Chaumet × Harper's Bazaar
Magazine Cover
The Brief
Set design for a Chaumet High Jewellery cover story for Harper's Bazaar Arabia and Harper's Bazaar Australia — shot simultaneously in Doha, Qatar. The concept: ethereal femininity, hand-painted backdrops, delicate florals. Two covers. One shoot. Natalia Vodianova.
The Challenge
The visual concept required large-scale hand-painted backdrops — the kind that cannot be rolled, transported, or folded without cracking and creasing beyond repair. Bringing them finished from Dubai was not an option. Everything had to be created on location, in a city where the suppliers, studio spaces, and timelines were unknown quantities. Two nights. No room for error.
The Approach
Flew into Doha ahead of the team. Located a studio space, sourced every material locally — paint, canvas, flowers — and painted the backdrops overnight using contacts built from previous projects in Qatar. The floral compositions were sourced and assembled the same way: connections first, improvisation second. By the time the team landed, the set was ready. The world the client had seen on the mood board existed in the room.
The Outcome
Two Harper's Bazaar covers — Arabia and Australia — featuring Natalia Vodianova and Chaumet High Jewellery against hand-painted sets designed and executed in 48 hours on location in Doha.