February 26, 2021

CELESTINO presents 'A Holiday Wish!'

Sergio Guadarrama

CELESTINO presents A Holiday Wish!

Sergio Guadarrama and Kade Johnson of CELESTINO are delighted to present an inspirational and joyous retelling of a traditionally one-dimensional holiday narrative through, “CELESTINO’s ‘A Holiday Wish!’ Created in collaboration between a wonderful and diverse group of people within the fashion industry to bring joy and inclusivity to the 2020 holiday season.

Fully inclusive towards all humans, ‘A Holiday Wish’ features beautiful Celestino gowns true to the techniques of couture and avant-garde aesthetic worn by 11 beautiful humans of all race, sexual orientation, body size, age, or gender identity. ‘A Holiday Wish’ shows a depiction of the holiday season that allows more people to see themselves in a couture holiday campaign normally reserved for straight, young, cis, thin, white women.

Celestino’s ‘A Holiday Wish’ is a collaboration with socially conscious and diverse individuals including our models, Elliott Sailors, Shanae Strachan, Stephanie Rosa, Liris Crosse, Yuen Sze Jia, Lusitania Bruno, Luz Lopez, Malia Greiner, Mary Breneman, Dove Griffin, and Jeremy Moineau, photographer Nina Frazier-Hansen, hair stylist Lorenzo Diaz, makeup artist Tommy, and prop stylist Liz Cherkasova. Celestino also worked with photojournalist Aliya Schneider who documented the entire campaign process behind the scenes, from creating all the looks to the day of the shoots.

The team who created the entire shoot had a strong focus on racial diversity, LGBTQ+ issues, and women empowerment. Each individual involved creates a platform for others to see themselves. The campaign aims to bring hope to others at this especially hard time during the pandemic.

Sergio Guadarrama and Kade Johnson have focused their careers on making a difference through ethically sourced materials and sustainable practices. All of the dresses showcased in the shoot were created with upcycled fabrics (dead stock fabrics that are normally tossed out or burned). One look, featured on model and trans advocate Jeremy Moineau, is created from a dress purchased for $6.99 from a thrift store in Hudson, New York.

CELESTINO created video documentation to accompany ‘A Holiday Wish’, featuring footage of models on the days of the shoot, and behind-the-scenes interviews with models and designers Sergio Guadarrama and Kade Johnson describing their holiday wishes and participation in the shoot. Footage can be seen on CELESTINO’s YouTube Channel.

Kade Johnson and Sergio Guadarrama of Celestino want to give others hope that they can feel fabulous, beautiful, and joyous even if it means they have to celebrate the holidays by themselves at home.

Credits include

Director/Producer: Kade Johnson

Garments: Celestino

Photographer: Nina Frazier-Hansen

Set Stylist: Liz Cherkasova @lateafternoon

Hair: Lorenzo Diaz @Lorenzodiazhair

Makeup: Tommy @tommymakeup_

Clothing Stylist: Kade Johnson

Videographer: Kade Johnson

Music: Charlie @_.charliemusic._

Models:

Elliott Sailors: @elliottsailors - Gender-fluid Model, Actor, Advocate, Speaker, and Moderator