Meet Celena Sullivan-Karlin

Growing up in a family of artists, creativity was less a career choice and more a way of life. My mother is a ceramic sculptor and my father is a realist painter and photographer, and together they gave me an intense classical foundation in drawing, composition, and visual storytelling from an early age.

I always knew my career would live in the visual arts, and photography was the medium that felt most like home. After graduating from Rhode Island School of Design, I gravitated toward the side of the industry that fascinated me most: post-production, image manipulation, and retouching, especially in the fashion, editorial, and advertising worlds. Over the past 20 years, I’ve collaborated with leading photographers and top creative directors, shaping imagery for major campaigns while refining my own rigorous eye for detail, light, and mood. Seeing work I’ve had a hand in come to life on the pages of magazines like Vogue or on billboards across the country is an endlessly exciting feeling.

This journey naturally led to my partnership with my childhood friend, Sarah Heric, and the creation of La SH&CK. Through La SH&CK, I’m able to blend my visual language with the brand’s unique sensibility—merging art, design, and storytelling to build an unforgettable, immersive vision.