15th October 2019
BTS IN THE USA
Check out behind the scenes of our latest campaign in the USA (including tips for handling 42 degree days in the Californian desert)
EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING. This was the public announcement text we woke up to the morning we hit the road for our epic 10 day adventure. 42+ degrees – what perfectly pleasant conditions to shoot in the desert. With a pregnant photographer.
Our little Aussie crew (Carly Brown, Phoebe Barrett and the three of us from Wrangler Aus) caught up with Valentina and Richie in Boulder City, and met Richie’s friend Skylar - an artist who also restores vintage cars. He loaned us a real beauty to shoot with and Carly got some pretty awesome shots of the guys in it:
After a family dinner in town we hit the road again on our way to a town that Skylar referenced Breaking Bad to. This brought on a pretty sleepless night for most.. we arrived around midnight and had to unpack the SUVs and iron the clothes for the next day, Phoebe found herself in a google hole researching crime rates most of the night, and Valentina and Richie busted a tire on the way to the Motel.
The next morning we woke up and took in our surroundings in daylight. We were at the pool early, trying not to disrupt the other guests to get a few shots. The sign on the gate made me laugh a bit.
Valentina is in the Lou Lou Bells Serpentine and Lotti tank
We felt pretty isolated – I went out to grab some breakfast, and realised there were only 2 supermarkets “in town”. The first one in town was closed, and the second was a 20 minute drive away – with very limited fresh produce for our “fresh fruit breakfast”. They had a strong representation of Wrangler though haha.
Valentina in the Beyond the Sun Tee and Pin Up Short Presence Blue.
Richie in the On the Rise Tee and Smith Short Wildfire
After a big morning of shooting we needed a spot to re-hydrate & swim to handle the heat. Pirate Cove in Topock gave us what we needed - wow what a place! It felt like a slice of Schoolies in Cabo, but with a ‘middle of America’ tweak. There were speed boats parked on the banks of the Colorado River, and we had a very entertaining lunch with a hens group woo-ing and grinding to Eminem’s beats in the background.
We pushed on and were rewarded with iconic picturesque desert scenery. Pastel blue skies, white sand & cacti as far as the eye can see. By this time of the afternoon we were expecting it to start cooling down, but it felt like it was getting even hotter… the umbrellas were offering very little, so we had to keep ducking into the air con cars for a few minutes of sweet relief!
Valentina’s in the Otherside Tee and the linen/cotton blend Hi Bells Cropped in Shell.
We set our sights on Hackberry – a small town on historic Route 66 that almost became a ghost town when the new Interstate 40 bypassed the town by 1984. We finished shooting here, and watched the sun set together out the front of the iconic General Store. It was the perfect way to finish our time with Valentina and Richie, before we parted ways to continue this journey of discovery.
By Kimberly - water runner, driver, marketing manager.
Photography: @_carlybrownphotographer_ & @chloe.chippendale
HMU: @_phoebefever
Talent: @valentinaruby & @richgreens