Capturing the power and intimacy of sisterhood

For more than six years Brianna Capozzi has been photographing sisters. Tracking them down through friends of friends, or at events such as the annual Twins Days festival in Twinsburg, Ohio. She was even on the look out while on a shoot with Pam Anderson in Grand Cayman.

In 2018, after the publication of her first book Well Behaved Women, which featured Chloë Sevigny, Brianna’s mother Marie Capozzi and model Mari Malek, the photographer began to reflect deeply on the women in her own life. ​“I wanted to immerse myself in work that celebrated and evoked how powerful female relationships are, in this case sisters,” she says.

Brianna is perhaps best-known for her work with celebs such as Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus and former FACE cover star Halle Bailey. But in Sisters she captures real people, photographing her subjects in their own homes and creating a warm, collaborative atmosphere on set.

“There was a lot of hanging around and talking [on set]. I think my assistants were always thinking: ​‘Are we going to shoot at all?’” she says. ​“There was a lot of sharing about each other and going over memories. And a lot of ​‘wait I want makeup’, or ​‘I think you should wear this’, ​‘you don’t look good in that colour’, or ​‘just go topless with me who cares!’”

Unsurprisingly, Brianna herself has a sister, Gabrielle. ​“No matter how different our lives are at times, my sister and I can always relate deep down to how each other feels,” she says. ​“We live completely different lives, but at the end of the day, I know I can go to her for anything. There is a level of understanding and knowing with her that is almost unconscious. We are different but the same.”

Hey Brianna! Do you think there’s something special about the relationship between sisters, compared to brothers or brothers and sisters?

I do and in a big way. Of course, it’s all I know – I grew up in a female-dominated household: sister, mom, dad. But the relationships I have with the women in my life are so often my saving grace, it’s shaped my personality so much. I asked some friends recently if having a brother has helped them understand and relate to men more in life and they all assured me that it hasn’t.

How would you describe the style of the work in Sisters?

I feel like this work leaned into a new style of mine, a style that took years to fully articulate. The process of shooting these women was very different from the way I shoot my fashion work. I was so used to the safety net of props, fashion, specifically sought out locations, and this work doesn’t really have any of that.

There was a time when I was worried it didn’t look or feel like my work, but as I continued making images and putting them together, I realised there was still this very specific woman who represented strength and confidence, as well as an intimacy and subtle humour that runs through all of my work.

You capture a variety of ages in the book. Is there anything you noticed about how sibling relationships develop over time?

Just that nothing changes. Even the oldest sisters in the book were extremely close and had an almost childlike quality to being together.

Do you think the stereotypes about youngest, eldest and middle children are true?

Oh, 100 per cent. I think the order in which you are born, as well as how many siblings you have, plays a big part in what your personality is like. I am for sure the baby. Someone said to me the other day that I act like I’m the baby of five daughters. I’m the baby of two.

Was there a favourite location you shot in?

Yes, I would say Janice’s house in Midwood Brooklyn. She has lived there for fifty years and has the most incredibly wild taste. Her bedroom is all pink with a cordless landline, and reruns of Law and Order are on a constant stream in the background. Wigs and hair pieces scattered around the dressers.

What were you and your sister like growing up?

We are five years apart and she was obsessed with me from the minute I was born. All she wanted to do was hug and kiss me. We grew up kinda opposites. I was into sports and sneakers, and she was into dance and dresses. We’ve had many adventures together and continue to.

There’s a scan of your first diary that your sister gave you in the book. Were there any other notes or memorabilia you had to leave out?

I hate to say this, but time ran away and I did not make it to Jersey to look in the attic. We definitely have more memorabilia that I wish was in – A cardboard box of a stuffed parakeet that our dad designed [for example]. He’s a toy designer and that has a photo of us as kids on the side of the box.

In what ways does your sister inspire you?

The way that she deals with life really, I have watched her achieve incredible accolades and go through many hardships. I have seen her overcome all while being a cheerleader, a dancer, a soccer player, a teacher, a girlfriend, a wife and a mother. She has always created a fruitful life for herself filled with creativity and love. She’s a star. Her outlook and positivity is inspiring, and I see that in the way she is with her children.

In what ways do you think she finds you inspiring?

Something I realised about our relationship while I was working on this book is that it’s always been balanced. There has never really been any jealousy or competition about each other’s lives. And I took up a lot of space. We both have had moments where we were the centre of our parents lives for a period of time and it just ebbs and flows.

You would have to ask her what she’s inspired by, but something I love about hanging out with her is that she loves when I’m insane and ridiculously silly. Like, she just knows my truest, silliest form and it’s pretty much my favourite form to take on. It’s not something everyone has always accepted about me, but she does.

I love that I get to be that way with her, and that she’s always in on my stupid joke and my nonsense. So I would probably say although I’m sure she’s proud of my accomplishments in life, I like to think my energy inspires her.

Sisters by Brianna Capozzi is published by IDEA and is out on 11^th September.