2020: Iconic Escapes
Before diving into the not-so-fun parts of 2020, let’s start with what was fun — because despite everything, it truly was a big year for the brand. But to understand why, we need to rewind a bit.
After completing my series with the Aqualillies at the Coral Casino, I realized I had tapped into something special. The images captured a retro-chic timelessness that blended fashion, nostalgia, travel, and luxury in a way that resonated with so many people. When I looked at the finished photos, they reminded me of the vintage glamour I’d admired for years in my grandparents’ photo albums. They had traveled the world in the 1960s and 1970s, documenting their adventures in beautifully bound albums that sat at our family’s summer home on Lake Michigan. On rainy days, I’d flip through them and be transported—one page at a time—to faraway destinations and sun-soaked escapes. That sense of wanderlust and timeless elegance was exactly what I wanted to continue exploring in my work.
From the Coral Casino shoot, I learned how meaningful it was to capture iconic places—locations that held personal significance to people and embodied a sense of escape. For me, one of the most legendary of those places in Los Angeles is the Beverly Hills Hotel. In 2018, I managed to secure a meeting with the hotel’s then–General Manager, Edward Mady, and with a little charm and a lot of enthusiasm, I convinced the team to let me execute my retro-inspired vision. I couldn’t believe my luck—it was the start of something truly unforgettable.
We sourced props from the Warner Brothers archive of a bygone era, using actual vintage pieces to outfit a series of models. We also pulled in some vintage cars out front of the hotel. This scene “Welcome to the Beverly Hills Hotel” would be replicated in so many of my future series at landmark hotels, I could have never imagined at the time.
The series was very well received and it got me excited for another. I had been spending more time visiting Palm Beach for book tours (many of them atHIVE, a true gem of Palm Beach) and was taken with this little island paradise. The Breakers is a long-standing beacon on the shores of Palm Beach. Again, I was given access via several meetings with the management team, who, seeing the buzz from the Beverly Hills Hotel series, greenlit this project in 2019. This time, however, we went beyond the walls of the hotel for the shoot. We got access to grand private homes and props like a vintage Rolls Royce, a Jolly, and the cutest golden retriever. The series was technically complex and sourcing required an extra lift, so I hired the one and only Katherine Lande as my local stylist guru. I can’t thank her enough for the efforts she made in sourcing, scouting, and spearheading our shoot, welcoming us to the Palm Beach community.
The series evolved into Gray Malin in Palm Beach — with The Breakers as our key partner — but the story we told extended far beyond the hotel walls. It was a love letter to the island itself, celebrating its elegance, charm, and timeless allure. When the collection was released in October 2019, it was an instant hit.
Earlier that same year, I had also been introduced to the PR and marketing team at another legendary destination: The Little Nell in Aspen, Colorado. Just as my aerial ski series had been a natural follow-up to my aerial beach work, I knew that a stylized, retro-inspired snow shoot would be the perfect next chapter after the sun-soaked glamour of Los Angeles and Palm Beach. The only catch? We had to wait for the snow to arrive in December 2019, and the series needed to be ready for release in January 2020 to coincide with The Nell’s anniversary. Working alongside my dear friend May Selby from The Little Nell team, we mapped out an incredibly tight schedule and managed to pull it all together — shooting, editing, and refining just in time.
The series was, without question, one of the most challenging productions I’ve ever done. If I thought sprinting around Palm Beach in the heat was difficult, it was nothing compared to the freezing winds atop Aspen Mountain. We hauled vintage props, models, and even old-school skis (which are much heavier than you’d expect) up the slopes via gondolas, chairlifts, and snowcats — whatever it took to reach our locations. Some spots could only be accessed by skiing, and while a few of us had just enough experience to make it work, not everyone on the team — or the models — were quite so prepared! Still, the effort was worth every frosty moment. To top it off, we brought along a beautiful Bernese Mountain dog, who added just the right touch of charm and warmth to the icy mountain scenes.
From my Palm Beach series, I noticed that one of the most beloved images was the golden retriever sitting proudly in front of The Breakers. It inspired me to experiment with a few more dog-centered shots — though I had no idea just how far that idea would take me.
In January 2020, I flew to Aspen to debut the series with a champagne toast at The Little Nell — and brought Max and Dove (just over a year old at the time) along for the adventure. Watching them experience snow for the first time is a memory I’ll always treasure; it still makes me smile every time I think about it. It was also during that trip that I realized just how much of a dog town Aspen truly is — it seemed like everyone had one, and most of them were delightfully large!
When the series launched, it was thankfully very well received, and again one thing stood out: the most popular image was the Bernese on top of Aspen Mountain by itself with some skis. The appeal of the dogs was clearly universal and significant. Seeing this play out was a light bulb moment for me.
I decided that for my next series, I would attempt something a little out there. What if I could bring dogs to life in a glamorous hotel setting, much like I had done with the wild animals at the Parker Palm Springs? It seemed a bit kooky, but also a logical next step for me. To help ease the complexity of the shoot, I reached back out to my friends at the Beverly Hills Hotel, who graciously agreed to host another project — this time featuring pooches and pups only!
In February 2020, we worked with our intrepid dog guru, Joel Silverman, to cast and corral a truly glamorous pack for the shoot. We sourced dogs of all shapes and sizes — from pugs and Frenchies to labs and standard poodles. The series was lighthearted, joyful, and such fun to create. Little did I know it would be my last shoot for quite some time…
So, what happened next? On March 19, 2020, the governor of California declared a shelter-in-place order, as many other states soon followed. I vividly remember sitting with Jeff at our kitchen table after putting the kids to bed that night. We looked at each other and thought, What in the world do we do now? No one was allowed to come to the office, which meant we couldn’t print, frame, or package anything. In a moment of panic, we even deactivated checkout on our website.
After a fitful night of sleep, we called our framing partner the next morning and received astonishing news. One division of their company manufactured items deemed “essential,” allowing them to continue operating under strict government safety protocols. While our team couldn’t return to the office, Jeff and I, as owners, were permitted to go in and keep things running. With everyone else working from home, we got creative — using Zoom to connect our team’s home computers to their office stations, complete with access to their hard drives and print files. It was surreal, watching them control the screens remotely — like ghosts in the machine — but it worked! Jeff and I rolled, stacked, and handed off prints to our framer to keep the operation afloat. Eventually, a few employees were able to return under careful safety measures, but those early days of the pandemic truly felt like the Wild West for small business owners.
With everyone spending more time at home — and staring at their walls — the home décor industry saw incredible growth. I read a report that said e-commerce home décor sales rose 89% that year, which still amazes me. We felt that surge firsthand. We went from being terrified we wouldn’t be able to operate to being terrified we couldn’t keep up! Our puzzles started selling like hotcakes, and we even offered them as gifts with art purchases — it all went absolutely bananas. At the time, our world revolved around the kids’ nap schedules and work. We couldn’t see friends or go out, so the busy pace almost didn’t matter — but looking back, I can safely say it’s not an experience I’d ever want to repeat (and I think most people would agree!).
Thankfully, we had photographed many projects and destinations the year before, so we never ran short on new content to share in 2020. But one release stood out among them all: Dogs at the Beverly Hills Hotel. When it debuted in October 2020, it took off instantly. The photograph Pool Day, The Beverly Hills Hotel — featuring a lineup of posh pups lounging poolside — became the runaway star. That image would go on to define the series and mark the beginning of an entirely new chapter in my work. It’s now the cover of my coffee table book, DOGS — a fitting tribute to the photograph that started it all.
As much fun as it was to release new content and engage in creative marketing, I found myself missing the artistic process — the thrill of being behind the camera and bringing new work to life. Right before the shutdown, we had finalized an agreement to do a shoot in May 2020 at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel on the Big Island of Hawai‘i. For those who know it, this hotel is the epitome of mid-century style and timeless escape. Built by Lawrence Rockefeller, it sits on the most pristine stretch of sand along Kaunaʻoa Beach, and I had fallen completely in love with it during previous stays in 2018, 2019, and even early 2020.
Of course, the shoot never happened that May. Like much of the world, the hotel — and the islands — shut down. But we stayed in touch with the Mauna Kea team, continuing to dream and plan. Then, in October 2020, the Governor of Hawai‘i announced that the state would reopen to non-resident travelers on October 15, provided visitors passed a PCR test within 48 hours before departure and a rapid test upon arrival. My team and I, eager to create again after months of lockdown, didn’t hesitate — I think we booked our flights that very day.
The hotel was still closed for maintenance ahead of its Thanksgiving reopening, but the team graciously allowed us to stay on property and shoot freely, with the rare privilege of having the entire resort to ourselves. I’ll never forget that flight — crossing all my fingers and toes that everyone would pass their tests and make it safely to the island. Miraculously, we did.
What followed was one of the most memorable shoots of my career. Gray Malin at the Mauna Kea is a true celebration of this Hawaiian icon and the generations who love it. We were able to do things that would have been impossible if guests had been present — from designing custom beach umbrellas to driving a buggy right onto the golf course. The resulting images are serene and sun-drenched, with almost no people in sight — you have to squint to see them! Yet, despite its quietness, the series radiates joy and captures the timeless appeal of the Mauna Kea.
I’m endlessly grateful to the hotel team, especially Brad Doell and Kansas Henderson, for their partnership and warm hospitality. After such a rollercoaster of a year, creating this series was the perfect ending — a calm, colorful float atop my Fredrico.
2021: Up & Away
After a year of uncertainty, 2021 felt like a much-needed return to what I love most: creating and connecting. It was an incredible feeling to get back in a helicopter again to photograph the stunning, colorful beaches of 30A, Florida. The community there is so passionate, and it was such a joy to see how warmly that series was received.
I also fulfilled a long-time dream with the release of my book, Gray Malin: The Essential Collection — a decade-long labor of love. Nothing compares to going on tour and meeting so many of you in person; your stories and support continually inspire me. The book had originally been slated for 2020 but was delayed, so we launched a virtual tour that spring when it was finally released. Later that fall, I was able to embark on a proper in-person book tour. I was so thrilled to be back on the road for signings that I ended up doing 18 stops — still my record to this day!
Creatively, 2021 was a year of bringing long-imagined projects to life. One of my biggest dreams had been to create a dogs series in New York City. I had already built a wonderful relationship with the team at Rockefeller Center after photographing the Christmas tree there in 2018 (thanks to the impeccable Dawn Reinholtz) and knew that its landmark location — and the unbeatable views from the Top of the Rock — would make the perfect backdrop. We were able to shoot all over Rockefeller Center, including the entrance to SNL and inside the Rainbow Room. I was beyond grateful for the opportunity.
We also received approval to photograph stylish pups outside the Plaza Hotel and Bergdorf Goodman. If you look closely at the taxi cab in Welcome to the Plaza Hotel, you may recognize it from a certain ’90s classic about a little boy from Chicago who gets lost in New York! This June 2021 shoot was an enormous undertaking, and I remain forever grateful to the incredible people (and pets!) who made it possible.
But dogs weren’t the only thing on my mind — summer was calling, and so was the beach. In particular, the shores of Nantucket. I had visited the island several times with Jeff and had previously photographed a series of aerials there. Having grown up spending summers on Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket was new territory for me, but I was quickly charmed. Thanks to the wonderful Holly Ruth Finnegan, who introduced us to so many locals and hidden gems, I soon felt like I truly understood the island’s rhythm.
After the success of my aerial work, I dreamed of creating an on-the-ground series celebrating the island affectionately known as “The Gray Lady” (and with a name like that, how could I resist?). Our team spent months preparing for the shoot, and we were lucky to collaborate with an incredible group of local creatives, including Meredith Hanson, Hafsa Lewis, and Marla Sanford. Together, we crafted whimsical nods to Nantucket’s deep history and timeless charm. We shot the series over several days in June 2021, immediately after wrapping Dogs of New York. It was an intense stretch of production, but I wouldn’t trade a moment of it.
After a busy fall on the road for the book tour, you might think I needed a break (and I did), but I had one more dream to bring to life. After photographing the Dogs series in New York and Beverly Hills, I couldn’t shake the memory of Aspen — a town that seemed to have as many dogs as people. Everywhere you looked, there were pups in ski jackets, lounging by fire pits, or trotting down the cobblestone streets. The Little Nell was particularly dog-friendly, and it felt like the perfect place to return to.
In December 2021, we partnered with the team at the Little Nell once again to create Dogs of Aspen. Drawing on everything we’d learned during our 2019 shoot with people, we executed each shot with precision and care. I knew while we were shooting that this series would be well-received — but I couldn’t have imagined just how beloved it would become.
Once that project wrapped in early December, I was ready to settle in for the holidays. But, as it often happens, one last adventure appeared on the horizon. Earlier in the year, we had been in conversation with the Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris — the sister property to the Beverly Hills Hotel — about the possibility of collaborating on a Dogs series there. Who doesn’t love Paris? And who doesn’t love dogs? It seemed like a natural fit. The only challenge was the time difference between Los Angeles and Paris, coupled with an already packed production schedule.
Then, in mid-December, the hotel extended an invitation for Jeff and me to come to Paris to scout locations and discuss the project in person — as the French love to do. So off we went for a little pre-Christmas adventure to the City of Light. If you’ve ever been to Paris during the holidays, you know how magical it is. The twinkling lights, the festive energy, and the scent of freshly baked pastries in the air — it’s truly unforgettable.
After three days of meetings and scouting, we agreed to move forward with the shoot for the following summer. With that, it was finally time to slow down, return home, and savor the holidays with our family — the perfect ending to an inspiring and unforgettable year.
2022: Frequent Flier
If 2021 was a year of reflection, 2022 was one of expansion. The year began on a high note—quite literally—with the release of Dogs of Aspen. We had to move quickly, shooting in December and releasing in January, because a certain TV show called Good Morning America had joined us on set and was eager to air the feature as soon as the series launched. Seeing my four-legged models turn into fan favorites on national television was such a thrill. To this day, the photograph Chairlift Pups remains one of my most recognizable and beloved works, and it still makes me smile every time I see it.
But Aspen had even more surprises in store that year. We partnered with Aspen Ski Co. on an idea I’d dreamed up while visiting with friends in 2021. At the top of Aspen Mountain sits a wide-open space used for weddings in the summer but left vacant during the winter months. Standing there, looking out at the incredible view, I thought—why not turn this into a party? A beach party, but in the snow. And so, Snow Beach was born.
Inspired by vintage Miami beach clubs and après-ski glamour, I transformed that snowy slope into an immersive pop-up paradise. Sharing that experience with my team remains one of my favorite memories. Guests danced in true après style with a DJ, bottle service, bites, and cabanas scattered across the snow. It was my way of bringing a photograph to life—inviting people to step inside one of my imagined worlds and create joyful moments of their own.
The year continued with new adventures, including Dogs at the Parker, a return to the beloved Palm Springs hotel that helped define my aesthetic years ago. Beyond photography, several dream product collaborations came to life—NEST candles, Supergoop kits, Illesteva sunglasses, and Corkcicle accessories—each one an extension of the joyful, colorful world I strive to create.
On the home front, we moved into our new house in Los Angeles. Watching our kids run through the hallways and make this space their own made every late-night design decision worth it.
Another unforgettable highlight of 2022 was my trip to Mexico, where I had the opportunity to photograph the agave fields of Tequila Don Julio in Jalisco from above. It was my first time visiting that region, and I had no idea what to expect. The incredible Don Julio team, including Jamie Hakim, guided and inspired me throughout the process. Together, we designed custom blue-and-white umbrellas in the brand’s signature colors and arranged the jimadors and the iconic blue Don Julio truck to complete the perfect shot.
The fields were so remote that we had to fly in by helicopter—taking off from the rooftop of a hotel in Guadalajara. It was one of those unexpected, once-in-a-lifetime moments that perfectly captured the spirit of adventure I hope to bring to all of my work.
2023
In early 2023, I released a body of work from Vail, Colorado, in honor of the resort’s 60th anniversary. The series included several retro nods to vintage Vail photography, including one of my personal favorites, Après Ski Conditions, Vail, which we created as a way to weave history into the present. It was such a joy to bring a new, playful series to life for the Vail fans around the world.
That spring, I debuted Dogs of Palm Beach. While it was a return to the island I’d first photographed in 2019, there was still so much left to explore. The highlight of this shoot was being granted access to the iconic pink palace, The Colony Hotel. The hotel had become the buzzy heart of Palm Beach, and I’m so grateful to Andrew and Sarah Wetenhall for welcoming us to shoot on its beautiful grounds. The series itself is one big ray of sunshine. Pool Day, The Colony Hotel has become just as popular as the original Pool Day, The Beverly Hills Hotel—and I love that the East and West Coasts are now equally represented.
The celebrations continued in June when I brought my team and the Aqualillies to St. Barths! I had first visited the island the year before to celebrate Jeff’s birthday with friends, and while we’d been briefly before, that trip gave me a new appreciation for its charm and energy. St. Barths is the ultimate if-you-know-you-know destination, and I knew I wanted to capture its timeless allure. We were so fortunate to partner with Rosewood Le Guanahani and Nikki Beach for the shoot.
The resulting series was full of festive, joyful moments that truly capture the island’s vibrant spirit. Getting models, props, and crew all the way from Los Angeles to St. Barths was no easy feat, but somehow we pulled it off. The series would later be reimagined and released in early 2024—but more on that soon.
That spring and summer, we also unveiled two back-to-back series at the legendary Hotel del Coronado. These included two of my favorite muses—Dogs and the Aqualillies. It was such a thrill to create new work at this historic Southern California landmark, a place brimming with vintage seaside charm. As part of the collaboration, we even designed a Gray Malin-themed suite at the Hotel del—fully outfitted with my artwork and some of my favorite design touches.
Speaking of design, one of the most unexpected and exciting extensions of my brand came that year: rugs! As someone who loves home décor, I was immediately drawn to Ruggable’s innovative approach to design. Their washable rugs are brilliant on their own, but what impressed me even more was their creative partnerships with visionaries like Jonathan Adler and Iris Apfel. From the moment we connected with their head of partnerships, Elena Shieh, I knew we could create something special together.
By June 2023, our collaboration came to life—a line of inventive, art-inspired rugs that transformed some of my favorite photographs and inspirations into beautiful, functional design pieces. It was a creative challenge for both of us, but the result felt fresh and unexpected. The collection performed incredibly well, and we even launched a refreshed line with new styles the following year. To this day, we use these rugs throughout our home—they truly feel like walking on (washable) art.
After the Ruggable launch, I reconnected with the wonderful team at Ty Warner Hotels & Resorts to discuss a potential shoot at the one and only San Ysidro Ranch. Known as the honeymoon destination of JFK and Jackie, the Ranch is a true Montecito gem. For this whimsical project, we brought along some familiar “wild” friends from the desert—camels, llamas, a zebra, and even a longhorn—as playful nods to the property’s ranch heritage.
It was during this time that I fell in love with Montecito all over again. It’s such a dreamy town—peaceful, refined, and full of natural beauty. One evening after shooting, I was unwinding in bed, scrolling Zillow, when I stumbled upon a listing that made me stop in my tracks: a house that Jeff and I had rented with friends back in 2020 was on the market. We’d been searching for the perfect investment property for some time, dreaming of one day creating a branded Gray Malin home.
Finding a home that allowed for short-term rentals in Montecito was no small task, but this one checked every box. It needed plenty of work, but we love a design challenge—and the location, tucked near Butterfly Beach, was unbeatable. So, we took the leap, secured the home that fall, and began planning design ideas heading into 2024.
As we approached the end of 2023, I couldn’t resist adding one more project to the mix. We partnered once again with Abrams, my longtime publisher, to begin work on a new book dedicated to my dog series—appropriately titled DOGS. The plan was to release it for the 2024 holiday season, which meant the layouts and imagery needed to be finalized in early 2024. To make the book as comprehensive as possible, I wanted to include two more beloved cities before we went to print.
In September 2023, we tackled Dogs of Boston. I’ve always had a deep affection for Boston—it’s where I went to college, where Jeff and I met, and where much of my family still lives. It’s a city with so much heart and history, and it felt only fitting to celebrate it through this series. The shoot was logistically challenging, with ever-changing weather that shifted from hot sunshine on the Esplanade to cool, rainy days on the Common. We hustled across the city—from Acorn Street to The ’Quin House and the Copley Plaza Hotel—and it was a thrill from start to finish.
Barely a month later, in early October, we headed across the pond for our final shoot of the year: Dogs of London. If Boston was complicated, London was a whole new level. The city is massive, and navigating the logistics required incredible planning. Thankfully, Emma Alexander served as our boots on the ground, securing every permit and piece of paperwork needed in advance—a herculean task given the many municipalities involved. She also helped us plan each location down to the minute.
Over the course of five whirlwind days, we traversed the city in a giant Sprinter van, capturing scenes from Big Ben to Tower Bridge to Abbey Road. Our dog guru, Joel Silverman, assembled an incredible cast of pups, including a beautiful English sheepdog who starred in our final shot at the iconic Notting Hill Bookshop. Jeff joined me for the final days of the shoot, and we capped off the trip with a weekend enjoying the crisp, golden days of early autumn in London.
And just like that, 2023 came to a close. With the final Dogs series complete and ready for editing, I was finally able to slow down, spend time at home, and reflect on an extraordinary year. It was one filled with creativity, collaboration, and countless memories I’ll always cherish.
2024
After years of balancing family life, business growth, and the ever-evolving world of travel, this was the year I felt truly back in my element, camera in hand, exploring the world’s beauty from new perspectives.
The year began with a dream opportunity — a return to one of my most beloved and meaningful locations, the Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club. Closed since the pandemic, the club was finally preparing to reopen its doors in early 2024 after nearly four years of restoration. Before members returned, I was granted exclusive access to photograph the property in its most pristine, untouched condition. To be back in this iconic space ready to shoot felt both nostalgic and electric.
The Coral Casino has always represented timeless elegance to me. It’s where I first collaborated with the Aqualillies years ago, creating images that helped shape my aesthetic and visual storytelling. This time, however, I was invited to reimagine it anew, with complete artistic freedom. The management team’s trust allowed us to transform the space into a living daydream once more, blending glamour, fantasy, and a touch of whimsy.
During a two day shoot, we executed some extreme projects back to back. First, in collaboration with a charity foundation, we brought together exotic animals for an incredible shoot. The animals made striking cameos throughout the property. The resulting work became Wild which captured the juxtaposition of untamed beauty and serene luxury, celebrating nature and refinement side by side.
Second, we shot an entire series of dogs, Dogs at the Coral Casino. I love how playfully the grounds of the club served as the perfect sun-drenched backdrop for these shots of pups relaxing in luxury along the American Riviera. Jeff even brought up our own pup Stella, who was by this time 15 and a half years old, and we got a shot of her on set for us to keep in our private photo collection. She was never in one of my dog series and I thought this might be the one opportunity to include her.
The Dogs at the Coral Casino was a chance series that we did not expect, but once we found out we could shoot it in January, I just had to try to get it into my next book. Once the shoot wrapped, we were finally done with all of our dog series for the pages of DOGS. Wrapping up the book consumed most of my time the first two months of 2024, as we rushed to finalize the work before the publisher’s deadline.
One of the most exciting milestones of 2024 was seeing a long-time dream finally come to life — the Gray Malin Getaway House. After years of capturing destinations that inspire escape, I wanted to create a space that embodied that same spirit — a place that celebrated art, design, and the joy of everyday living.
The journey to this house began years earlier as I previously mentioned, when Jeff and I rented a home in Montecito during the pandemic. It was an older property, but its charm was undeniable — just steps from Butterfly Beach and a short walk to Coast Village Road. We fell in love with the neighborhood’s natural beauty, peaceful energy, and timeless appeal. When I discovered that very same house was on the market last summer, it felt like fate. We immediately knew it was meant to be part of our story.
The home, originally built in 1965, had incredible bones and endless potential. Over the course of an extensive renovation, we transformed it from top to bottom—adding new hardwood floors, reimagining the kitchen and living spaces, and creating bedrooms that feel both soothing and inspiring. I had the pleasure of collaborating with the talented designer Madison Nicole, whose refined eye and effortless understanding of coastal California style helped bring the vision to life. Together, we thoughtfully considered every detail to reflect the Gray Malin aesthetic—clean lines, sun-washed hues, and joyful touches that make a house feel like a true escape.
The outdoor spaces became just as important as the interiors. With its generous yard and proximity to the ocean, the property offered the perfect backdrop for outdoor entertaining and quiet moments alike. From morning coffee in the garden to golden-hour evenings by the pool, every space was designed to make the most of Montecito’s signature sunshine and relaxed elegance.
Madison helped us, along with our contractors, maintain a flawlessly executed remodel schedule and we finished on time Memorial Day weekend. After a launch event, the house was open for bookings beginning in summer of 2024. Today, the Getaway House represents so much more than a design project — it’s a reflection of everything I love about travel, creativity, and home. Bringing this dream to life in such a beautiful community has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career.
In April, Jeff and I one day discovered that our dear sweet Stella was not doing very well at all. This was no shock, as she was pushing 100+ in dog years, and she had some health problems for a few months but Jeff and I took great care to make sure she was comfortable and happy as she could be in the twilight of her life. On April 12, our sweet Stella went off to the rainbow bridge. We were so lucky to have been home at the time. We let Max and Dove say their goodbyes to her that morning (they did not quite understand, but some books helped them afterwards) and Jeff and I held her in our arms as she said goodbye to us. I will always be thankful to Stella - she served as the muse and inspiration behind my book DOGS, hence its dedication to her - and she brought more joy to our lives than she could have ever known. She grew with us and bore witness to our lives, from our tiny West Hollywood apartment to becoming parents of two toddlers. Saying goodbye is never easy, but her transition was as peaceful and loving as possible.
In more joyful career events that spring, I had the chance to create a very special collaboration. After the success of my Splendid collaboration, I was always eager to get back into a clothing collection. Then came Janie and Jack, a dream come true and designing this capsule felt deeply personal because it was inspired by, and made for, my own children, Dove and Max.
We kicked off our first design meeting by asking them what they wanted to wear — their answers were simple and perfect: “cute and comfy.” From there, the vision came to life with travel-ready pieces, playful swimwear, and tennis sets perfect for their lessons and adventures. Every detail was designed to feel like stepping into one of my photographs — coastal, dreamy, and full of joy.
The limited Summer 2024 capsule captured the spirit of childhood escape, featuring crisp tennis whites, cabana stripes, vintage-inspired polos, and soft tees printed with my signature motifs. Seeing Dove and Max in the final pieces made it all the more special — it wasn’t just a creative project, but a family memory in the making.
It was a celebration combining my work and family — one I’ll treasure forever. And who knows… there just might be more to come from this collaboration in the near future.
After a peaceful summer in Michigan, recharging my batteries with some family time, it was time to hit the road again for the long-planned DOGS book tour! So many people had been asking for this book for so long, I just could not wait to get it out there in the world.
Things started out with a bang on the set of Watch What Happens Live.
Each stop was pure joy, filled with laughter, wagging tails, and incredible conversations with so many of you who share a love for both art and animals. We even welcomed pups at nearly every event, which made the experience that much more memorable — each city felt like a celebration of connection, community, and canine charm. To accompany the book, we released a Collector’s Edition, featuring a signed print of one of my favorite images. It was a special way to honor the series and share something truly timeless with collectors who have followed this journey from the very beginning.
As the year drew to a close, I traveled to Aspen once more to capture new winter imagery — playful, festive moments blanketed in snow and filled with that unmistakable holiday spirit. There’s something magical about Aspen in December, and this shoot quickly became one of my most cherished creative memories of the year.
From the snow-capped mountains to the sea, we packed up and ended 2024 in our happy place — Hawai‘i. Our annual family trip to the Big Island was the perfect exhale after a whirlwind year of travel, creativity, and connection. We soaked up the sun, spent quiet mornings by the ocean, and reflected on all that the year had brought. It was a blissful ending to an unforgettable chapter — one that would then turn to a new year and quickly into something entirely unexpected just days away.
