Behind the Lens: How Spice Market Swim Turns a Scottsdale Boutique Into an Editorial Studio

In the glossy world of fashion, photoshoots often mean high-rise studios in New York or sprawling villas in Europe. But for Anjalee Sadhwani and Luisa Rodriguez, the co-founders of Spice Market Swim, the magic happens in Scottsdale, inside their own boutique.

Each campaign is a masterclass in ingenuity, transforming Spice Scottsdale from a retail space into a full-scale set. It’s here that heritage, sustainability, and bold creativity collide, producing visuals that rival major labels while keeping the process deeply personal.

DIY Editorial: From Tomatoes to Poppies

For their Spain-inspired drop, Anjalee and Luisa staged swimsuits among crates of tomatoes, vintage suitcases, and whimsical market-style props. The result was playful yet polished, a nod to Mediterranean energy without ever leaving Arizona.

Their next experiment went even further. When Anjalee connected with designer Hushidar Mortaezai of Michael & Hushi — whose work dressed Bella Hadid at Cannes and famously appeared on Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City; inspiration struck. She ordered Mortaezai’s “Poppies of Palestine” bandana and decided to pair it with the brand’s new Red Triangle Bikini.

The shoot centered around a giant handmade poppy, built by Anjalee and Luisa themselves from crepe paper, a wooden dowel, and pipe cleaners. After closing the boutique at 6 p.m., they dragged in two soft boxes found secondhand on Facebook Marketplace, figured out the lighting, and transformed their shop into an editorial studio.

Fashion as Statement

The images weren’t just beautiful, they were intentional. By pairing a Spice Market Swim bikini with Mortaezai’s politically charged design, the shoot became a conversation between local and global, boutique and high fashion, DIY and editorial.

“We wanted the visuals to feel bigger than us,” says Anjalee. “It wasn’t just about swimwear, but more about showcasing Scottsdale as a stage for meaningful fashion.”

Along the way, they documented the process on TikTok, inviting followers to watch as racks were pushed aside, props were built, and their boutique transformed into something closer to a studio in SoHo than a shop in Arizona.

A New Language for Swimwear

This is the power of Spice Market Swim: intentional design paired with out-of-the-box storytelling. In an industry where many brands outsource production and campaigns, Anjalee and Luisa are proving that innovation can come from anywhere — even a desert boutique with two borrowed soft boxes and a dream.

✨ Their photoshoots are more than marketing; they are statements — DIY editorials that place Scottsdale on the global fashion map.