{"id":172225,"date":"2026-11-10T13:56:59","date_gmt":"2026-11-10T18:56:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/?p=172225"},"modified":"2026-11-10T13:56:59","modified_gmt":"2026-11-10T18:56:59","slug":"daniel-gaines-on-character-driven-styling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/daniel-gaines-on-character-driven-styling\/","title":{"rendered":"Daniel Gaines on Character-Driven Styling"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Behind the Image is an ongoing MODELS.com series taking a more personal look at both established and emerging creative talent.<\/em><\/p>\n<style>\n.quote {\nline-height: 1.2em !important;\npadding: 35px 25px;\n}\n.wp-caption {\n    margin-top: 65px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<figure style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/11\/daniel-gaines-self-portrait.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1179\" height=\"1493\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\nDaniel Gaines | Image courtesy of Daniel Gaines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/daniel-gaines\">Daniel Gaines<\/a>, Stylist<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Hometown:<\/strong> Miami Beach, Florida<br \/>\n<strong>Based In:<\/strong> New York, New York<\/p>\n<p><strong>What sparked your interest in styling, and was there a defining moment that made you pursue it professionally?<\/strong><br \/>\nI\u2019ve always been obsessed with fashion. I used to watch FashionTV when I was four! I originally wanted to pursue design and attended a magnet high school for fashion design, where I was taught by Rosemary Pringle, who was the leader, heart, and den mother of the fashion program. She was the first person to suggest I would make a good stylist. At the time, I didn\u2019t really understand what she meant, and I was a bit taken aback at being told to consider a path slightly different from the one I had in mind. I went on to study design at university, but about a year in, it clicked, and I totally understood what she meant. Turns out she was right!<\/p>\n<p><strong>I read that you went to Central Saint Martins and eventually became an associate editor at CR Fashion Book. How did you navigate the shift from CR to building your career as an independent stylist?<\/strong><br \/>\nI think both of those experiences had a profound impact on my trajectory. Saint Martins pushed me creatively and, most importantly, taught me how to do varied, wide-ranging research and how to make it personal to you, not just clinical information. <a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/client\/cr-fashion-book\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">CR<\/a> exposed me to different kinds of structure and problem-solving. As an editor there, working with <a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/people\/carine-roitfeld\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Carine Roitfeld<\/a>, I got to see teams working at the highest possible level. The greatest impact of my time at CR is that Carine was incredibly supportive. She always pushed us to do more and was the first to give credit where it was due, and both of those things set a great foundation to build on.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How would you describe your work? What\u2019s your trademark?<\/strong><br \/>\nI would describe my work as character-driven. I love to create a whole world for a subject when working on a shoot. I think it\u2019s more exciting to make choices from a cinematic perspective than based on my favorite looks or pieces. It\u2019s more about whether they would wear something, rather than whether they should. Beyond that, I love eclectic mixes: super luxe, sophisticated pieces paired with something destroyed or ultra-handmade. It\u2019s all about finding balance in the details.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Working repeatedly with the same publication creates a kind of shared language. Your covers for The Perfect Magazine have spanned Adriana Lima, Addison Rae, and Apple Martin. How has that ongoing creative relationship evolved?<\/strong><br \/>\nWorking with <a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/client\/the-perfect-magazine\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Perfect<\/a> has been a very creatively free experience. I love working on those shoots for <a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/people\/katie-grand\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Katie Grand<\/a> because she approaches them with a \u201cbest photo wins\u201d sensibility rather than specificity. The three you mentioned also highlight a continued working relationship with <a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/people\/carin-backoff\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Carin Backoff<\/a>, whose visual language I\u2019ve gotten to understand over the years. There\u2019s a lot of overlap with the things I gravitate toward, and I very much enjoy collaborating with her and diving into that mindset.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s your process for conceptualizing a look? Do you start with references, emotions, or something else entirely?<\/strong><br \/>\nThe process for building a story really depends on the concept. Sometimes it\u2019s one image, but it can also mean making a deck of a hundred references. I\u2019m also very inspired by music. I see images when I listen to music, not in a synesthesia way, more like envisioning a perfume commercial or a music video.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What non-fashion influences (art, film, literature, music, etc.) shape your creative perspective?<\/strong><br \/>\nAs I said, music is often very important to me. When I get really into a concept, I sometimes listen to the same song, or a couple of songs, on repeat while prepping the entire shoot. I love to collage as well, and I think that exercise of mixing things together can be super inspiring, since you find combinations you weren\u2019t expecting. I reference paintings and classical photography too. I recently styled <a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/people\/amanda-seyfried\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Amanda Seyfried<\/a> for a shoot, and the starting point was Bo Bartlett\u2019s paintings, but from there it went into <em>The Wizard of Oz<\/em> and a million other things, ending with a loop of the <em>Interstellar<\/em> soundtrack. It\u2019s always an evolution you have to work through to get to the final product.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What have you watched, heard, or read lately that has inspired you?<\/strong><br \/>\nI was in Rome last month, and I find the way older Roman women dress very inspiring. There\u2019s a classical approach to it, but everything is so traditional that it becomes conceptual again. They respect all the conventional codes of dressing, but the proportions are totally exaggerated and flamboyant.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s something outside of your work that you would like people to know about you?<\/strong><br \/>\nI\u2019m happiest at the beach. I love being in the ocean and in water in general, and I find it the most relaxing place to be. It\u2019s cleansing, holistic, and peaceful.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s been the most challenging moment in your career, and what did you take away from it?<\/strong><br \/>\nI think the most challenging part of my career is the overarching commitment to self-belief it takes to keep going toward your goals. Mentally and emotionally regulating yourself, and balancing between feeling on top of the world and the various lows, is a huge ongoing challenge. Even though you know you shouldn\u2019t compare yourself to others, it happens, and the cycle continues! What I\u2019ve taken away from learning to manage this is that the only way is forward. As strategic as you\u2019d like to be, your creative footprint is also shaped by your opportunities. Learning to release some of that control, with the confidence that the next opportunity is around the corner, is the best you can hope for.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who\u2019s one to watch?<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/laurenfern\/?hl=en\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Lauren Fern<\/a> is an amazing actress. She has also built a very strong community around her through the acting event series she founded, Drama Club. Lauren is super magnetic, and I have no doubt you will have the pleasure of seeing her on a stage or a screen very soon.<\/p>\n<h3>Selected Work<\/h3>\n<figure style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/11\/daniel-gaines-interlope-amber-valletta.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"2000\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\nAmber Valletta by Noua Unu | Image courtesy of Daniel Gaines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/work\/interlope-magazine-amber-valletta\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Amber Valletta<\/em> for Interlope Magazine<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\nIt\u2019s a delight to work with a model like <a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/models\/Amber-Valletta\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Amber (Valletta)<\/a>, who has been part of so many fashion images I love. We wanted to find a way of showing her that felt new and fresh. Getting to watch her move and become a new character while blasting Oasis and Blur is not something you see every day!<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/11\/daniel-gaines-paradigm-sasha-pivovarova.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1335\" height=\"2000\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\nSasha Pivovarova by Richie Talboy | Image courtesy of Daniel Gaines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/work\/various-editorials-paradigm-avantgarde-coverstory\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Paradigm<\/em> for Avantgarde<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\nThis was from a shoot for the first part of <a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/people\/katharina-korbjuhn\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Katharina Korbjuhn<\/a>\u2019s trilogy, <em>Paradigm<\/em>. So many references went into this shoot that were equally futuristic, historic, and even prehistoric. We discussed the word \u201cprimordial\u201d and a sense of rebirth, and this is the result.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/11\/daniel-gaines-perfect-adriana-lima.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1875\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\nAdriana Lima by Carin Backoff | Image courtesy of Daniel Gaines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/work\/the-perfect-magazine-adriana-lima\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Adriana Lima<\/em> for The Perfect Magazine<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\nWhen working on this shoot, <a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/people\/carin-backoff\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Carin (Backoff)<\/a> and I talked a lot about the softness we wanted to highlight and <a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/models\/Adriana-Lima\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Adriana (Lima)<\/a>\u2019s insane beauty. I loved this image for the restraint in its minimalism.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/11\/daniel-gaines-gq-amanda-seyfried.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\nAmanda Seyfried by Richie Talboy | Image courtesy of Daniel Gaines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/work\/british-gq-british-gq-the-heroes-issue-2026-covers\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>The Heroes Issue<\/em> for British GQ<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\nThis shoot was so fun for so many reasons, and <a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/people\/amanda-seyfried\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Amanda (Seyfried)<\/a> was a dream! However, it\u2019s really hard to compete with a baby piglet, who totally stole the show.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/11\/daniel-gaines-re-edition-rita-ora.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1535\" height=\"2000\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\nLily Rose Withhold and Rita Ora by Chloe Chippendale | Image courtesy of Daniel Gaines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/work\/re-edition-magazine-re-edition-cover-with-rita-ora\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Rita Ora<\/em> for Re-Edition Magazine<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\nI love shooting with <a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/people\/chloe-chippendale\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Chloe Chippendale<\/a>. Her photos are so cinematic, and she has great sensitivity in her work. Beautiful light always. We had a whole cast of extras running around a neighborhood in LA on a super hot day, and it definitely felt somewhere in between a photoshoot and a movie set.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Behind the Image is an ongoing MODELS.com series taking a more personal look at both established and emerging creative talent. Daniel Gaines, Stylist Hometown: Miami Beach, Florida Based In: New York, New York What sparked your interest in styling, and was there a defining moment that made you pursue it professionally? I\u2019ve always been obsessed&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":450,"featured_media":172227,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12752,13941,10414,16,13943],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172225"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/450"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=172225"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172225\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":172237,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172225\/revisions\/172237"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/172227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=172225"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=172225"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=172225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}