STRUT INTO OUR OFFICE
You can find our studio just south of downtown, in an old furniture factory at the corner of Curve & Godfrey.
WALK THROUGH OUR CLOSET
Our props and wardrobe closet is best summed up with one word: outrageous. From lingerie to tulle, and flappers to rockabilly, we have sizes 0-28 at the ready. Need a leather whip made famous by the mistress dominatrix Bettie Page? We’ve got you covered. Lusting after that vintage dressing gown trimmed with plush marabou? We’ve got it. With our endless closet comes endless possibilities.
Owner/Photographer
Elise Kutt She/Her
A graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, I spent much of my 20’s in a frantic search for adventure as a Chicago location scout and producer for advertising, catalog and film shoots. I've ridden a camel across the Sahara, swam in a cage surrounded by sharks, and scouted for the perfect hot tub to fill with hot chocolate and marshmallows. I’m addicted to green juice, dying my hair, everything vintage, and the smell of new school supplies. I've spent years studying posing specific to the female body of every shape and size. I will coach you through every pose and movement like a boss and never leave you hanging!
In a society that puts a camera in every hand but is quick to shame the selfie, my mission is to create a safe and
supportive environment for female self expression. Empowering ALL women through photography is why what I do is so unique and special. It’s about so much more than a simple portrait, it’s about self-awareness and self-love. Join me in a movement to #existinphotos.
Hair and Makeup Artist
Izabella VanRyn She/Her
A Grand Rapids native, Izzy graduated from the Douglas J. Aveda Institute in Grand Rapids in 2010. She has 8 years of experience in the beauty industry and works out of a salon downtown. One of her earliest experiences with makeup, one that has always stuck out in her mind, was her mother dressing her up as the iconic Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra for Halloween of 1995. (You NEED to see that photo! Check out her Insta) She took out one, velvety, olive-green, and one starry-blue eye shadow. She was mesmerized. After raiding the makeup drawer, her Grandmother gave Izzy her first lipstick, a cheerful coral in a small embroidered box.
Makeup became something truly magical. Izzy would carefully watch her mother in the bathroom mirror getting ready for the evening, in awe of the perfect charcoal lines she would draw around her eyes—a mysterious and captivating ritual. Later in life, her own image would become another medium for self-expression. She also became involved with theater, wanting to perform. However, she often found herself behind the scenes designing for characters and applying makeup. Her interest in pursuing a career in Cosmetology was sparked by a love of cinema and theater, the fierceness it gave the women in her life, and the way incandescent chameleons like David Bowie could create a hurricane of presence with a look. But nothing moves her more in what she does than helping other women see the beauty that has always been there. She hopes she can inspire a little magic for them, too.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/izabella.zavana
Instagram: www.instagram.com/grin.barrette
Website: https://www.ivmuahgr.com/
Hair and Makeup Artist
Emily Frew She/Her
My name is Emily Frew. I have 7+ years of experience in the beauty industry. I work full time as a makeup artist and stylist for commercial work, weddings, and I am an IATSE certified MUA for movies. I love my career because I’m always creatively challenged by the skill variety of my job. I also adore that I’m always meeting new people and instilling confidence in them through beauty. Inspiring confidence and being creative are the two pillars of my career.
The Pretty Committee:
Instagram.com/prettycommittee_beauty
https://www.facebook.com/PrettyCommitteeBeauty/
Emily Frew Makeup Artistry:
https://www.facebook.com/emmaleefrewartistry/
Hair and Makeup Artist
Nicholas Proctor He/Him They/Them
Nicholas is the fairy godmother everyone deserves, he works his magic with hair. He’s been doing hair for over 6 years with strong passion. He was inspired to do hair when he was getting ready for a school dance at a friends house and everyone helped curl and braid his hair, and ever since he’s devoted his work to helping others have that special feeling, being put together. He adores a good cup of coffee and finds any excuse to dance. “It’s time to make the world more fabulous”.
Instagram Nicholasissoridiculous
Editor
Hannah Piedt
Brought up in a family of artists and photographers, when Hannah first discovered Photoshop in early high school she was instantly hooked. It was so much more than just color and lighting correction - it was telling a story. She wasn't just editing photos - she was creating a world.
Hannah went on to receive her degree in Photography and Graphic Design from Calvin College, and now divides her time between freelance photo retouching and running her business on Etsy, creating custom jewelry with her mom. When she's not working, she can usually be found hanging out with friends at a local rock climbing gym, showing off her cosplay at comic conventions, or curled up in a corner with a good book.
Etsy shop:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/kaieldesigns
Photography Assistant
Megan Stephania She/Her
I’m a photography student at Kendall College of Art and Design, with a minor in printmaking. I dance around my apartment more often than walk, and am pulled directly to the most obnoxious prints at the thrift store by an unseen force. I’ve always got a place at home for vintage or quirky treasures, and I hope to make all of my photo subjects feel like they are a part of something as unique and special as they are.
Since I was a kid, if I wasn’t the one posing, I was trying to get my hands on a camera. I am a huge admirer of everything pretty and colorful, people, and love to find charm in the mundane. As a lover of Jesus, I want to to capture and bring attention to all of His beautiful creations.
Instagram: @meg.stephania
Website: www.megstephania.wixsite.com/photo
Photography Assistant
Rachel Bush She/They
Rachel is a videographer with a degree in Television and Digital Media from Ferris State. When she was little, she watched her momma sell pretty lingerie for a living. Ever since then, she has never stopped feeling inspired by the beauty of feminine self-expression!
Through and through, Rachel is a visual artist. Her favorite art subject has always been nude portraitures— and to this very day, Rachel isn’t sure if that’s purely from inspiration, or partially that she just never learned how to draw clothes. She’s always sketching, painting, drawing, or dreaming, and now she’s excited to bring that vision to you in the form of video! As a videographer, you’re most likely to find Rachel behind-the-scenes of your session at Mod Bettie to catch all of the most memorable, candid moments.
In the rare times that Rachel isn’t working on a creative project, you can usually find her thrifting the house down, feeding her video game addiction, or searching for the newest addition to her collection of horror-themed high heels.
Follow her art:
Instagram @spooky_boot
or see what she’s up to at Spookyboot.com.
Join Squad Bettie!
An exclusive online community for women supporting women.
Vodka welcome. Vulnerability encouraged. You've probably seen posts, read the comments and heard statements like, "Selfies are so vain," "Why does she take so many pictures of herself?" "Who does she think she is?" *THIS IS WHERE WE WAVE A GIANT RED FLAG IN THE AIR AND SAY, UH-UH, SISTER. NOT HAPPENING ON MY WATCH.* In a society that puts a camera in every hand but is quick to shame the selfie, our mission is to empower women by creating a safe and supportive environment for female self-expression. So help me vodka. Fact. (<-- Said in the voice of Dwight from The Office) A Squad is a collective whose parts make a whole, complicated, dimensional, and beautiful. Raise yo' hand if you've ever been steamrolled by that nasty little two-headed shit-monster, JUDGEMENT. *wipes sweat from your brow* *prepares you to go back in the ring* Yea us too. All of the sudden all the amazing parts that make you whole are dissected and judged leaving a big gaping whole in your soul. But the thing is you aren’t parts. You are a totally BETTIE. The whole package. A real fucking human being. And we need you. Because although we are occasionally outspoken and often brave, sometimes we need the stiff hand of a righteous Bettie to pull us through our self-sabotaging shit. *Quietly raises hand* We are perfectly flawed and have created this community for our friends, acquaintances and companions. For love, because always for love. This is a place for women to discuss, and find support, re body positivity and female empowerment. Please feel free to share resources, get support, post something you’ve found inspirational, or just chat with someone who understands what you’re going through. SquadBettie stands for Fempowerment, true acceptance, and building a supportive community. A true Bettie builds women up instead of bringing them down.
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