Before I begin squealing excitedly about getting to meet and photograph fashion designer Leanne Marshall, I first just want to say how awesome and talented and amazing my friends are. My friend Jasmin Chang, who works at Rit Studio and directs a number of their creative initiatives, thought of me for a couple of collaborations, one of which involved a partnership between Rit and Leanne Marshall. Thank you, Jasmin!

Many of you might remember Leanne from Project Runway -- she was the winner of Season 5. Since then, she's moved to NYC, showed several times at NY Fashion Week and has created successful line of bridal gowns (sold on Etsy, might I mention!). Turns out she's also a big fan of Rit Dyes, something that she uses a lot to achieve her signature "watercolor" look. For this shoot, I tagged along with some of the Rit crew to Leanne's studio in the heart of Garment District to capture some shots of Leanne demonstrating some of her Rit Dye techniques. I have to say, I was blown away by her dresses -- they are even more stunning in person. My absolute favorite was this dress, the finale piece for her 2015 NYFW collection, inspired by the haunting story of Adele Hugo:

The magic begins! Leanne gives Rit's Chief Inspiration Officer, Rebecca, a little tutorial on how she uses Rit dyes (as well as eye droppers and paint brushes) to create her whimsical watercolor masterpieces.

Above are some glimpses around Leanne's studio, including a collection of inspiration photos that went into creating the Adele Hugo dress. Many thanks to Leanne and her studio manager, Nathan Johnson, for inviting us to their studio!