Choosing models for the Fall/Winter shoot was quite the challenge! I wanted a diverse group of women, and I was also looking for people who were active in the creative community. Luckily, through professional connections and lots of Instagram searches, I came across these five inspiring women.

From Left to Right: Samantha, Sophie, Caroline, Kristin, and Ashley. Scroll down to read their stories and hear more about the outfits they wore at the shoot.

Samantha

Samantha Ray is a creative entrepreneur based out of Raleigh, NC.  A native to the area, she owns her own businesses as a hair and makeup artist, a writer, and a musician.  She enjoys traveling, spending time outdoors, eating great food with loved ones, hanging out with her husband John, and celebrating the sacred in ordinary moments.  She is passionate about owning your voice and the importance of creative expression. Samantha serves with her local church on the campus of NC State, and is the founder of the North Carolina Hair and Makeup Artist Summit, an annual gathering to unify and encourage the women in her industry.

When I found Samantha through the suggestion of my photographer, Emily Lyons-Wood, I knew I had to put her in our new Matcha linen! I decided on the Rae Dress as one of Samantha’s main looks (center photo above). Her skintone and dark hair looked stunning next to the soft green.

I also put her in a more wintry look which included the Basil Pant in Charcoal Linen, the Hanna Top in Rectangle Print, and the Dennis Jacket in Charcoal Linen (right and left photos above). This outfit is our version of a pantsuit, and I loved the contrast of the raw silk and linen textures.

Samantha is 5’7″ and wears a size Large in all Pamut styles.

Sophie

Sophie Wiseman-Floyd is a jewelry designer based in Raleigh, NC. She first got involved in creative business while living in Haiti as a teen, where her parents were missionaries. She started Haiti’s Jewels, a company that helps empower local Haitian women to earn a living by becoming jewelry artisans. In 2018, Sophie graduated from NC State with a batchelor of Industrial Design. She founded her minimalist jewelry brand, Heir, and has been growing it ever since.

I knew of Sophie and her work through some creative friends, so I was over the moon when she agreed to participate in the Pamut shoot! Because I make all of our samples in a size Small first (I’m also a Small and like to wear-test them before production), Sophie had A LOT of pieces to model for us. Sophie captures movement perfectly in her photos, so I wanted to put her in a Simone Dress to show how the garment flows.

I also decided on a combo of the Flared Emil Pant and Dennis Jacket (left) for Sophie. This neutral outfit provided wonderful structure with the slightly cropped jacket and cinch waist pant.

We also put Sophie in the Rae Dress in Clay (right). I chose the Clay color as one that could sit between the neutrals and the brighter pops of Fig and Matcha. I have to say, it truly looks good on all skin tones!

Sophie is 5’8″ and wears a size Small in all Pamut styles.

Caroline

Caroline Lawless is an actor, photographer and illustrator based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She has nearly a decade of experience working in the marketing, graphic design and commercial photography industries, and her clients range from inspiring local female entrepreneurs to celebrity stylists. She loves cats, coffee and cameras (in no particular order), and never leaves home without a book in her purse. Caroline can be seen in the North Carolina Museum of History’s Quilt Speak exhibit as well as the upcoming online series .org.

Caroline had modeled for my photographer, Emily in the past. I loved her on-camera look, but also appreciated and admired her work as a photographer! She was excited to be involved, and I chose a selection of Pamut garments that I knew would look stunning on her tall frame. One of Caroline’s main looks was the Simone Dress in Fig Raw Silk (which she ended up taking home that day!)

We also photographed her in a Cream Francine Top and Canvas Basil Pant (left). We styled the Francine Top with the scoop in the front (I love the versatility of this garment… the ties can be knotted in a variety of different ways, and you can also reverse it and wear the V in the front). One of my favorite compliments during shoot day was when Caroline told me that the Rae Jumpsuit (right) was the only jumpsuit that had ever fit her properly! Again, that Clay colorway was magic on Caroline’s skintone.

Caroline is 6′ and wears a size XSmall in all Pamut styles, with the exception of the Rae Jumpsuit (she wears a Small).

Kristin

Kristin Robbins is an old soul living in modern times. She and her husband, along with their two daughters, are currently renovating an RV for tiny living just outside of Durham, NC. The family loves spending time being creative, and their goal in renovating the RV is to live a more simple and free life. Along with her jobs as a mother and bad*ss RV renovator, Kristen also works as head of social media marketing at Mainland Creative in Raleigh.

I knew Kristin from a previous modeling gig, and asked her to model for me again this season! We went for a moody vibe for Kristin’s main look, pairing an Ingrid Top in Charcoal with cozy Emil Pants.

I also wanted to make a Simone Top for Kristin (right), and she looked stunning in it! We styled it tucked into the Emil Pants in Evergreen for a monochrome look. This look works because the Evergreen pants act as a neutral. Though they have a definite green tint, they appear less bright compared to the pop of color that the Matcha linen provides.

Kristin is 5’7″ and wears a size Medium in all Pamut styles.

Ashley

Ashley McIntyre started her fashion career at the tender age of 6 – hiding from her mom in the circular racks at Macy’s at Herald Square. Today, she’s a wardrobe stylist and writer who loves helping people uncover their personal style. She believes that style is for everyone and that it doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. A Triangle transplant from Atlanta, she’s proud to call Durham home. When she’s not working, you can probably find her watching “Golden Girls” with her dog, practicing yoga or trying to convince her boyfriend that their living room needs another houseplant. 

Ashley is an absolute joy to be around, and I was lucky to find her through some connections I had in Durham. It was very important to me during this shoot to showcase Pamut pieces on a curvy body, so I prioritized choosing Ashley’s looks before I chose those of the other models. For Ashley, I chose the Simone Dress in Clay as a main look. It fit her like a glove (and do I need to say a third time that the Clay color looks good on every skintone?!)

I also made Ashley a pair of Emil Pants which we now offer in 2XL and 3XL. We decided to pair the pants with a few different raw silk tops. We styled them first with the Simone Top (tucked in so we could show the gathered waist detail of the pant, and wrapped with the scoop in front) and then the Hanna Top in a new Fig color. I’ve always loved the relaxed fit of the Hanna Top, and the raw silk fabrication drapes beautifully whether you decide to tuck it in or not!

Ashley is 5’10” and wears a size 2XL in all Pamut tops, and 3XL in all Pamut bottoms.

Thanks to Emily Lyons-Wood, who captured these looks and brought out the best in our beautiful models. You can find her work here.

Thanks also to Melissa DeLeon, who styled every look perfectly. No bow or strand of hair was out of place! You can find her work here.

Written by Katherine Williford