One of the questions I get asked most often is, “Where do all these dresses come from?”

The answer is that the Storybook Closet isn’t something that happened by accident. It has been carefully built over the years with one goal in mind: creating portraits that feel extraordinary.

Many of the pieces in our collection are truly one-of-a-kind. Several years ago, I had the opportunity to purchase the entire dress collection of a fashion photographer from New York City. She had spent years acquiring and commissioning extraordinary pieces that were rented to professional photographers for editorial and artistic photoshoots.

These weren’t dresses created for everyday wear. They were designed to make a statement. Some have dramatic trains that stretch across an entire room. Others are covered in intricate 3D flowers. We have elaborate ballgowns, fantasy-inspired costumes, and statement pieces that look like they belong on a movie set.

Because I purchased her entire collection, many of these pieces simply aren’t available anywhere else. Some were handmade. Some were custom creations. Some can no longer be purchased at all. They are original works of wearable art that now live exclusively in the Storybook Closet.

One of my favorite types of dresses in the collection are the ones made from parachute material. They’re designed to catch the air beautifully, creating those flowing, magical images where the fabric seems to float and fly around the subject. The effect is breathtaking and impossible to recreate with an ordinary dress.

The Storybook Closet is also filled with beautiful prom dresses that have been generously donated over the years. Many families love knowing that a dress that once held special memories can now help create new ones for someone else.

What makes this collection special isn’t just the number of dresses—it’s the uniqueness of the pieces themselves. Some of these designs simply cannot be purchased anymore. Others were handmade and exist nowhere else.

When my seniors visit the studio, they aren’t choosing from a rack of ordinary clothing. They’re stepping into a collection of artistic fashion that helps transform a photoshoot into an experience.

Whether someone wants to look like a fantasy heroine, a fashion model, a princess, a warrior, or simply the most confident version of themselves, the right piece can completely change the feeling of a portrait.

There are plenty of photographers who provide guidance on what to wear.

But as far as I know, there isn’t another portrait studio with a collection quite like this one.

The Storybook Closet is filled with couture gowns, fantasy costumes, artistic fashion pieces, and donated formalwear gathered over years of searching for the extraordinary. It’s one of the things that makes a Storybook Studios session unlike anything else.

Because the goal has never been to create photos that look like everyone else’s.

The goal is to create portraits that feel like they belong in a story.

And every great story deserves an unforgettable wardrobe. ✨