Laëtitia: The first time I learned from my mother that designing clothes was an actual job, I immediately knew that’s what I wanted to do. I was perhaps five years old. I did go to study fashion, and at some point, I realized that I was more interested in creating images. The inspirations and research process was always my favourite part, so I naturally went in this direction.

Gino: I found my passion for landscaping during my apprenticeship. I was once working outside when I had an epiphany: I saw nature, I was feeling the sun, no one was bothering us. I suddenly felt very balanced, feeling the fresh air and communing with nature.

Gino: It’s true that Laëtitia and I have a totally different life, she works in fashion and uses clothes, photographs, etc. while I’m surrounded by nature, clean air and trees. I think what Laëtitia is doing is great, it’s her passion and she’s very good at it. It seems to be a hard job to me, mentally especially. I like what she does and I like to be her model when she comes home.
Laëtitia: The quality of life in South of France is definitely better: the weather, the food, the cost of living and the lower levels of stress. I always want to stay when I visit! I sometimes envy the peace and the simplicity of my brother’s life.

Gino: Yes, Laëtitia and I did already a project together for a magazine in the South of France where I was modelling but she was only styling me. She flew a girl from London to be part of the photo shoot.
Laëtitia: I have been shooting my little sister and my brother since they were teenagers, as I’m inspired by them, by their youth. I have enjoyed creating stories they were part of, but more as a hobby than a professional activity.

Gino: The project of that summer was more funny and pleasant, it didn't disturb me at all in my routine. It was enriching to see Laëtitia in her work, and if I had to do it again, I would.
Laëtitia: I wanted to create a story around my brother, but I wasn't sure how to frame him. Then I bumped into this collection of gardening gloves in the garage, and I had my leitmotiv. I was going to portray his passion for nature. I wanted to stage his daily life, halfway between reality and fiction.

Gino: What people thought of the images was pretty positive. Generally, getting feedback is good: if we make mistakes, it’s better for us to know, and if it’s good, we can feel reassured. In any case, I always prefer to know.
Laëtitia: I wanted the pictures not to be fashionable initially, as I’m working in this industry as a stylist; my initial idea was to get closer to classic portraiture. I’m a bit surprised to hear that they look quite fashionable, but in a way it kind of makes sense. When I showed the pictures to a couple of close friends working in the industry, they were surprisingly enthusiastic about them. I wasn’t expecting that, as I initially did this project only for fun, to enjoy myself.

Gino: Since I was a teenager, Laëtitia always took pictures of me, so in a way I was always a model for her. It feels a bit weird to be dressed by her because I’m used to dress in sportswear, so in that way it was a bit different and fun. But in the end, I like the outfits and the pictures as well. It was great to see her passion in dressing me.

Laëtitia: I planned each shot by drawing the scenes in a small notebook, I talked to Gino about the project and he agreed to do it. Each morning, I was waiting for the sun to be at the perfect height and without clouds, I wanted it to be sunny but with light shadows. When I was happy with the light, I would get Gino and we would do a few images. The entire series happened on several mornings. I completed the series with the still lives the following days. There was a funny moment when I asked Gino to put on a specific outfit that included his eight-year-old size judo trousers. He was confused and didn’t really understand the point of that.

Laëtitia: I wanted to show the peace and the pureness of South of France as well as the beauty in the simplicity of manual jobs.

Laëtitia: The styling was minor for this story. I wanted it to look real, not too fashionable or fancy, so it’s mostly my brother’s clothes and my own. I didn’t want the clothes to be the focus of the photographs.

Gino: It’s true that it’s crazy how our lifestyles are so different just by the environments we are living in. What I think about society nowadays is that wherever you live, life could be hard for some people and expensive especially. Nothing ventured, nothing gained; so give yourself fully, live from day to day and enjoy working and living.
Laëtitia: People are individualists nowadays, there is no such solidarity. That’s how I feel about society and that seems true for both big cities and smaller towns.

Gino: Working on projects with Laëtitia is always enjoyable and never a pain. I don’t consider myself being such an inspiration for her but more of a model who can give her (I hope) more crazy ideas. I like challenges and I like to make her happy in posing for her so I will never say no as I love my sister and what she does.
Laëtitia: My family and my brother will always be my first inspiration. They are my blood, my roots, so doing projects with them is always more personal and nourishing. I would love to do more projects with Gino, perhaps something in another domain, not necessarily a photographic story.