Photography for Chicago's Sustainable Design Co. Icon Modern

Icon Modern is a Chicago-based custom contract furniture and architectural elements manufacturer, with a focus on sustainable materials. They use dead trees in the city to create their masterpieces!

I connected with them through their marketing and sales gal Allison Stegich before she was even working there! How? She was my Lyft driver a couple years ago. During the drive, I recall our discussing what we’re up to. At the time Allison was working in sustainable farming (which I thought-think is awesome), and I was on my way to a photo shoot. We discussed using our interests to better serve people. And I shared with her about a passion project I’d been working on with my friend Devin Sutter called Our Chicago Stories.

Fast forward a couple years, and Allison landed her current role with Icon Modern and was looking for some company portraits, product shots, and behind-the-scenes captures of their wood shop. She’d been following the OCS feed and was looking for a similar aesthetic, so she reached out to me.

I was so excited about this opportunity. And the timing worked out, too – as they were my last Chicago photo shoot before we moved to Kansas City.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with a company that aligns with my own values and aesthetic. What’s more, I love how we reconnected in a completely different context. That’s the kind of story I love sharing.

And Icon Modern believes raw materials have a story to tell.

“We’re proud to source our urban hardwoods from Chicago and the surrounding area, using the city’s architectural legacy as a springboard for spirited, beautiful design.”