National Geographic Takes on New York Fashion Week | Fit for a Queen | NYFW

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Queens is a project about female leadership, not only in front of the camera but behind the camera, telling a story about nature in a new way. And there couldn't be a better time in history right now to be getting that message across. The title, "Fit for a Queen," pairs Fashion Week, hence fit, as well as being fit or befitting of a queen. When I heard the narration by Queen Mother herself, Angela Basset, I was blown away.

We're really talking about the animal matriarchs of the natural kingdom, who are really leading the charge, from the hologram production to the choreographed dance, to the models, to the wardrobe, to the designers. We really thought intentionally about how to make sure that we put as many women as possible at the forefront of what we're doing to really represent queens from the inside out.

This event is different than anything else going on during New York Fashion Week just because of the production of the different animals. It's giving drama; it's giving just everything. I think there's just so much magic and inspiration that can come from simply just observing nature and coexisting with it. The colors, the patterns, silhouettes—I mean animals are absolutely beautiful, and they serve as a constant inspiration.

A lot of the elements when it came to fashion I drew back to the late '90s to about the early 2000s. I wanted to draw from those to make sure that we still had an element of integrity when it came to the styling, which is minimalistic, classic, something that's not too over the top, but still beautiful.

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Timeless. The hologram installation, which is incredible and uses some technology that a lot of people haven't seen before, is on par. Holograms are a really great way to bring the content into the real room. So in this show, we wanted the animals to actually feel like they are right there with the audience.

I think this is probably the first time that an elephant has walked the runway at New York Fashion Week, which is really exciting to be a part of! Some of the responsibilities about being out there and filming queens were to make sure that we get all the subtleties and nuances. It's about looking at these delicate moments as well as the big "wow" moments, and I think that "Queens" has got all of that; it's got the wow in every single episode.

This is a moment in time where we've got to celebrate female talent and spotlight it and grow more of it. I'm so proud to have been on a project that has literally changed the face of our industry, made it a feminine one, 'cause it was male-dominated for many years. I think it's really important to recognize how females in the natural world rule and gain power, and I think it represents the many different ways that females can lead. It doesn't have to be one way, and women all around should also use that as an example.

I think representation is so important. The reason I started filming is I saw Sophie in a behind-the-scenes, and to me, that made it possible. There are going to be so many little girls that see themselves in the TV that they've never had that before, and being able to be like, "I can do that."

Now, things have been done in this space, in the natural history filmmaking space, in one way for a long time. So what these women are doing is platforming these voices, elevating, and encouraging more of that. I think it's really important, with Women's History Month coming up, that we show that there's constantly new things that women in nature and behind the scenes are doing.

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What makes a queen is someone who leads, someone who isn't afraid. They have different levels of intellect; they have different levels of confidence. I think that you can be a queen at any level. A queen is about energy; it is about existing unapologetically in your magic. It is knowing that you are fierce, darling.

What makes a queen, to me, is really your inner energy. I know I'm a queen when you have a standard of excellence that is above and beyond that represents being a queen. So pass on your queen energy, embrace the fear, get out there, put yourself in front of things. Hopefully, maybe somebody will see me today and go, "She's a wildlife cinematographer; I can do that."

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