Planning a Fashion Lookbook — A Budget Walk-through

Fashion lookbooks are the number-one place where brands over-spend without a return. Here's how the budget actually breaks down.

Where the money goes

• Studio + lighting — 15%
• Model + agent fee — 25%
• Stylist + wardrobe — 20%
• Hair & make-up — 10%
• Photography + tethered capture — 20%
• Retouch + delivery — 10%

Mistakes to skip

Booking talent before styling is locked. If wardrobe pivots, so does casting. Do the mood board first.

Skipping the tech scout. One hour in the space with lights and stand-ins saves three on shoot day.

Shooting too much. 20 hero looks is a full day. Anything past that dilutes both the shoot and the edit.