Meet Jenna Saraco and Nicole Steriovski of Either And. This creative duo, known for their modern, yet timeless imagery, met serendipitously as neighbors in Brooklyn, NY. Jenna was getting her masters in Graphic Design, while Nicole was getting her masters in Media Studies. Finding a shared interest in photography and a shared curiosity in the world’s growing demand for visual storytelling, they teamed up to help brands tell their stories. Together, Jenna and Nicole have worked with brands from Merlette to HVN to Reike Nen and beyond. Jenna captures all still images and Nicole captures all moving images, while they sell their favorite new and vintage clothing and accessories on the side. For creative direction, they always pull from the past to create something new.
We sat down with Jenna and Nicole, wearing the Rosalie Caftan in Light Blue Vine and Banded Dress in White Hibiscus, to talk about the birth of Either And, how their artistic tastes have changed and how they reflect on old ideas to make them relevant today. Lesson learned – talk to your neighbors!
How did you both become interested in photography and how did that lead to the creation of Either And?
Photography and film as a medium has always interested us as a way to tell a story. When we started working together, we realized we were capable of capturing a shared aesthetic that might interest a wider audience. At the time, social media was beginning to take off as a promotional tool for small businesses and we noticed the growing demand for high quality images to help emerging brands. Since the start, we've been producing, creating and capturing both photography and motion image to help brands share their stories.
Either And has shot all of Coco Shop's campaigns to date. We have fallen in love with your vintage style. Has this photography perspective or aesthetic changed over the years and if so, how? From where do you draw inspiration?
Our perspective has remained relatively consistent over the years, although there is always growth and evolution. We are constantly absorbing new visuals, information and ideas that inform our photography and creative direction. We draw inspiration from old films, photographers we admire, movement and dance, traveling, our own families, from nature and from daily observations of human behavior.
As a relaunch, Coco Shop is interested in the idea of taking something old and making it new again. How does renewal play a role in your work?
Renewal is something we are constantly considering. Each year or even every six months, we feel a sense of renewal for ourselves, our imagery and our work. We try to take a couple of trips each year to feel re-energized and inspired by our surroundings. Much of our work is rooted in some idea of the past, but re-imagined to feel modern and timely. We love classic, timeless imagery, but always want our work to feel current and relevant to the time in which we are actually creating. While working on new projects, keeping in mind the renewal of ideas always leads to something that feels very personal to us. Even if we draw inspiration from a previous campaign, we find no two executions are the same.
Being an artist demands big and constant creativity. Is there anything that makes you personally feel renewed or refreshed and ready to take on the next project?
Travel helps us feel refreshed. Whether it's visiting a new city, country or just getting upstate and out of the city for the weekend, this exploration of somewhere new keeps us inspired. Engaging in different mediums also helps to bring a renewed perspective. We love dance, interiors, drawing and writing to keep ideas flowing. Movement is also very important to our creative process. Walking and exercise helps our minds feel fresh and helps ideas come to fruition. Meditation is always a helpful way to create space when it's time to move from project to project and keep room for ourselves and our own creativity as well.