A Day—Or Two—In The Life Of An Art Director

Disclaimer: These days gloss over the inevitable low points—no day, person, or life is perfect. Unfortunately, I’m contractually bound to keep the juicy gossip to myself.

If you think being a fashion art director is all sexy shoots and sample sales, well… you’re not entirely wrong. But for every glamorous moment, there’s an email marathon, endless meetings, and the existential debate over whether a yogurt bowl qualifies as dinner after a 12-hour day.

And let’s not forget, not every shoot is a glossy dream. Budgets fluctuate faster than the stock market. A few years ago, I was at Milk Studios in LA on the regular; last week, I was in a small rental studio, doing the best we could on a budget. No two days, weeks, or even years ever look the same. Every project, job, brand, is entirely unique.

I guess that’s the duality of the job: part high-fashion fantasy, part relentless grind. A few of you have asked what the day-to-day actually looks like, so I thought I’d take you behind the scenes of two very different days—one on set, one in the office—to show you the full picture.

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Day One:
The Chaos and Creativity of a Campaign Shoot

05:00 AM
My alarm goes off. I’m normally an early-riser anyway, but on busy days—don’t judge me—I like getting up even earlier to have 30 minutes of me-time before the chaos begins.

My current morning ritual: Holy Cacao bone broth, made by the admirable Claudia (It’s so good for you and tasty, trust me), followed by a shot of espresso.

I normally enjoy my drinks on the comfort of my couch, recently, reading substack, or planning for the day ahead. Recently I’ve been loving MacKinley Jade’s Yeehawt. Big Emma Chamberlain vibes, but in her own right. A must!

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06:30 AM
After a quick shower, a blur of makeup, hair, and the classic throw-on-something-comfortable-but-cool panic, I’m in the car heading to Alva Studios in East London for the second day of a shoot. It’s a Christmas campaign for the fashion brand I work for, and after tackling still life, today’s all about model shots. It’s going to be a packed day.

Working in-house at a small business means wearing multiple hats. Today, I’m both art director and producer, juggling the creative vision while managing logistics.

07:30 AM
The studio is quiet when I arrive—I always aim to be the first one in. Today we’re shooting at Alva Studios, one of my favourites. Its spacious, and their on-site lighting warehouse are lifesavers when I’m producing. (And let’s face it, I’m always producing.) If I’ve forgotten something on the EQ list, I can sort it in minutes. I touch base with the studio manager, and double-check my holy grail—my shoot lists.

08:00 AM
The team trickles in, and I grab each person for a quick run-through of the shoot plan and then let them set up for the day ahead—I have no clue when it comes to equipment and the set up, but it looks pretty when it’s done!

09:00 AM
The models arrive, and I make a point of greeting each of them by name and introducing myself. I show them to hair and makeup, and introduce them to the stylist—the people they’ll be spending most of their day with. My friend and talented Hair & Makeup Artist, Billie, is on set with us. She’s a dream.

Here’s something a lot of art directors miss: talk the models through the creative plan. Their agents rarely fill them in on what they’ll be doing, so taking the time to explain the concept and the vibe not only makes them feel more comfortable but leads to better results on set.

10:30 AM
Finally, we’re shooting. Setting up lighting and props always takes longer than expected, but once the camera starts clicking, the rhythm kicks in. Shoots are a mix of sticking to the plan and leaving room for creativity. My job? Keep the vision intact while giving the team space to experiment and make magic happen.

1:00 PM
Lunch break. I’ve ordered from Salad Project because no one needs a post-lunch carb crash on set (okay, maybe it’s just me, but everyone eventually agrees). Elliot, my friend and assistant for the day, handles logistics while I focus on the creative direction.

2:00 PM
Back to it. The models head back to hair and makeup for touch-ups and outfit changes, and we dive into round two. I’m working with an incredible photographer—not only talented but fast. We manage to capture a huge number of assets in one day, which is a blessing for a brand with a tight budget.

I’m also working with a set design queen, who managed to build 4 different sets across 2 days. I loved this tablescape for Christmas.

6:00 PM
Wrap time. The crew starts packing down the equipment while the photographer transfers all the images to the hard drive.

6:45 PM
Hard drive in hand, I thank the team (always thank your team) and stick around as the last one to leave.

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Reading this back—hey, future Lottie here—it’s funny how effortless the write-up of the day sounds. Sure, it was smooth sailing, but let’s not underestimate the on-the-fly problem-solving, constant running around, and endless improvisation that these shoot days demand. This was actually the finale of a two-day shoot, the first being a still life session in the same studio.

If you’re ever curious about the full behind-the-scenes process—from concepting to shooting to post-production—just let me know.

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8:00 PM
Finally home, where my boyfriend’s waiting on the sofa—hot water bottle ready, water topped up, dinner prepped—he’s the best. The evening ritual begins: debriefing him on the day while scrolling through selects with Netflix humming in the background.

(Shameless plug: he’s just started his own Substack called The Social Strategist. Power couple vibes, right?)

9:30 PM
Bone tired, I crash on the sofa. The selects can wait until tomorrow.

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Day Two:
The Quiet Grind of an Office Day

Not every day, however, is adrenaline-fuelled. Some days are emails, moodboards, and battling imposter syndrome. Here's a glimpse into one of those quieter, grind-it-out days.

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05:45 AM
I wake up naturally (a blessing, and a curse) and start my usual morning routine. A quick 30-minute run in the drizzle clears my head—welcome to London life. I run round Regent’s Park, my favourite.

08:15 AM
On my way to the office, I stop by a café for a to-go breakfast and an iced matcha.

I like to get in before everyone else—it’s my golden hour for uninterrupted work. Laptop open, I dive into emails or, if I’m lucky, squeeze in some writing for Substack.

09:00 AM
The girlies trickles in— we’re 98% female here. The morning is all about logistics: chasing feedback, coordinating with other departments. I spend 30 minutes with my immediate team that I lead—aligning on deadlines and priorities. Spotting risks early is key to fixing them before they become full-blown problems.

10:30 AM
Headphones on, I dive into what I’m working on today—selects and retouch notes from the shoot day before. I use Capture One to star and filter down the images for each look on the shot list. If I’m good, I start to do this on set, but always prefer to do it with fresh eyes the next day. When I first started, this process took me almost a full day. Now? A couple of hours tops, at least just to pull the selects together. I manage to get through all the looks, picking my top 5 for each. I then send the PDF email over to the founder of the brand I work for, starring the ones I would pick.

12:30 PM
I dash out to meet a photographer I haven’t worked with yet for peppermint tea. I often connect with creatives through Instagram. Sometimes my workload feels overwhelming, and I’m tempted to skip these meetings, but I never regret going. Hearing someone walk me through the making of their portfolio is fascinating—and I find myself more likely to hire someone I’ve met or have a connection with, whether that’s in-person or via Instagram.

1:15 PM
I actually take a lunch break—rare, but always worth it. I wander down Chiltern Street, detouring through Selfridges (dangerous territory when you’re trying to save). I grab an iced ginger and turmeric matcha with almond milk from JENKI—my current obsession.

And then, enroute back to the office, I pop by our boutique to say hi to the store team.

2:00 PM
Back in the office for our weekly team meeting. It’s a mix of brainstorming, project updates, and the occasional bit of fire-fighting. Mid-meeting, I get the “all good” email from the founder approving the selects. One less thing to chase.

3:30 PM
The afternoon is my “power block”.

First, I clean up my PDF by deleting all the unpicked selects, then dive into adding detailed retouch notes for the retoucher. After that, it’s straight onto the next shoot. The grind doesn’t stop. This time, the budget is tighter, so I’m strategising ways to make every penny count—whether it’s trimming production costs or scaling back the creative without losing impact.

5:00 PM
As the day wraps up, I tackle my loose ends. I clear emails, sign off on designs created that day, refine a few moodboards, log shoot expenses, and start tallying up the total costs of the shoot against my budget estimates. It’s the unglamorous, admin-heavy side of art direction that rarely gets a spotlight but is essential for making the magic happen.

6:30 PM
Podcast queued up, I finally head home. Officially, our hours are 9:30–5:30, but I have a terrible habit of losing track of time and staying late. Combine that with my need to get in early, and you’ve got the classic overthinker-perfectionist combo: constantly striving to make everything just right, even when “good enough” would probably do.

7:00 PM
Home at last. I shower and indulge in shower oil (because who doesn’t want to smell like a spa?) and put in my overnight hair mask—a must for bleach blondies!

8:00 PM
Dinner is always a wildcard. My boyfriend and I hate deciding, so it’s usually nothing spectacular. (Seriously, if you have any vegetarian recipe suggestions, please share.) We eat while streaming—though, lately, it’s all about Apple TV+. Quality over quantity. Bad Sisters Season 2 is the current obsession, but we’ve loved Slow Horses, Severance, Ted Lasso, Defending Jacob and Masters of the Air.

If you’re an aspiring creative, a must-watch is “Abstract: The Art Of Design” on Netflix. It’s a masterclass in visual thinking and inspiration, and a cinematic deep dive of real people’s day to days in the industry

9:30 PM
And I’m out like a light. No judgement—I’m a busy girl, who loves to sleep.

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But enough about me—I want to hear from you! I’ve been on Substack for just under 60 days, and I’m loving it. It’s hands-down my favourite platform, the community is unparalleled.

But I want to make it even better.

Got 2 minutes? I’d love it if you could take part in my quick survey and help shape what’s next for this publication!
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