OLIVIA CULPO BY TONY DURAN + BONUS OUTTAKES

images// Tony Duran
interview// Rob Hill

Hello Olivia. Welcome to treats!

Hello – thanks so much!

How did you shoot with treats! come about?

Tony and I worked together recently on an advertising beauty shoot. We had never worked together before but we immediately clicked and I knew he and I could produce great work together. During hair and make-up, I spoke with Tony about the type of things I was interested in shooting. I wanted to explore modeling as more of an art form as opposed to an advertisement or even editorial. Tony and I met a couple of days after the ad shoot and spoke about bringing out more of my true self in an image…more of a raw unproduced quality, but something that still felt like a high fashion moment. treats! was the perfect route to explore this opportunity.

How much did you work with the photographer, Tony Duran, in creative direction for the shoot?

It was all really about the chemistry and trust I had with Tony as a photographer. When we sat down and spoke..it wasn’t about actual photos..it was about me. Where my head is at as a person..as a woman. What are my insecurities..what are my strengths. He really had me focus on how I could connect with the camera. I had never done a nude shoot before, but it really wasn’t about that. This shoot was more about letting myself go emotionally. I really enjoyed putting myself out there – it is very liberating to show who you really are. There is a sense of empowerment that I got from the shoot that is hard to explain. We are in a world that thrives on artifice and perceived notions. This experience hid nothing.

Did posing nude empower you? How did it make you feel?

When I looked at Tony’s work before the shoot, especially with nudes, what I saw was the beauty and sensuality. The images we produced that afternoon felt like paintings to me. The colors..the lighting..it all felt very timeless. I am not looking at nude bodies, but more the composition and quality of the image.

Had you ever done nudes before? If not, what made you decide to do them with this shoot and treats!Have you been asked before?

As mentioned above, I have never done a nude shoot before. I had been asked, but honestly I did not feel comfortable because I was fearful of how it would be perceived. Once I realized this was an opportunity to express myself in a way I hadn’t before, in such an organic and candid sense, the experience became more about art and emotion than me as a physical being. That completely changed my outlook. So many people today strive for perfection, covering up who they really are in any way they can. I have been guilty of this too, but for this shoot I couldn’t hide. This was as real and raw as it gets.

What do you think are the qualities that make a great model?

The ability to completely let your guard down, and leave judgment and insecurity at the door. Take on the character that the photographer is looking for, and lose yourself in the process, but at the same time keep enough of yourself that shines through. This thought process to me will always let the viewer know that it’s your true self in the photos, your essence.

What’s going on with you professionally right now. Any exciting projects you wanna announce here?

I am working on a few things in the fashion space that I am really excited about, but I cannot give any more details at this time. I am a contributing editor with Byrdie and just shot campaigns with a few amazing brands.I have a few projects in the scripted and unscripted spaces that I am working on, and will soon announce!