Today we’d like to introduce you to Victor Sanabrais
Hi Victor, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My career began in the suburbs of Chicago back when I started taking photo 101 classes at the College Of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. I ended up taking almost every class they offered in the photo department, and quickly started looking for an assistant job, where I could make some money and take my first steps towards being an actual working photographer. I was lucky enough to be selected by one of the top portrait photographers in the Naperville area, and this man turned out to be my mentor. His name is John Hersey. Yes, his last name was just like the chocolate bar. He took me under his wing and I learned how to be a business owner, and a photographer who applies his art through creating images with a camera in his hand. I took these skills and knowledge and headed to the West Loop area of Chicago, and opened my first studio in a giant 5000 square foot loft that I could barely afford. Somehow I was able to thrive and survive, and find my way to great success in my home town Chicago. Looking to grow and expand, I made my way to Los Angeles where I opened a studio on LaBrea Ave, right across from the famous Pinks Hot Dog stand. 8 years later, I again decided to keep growing and expending my career, and set up shop in midtown Manhattan. There I was able to enter the fashion industry at a level I had only dreamed of. Opportunities came my way and I loved the fast paced hustle of the NYC appeal industry. With my established relationships going strong, I knew I could really work from any where. I took the next 4 years traveling and living out of suit case. I was able to see the parts of the world that I had no idea I would end up in. I met my beautiful wife Elena, while on this vision quest journey, and it’s given me some the of best memories of my life. My portfolio is filled with all my greatest hits from this path I have taken. 30 years later, I find myself in Miami where my wife and I run VSPstudios.net, a content creation company that serves the apparel industry. Our clients are based all over the globe, from China, Vietnam, Thailand, Norway, Germany, Brazil, Peru, as well as, parts of the US. The images and videos we create are featured online by some of the biggest wholesalers and retailers in the industry. My wife Elena runs the top rated ghost mannequin service on Google, and I could not be more proud of how she has taken this part of our business to the level it maintains today. Nothing makes me happier than seeing our hard work yield great levels of success. We love living in Miami, as it serves our needs with the ability to shoot at amazing beach locations, work with a strong local talent pool, warm seasonal weather, and just an enjoyable lifestyle. There is no place I would rather be and VSP Studios will be here for many years to come.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The fashion industry is a volatile scene to navigate for anyone who plays a part. From models, to designers, art directors, marketing managers, and even some CEOs, they all have to hustle to maintain their livelihoods. This challenging loadspace is what drives those who flourish within it. We all have our hardships, and set backs, and I have experienced plenty. It was the coming of social media and the take over of e-commerce that presented the biggest challenges, yet it also allowed me to see some of my biggest gains. It took me some time to regain my footing as all my clients were trying to define how best to survive this new online sales movement. Right when I saw real growth and elevation in the clientele we were handling, the pandemic came and applied a big panic situation in front of me. I looked at my wife and said “I think we may be out of business…” and for first 30 days I was falling into a depressed state that was grasping for a way forward. Like so many in every part of every industry, I was not in a good place. Then my phone started to ring and emails came pouring in. The fashion industry was on the brink of a major change, where more customers were getting online to do their apparel shopping. This created a fire storm that came our way in the form of ghost mannequin orders. We specialize in this service and the fashion retailers knew this was the only way to get their goods to market. Models were not available, so this form of apparel product photography became all the rage. At one point we had boxes upon boxes stacked up into our bathrooms, hallways and storage closets. While others were slowly going out of business, VSP was in the midst of boom of incoming sales. Blessed and humbled, Elena and I woke up each day thankful for what had come our way. We established new relationships with brands from all parts of the industry that are the backbone of our success. It was a big dose of nitrous oxide in our gas tank and I was in full pedal to metal mode. Full steam ahead was our motto.
As you know, we’re big fans of VSPstudios.net. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I have advertised myself with just my name, Victor Sanabrais Photographer, for over half of my career. When e-commerce took over the industry and online sales became the norm, I rebranded with the name VSP Studios in 2010. As my business grew, I expanded into offering more services to the fashion apparel industry. I took on additional production assistants and opened a new studio in Midtown Miami. I have called Miami my home ever since. VSP works with fashion apparel wholesalers and retailers to photograph their merchandise and present their collections online. We create the images and videos you see on fashion website product page listings, in-store displays, apparel hang tags, and media marketing collateral that are help to sell fashion items to the masses. Our customers ship us items from all over the globe. It’s our job to handle the content creation process. From the art direction decisions to the casting and booking of models, to the shoot locations, to delivering the final images, we oversee and manage the assets that fashion businesses relay on. What sets us apart from our competition is the years of experience that we bring to each production. Our images and videos have proven to sell millions of dollars of apparel merchandise for some of the biggest online fashion selling platforms. This is a proof in the pudding business and if your images are not selling you won’t last long. Along with the on-model fashion photography, we also offer a niche specialty service that only a handful of studios are capable of. This is what is referred to as ghost mannequin photography service. We didn’t invent this type of product photography, but we were the first to perfect the process and offer it to the masses online. I take great pride in having the vision to see this opening that existed and step in at the right time to be first to market. When fashion sellers go looking online for someone who can help bring their items to life they search on Google and find VSPstudios.net.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Perseverance is the word that comes to mind. I am a big advocate for always believing in yourself. I always look at the situation and circumstances that are presented in front of me, and calculate the challenges that I must face. I always tell myself that I will find the way to overcome and elevate myself, even when things seem dark and full of despair. I simply never give up. I hate losing, and I will always do all I can to find a way to win. Things won’t always go your way and you will always make mistakes. The trick is to stay focused, and take the time to step outside your bubble and look in from a new perspective. A good reset button moment is needed sometimes. Having a persistent mindset along with some tenacity are the key elements to finding success.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.vspstudios.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vspstudios
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VSPstudios/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW2u3mkeZjN7dPOjmxVxO1w
- Other: https://victorsanabraisphotographer.com
Image Credits
Model Agency – https://www.instagram.com/elitemiami/
Elite Models Miami – https://www.instagram.com/katerinazalis/
Elite Models Miami – https://www.instagram.com/_jane_fe/
Hair and Make Up Artist – Olga Anisko – https://www.instagram.com/aniskomakeup/
