Ideas For Tribe Project

When my beautiful cousin Celia came to stay at my house, we were planning on a great movie night. We had the chocolate, the popcorn and the film, but for some reason, our night didn't go as planned. It soon became a night of loud music, cloud hair-styles, quirky make-up and modeling! I managed to rope her into being my guinea-pig, trying out my ideas on her for my final photo shoot of the tribe project.

First came the 'static-do', this was achieved by many-a-minute spent back-combing her hair. She loved it and told me she would wear it like this next time she goes out (I have yet to receive photographic evidence of this!)This hair heavily reminded me of Luella's Fall 2008 ready-to-wear look (above).


Next was the 'cloud hair' inspired by Moschino spring 2008 ready-to-wear. I really loved this look and thought it would be perfect for my Ballet dancer theme.

The Make-up I tried out was very reminiscent of Miu Miu Fall 2008 Ready-to-wear
look shown below.

Stylathon

During the 'tribe' project we had a one-day 'stylathon'. This involved each student donating and bringing 5 items of clothing to create a collective group wardrobe. This wardrobe was used for our day of styling, where we created and documented outfits/looks/ideas in response to our chosen theme.


In my group was Emilie, Rachael, Anna, Lauren and myself, we started off by not particularly looking at a certain tribe, but playing with the silhouette.

We made the shoulders more prominent and used a corset to make a type of bonnet around the head. Keeping the body simple (wearing a leotard) showed off the head and shoulders more.


Next, we all focused our styling skills on creating a look for my ballet theme. Using netting, pearls, ribbon, flowers and ballet slippers, I think we achieved a really beautiful, ballet-esque outfit.
The lighting turned out perfectly, we were aiming for a soft glowing light, rather than a harsh edgy one, and I think it worked really well.


I was really happy with the shoot, it gave me a lot of things to think about for my final photo shoot, the lighting, the composition, the styling, the model, the setting etc.

After my ballet inspired photos, Emilie had a turn to style her tribe, Grannies. She wanted to use me as the model, so I was styled up to look like a grandma, with layer after layer of scarves, floral dress, white tights, and a bobble hat!

Overall, I really enjoyed the stylathon, it really got me thinking about my project, and I had a great time with my group.

Creative Individual 1

To produce research images for my project on a creative individual, I used my younger sister Edie (9 years old) and set up a mini photo shoot. I wanted to use the beach as the setting and have the sea in the background, this would make it look more playful and summery. My sister had that day bought a big pink bouncing balloon, and I thought it would perfect to use as a prop.

I put out old quilts out on the deck and lay out some of my old Ladybird books. I shot the photo through a beaded curtain that hangs in the doorway leading to the deck. I wanted to make sure you could see the sea in the background.

InDesign Workshop

Today was probably one of the best days I have had at uni, we were taught how to use the miracle that is InDesign. The application used for designing magazine spreads etc, which is up there with Photoshop on my list of favourite things EVER. We were set the task of re-creating a double page spread from any magazine we chose. I picked i-D magazine, and decided to create an article on Darcey Bussell the famous ballerina. I think it went pretty well.

Mood Boards

During our computer workshop we were required to produce two mood boards using digital based media in our Photoshop and InDesign sessions.  One mood board was based on our chosen tribe. The mood board below shows my ideas for my ballet dancer tribe. I love the photo of Kate Moss by Chuck Close - you can see all the detail in her face, her lines and wrinkles, freckles etc.  Photos of boxers show their cuts, bruises, lumps and bumps.  All in black & white as this is how I would like to shoot my final piece.
Below is my second board which was a summary/edited version of my summer sketchbook that was based on myself. I used photos from one of my favorite fashion photographers, Tim Walker, photo booth strips of one of my idols, Edie Sedgwick.  Rosary beads and Agent Provocateur perfume appear as they are part of me too.

Grid & Composition Workshop

Abstract Workshop

Below is some 'abstract art' I did in class. We were told to try and not think about what we were doing too much, not to think if it looked good or if it looked like anything at all! I found it quite difficult to be so 'freeform' but overall found it an exciting new method. Also below is what I learned from a lecture we were given on Abstraction.

But Abstraction doesn't only appear in art, it also plays a very important role in fashion. Designers such as Hussein Chalayan and Gareth Pugh are probably the most recognised abstract fashion designers of the moment. The Queen Bee of abstract fashion, though, must be former Moloko frontwoman Roisin Murphy. The stunning Gareth Pugh outfit she wears in 'Overpowered' is genius and is abstract in one outfit.

Corinne Day

As I said in my last post, Jemma Sawyer told us how Corinne Day was one of her idols, so I decided to do a bit of research on her and look at some of her work.

Corinne Day is a British, self-taught photographer. Day is known for forming long and close relationships with many of her sitters (most famously Kate Moss), which have resulted in candid and intimate portraits. The most notable of these being the photographs of Moss in the 3rd Summer of Love editorial for the FACE magazine in 1990, styled by Melanie Ward. Moss was just 15 at the time, and Corinne Day barely 10 years older. Day was just making the move from modeling to the other side of the camera.I came across this photo shoot Corinne Day did for Vogue UK May 2004 titled "let's dance". As one of my projects is based on ballet dancers, I found this editorial very inspiring. It is useful to look at the poses and the styling in this shoot, particularly the fabulous use of colour in the fabrics.

Jemma Sawyer - Fashion Stylist & Consultant

Today Jemma Sawyer came into Uni to talk to us about what she does.  She is a Fashion stylist & Consultant so she goes to photo shoots and styles the model, creates the look of the model, and helps create the overall look of the photograph.  I asked her who she has always admired or would aspire to work with in the future. She told me that for many years she has appreciated the work of well-known photographer Corinne Day (I'll talk about her more in my next post).  I found this shoot on POWERBASTARD blog (http://powerbastard.blogspot.com).

I love how it's not over-styled, it looks effortlessly cool and very discreet. The styling of the model is incredibly important, and it's evident in these photos. Styling affects the mood of the photo, the 'coolness', it shows the target audience of the magazine it may appear in etc.

At the end of the lecture, Jemma told us about the next photo shoot that she would be doing. She was flying to some exotic destination to style a shoot for OK! magazine on Kerry Katona. This, it seemed, was something Jemma wished she wasn't doing, but she explained that she had to do all types of shoots and get her names in magazines so that she could have the luxury of doing the type of shoots she really enjoyed - but that weren't always that well paid.

Amelia's Magazine

Earlier this week Amelia from Amelia's magazine came into Uni to talk to us about her magazine and how it all started. She gave us some great tips on how to get your foot in the door in this Industry and how to make your work really stand out.

Amelia's magazine brings together the best in music, fashion, art and photography. The magazine is renowned for its inventive front covers (including glow in the dark, scratch and sniff and once covered in diamonds). This magazine has a much more special feel to it, with pages covered in beautiful illustrations. The pages are thick quality paper and the magazine costs between ten and twelve pounds so is intended to be kept for years and not to have pages torn out.

As with Lula magazine it only comes out twice a year, once in spring/summer and another in autumn/winter. The magazine contains a wide variety of specialised features so is suited to a larger audience of younger people. Each page is thoroughly thought out and usually illustrated. It is very hard to just skim through it, you have to take time out to appreciate the effort that has been put into it.

The Saatchi Gallery

New Art From China fills 13 galleries over four floors. There were no rope barriers, no benches, and there was a lot of space. A fallen angel, a giant turd full of semi-digested toy soldiers, a stuffed donkey, Giant insect skeletons, 13 world leaders careening about in motorised wheelchairs, a naked girl sitting open-legged on a stool, bodies hanging from the ceiling by their feet, yet, I wasn't blown away. I must admit, I did like the gallery that acted as a sort of homage to Chairman Mao. Ever since I was young I have been familiar with the political leader as my dad used to have a watch with Mao Zedong chain-smoking in time with each second, and I loved it! There was Mao on the front of a tin of quaker oats, Mao with the Queen Mother, and Mao with Churchill.

(Zhang Huan - Ash Head No1 2007)

(Zhang Hongtu - Long Live Chairman Mao 1989)

(Sun Yuan & Peng Yu - Old Persons Home 2007)

(Li Yan - Accident No.6 detail 2007)

(Liu Wei - Love it! Bite it! 2005)
(Fang Lijun - 30th Mary 2006)

London Fashion Week

Giles Deacon : Game on!!

Remember Pacman and Space Invaders? Well both made a special appearance at Giles Deacons spring/summer ready-to-wear collection at London Fashion Week. Over-sized plastic helmets and shiny graphics referencing the eighties were the features of the slightly exaggerated yet surprisingly wearable clothes shown at the London event, not to mention the high-shine black patent pencil skirts and fetish style ankle-strap shoes by Christian Louboutin. Despite all of this, Deacon also managed to throw in early nineties rave culture, with shades of Michiko Koshino, the Japanese designer loved by London's club kids, in camouflage-print dresses that varied in size, from body tight to wide.

Christopher Kane : Planet of the Apes!

In an anti-fashion style, Christopher Kane presented a trend we haven't seen before, prehistoric nature. There were dresses, tailored jackets, skirts and slim trousers lined with panels of reptilian 3-D semi-circles and Flintstones inspired asymmetric dresses. But if the highly conceptual, geometric sculpturing isn't the look you would go for, there were definitely some more wearable pieces shown, such as the gorilla photo t-shirts and the leopard print sweaters.

Xterity London : I'm Press!

Although Xterity isn't as well established as perhaps, Luella Bartley or Vivienne Westwood (which I would much preferred to have blagged my way in to) it was quite an experience watching the show. As the lights came up and the models came out, I got chills running through my spine. It was the first time I had witnessed a (proper) fashion show first-hand, and what a thrill! It started off with a white palette, first introducing gold and silver tones, and then moving into the pink, purple and yellow pastels, swiftly onto the richer shades, magenta, Indigo, and finishing on a white wedding dress covered in spiraled fabric. Although I didn't think much to the clothes, I was thoroughly disappointed when it was over and had to leave the ten minutes of bliss I had just encountered! It was then I knew I was in the right business!