masterclass !

I discovered this editorial on imageamplified.com. Photographer Jason Mickle shot the editorial for Voga Magazine. It is entitled 'Back To School'

This editorial is very inspiring because the models are styled in high end clothes that could be portrayed as school wear, which therefore incorporates the location with the styling and portrays the desired fashion story.

Teaching Deftones !

I added this video as pat of my education project because the song is about education and the location of the video is a high school, I can use this video as research towards styling and locations.

geek est tres chic !

The word education has been projected onto the catwalk and onto the pages of our fashion magazines.

Designers have been able to transform our perception of what we class as a geek, turning the timid teenager who stayed in on his own, asked for extra homework and had no luck with girls into an on trend, well dressed  man with chiseled facial features and a strut of power and confidence. 

These photographs are from designer Etro's Spring 2010 Menswear collection. I really like the styling of these models and how a preppy/geek look has been made high end and fashionable. I would use elements of this collection to help me source garments and accessories and also to help inspire the looks of my models for my photographs such as the bow tie.

This photograph is from Jill Sander's 2011 Menswear Ad Campaign. This clearly shows a high end fashion and modern interpretation of the geek look. From this I have learnt that glasses are an important part of the look and I will consider this when sourcing the garments for the styling of this fashion shoot. Secondly, the sleek gelled back hair with a parting maybe a hair style to try on my chosen model.

models in motion !

For this project, the idea of creating photographs within a scene of actions and movements has been one I am eager to develop and achieve. However, I have doubts on how successful this concept will be due to being able to capture the movements correctly and also due to the ability and commitment of the models I source. To overcome this query I will carry out test shoots.

I found these photographs on imageamplified.com the photographs are shot by Arno Roca and are part of an editorial entitled "Happy Violent Time." I thought these photographs were powerful and also successfully portrayed movement and expression through photography.

the way of the dragon !

Through film, art, music, tv, food and drink, we learn about other countries cultures. By eating a meal, learning a language or visiting another country we gain an insight into that countries history and way of life. 

I am mostly fascinated by many aspects of the chinese culture.

Geisha are traditional female Japanese entertainers. The most literal translation of geisha into English would be "artist" or "performing artist". Historically, geisha often began the earliest stages of their training at a very young age, sometimes as early as at 3 or 5 years. 

Geisha always wear kimono. The colour, pattern and style of kimono is dependent on the season and the event the geisha is attending. In winter, geisha can be seen wearing a three-quarter length haori lined with hand painted silk over their kimono. A kimono can take from two to three years to complete due to painting and embroidering.

The chinese culture still has an impact and influence on our lives today, especially in the fashion world. 

Spring 2011 Ready-To-Wear collections demostrated the influence of orientalism

Here are images from the Louis Vuitton Spring 2011 Ready-To-Wear show where it is evident that Marc Jacobs has drawn inspiration from Chinese culture and fashion for his designs.

It may be of interest to know that many famous and emerging designers that we highly fond of are of chinese decent.

Jimmy Choo is a Malaysian of Chinese descent, Choo initially handcrafted his own shoes and bags. Choo’s shoes are known worldwide, and he has a celebrity clientele including Nicole Richie, Katie Holmes, and the late Princess Diana.

Anna Sui is an international fashion designer. She studied at NY's Parsons School of Design. She opened her first boutique in New York in 1995, later opening an additional stores in Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Osaka. In addition to clothing, her lines now include shoes and cosmetics.

Derek Lam studied at the Parsons School of Design. After graduation, Lam worked under Michael Kors for 12 years. Lam’s clothes, like Kors’ reinvent American sportswear. He launvched his own line in 2003. Lam’s clothes have clean silhouettes in feminine fabrics. He also has a line of jewelry and shoes. He has many fashion design awards, including the CFDA Perry Ellis Swarovski Award.

Phillip Lim is noted for this feminine streamlined clothes and his attention to detail. He currently sells his clothes under the label 3.1 Phillip Lim. He launched his collection in 2004 and found immediate success. Lim says about his clothes "make them feel respectful, yet desirable all at the same time"

Vera Ellen Wang was born and raised in New York City and is of Chinese descent. Her parents were born in Shanghai, China, and came to the United States in the mid-1940s. Wang is a successful fashion designer best known for her wedding dresses. She started her career as a fashion editor for Vogue magazine. After failing to find a suitable wedding dress for her own wedding, she designed one herself. Later she opened her own bridal boutique, initially selling dresses from other designers but later own she launching her own line of wedding dresses. She got international exposure from the dresses she designed for skater Nancy Kerrigan, who wore them to the 1994 Olympics. 

taking the plunge !

 While my mind still plays on the concept of education, I thought about the numerous life lessons we are taught as a young child. 

Washing our hands after going to the bathroom

Don't talk to strangers

How to tie our shoe laces

I then thought about how most children learn to swim at a young age.

I discovered these fashion images photographed by Brian Stevenson. 

The models have been photographs underwater, which must of been a temperamental method of photography to successfully achieve. The styling for the shoot has been thoroughly considered when choosing colours that would stand out and fabrics that could deal with the element of water. I particularly like the third image in the selection as the floaty fabric of the dress has movement within the photograph.

my heart is tumblring !

my heart on my fashion sleeve is opening its big open arms and is now spreading the love of fashion on tumblr 

my heart on my fashion sleeve !

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Hollywood Education 101

My current fashion photography project requires me to look at the word and meaning of education. Through research and my personal thoughts I have diverted away to what most might think about this word and referenced Pink Floyd, Sports and from sex education i looked into erotic fashion photography. 

My next path of thought has led me to research in films, more in particular Hollywood movies based in High School.

Firstly, there is the 1978 blockbuster musical Grease.

Secondly, the 2004 movie Mean Girls, starring Lindsay Lohan.

And thirdly, Disney's 2004 global hit, High School Musical

All three of these movies, although their releases span over almost three decades, tell a similar story. They look into the everyday life of High School where everyone is trying to fit in and where stereotypes are created to form different groups. 

The jocks ! The pretty girls ! The emos ! The geeks !

In my opinion it would be an interesting concept to look at the stereotypes created in High Schools and try to adapt these into a high end fashion editorial.

 I found this photograph my photographer David Lechapelle and in my opinion it evokes the idea of different groups within High Schools, this one being the more alternative group. I think the way in which a scene has been constructed for the image works well. I would potentially use this image as inspiration although I am not inspired by the styling within the photograph. I would consider this idea for a possible concept for my group and my final editorial. I hope to develop this idea further after more research. 

Child's Play !

For my latest Fashion Styling project I had to create a series of five or more still life editorial photographs based on the Spring 2011 accessories trends, and in some way incorporate a jigsaw into the photographs.

I looked at some examples of still life photography from James Wojcik and Anita Calero and was influenced by their work as they incorporated the accessorises into the photography to become a part of and to be disguised within the story.

James Wojcik

Anita Calero

From analysing the Spring 2011 runway shows it became evident that many accessories trends were emerging including equastrian themed, fringed materials, neon colours and the use of colour blocking which I decided to focus my photographs on.

I took great inspiration from designers such as Peter Jensen, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Versus who all adopted the colour block trend.

Peter Jensen

   

Louis Vuitton

Christian Dior

Versus

When sourcing my accessories I also took inspiration from other designers and the trends they were showing in their Spring 2011 collections.

Peep-Toe Shoes - Basso & Brooke

Peaked Framed Eyewear - Giles

Skinny Belts - MaxMara

My concept/story behind my final editorial photographs is 'Child's Play'. The bright colours used by many designers in the colour blocking trend in my opinion resembled the bright colours used in children's toys. I then thought that by using toys in my images, would be a successful way to incorporate a jigsaw within them.

Photography by Dana Sayadi

Styling by Michelle Makin