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CLAUDIA: MY COLAB EXPERIENCE WITH THE ROMANTIC COLLECTIVE
I love the story within a story and first I would like to share on how I met and came to know this beautiful, talented and joyful woman, Donnalee Roberts and how the photoshoot all came to be. Earlier this year, I saw @TheRomanticCollective on Instagram, I followed the account, loving every item, so pretty, feminine, elegant, fun, with a joyful feeling, I love that style! I saw through Instagram how Donnalee just overflowed with love, joy, humility and kindness! As I would scroll through @TheRomanticCollective account, I would quietly dream of one day photographing this beautiful collection! Every item just resonated with my personal style and my photographers heart. I loved the unique way that Donnalee would present each item and collection with so much care, thoughtfulness and quality, showcasing emotion and memory-making, joy and fun, an authentic realness, that is so true and so appreciated! It was so beautifully unique to anything else I had seen online. Only to find out later that Donnalee was also a well-known South African actress, writer and producer! You see, this story is so precious for me because before I knew who Donnalee was as a public figure, I saw her heart, I saw her creativity, I saw her joyful character and beauty all through The Romantic Collective platform! Just to back track, I grew up with Afrikaans as my 3rd language (English/Portuguese being my home and childhood languages) I had no idea what was being produced in the Afrikaans film/TV industry in South Africa up until recent years. So it was just incredible to learn that Donnalee had this talented career in film and television, acting and also producing and writing stories about women and their journeys to bring hope, inspiration and encouragement! From 7de Laan, Pad Na Jou Hart, Vir Altyd and Stroomop to name a few! I was recently attending my lovely friend Marilize De Clercq’s birthday lunch and I saw Donnalee there! I said hello and she greeted back with so much warmth and kindness, a few of us were chatting in a group and Donnalee shared her beautiful faith testimony and it was at this moment I heard her heart and her love for the Lord Jesus and it made her even more beautiful and that joy and kindness I saw in the photos on her account just multiplied x a million in real life! As we said goodbye, she said to me that she would love for me to photograph one of her collections, I was just in awe at how God perfectly orchestrated this all and I was so excited and said I would love too! A week later, we photographed the #LinenLoveCollection and the rest as they say is history! She shared with me that JOY is her favourite word and her favourite Bible verse is Nehemiah 8:10 “The JOY of the LORD is my strength” How great is our God! How beautiful does God write stories of friendship and collaboration and HIS JOY !!!! I absolutely love Donnalee! She is a world of sunshine, love, joy and kindness! My colab experience was everything I expected and more, I wanted to do my very best for Donnalee and Ivan and make sure I met their expectations before, during and after the photoshoot. I will forever appreciate and remember something Donnalee said to me before we started photographing, she said that what is very important to her is for me as the photographer to have fun and have beautiful and special memories of this photoshoot and experience, she saw me as more than just a photographer, she saw beyond the lens, she felt very strongly about this and expected nothing less from the whole team, then to have fun and make memories! I can understand why The Romantic Collective is so very successful and fast becoming a leading lifestyle brand in South Africa, because of the great leadership and belief system, values and the beautiful hearts of Donnalee and Ivan and their team! This is priceless! Not only can I tick off my bucket list that I have photographed for The Romantic Collective, but my colab experience was so much more than I could have ever dreamed of, it was life-giving and a huge blessing for me in so many ways! I also really loved working with Tana and Jayme, the new team members, they were so vibrant, fun, sincere and kind and that really portrayed so beautifully through the photography. Such beautiful hearts of gold! The three of them altogether, Donnalee, Tana and Jayme make a stunning trio, they are just amazing together! You could feel the unity. It was so wonderful to work alongside Morgan, the videographer, the assistant, the woman of many incredible talents, she types the most wonderful emails and is such a great ambassador for The Romantic Collective, her positive attitude and heart to serve was so awesome! As a photographer, it was just an incredible experience to have had Ivan Botha direct the shoot and location scout, his eye for composition and detail and the way he can see the final picture is inspiring! Was a great honour to have had such great art direction by an exceptionally talented and award-winning film director! Together Donnalee and Ivan are the most amazing partners in life, in film, in business, in marriage, they are a power couple, and soon to be parents to a beautiful baby boy, it was such a blessing to work with them both! The rest of the team was so lovely too, from the hair and makeup artists to meeting the talented and sweet Comien who is the co-designer, to the welcoming staff at Rhebokskloof Wine Estate! This is the day the Lord has made! So richly blessed, joy-filled and life-giving! Big hugs and lots of love, Claudia xxx
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ALICIA BUCKLE SCHOOL OF HAIR AND MAKE UP
Make Up & Hair Artist
@aliciabuckle_school_of makeup
Donnalee Make Up @lieschenviljoen
Donnalee hair @sanmariebotha
Tana Make Up @amemekeup_hair
Jayme Make Up @makeupxodette
Tana & Jayme Hair @m_muah_artist
As a little girl I always played with makeup, a cute Thinker-belle set was my chosen toolkit with which I created wonderful works of art. Most of my playtime was spent in the hair salon of my mother whom allowed me to absolutely explore the creative side of me.
After studying skincare, working in the beauty industry and teaching at Isa Carstens academy in Stellenbosch, I realised that my one and only passion would always be makeup. I always dreamt of making woman pretty and making a difference in someone’s life.
I opened my own makeup and hairstyling school in 2010 and I am very proud to say that the last 11 years in the makeup industry has been a wonderful and fulfilling journey and I am exactly were I belong, I am living my dream! Everyday!
I am also very much in love with my very handsome husband, married for the last 11 years. And have the 2 most beautiful boys, Wilhelm and Daniel.
I thank God for every day and for every opportunity and I thank Him for holding my brushes and for giving me the knowledge to see what my client’s needs are. And I give all the glory to Him.
Love Alicia
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DESIGNERS AND MEMORY MAKERS
@donnalee_r
@comienduplessis6
@jaymechristinescott
@tanafresh
