The second episode shifts focus to Rita Moreno—an icon of stage and screen who, at 92, remains as magnetic as ever. (Moreno, also, of course starred alongside Sophie’s brother Ansel in the Steven Spielberg remake of West Side Story). “The energy she brought to the shoot was just unreal,” Sophie says. “At one point, she broke into a Peggy Lee song, a cappella, and started dancing around the studio. That’s the magic of a photoshoot—you get to see these moments that would otherwise be lost.”
For Sophie, the process of preparing for each episode was as crucial as the shoot itself. “I did deep dives into each of my subjects—I read books, watched documentaries, combed through past interviews,” she explains. “In a few cases, I also spoke with their teams to understand what would make sense to include.”
That research is particularly evident in the third episode, which features Skylar Brandt, a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre. The episode captures Brandt’s tireless dedication, from lacing up her pointe shoes to executing perfect pirouettes in the middle of a New York City street. “We wanted to highlight her discipline and grace, but also the pure joy she exudes when she dances,” Sophie says.
And then, of course, there is the final episode—one that feels less like a typical interview and more like a full-circle moment.
The final episode of Portrait Mode, out today, is dedicated to Arthur Elgort, the photographer whose work reshaped the very notion of fashion imagery. His signature style—candid, kinetic, full of movement and life—helped define the pages of Vogue for decades. “When I think about my dad’s photography, I think about the energy he brought to fashion,” Sophie says. “He didn’t just photograph models—he photographed characters, women in motion, moments that felt like they were lifted from real life.”
Their episode takes place in Arthur’s SoHo studio, where he has shot some of the most iconic faces in fashion history. But this time, the tables are turned, with Sophie behind the camera and Arthur as the subject. “It was surreal,” she admits. “Growing up, I was always the one watching him shoot. To be the one photographing him was an experience I’ll never forget.”
