We often search for beauty through our lens. Isabella helped me understand the power of true beauty, of self-love and confidence that could only be described as intoxicating. I remember when I first saw her standing on the corner of 5th Ave and 16th St. she was dressed in a tutu. Who was this person? How could she be so comfortable with herself?

I proceeded to ask her if she would join me for a photography session. She agreed and the next day we found ourselves shooting in the studio. It wasn't any ordinary studio, it was Irving Penn's former 5th Ave studio. It is here that we created these unforgettable images. It is here where I became aware that true beauty existed in each and everyone of us.

Isabella forever changed my understanding of what true beauty was. She taught me that her mother's words "You are beautiful" transcended time and space. She taught me that beauty should be held to a higher standard. One that empowers each and everyone of us.