When Katie Gaston founded Baybala, she knew from the start that she wanted to champion the creative culture in Birmingham, Alabama, the city where the brand was born. Season after season, she’s chosen locations for each collection that are part of the city’s dynamic (and family friendly) energy, from the glamorous European vibe at Slim’s Pizzeria to the lush backdrop of Leaf and Petal in springtime.

For fall, Katie turned her focus to Swann Lake Stables, originally built in the twenties by Birmingham businessman Thomas Swann at the base of Red Mountain. Over the last ten years, the property has been reimagined and expanded by Kibbe Jones, Lillian Dunaway and their team. Today the location hosts all manner of events, thanks to the picturesque backdrop along the Little Cahaba River.

“It is a beautiful piece of land that is really in the center of town, which is kind of wild. I absolutely love that it has the Little Cahaba River running through and brings that element of water to our set. It is really a quintessentially fall location with endless natural elements to shoot against. Kibbe and I connected a while back about shooting there, and it has always been on our short list. Kibbe and Lillian have always been customers of the brand, and when we went to our photo shoot team with the idea, both our videographer Brittany Sturdivant and our makeup artists Celine Russell chimed in that they had both held their weddings at Swann Lake. Some things just feel right, and this is one of them!"

“I talked with Katie for over a year about having a Baybala shoot here,” says Jones. “We have long been admirers of the brand and are so excited to be a part of the fall collection.”

In addition to the special spots seen in Baybala’s fall imagery, Jones is partial to the road leading from the barn down to the river, as well as the beautiful stone wall enclosing muscadine vines. “It’s like a mini-vineyard,” she says.

As for her favorite piece from the fall rollout? “I am one hundred percent going to purchase the Elaine dress and the Reese dress in the new treillage print. They are the most perfect matching mother/daughter set!”