A couple months ago, I had the opportunity to wardrobe style a photo shoot for a non-profit campaign called Click for Hope. Jasmine Lopez, the owner and photographer of Jazi Photo, created Click for Hope as a way to tell inspiring stories through photography, so that we can be “whole and healed”. The campaign I worked on celebrated women who were diagnosed with Alopecia, an auto-immune disease that occurs when the body attacks hair follicles, causing hair loss. The idea of the Alopecia campaign was to encourage women to show their inner and outer beauty – and to show that they’re not defined by Alopecia. Additionally, Jazi encouraged the women to share their stories to provide support and encouragement for women who have been recently diagnosed with Alopecia, or who have been living with it for years.

I was excited and honored to be able to help style these gorgeous women and girls for the shoot! To be honest, I was a bit nervous because I wanted to make sure they got the celebrity treatment they deserved and felt amazing in what they were wearing. To do so, I pulled together a variety of beautiful pieces in neutral colors to fit Jazi Photo’s aesthetic. I also loved using neutral color so that the focus is 100% on the woman in the photo, not what she’s wearing. Bright colors and prints are great for some photos, but not for this purpose. Their pampering included make-up by Jacqueline Gamache for their glamour shots, as well.

On the day of the shoot, I was so touched to meet these 7 women and girls who were brave enough to face the camera without their wigs – and some who rock a bald head all the time! As women especially, we tend to 1) see hair as a sign of femininity and beauty and 2) hide behind our hair. As you can see in these photos, beauty and confidence are just radiating from these women. I’m sure it’s not easy, but it seems to me that they have found – and continue to work towards – acceptance and the realization that they don’t need hair to be beautiful.

I encourage you to check out Click for Hope to read these women’s stories – and other inspiring stories. You can see more of these photos on the CoChic Styling website here.