Tusting Talks To...

Photographer, Chloe Mallett

We grab five minutes with British photographer & director, Chloe Mallett, after shooting our New York campaign, to hear about her career, thoughts on AI and how to spend 48 hours in New York.

Tell us about your career to date

I started out at 13 using my dad's medium-format Hasselblad camera, photographing all my school friends in a make-shift studio in my bedroom. I'd then develop the film and print the images in a darkroom my dad had built me. I loved it from the moment I saw that very first image appear in the developing in the semi-dark, and I knew then that I wanted to do this for the rest of my life.

What inspires you when it comes to photography?

A lot of my inspiration comes from films. I love the way they're shot , the cinematic feel , the lighting, the mood , but what I'm really drawn to is the story telling. I always try to create a little narrative around my models , so the images feel like they're part of a bigger story rather than just a single moment.

How do you feel about AI in the creative space?

I do have concerns about AI in the creative industry. It's already taking work away from incredibly talented people, and I find that genuinely sad. I'm also fascinated by how quickly it's being embraced in fashion and beauty. For me, so much of the appeal of photography is that it captures something real - a person, a product, a moment. I struggle to understand why we'd want to buy clothing, skincare, or makeup based on animations that don't actually exist.

You shot Tusting’s July campaign in New York. What draws you to shoot in the city?

I'm always drawn to New York City. It's my favourite city in the world, and even when I lived there, I never stopped being inspired by it. There's an energy to New York unlike anywhere else, and visually, it's so iconic that it instantly adds a sense of narrative to a fashion shoot. Having grown up watching so many films set there, walking through the city still feels like stepping onto a movie set. Every street has a story to tell.

You have 48 hours in New York, what’s on the itinerary?

If I had 48 hours in New York, I'd spend them eating my way around the city, wandering through galleries, browsing my favourite shops, and walking absolutely everywhere. Followed by a bit more shopping! I'd stay at my favourite hotel, The Bowery Hotel, and happily lose an hour or two watching the city go by from its huge windows, taking in the skyline. There's nowhere else quite like it.

What’s always in your Tusting bag?

My phone and wallet, a Yashica film camera and a few rolls of extra film, red ruby woo Mac lipstick, pencils for sketching, a notebook, and a bag of very salty nuts for snacking on all day long.