Set Design & Makeup

This week I decided to test out some make up looks that I could use in my shoot. I tried them out myself to get a rough idea of what I think will work well, but for the real shoot  I have found a make up artist through the university that will assist me on the day. I started off by testing some simple tribal like markings across and around the eyes. I also realised that this style of make up was easy to colour correct in photoshop, so with the simple use of one colour I could edit each style to my preference in postproduction. The initial idea of tribal marks came from a recent issue of ID magazine,  and I thought that with the theme being based upon body adornment this would work well. What I later discovered once I had styled the clothing, was that the use of tribal markings for makeup appeared a bit cliche for the theme of diversity. Following this discovery I decided to simplify the idea of tribal markings, with the use of brightly coloured eyeshadow, I softened the look by suggesting tribal marks. I also experimented with the idea of soft paint, painted across the eye area. The paint accentuated the idea of the marks,  making the appearance of the make up more obvious and bolder which I think relates to my idea more. A worry that I had is, if the make up too colourful and bright it could draw the attention away from the garment, so above on my computer based make up faces I have suggested the use of white paint across the eyes. This idea will also brighten eyes.  The last experiment with make up was the combination of eyeshadow and lines, I would like to test a variety of combinations with this idea before I decide to use it or not to use it.

Following producing some make up ideas we had an amazing workshop with set designer Reah Theirstein. She showed us multiple ways of creating amazing sets on small budgets, and loads of ideas for creating unique backdrops. This workshop helped me greatly because I was planning on only using a white studio background to accentuate the idea of the garments. After the workshop I thought of loads of other ways I can do this by using more interesting sets. During the workshop we were asked to create our own sets, I experimented with the use of projecting imagery onto a subject. For the materials we had at the time I thought this was a great idea and will definitely help me to produce future concepts in set design. But when I came home I decided to create suggestions of set design in photoshop. Bellow, shows my illustrations and suggestions of set design, there are a variety of different ways in which I can create a set on a budget and the ideas I have demonstrated consist of simple materials such as: reflective paper, acetate or plastic, post production and simple use of materials. I will further experiment with these ideas to decide what one works best.

Isamaya Ffrench is a makeup artist who is currently the beauty editor of i-D Magazine. She is well known for her super-saturated palettes which rebel against fashion’s bored, minimalistic habits. “For her, make-up is paint, and skin a canvas.” I got inspiration from her work while I was looking through the "beautiful issue winter 2014" in ID magazine. The images were very linear,  depicting bright bold lines around the face, accentuating features such as cheekbones eyebrow bone and lips. I was interested in her style as it seems quite simple and it relates closely to my idea of tribal marks. As I began to research her work, I discovered that as well as using sharp linear markings, she has a tendency to create soft, chalky markings. Above I have attempted to portray her style using some of my own ideas. I intend to use a real makeup artist for the final images, these where just some experiments.

Styling - Ideas and Suggestions

This week we had the pleasure of working with stylist and creative director namalee Bolle. She gave us loads of great ideas on how to style an image and creating looks that poetry atmosphere, mood and meaning. This workshop helped me particularly, because I was confused and unsure of how to style my fabric samples. Two tasks that we were given were, to style a white shirt in an unconventional way and to dress a punk. Dressing a punk was a good task for me because it helped me to excessively  adorn the body in jewellery and accessories, this not being my usual style encouraged me to be over the top rather than subtle. The challenge to style a white shirt in an unconventional way was also helpful to me, it encouraged me to be experimental in the way in which I dressed the body with such an iconic piece of clothing. Both of these tasks challenged my preconceptions of the styling I want to use in my shoot. 

In light of this workshop I decided to style the garments on the human female body.  Due to the curvy and flowing nature of the samples, I discovered that they work well with the curvy nature of the female figure. I experimented with three garments and dressed them in ways that seemed impossible. Because of  the diverse shape of the samples you're able to twist and turn them in ways to create new shapes.With some of the smaller samples I decided to carry out a similar styling task, instead of using them for their original purpose of sleeves or cuffs I decided to turn them into a full garment.  Using a miniature mannequin i used the samples to create various outfits. I positioned the miniature mannequin in natural positions so that my models can replicate them in the studio.

Test Shoot

Due to the unconventional nature of the garments in my shoot, I thought it would be a good idea to get a test shoot out of the way with to highlight areas in which I needed to improve. I started this process by thinking about what sort of models I'd like to cast for my shoot. I decided that the pieces would probably create a better aesthetic on "real" and "interesting" looking models, contrasting with the experimental samples. I recored the process, and above shows some of the people I would like to cast in my shoot. They vary in age, gender, height and race. Since the project is based on the theme of diversity, I think it is easy to "tokenise" models, merely using someone to indicate allegiance to a particular group of individuals. I think I have avoided this issue by using models I think can bring the garment to life, rather that just a pretty face.

Following the casting process, I decided I would benefit form arranging a test shoot, so I chose the most readily available model and conducted one in a pop-up-studio. The idea of the test shoot was to experiment with styling the samples on the body in a variety of ways, but as the samples are not finished garments it proved difficult to “adorn” the body substantially. This task was extremely helpful to me as it encouraged me to style the samples in various different ways, and helped me to  guide my usual style towards something more interesting and unconventional - which i think is needed to celebrate these pieces. The samples have an abundance of diversity in the ways in which you can style them on the body, but I noticed that they were too small and too incomplete to fashion a whole 8 page editorial. 

I didn't want to scrap my idea because the samples I have decided to use are stunning in so many ways: shape, colour, texture and most importantly, versatility. To overcome this problem I created ways in which I could make the samples go further in terms of “outfits”. I experimented with colour correction to begin with and produced some mediocre outcomes. But something that really interested me from my previous visit to the Guy Bourdin exhibition at somerset house, was his use of scale. Extreme post production of images is something I am not fond of, as I think it can lead to amateur results, but after experimenting with scale in photoshop in a similar style to Guy Bourdin, I realised this might be a way forward in my project. Above shows a small percentage of the images I have taken for the test shoot. As you can see the light changes half way through the shoot, this is due to one of the bulbs in the flash kit overheating and breaking. Even though I encountered  a problem during this shoot I carried on, and ended up producing some images that could work well as a final. Although the test produced some good results, the contact sheet clearly demonstrates the lack of material / outfits.

Exhibition Visit - Guy Bourdin

The image Maker, was an amazing exhibition at Somerset house featuring over 100's of works previously unseen images by the influential and enigmatic fashion photographer Guy Bourdin. Bourdin's editorial and advertising imagery, took the basic function of the fashion photograph -to sell clothing, beauty and accessories- and made it into something rich and strange. Bourdin established the idea that the product is secondary to the image, he developed a distinctive style of visual storytelling which continues to serve as a source of inspiration to contemporary fashion photographers from Tim Walker to Nick Knight. He pushed the boundaries of what we consider beautiful and desirable creating a  provocative and surreal approach to fashion imagery. Bourdin plays around with the concepts of repetition, scale and proportion. For a New york shoot he demanded giant shoes , not theatrical props but meticulous oversized replicas. 

The manipulation of repetition, scale and proportion can dramatically change the mood and meaning of a composition, it emphasises  the importance (or un-importance) of an object or area. Often the focal point is emphasised by making an object larger in proportion to the rest of the elements of the artwork, or by simply repeating it. Elements that are large in comparison with the background or that fill the picture and bleed off the edge will give the impression of drama, importance, intensity or happiness. Without the limitation of just a single point of interest, repetition helps the eye dance from point to point. I would like to incorporate similar elements into my work and experiment with repetition to elude the 'regular' fashion shoot.

Refining Ideas

Based on last weeks feedback I created two extended and modified mood boards, which reflect colour schemes and concepts for post production. I have chosen the colours green, orange and yellow because of the bold tones, and they're representativeness of nature and traditional African body adornment. I have chosen samples of knit rather than finished garments to emphasise the theme of diversity. I have demonstrated how the samples can adorn the body in a variety of different ways. Mostly the samples include ruffled and obscure textures, contesting and working alongside the clean and concise concept for the photo shoot. In the mood boards there are examples of how I could style the samples experimenting with movement and angles. Below are three small mood boards I created which demonstrate the atmosphere I'd like to create. To me these images depict free spiritedness, diversity, celebration, non traditional ideas and confidence. In the past I have produced fairly straight forward images, with little exaggeration or manipulations to garments. For this project I intend to experiment, creating unconventional accessories and garments.

Body Adornment

Native American Adornment 

The origins of knitting comes from the Egyptians, and the very first pieces of anything resembling knitting we know about were socks, found in Egyptian tombs dating back to around 3AD, a time when Egypt was part of the Roman Empire. Regardless of the strong link to the origins of knitting and the Egyptians, I think that their fashion is fascinating. They were architects of fashion with their garments filled with a variety of colours and adorned with precious gems and jewels.  They highly valued personal adornment, and jewellery was worn by both men and women of all social classes. Statues of kings and gods were adorned with lavish jewels, and the deceased were sent off into the afterlife ornamented in the jewellery of the living. Jewellery was very popular in Ancient Egypt, no matter the social class. It was heavy and rather voluminous. The Egyptians became very skilled when making jewellery from turquoise, metals like gold and silver, and small beads. Those who could not afford jewellery made from gold or other stones would make their jewellery from coloured pottery beads.One creation that was specific to ancient Egypt was the gorgerine, an assembly of metal discs worn on the chest, either over bare skin or over a shirt, and attached in the back. Earrings, bracelets, armbands, collar pieces, rings and anklets were all common types of adornments worn in ancient Egypt. Jewellery seemed to be the most important factor of an Ancient Egyptians wardrobe. I plan to take this concept of making accessories a focus point in my photo shoot, but styling them in diverse ways. I wish for the accessories to be placed in unconventional ways in place of a garment.

African Adornment

Africans have ancient traditions for decorating and accessorising the body in rich and varied ways. Traditionally, many African people wore little to cover their bodies, leaving their skin exposed and available for decoration. Africans adorned themselves in four general ways: scarification, body painting, beadwork, and jewellery.

Scarification involves deliberately cutting the skin in decorative patterns that leave permanent scars. Scarification can be in the form of grooves cut down in the skin or welts that stick up above the skin in raised designs.

Body painting is a colourful art used by various African cultures to celebrate, protect, and mourn. Traditionally, body paint was mixed from natural ingredients and smoothed on the skin with fingers, sticks, or grasses. Oil, clay, and chalk were the most common paint ingredients, but the Dinka of southern Sudan have in the past used ash, cattle dung, and urine to make their face paint. Some wear body paint to indicate their age and apply full body decorations as a kind of daily outfit.

Jewellery of many sorts is worn throughout the African continent. Both women and men wear necklaces, bracelets, anklets, earrings, nose rings, and other jewellery. Jewellery serves as both an ornament to beautify and, in some cases, a protective guard against evil spirits. Ndebele women of Zimbabwe beautify themselves by stretching their necks with tight rings of brass called dzilla. The Berbers of northern Africa wear silver ornaments to protect themselves from illness and evil spirits.

Knitting in Culture

Following my visit to the Fashion and Textiles museum I decided to look further into the idea of culture and knitting. I studied three varying knitting traditions from contrasting cultures to look at the differences and similarities. Colours, styles, patterns and shapes differ somewhat, but what really interested me is the variety of ways the human figure can be “decorated”. Linguistically, all evidence implies that knitting is a fairly recent invention. There are no ancient legends of knitting like there are legends of spinning and weaving. There are no ancient gods or goddesses who knit, no legend of how it was invented or given by the gods. That lack implies that it is a recent skill, developed after mythologies were established around the world.

Native American clothing was a main factor in cultural and religious ceremonies. Intricate knit, beadwork and feathered headdresses were also commonly worn during ceremonial displays. Many of the decorations and the objects used by the women to adorn the clothing were significant symbols of stature and power. Family relationships were also honoured through the art of making Native American clothing. Women would diligently work on the clothes for loved ones, and by using objects that represented the occupations of her loved ones. The Native Americans are known for their belief in the respect of nature, including animals, earth and the environment. They also adorned their bodies in a variety of different ways. From designs applied directly to the skin to elaborate ornaments crafted of symbolic materials, Native American body decoration was very important to the religious and social life of tribal members. In many tribes the skin was considered a canvas on which to paint or tattoo designs. Although warriors used paint to prepare for battle, body painting was not only used for war paint. Painted designs

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The Aran jumper is a style of jumper that takes its name from the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland.A traditional Aran Sweater usually is off-white in colour similar to a sheep's wool and is made from 100% wool. One of the most recognisable features of a tradition Aran is its cable patterns on the chest. The jumpers are distinguished by their use of complex textured stitch patterns, several of which are combined in the creation of a single garment. Some stitch patterns have a traditional interpretation, often of religious significance. The honeycomb is a symbol of the hard-working bee. The cable, an integral part of the Aran islander's daily life, is said to be a wish for safety and good luck when fishing. The diamond is a wish of success, wealth and treasure. The basket stitch represents the basket, a hope for a plentiful catch.

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The Norwegian image, as it is presented to tourists, is dominated by moose and polar bears rather than sheep. Nonetheless, clothes that are made from the wool of the sheep generally have a substantial symbolic value at the regional or national level. During the late 19th century, the task of building a nation pervaded Norwegian cultural life. This also applied to the Norwegian handicrafts movement, which strove to preserve and pass on the best handicrafts from traditional farming society. At the same time, such products had to symbolise the essence of being Norwegian.The new suits and national costumes were based on historical folk costumes and formal dress clothes. The tradition of knitting garments with woollen yarn of two or more colours reaches back to the 1850s, and the resulting patterns on knitted sweaters and cardigans are generally viewed as Norwegian. In stories about the Norwegians, woollen garments are strongly associated with the image of Norwegians being born with skis on their feet