for me and how to communicate what I can provide more clearly to those I’m working with.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I connect brands with culture. So vague, I know, but that’s because my day to day never looks the same and I don’t fit in a neat advertising box. I have some days where I am working with an artist for a visual rebrand and am pulling looks for a shoot for their music release, other days I am concepting and designing pitch decks for a pop-up bar, some days I am consulting on strategy for an awareness campaign where we are deciding on how it will be showcased on social media, what activities will be at their activation, who to send out the PR boxes to, etc. I know it sounds a bit crazy, but when I was getting started I was (and still am) such a “yes man” because I was so excited about getting to learn every facet of the campaign world that it has given me the tools to execute such a wide range of deliverables and the knowledge of who I need to bring on to the team to help me with those projects.
The beginning of my career was focused primarily on production and being on a photo set, but even then I never had one set role of what I was doing. To this day I would say that is primarily the call I am getting from clients- concept, produce, and execute content and brand promotional assets.
I would say that my versatility and curiosity as a creative sets me apart from others. I am not afraid to approach a situation that I may not be as familiar with and then do what it takes to perform as though I have done it for years. For instance, I was working on a concept where we wanted to pitch the idea of a very customized pop-up exhibition and in order to really sell the idea I learned how to 3D design and render the idea in a week. I want to always continue learning new skills and approaches and find that to be what makes having me on your team different than someone else. I’m always excited to do as much as I can for a project to really make it come to life.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I am super blessed with the family I have- my parents have always done so much to make my childhood special but one time that stands out is when they took me to New York City for the first time. It was around Christmas and we went ice skating and saw the Rockettes at Radio City Music hall and I was so encaptivated by the energy of the city. I still remember the magic I felt of that first trip to the city and I still feel it every time I go back.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://taylorbrett.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylor.the.creator/
Image Credits
Photographer Credits:
Wisdom Warner
Colette Minter
Marios Kornarakis
