Fashion Magazine Research

These images are by David Carson.

I felt these would be useful ideas for our magazine, as they are really intriguing images.

The minimal colours used with a single image and lots of text I found really interesting to look at. 

Some of the styles of text I thought we may be able to use within the magazine.

I felt this would be good for a front cover. I liked the use of the newspaper effect background, which would link to our theme of recycling. I felt the portrait and splash of colour was really dramatic and grabbed your attention.

I feel the coloured text over the black and white images is really effective. We could use this as a beginning of an article.

With the image above on the right, I really liked the text over the image. This could also be a front cover image, or a dramatic start to an article or spread within the magazine.

This image grabbed my attention because it reminded me of my work with the mannequins. - This idea of being broken or seen as no good and being discarded of.

Pin-Hole

My Camera;

 First Attempt - 4 Mins.

Contact Print;

Contact print.

Final Image for Submission. - 15 Min. exposure.

Appraisel

With my final images, I decided to express the theme of ‘waste’ through Fashion. 

To do this, I looked into how much waste the fashion industry itself produces. - Fashion designers seem to make clothes today to last for a short period of time. New lines of clothing are produced regularly. – Mainly known as the ‘spring/summer’ and ‘autumn/winter’ collections, as well as mid-collections often in between. 

These clothes are what’s seen to be ‘fashion’ and are therefore desired and wanted. Anything made and published before this, i.e. the year before, are considered ‘old’ and ‘out’ of fashion, which makes them unwanted and discarded of. With this, the fashion industry produces more than one million tonnes of textile waste every year. This is without even considering our own garment waste by following this fashion system. – Us as consumers, play to their system and keep buying and discarding of just as many clothes. 

I feel that, we, as consumers, act like the fashion industry’s mannequin, which, just like the clothes, has a use by date. 

For this, I portrayed my model as a mannequin doll thrown out into the rubbish. - I drew lines on my models skin to show the joints of a doll, enabling movement, with old shopping bags surrounding her within a dark, dingy, lonely alleyway. I used doll-like make up, to give her a little identity and connect to us as consumers, playing to the industry’s throw away system. – Half human, half doll. 

To emphasize this, I made my model give a blank expression and lifeless eyes. 

A lot of my inspiration came from photographers such as; David LaChapelle

Due to the way he incorporates models and fashion poses with literal waste. The models somehow look as if they're meant to be in that location. Or, on the contrary, they are dolls which have simply been abandoned and forgotten.

 Tim walker

With the way he literally turns his models into dolls. This is very dramatic, but I like the mechanical poses and the lifeless, non-human look.

 and Tom Hunter.

With this sense of abandonment and sense of uselessness, whilst remaining in an environment we all recognize.

My photos;

Prints;

(Re-Print)

 I printed my images a little dark due to the theme and setting of my photographs. 

I personally, am really pleased with my images and I feel they represent my idea well.
I think these photos would work well in a newspaper,  as they are reflecting on the waste problem issues of fashion, not the glamour side to fashion, like magazines do. 

Shoot 3 & 4 incl. Prints

With this shoot, I wanted to broaden the Mannequin idea I started in the first shoot. 

Although I enjoyed dressing my model up in rubbish whilst remaining 'fashionable', I thought I may get carried away with the fun side to it. I felt that the mannequin idea had much more depth and meaning behind it.

With these shoots, I wanted to show just how much waste the Fashion Industry produces.
The fashion industry purposely designs clothes to last a certain period of time, before being discarded of and a new collection brought in.
The clothes are designed and produced in 'seasons' every year, and us as consumers keep buying and discarding of 'fashion', producing just as much waste as the industry. - We are like the industry's mannequins.

1.2 million tons of clothing went to landfill in 2005 in the UK alone. (DEFRA 2007) 
- http://www.ethicalfashionforum.com/the-issues/energy-and-waste

It is estimated that more than 1 million tonnes of textiles are thrown away every year. (www.wasteonline.org.uk)

Most of the waste produced in the UK ends up in landfill sites, which poses a threat to local ground water supplies. Every time it rains, water drains through all the rubbish and picks up chemical and hazardous materials. This includes chemicals used in clothing and textiles such as dyes and bleaches. 

- http://www.ethicalfashionforum.com/the-issues/energy-and-waste

Majority of textile waste comes from household sources. Average lifetime of any clothing is deemed to be for about 3 years, after which, they are thrown away as old clothes. Sometimes even 'not so worn garments' are also discarded as they become unfashionable, or undesirable.

- http://www.textilesindepth.com/index.php?page=facts-textile-waste

I personally really like the trolley images. I feel that they are stronger than my other images and really give across my idea - That we, as consumers act like the Fashion Industry's mannequins.
Just like the clothes, get used and thrown away once they've had their time.

My chosen Finals;


I spent a lot of time trying to print these images. I wanted them to be dark but not dull, whilst trying to not lose the mannequin within the image. I wanted her to stand out and grab attention.

I think these are the strongest images from my contact sheets, but due to being all from the same shoot, i think they might look stronger with two different images perhaps inbetween them. This would break them up a bit and add more variety, probably making them come across stronger and more in depth.

If I was to pick two images to go with these, I would pick my next two favourite and strongest images;

 I like this image because even though she comes across like a lifeless doll, she has a helpless sense to her. The way her arm is twisted out makes her look literally thrown out and broken.

I like this image because it looks like she has also been thrown down without a care. The way the bin is toppled over with the bags spilling out adds to this.
If i was to use this image i would re-print it. I would make it darker and adjust the magenta and yellow. This would able me to match her skin tone to the other images.

Research; Tom Hunter

Although these image are not necessarily about fashion or dolls like Tim Walker, I found this work by Tom Hunter just as inspiring.

Particularly with these images below, I really liked this sense of abandonment and uselessness. Although it is clearly people within the photos instead of a doll-like figure, they still carry this notion of being discarded of, like they no longer have a purpose.

I felt this would work well and relate to my project.

With this image below, I liked the effect of the dark lighting which surrounds the edge of the photograph, whilst emphasising the main focus point, the models, with highlights.

With my images, I would not want the shadows to be as dark as this, because I want to show all of the surroundings of my discarded mannequin.

Research; Tim Walker

Due to dressing and styling my model as a mannequin, I found Tim Walker's work really inspiring. - 

In terms of playing with fantasy in a real life environment and the pose of the model.

With these images, I like how she clearly still looks human but is in a doll world. - The expression and pose for example.

With this, the image as a whole seems a bit creepy and unnatural. 

I thought this would help play on m idea of the fact that we, as consumers, play to the Fashion Industry's system. They use us like their mannequins.

These images are more dramatic with the doll look, but i really like the blank expressions and lifeless poses. It really emphasises that she can only move with someone else's assistance and control.

 With this image, I wanted to play around with the style of the makeup and the marks on her arms and legs to look like the joints enabling her to move.

My Shoots

From combining all of my ideas, I started to shoot my idea of 'Fashion & Waste'.

With this, I was aiming to show the fact that the fashion industry throws so much produce away to provide new season collections.

As consumers, we continue to buy more and throw away the 'old' seasons nearly as regular as the industry.

I showed my model as a mannequin, to emphasise the fact that this waste is related to fashion (also shown by the high street and designer bags thrown away) and to give this idea that us as consumers, who persistently keep buying the new collections, in order to be 'fashionable', are almost like dolls, or even robots, engineered to the mechanics of the Fashion world.

With the images on the right, I was reflecting on the idea of  literally 'throwing away'.
I purposely put my model in the 'blue/recycling' bin as we should be recycling much more than we do.
These 'no good', or 'old' items can easily be reused/remade.

The photos on the left, now go onto show that these old, unwanted items, or 'junk' can be someone elses 'treasure'. - Reinvented and loved.
I placed my model near a boat on the beach, as i thought it would link to this idea and saying of 'treasure'.
By the tide being out, the boat looks abandoned and no longer in use. - Linking to the unwanted clothes.
With the outfit, I still wanted it to be quite fashionable. Therefore the model is posed and dressed in normal clothes aswell as literal waste.

Whilst walking around Medway, especially on this area, 'The Strand' at Gillingham, there was a lot of discarded items and rubbish. Just laying there, spoiling the environment.
I linked this in with my focused saying, and used it within my shoot.
I used coke cans as rollers in my models hair and made an underskirt, which puffed up the top skirt, to give a dramatic look, using bin liners. - Both linking to my 'Junk to Funk' research.
I wanted my model to come across as a 'Waste Fashionista'. Revealing that items do not necessarily have to be new or cost money to be fashionable. - Like using a long bit of rope as a belt, which also linked to the boat and beach like scene.
I made my model wear sunglasses as, not only did the RayBan style go with the edgy look, I didn't want my models eyes to take any attention away from the waste outfit and environment.
I feel that a models eyes express a lot of emotion and narrative, and are a strong focus point within an image. - I didn't want this and felt it would link to my idea of doll-like features, if you could not see the eyes or expression.

Research; Lecture

From sitting in the lecture by 'Prof. Ulrich Lehmann', it gave me a different outlook regarding Fashion and waste. - Instead of linking fashion to waste regarding a rubbish tip, it made me think about the waste that the fashion industry produces itself.

This idea that the market deliberately producing clothes that will wear and tear in time, so people have to buy new items of clothing. - Unlike years ago, it is very rare that you will buy a coat, for example, that will last you five to ten years.

From this, I wanted to tie my idea of "someone's junk is someone elses treasure", as some artists, mentioned in the lecture 'repair' items and some 'recycle'.
If the fashion market keep throwing out and discarding perfectly reuseable items, just because they are 'not in season' etc, surely to someone else this 'junk' is a 'treasure' to find..?

Research; David LaChapelle

For this project I was really interested in looking at the idea of "someone's junk is someone elses treasure", but I wanted to incorporate fashion into the scene. - I felt these images were really helpful and inspirational.

With this image, I really liked how this 'rubbish' was reinvented and used as clothing. 

Even though this model is wearing what looks like a sleeping bag and a cushion, it almost looks like it's meant to work. It's meant to be an outfit.

 She looks very glamorous, with her make-up and pose, even though she is surrounded by destruction and rubble.

With these images above, although they are not dressed in rubbish, some items they're using, like the umbrella, are broken, which most people would no longer use and throw away. - I thought this really linked to my idea based around the junk and treasure saying.

These models look very fashionable, glamorous and sophisticated. They also appear that they are supposed to be in this area/scenery. - Like it is not out of the ordinary how most people would see it.

Research; Enviro-Couture

Enviro-Couture: Haute Art from the Waste Container is a theatrical and finely tailored take on newspapers rewoven and hardware jewellery smartly crafted from re-possessed e-waste. This artistic collaboration breathes new life into yesterday’s news.

Enviro-Couture features 100% recycled newspaper wearables created by Elena Gregusova (a continuation of her “Wear the News™” collection), as well as the upcycled hardware jewellery of Barbara Gregusova. Both collections are illustrated in the fine art photographs of Martin Gregus. Barbara’s abstract, geometric jewelry collection is resourcefully crafted from recycled hard drives, laser toners, ink-jet cartridges and other re-possessed electronic waste.

This project bypasses the concerns of day-to-day fashion trends and instead suggests a blue-sky vision for the haute-possibilities that abound for materials generally destined for the trash pile or household waste bin. Traditional recycling is certainly an obvious waste reduction solution, but for those who wear their green heart on their sleeve, perhaps ‘enviro-couture’ is another way to fashionably spread the enviro-message.

inhabitat.com