- Mar 18, 2019
Women's Weather Comfort: Meet Dominique Davis of All That is She
spring summer 2019
An Ode to The Great British Summer
We love the British summer for all its unpredictability. For not letting the sunshine ruin your rain and epic adventures whatever the weather. Yes, the Brit-itude towards the summer is a very special thing, and we have collaborated with just the person to bring its magic to life.
Dominique is this generation’s next great Surrealist. Through the lens of a camera (and some incredible editing), Dominique and her family recreate dream-like scenes of everyday life — turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. In honour of the summer rain (the inspiration behind our Weather Comfort range) Dominique has created an image to celebrate it, and we managed to catch up with her mid-shoot to learn more about her distinctive methods.
From Fashion to Family
The All That Is She Instagram account started in 2015 while I was on maternity with my youngest daughter, Penny. It was a creative outlet and a way to 'meet' like-minded people during a time when my days were repetitive, and my only companion was a baby (and she wasn't much of a conversationalist).
The account started as a fashion blog, but then over the years, it evolved and took on a more lifestyle and family focus. That then morphed into the creative account that you see today.
Method and Magic
Our creative process typically starts with us (my partner, Dominic, and me) huddled around the kitchen table, cups of coffee and tea in hand, munching on pain au chocolat (I find that sugar and caffeine is the perfect formula to get our brains working). Once we've fueled our brains, together, we break down the messaging and/or product that a brand has laid out for us. If it were a product-focused image that we were working on, we would look at that product in detail, and strip it back. What is its purpose? How would we use it? What shape(s) or colour is it? From that, we'll begin to make a list, apply it to our everyday life, find a way to add some magic and carve out the final result.
Bringing Barbour to Life
As the Weather Comfort range is heavily inspired by the summertime rain and includes a wide variety of bright waterproof jackets, we wanted to incorporate that into our image too. We then worked together to write down what else came to mind when we envisioned the British summertime — on a personal level but also in a more traditional sense.
We decided to feature a rainbow as not only does it reflect the colours that you see in the Weather Comfort range and also on our own Instagram feed, but it's also one of nature's wonders that we so commonly associate our spring and summertime with here in the UK.
We want our work to be a form of escape; some light-relief and an injection of fun and colour to someone's day.
Everyday Inspiration
Our business primarily stems from Instagram, which does mean that a large portion of our time is spent on the platform: scrolling, engaging and being an active part of the community. These days it is an overflowing pool of talented creatives, so naturally, their work seeps in and inspires us every day — it's impossible for it not to! Aside from Instagram, we often use our normal, everyday lives as a source of inspiration too. During the creative process, we'll often ask ourselves 'what is now?' What is going on in our lives or the world, right now? We then draw out elements of what's happening — anything from a school play to what we're watching on TV — and figure out a way to bring them to life through an image.
The Great British Summer
This season is always a fresh, colourful and welcomed relief after our miserably dark and cold winters. When it comes to the British summer, what it lacks in predictability, it makes up for in beauty, wildlife and the way it makes us all feel. It's an instantaneous pick-up. Personally, I love sitting in the garden and watching the bees buzz dutifully around our lavender plants. I love lying on the grass making endless amounts of daisy chains with my daughters. And that first ice-cream beside the sea.
Style & Practicality
As a busy, on-the-go family, practicality and comfort are key, and the Weather Comfort collection provides us with both without compromising on style. As with all Barbour products, the collection is full of classic pieces that will never date and you'll never tired of wearing.
Weather Comfort Favourites
I surprised myself when I fell head over heels with the Tramontane Waterproof in 'blue heaven'. When it comes to blue, navy is usually the only shade I'll stretch to, so drooling over this light blue option took me by surprise. Not only is the colour striking — best described as a blue sky on a clear summer's day — the material is soft, easy-to-clean (important stuff when you have kids and a dog who loves to leave his signature paw print on anything you wear) and the jacket is versatile — you can wear it with anything (tried and tested by me).
Discover the Women's Weather Comfort campaign here and shop the collection for women - the rain is coming!