Style on the SMU campus is impressive. That’s why SMU alums Kristi and Scot Redman started their fashion based blog Hilltop Glossy. Started in early 2009, the blog made waves on the SMU campus and in the Dallas community.
The fierce duo bonded over their love for photography while students knew they wanted to make a career of their passion. Their blog was created to showcase SMU’s unique fashion and campus style, said Scot Redman in an email interview.
“SMU’s style has a level of sophistication that other college campuses lack,” he said. “I won’t name any.”
Kristi and Scot Redman met each other while SMU freshman 13 years ago. They both graduated in 2009 from SMU Meadows School of the Arts with majors in film.
Hilltop Glossy focused on the fashion styles worn on the SMU campus, especially on the Boulevard. The blog became wildly popular and was quickly absorbed by D magazine, which opened several doors for the young film students at the time.
Now they both work as a photography team for D Magazine’s blog D Style Sheet, where they feature Dallas street style.
“Their photographs are really inspiring and make me want to throw on a fabulous jacket and heels and hit uptown,” said SMU Meadows student and aspiring photographer Eileen Barrett.
The motivation behind their trailblazing SMU blog was to show amazing fashion happening on real people in a real setting and to provide fashion inspiration. The last article posted on Hilltop Glossy was in 2011 and pictures can still be found on the website.
“Every time I come to campus I see a girl wearing something in a new way. SMU style is always evolving and it is always young and new,” said Scot Redman.
Blogs were just becoming popular when the couple decided to create Hilltop Glossy.
The Redman’s assistant said, with talent like the Redman’s, you can work in any major city across the United States, but they still stay true to their Dallas roots. Scot Redman said that there’s more opportunity in Dallas than in other large cities.
In Dallas, you can quickly get to know all the major fashion players and editors said Kristi Redman. In New York or Los Angeles, “you have to get in line and compete with thousands that have moved there and are trying to achieve the exact same hype.”
Dallas is also very eclectic, mixing both coast, New York and Los Angeles, with a touch of Texan, said Redman.
“Many designers and artists come to Dallas because that’s where the money is and women here love it,” said Redman. “They buy big and they wear it big.”
Working step by step with their models and crew on set of their photoshoots is very important to the Redmans. Being hands-on and personable is important and is expressed in their work.
“The beautiful photographs and relationships with people are what matter, not appearances or fancy equipment,” said the Redman’s assistant Ben Haschke. “Scot and Kristi are people who care as much about you outside your working relationship as within it.”
The Redmans say they are now delving back into film work, like they did in college, but with a fashion-centric purpose.
“We just filmed a fashion commercial for Cheetos that will run solely on social media. It’s the way of the fashion future and it is our first true love,” said Scot Redman.
