Our first shoot

There is something that happens when a business reaches a point where it can tell its own story, in its own way.

This was that moment for Primary.

We recently held our first ever in-house shoot — and while it was a single day in a studio, it felt like something much larger than that. It was the first time we had full creative control over how Primary looks. What we chose to show, and how we chose to show it.

I have been thinking about that a lot since.

What we wanted to do.

From the beginning, Primary has existed as a response to something.

The lingerie industry — particularly here in Australia — has long presented a very particular kind of woman. Heavily styled. Heavily retouched. A version of femininity that felt narrow, and frankly, a little exhausting.

That has never been what Primary is.

The woman we dress is not performing. She is not posing for approval. She has considered taste, she takes care of herself, and she wears what she wears because she genuinely wants to — not because she is trying to look a certain way for someone else.

So when it came to the shoot, the brief was simple.

No retouching. Limited makeup. Natural hair. And an eye to fashion — because the Primary woman has one.

The result is what you will see in the new collection imagery. Real skin. Real movement. Lingerie that look like they belong on a person, not a surface.

The Nette Rose collections.

The shoot was built around the new Nette Rose collections — Oslo, Harley and Apple.

Nette Rose is a Cape Town label that has been one of the most requested at Primary since we first introduced it. The new collections are the best work I have seen from them. Joyful, colourful, considered — exactly the kind of lingerie that should be worn and not saved.

Seeing it on real people, in natural light, styled with care — it confirmed everything I believed about this range.

The people who made it.

A shoot is only as good as the people in the room. We were fortunate.

The studio
@the_creative_warehouse

The photographer
@geoffaus

The stylist
@styledbyphoebee

Styling assistant
 @sophmullinss

The talent
@27chins · @hannahsullyy · @lilymaryrh

We are grateful to everyone who gave their time and eye to this. It shows in the work.

What comes next.

This is the first shoot, not the last.

Primary is still a small business — but it is growing, and moments like this are part of how it grows with intention. Every image from this shoot was made to reflect something true about what Primary is and who it is for.

I hope you see that when you look at the new collections.

The Oslo, Harley and Apple collections from Nette Rose are available now.

— Samantha
Founder, Primary