A Designer Headshot in Milan Design Week

The Salone register

In April the grey stone arcade of a Brera palazzo in Milan fills with a designer's upholstered pieces in terracotta, moss, mustard and dusty rose, with wisteria over the gate. The pack portrays the designer once the fair's crowd has gone. She wears terracotta and rose; the moss and mustard sit around her, and the arcade's grey frames the lot.

She stands head and shoulders before a moss-green upholstered back with the knit's terracotta against it. She is chest-up seated on a terracotta piece with mustard and rose pieces soft behind under the arcade, and half-length in the courtyard with the arcade and the wisteria gate behind. The light is soft courtyard light from above, and the mood is a woman at home in her own colours.

What comes out is photographic: nine photos of you, three in each of three settings, in the look of a Milan design week courtyard. The place and the wardrobe are borrowed as a setting; the photos are portraits of you, not pictures taken there.

How to photograph yourself for a designer headshot

Better source photos make better portraits. An ordinary phone photo is enough, and a few habits sharpen the likeness.

1. Even, soft lightStand near a window with daylight on your face. Avoid overhead bulbs and phone flash, which flatten a face.
2. Front or three-quarter angleCamera at eye level, facing it or turned slightly. No shot from below, no stretched arm.
3. Face fully clearHair off the face, no sunglasses and no filters. A clear, front-facing phone photo is the best starting point.
4. A plain mid-tone topWear a neutral top. The pack supplies the terracotta knit, so a quiet base lets the colour read.
5. A plain background is fineDo not worry about your own backdrop. The pack replaces it entirely.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a real photo taken at a Milan design week courtyard?

No. It is a portrait of you set in the look of a Milan design week courtyard. It is not a picture taken there.

Will it look like a real photograph?

Yes. Every photo is photoreal: a real-looking photograph of you in the look of a Milan design week courtyard, not a painting or a cartoon.

How colourful is it?

Quite. Four colours, terracotta, moss, mustard and rose, in set proportions, with grey stone as the frame. The face stays the subject because the grey arcade quiets everything else.

Can I use it for a studio or agency page?

Yes. It suits designers, architects, creative directors and makers who want a portrait with some colour in it rather than a grey corporate shot.

Is this pack for women?

The wardrobe and styling are cut for women, so the pack reads that way. Other packs on Narcis suit other looks.

Will the photos look like me?

Every photo looks like you, well photographed. If one is nearly right, say what to change, in your own words.

Do I have to write a prompt?

No. There is nothing to write: you pick a pack, and it is ready in seconds.

How many photos of myself do I add?

Between six and twenty, from different days and in different light, with your face clear. We check each one when you add it.

What happens to the photos I add?

They are used only to create your model, on our own servers in the European Union. They are not shared and not sold.

When this pack fits

• A designer headshot for a studio website
• A colourful professional portrait for a profile picture
• A creative director's bio picture
• A speaker photo for a design conference
• A makers' market or showroom about page
• A framed print in terracotta and moss
• A gift for someone who lives for design week

About narcis

Most AI photo tools put every pose, job, era, and style in one giant catalog. The photos all look like every other AI photo on the internet — a glaze over a stock face. Narcis goes the other way. One job: photos of you that look like photographs. You add at least 6 photos of yourself, and we create your AI model from them. Your photos are ready in a few hours, and we email you when they are. Then this pack and every other pack on Narcis can be made with your face. Each pack is curated against real references — paintings, photographers, places — and tested on real faces before it goes live. Built and run by one small team, on our own servers.