#unpublisheddenim

Tell us about yourself. Where are you from, where do you live now, what do you do for a living?

Hello, nice to meet you! I live in Echo Park Los Angeles and work as a fashion photographer. I’m originally from San Francisco and then Brooklyn (I still spend a lot of time in NYC)

What does your typical workday look like and what are the biggest challenges you face?

My typical workday is all over the place! Usually, I wake up and answer emails, look at my calendar and play with my kitten. If I am lucky my partner Eric and I have an hour together to get coffee or have breakfast together. By noon you can often find me in a scrap yard, parking lot or party supply store shooting for various brands, or in meetings. I then take a late lunch (usually at home) and get straight to editing. By evening I am usually researching and preparing for outreach. Honestly, it’s non stop but I love what I do. Keeping momentum and navigating setbacks are among the biggest challenges for sure.

How do you stay motivated? What are some tips or tricks you’ve learned along the way?

One of the things I love most about being a photographer is the ultra collaborative nature of the business. I have gotten to a place where I often see the same faces. My community is my main motivation, we carry each other. Storytelling is the very close second- I studied directing in college and world building is something that I live for.

As far as tips go, make friends in your industry, and engage with their work. Ask them questions about their journey. Be a good listener. Remain curious and avoid envy at all costs.

Resilience is also very important. I’ve undergone so much rejection and stylistic confusion but then something clicked and the path got clearer. Of course, there were also millions of restaurant gigs, and boutiques I worked to support myself during this at the beginning. I didn’t always have endless time to experiment but I made a point to keep my discipline and make an effort no matter what. It is so important to note that it was those jobs that led me to some of my most important mentors and clients and collaborators. Every single experience you have can work in your favor if you have perspective and optimism. That’s why I always prioritize relationships. You never know what someone is capable of pulling off and therefore your most important connections can be standing right there in front of you at any given moment!

What advice do you have for someone thinking of launching a creative business?

Do it! Don’t quit your day job just yet and always remember that every day you can get yourself closer to where you want to be. Save money, invest in yourself and lean into your impulses. If you can do it, travel as much as possible… oh! And learn to cook at home while you are starting out. Running a business is a vulnerable endeavor, so learn to protect yourself. On the flipside, go to every show/sample sale/book fair/meetup you can. Support your friends!

Where do you see yourself in 5 years, on a personal and professional level?

I have no idea! I am on this boat leading to who knows where and I love it! If I’m still doing the same work I will be so happy! I would love to be traveling even more and perhaps picking up more skills in cinematography and directing.  I’d love to finish a feature film. On a personal level, Eric and I would love to live abroad.

How would you describe your personal style?

Hahaha. I would say modern dance teacher meets 80’s New Yorker. I love uniforms, and often wear a black turtle-neck and a pair of easy relaxed jeans but punctuate it with insane patent leather boots or piles of jewelry. Because my job is surprisingly physical, I love to feel loose and free to move in my clothes but I still love a little glam. But don’t get me wrong – I also have an incredible collection of party dresses.

What role does denim play in your wardrobe? What do you look for in the perfect pair of jeans?

Denim. Every. Day. I love a cropped pant and my go-to is either straight leg black denim or wide leg sailor pants. Right now I am wearing my Unpublished Greta jeans and cannot get over how much I love them:) To me, the perfect jeans give off an effortlessly cool vibe, so I never like to wear anything too tight or ultra-designed.

What’s your skincare or beauty routine like? What are your top 5 products?

I don’t wear much makeup but when I do I’m all about dark black mascara (Maybelline and glossier) and red red lipstick (Kosas in Thrillest is my favorite)

My top 5 skincare products are Clean Bee Face Wash, Janet Sartin Gentle Cleanser and SPF moisturizer (my grandmother’s secret that I have been using since I was 20) Pai Rosehip Oil on my face throughout the day and Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Oil at night.

We’re obsessed with podcasts. Do you listen? What are some favorites?

No, I don’t! Where do I start!?

Last thing you bought online + last article or book you read + last song you listened to:

Bought: 10 rolls of Portra 400 film from B&H

Book: This killer collection of interviews Aperture Magazine released. It features in-depth talks with so many incredible image makers. It’s really inspiring.

Song: Yves Tumor’s new album is on repeat in my studio <3

Artist Spotlight: Sarah Godshaw, swimwear designer of SIDWAY

1. First introduce yourself, what you do, where you're from.

Sarah Sidway Godshaw. I own and run Sidway Swim, I also design swimwear on a freelance basis for a few other brands. I am from Chicago, but I have been in LA since I was about 13 but before that my family lived in the suburbs of Chicago.

2. How long have you been working on your own line?

I started thinking about starting the line about 4 years ago, 2014, but it took me at least a year to get the guts to make it happen.

3. What made you jump into starting your own line? Was there an exact moment where you decided, "I'm going to do this now"?

Starting a line for me was more of a mix of small steps. One day I got home from work and I sat down with my husband and had him help me tackle the part of starting a business that was the most intimidating: buying the domain, beginning to build a website and the legal process of setting up a business. I know how to do the other stuff really well, it's the parts of the business I had never done before that scared me the most. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted once I did those first few steps.

4. Why did you choose to do swimwear as opposed to lingerie, sportswear, etc.?

College for me was really labor intensive and super competitive. I went to Otis, which is a small design/art school in LA. It was a bit cut-throat and I was having a really hard time. I felt like I would never get a job if I was competing against my uber talented classmates, they were just all so talented it was unbelievable. So I kinda figured swimwear and lingerie sounded more fun, less serious and stuffy- and there wasn't anyone else in my class that wanted to do it. Otis only graduates about 40 students a year in the fashion design program and it's one of the better schools on the west coast, so I figured I wouldn't have to compete much for work.

Turns out I was right. Rod Beattie, who is somewhat of a swimwear icon, came to the recruiter day at graduation. I was the only student with a book of only swim and lingerie, a really narrow focus. He recomended me for a job and by the end of summer I was an Associate Designer handling Puma Women's Swimwear for North America and the swimwear for the juniors brand Rampage (R.I.P.).

5. What are you two favorite aspects about being a swimwear designer?

Hands down my favorite thing about swimwear is the people. The swimwear industry, unlike much of fashion, is filled with quirky, friendly people. I also really love being able to design things that make a woman feel sexy and good about her body.

6.  As a new mother, how do you manage work/motherhood balance?

When I figure that out I will let you know. In all honesty though, I am really lucky in that my husband is also a wonderful parent and we both freelance and work from home most days. We kind of just trade off with the baby and so far... it kinda works? I do have a tab open right now for a google search for "infant day care" as we speak though. I don't have the answer.

7. What are your go-to denim styles?

I love high rise styles, i like to be able to wear them with a swim top or a cropped blouse without feeling naked.

8. Can you give two pieces of advice to young designers who want to start their own line?

The advice I would give to anyone who wants to start a business is to start with the parts that sound the hardest, and in the beginning it's amazing how much you can do yourself with youtube and asking some friends for suggestions. It's all about being scrappy.

Artist Spotlight: Cindy Zell