Outcomes: Video

Here is the moving image version of my final piece. I feel that I've felt what I always wanted to create for this project, which is something dark, mysterious and without revealing the whole story. The sense of the transformation is there, but after the change, everything becomes so quick and questionable, which is reflecting tot he underworld society. The video piece is also mirrors to a famous quote form Alice in the Wonderland...

"I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!" - Alice

Outcomes

As my second media is in the form of a lookbook, I have created a collection of images which reflects back to the theme/substance/concept of the video. With the combination of the frames that were mentioned in the previous post, I believe the outcomes fit perfectly with the overall auraa of the project, which is darkness/masculinity/transformation. The choice of black and white photography is a right choice as there were no color photographs in the victorian time and therefore fitting to match with the overall time frame of my inspirations.

Frames

While browsing through the internet, I've found an archive of these black and white frames and more importantly it fits perfectly with my lookbook images as it reflects to that particular period. These frames also adds a depth to the frameless images and will make the images more interesting and bring out the aura of the photos more.

Photoshoot

Due to the climate of the last shoot, it was near impossible for the model to wear summer clothes due to the sub zero temperature. With a bit of luck, the day I shot the film was perfect, so it was only obvious that I should shoot the photoshoot in one go.

The brief wanted us to explore 2 medias which can connect with one another. Working within a fashion sphere, I believe is best to match the video piece with a photoshoot that explores the same theme and that theme is the notion of the victorian society, the underground world and the twisted aura that comes with it.

For the photoshoot, I will divide it into two different obvious parts. The first part containing three images would be on the "girl", a transformation picture will be added to separate the two parts, and that picture will be on the line of looking into the mirror (finding one trueself). The second part is on "men", where the character in question is able to wear and act like men in the underground society and all pictures in this part will be dark, twisted and a sense of hiding (staying away form the real world).

Video: Dior Homme - The Ritual Of Dress

PROCESS before assessment

Although I have shot the short piece for this project, but I feel I need to reshoot it for numerous reasons, which have been mentioned in previous posts. And to the other media side, I believe I need to shoot it in a warmer climate, as some of the clothes on the model is not suitable for the winter winds that have been present recently. I also believe I have a good concept to work on, but I need to polish my moving image skills more in order to max out my vision, and create a fine, flowing piece.

Video: Dolce & Gabbana’s Men’s Spring 2010 Collection Trailer

Dolce & Gabbana's Men's Spring 2010 Collection Trailer from Selectism on Vimeo.

Description:

“The film shot by Belgian director Pierre Debusschere, starring Robert Sheehan and set to electronic beats by Australian rock band Pivot, infuses nature and science with Dolce & Gabbana’s “male beauty” inspiration for spring. The film will premiere onNOWNESS, Thursday, March 11th.”

Video: Android Homme Spring 2010 Campaign

ANDROID HOMME SPRING 2010 from Javier Laval on Vimeo.

Description:

“Shapes and symbols have been a method of communicating and comprehending the unknown since the beginning of time. Android Homme brings you a brand video that utilizes some basic symbols and shapes to outline the process of reprogramming. This piece, directed by Javier Laval, is intended to stimulate and trigger memories from our ancient past to our near and distant future.”

Live Studio Sessions: Charlie Le Mindu

Description:

On 11 and 12 March 2010, avant-garde hairstylist and designer Charlie Le Mindu takes up residence to create a pair of headpieces for a live performance by French experimental art-punk band La Chatte in the LiveStudio space, all broadcast live. The brief? Diamonds, religion, and 'bigger than anything attempted before…'

Outfits

Due to the problem of not able to change in the 'wild', therefore I only chose one outfit for each scene. The more 'girly' outfit have a more 'innocent' essence to it, while the 'male' version is a great contrast, which is what I want. Where the girl is moved away from the 'perfect' world, into the Victorian underground society, where she is able to become a man.

Location and model

I chose a nature scene because through my research, I have been fascinated by films which were shot in nature. It creates a calm and innocent atmosphere, which is what I want for the first part of my piece, 'The normal world'.

For model, I've asked my friend Sharon who was interested to the project, so she kindly said yes to the overall shoot.

Video: 2010: A Space Odyssey by Rodarte

This video by American clothing label, Rodarte is made to complement its newest collection. There have always been a strong link between fashion and film, in fact, the two can not be separated. I've seen a lot of fashion films before, but this really captivates me. It is not because of its storyline, but actually the lack of it. I've always enjoyed things which are abstract, weird and everything in between. The lack of lead in films, makes you imagine, and is free to be interpreted. Therefore this is a good direction for me to work towards, an abstract film.

Description:
Guinevere van Seenus stars in Aanteni, a high-fashion techno-thriller from CFDA award-winning design sisters Rodarte, shot by their friend and frequent collaborator, the photographer and video artist Todd Cole. Set in the deserted grounds of Paypal founder Elon Musks Space X jet lab in Hawthorne, California, the film was inspired by the pioneering spirit of the space race, which, according to Rodartes Kate and Laura Mulleavy, has defined generations of artists in their desire to use new mediums and question the established rules they were taught to follow.

Milk Magazine: Alice in the Wonderland Feature

Video: Lifetime Spring/Summer 2010

Lifetime Spring/Summer 2010 from LIFETIME COLLECTIVE on Vimeo.

Video: Lifetime Collective 2010 Fall/Winter Video Trailer

Lifetime Fall/Winter 2010 from LIFETIME COLLECTIVE on Vimeo.

Video: Alexandre Herchcovitch Masculino Fall/Winter 2010

ALEXANDRE HERCHCOVITCH MASCULINO FALL WINTER 2010 from Rodrigo Braga on Vimeo.

Video: Raf Simons 2010 Fall/Winter Menswear Film

Known to have an unusual and abstract approach to fashion, Raf Simons 2010 Fall/Winter presentation proves just that. Filmed by Pierre Debusscere, the video shows an conceptual and uncanny side, with some random soundtracks which puts a sense of speed to the piece. This is definitely an approach I'm really interested in, as it seems to be transforming from one form to another. Detailed description is below:

The idea of fragmentation was really important in this collection – psychologically for the Raf Simons man, and literally in the garments. Several garments were physically fragmented so that they can be worn as whole, traditional pieces or as individual parts of one piece. For example, the trench was divided into three parts: a bolero, a bustier and a skirt, although the skirt can only be worn as part of the trench, not on its own. We also wanted to further redefine the tradition of classic tailoring. Using Velcro and press buttons gave another dynamic to the tailoring and suiting – it gave the collection speed. Pierre Debusschere’s film about the collection plays with the twin ideas of speed and fragmentation.

Round up: Woman's Fashion in the Turn of the 20th Century

To round up woman's fashion in the turn of the 20th Century, here's a small summary of the short and extravagant period:

Some people now look back on the Victorian era with wistful nostalgia. Historians would say that this is as much a distortion of the real history as the stereotypes emphasizing Victorian repression and prudery.

Also notable is a contemporary counter-cultural trend called steampunk. Those who dress steampunk often wear Victorian-style clothing that has been "tweaked" in edgy ways: tattered, distorted, melded with Goth fashion, Punk and Rivethead styles. Another example of Victorian fashion being incorporated into a contemporary style is the Goth Lolita culture.

More info here and here.

Paul Poiret Harem Pants

I also mentioned Paul Poiret's Harem Pants earlier on, in reflection to the Bloomers suit, both fashion trends are revolutionary at that time. Although they are designed for the better, but both designs took a period to lift off. The silhouette of the Harem pants is also beginning to be a popular choice in fashion today.

'Poiret's major contribution to fashion was his development of an approach to dressmaking
centered on draping, a radical departure from the tailoring and pattern-making of the past. Poiret was influenced by antique and regional dress, and favored clothing cut along straight lines and constructed of rectangles. The structural simplicity of his clothing represented a "pivotal moment in the emergence of modernism" generally, and "effectively established the paradigm of modern fashion, irrevocably changing the direction of costume history.'

More info can be found here and here.

Thoughts: Again, the harem pants follows the footsteps of the bloomer suit to be relevant to the fashion now, as both have inspired designers of our time to redesign and reshape these iconic looks.

The Bloomer Suit

As I've mentioned the Bloomer suit earlier on, I was intrigued to look at this fashion trend in a bit more detail:

'In 1851, a New England temperance activist named Elizabeth Smith Miller (Libby Miller) adopted what she considered a more rational costume: loose trousers gathered at the ankles, like the trousers worn by Middle Eastern and Central Asian women, topped by a short dress or skirt and vest. She displayed her new clothing to temperance activist and suffragette Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who found it sensible and becoming, and adopted it immediately. In this garb she visited yet another activist, Amelia Bloomer, the editor of the temperance magazine The Lily. Bloomer not only wore the costume, she promoted it enthusiastically in her magazine. More women wore the fashion and were promptly dubbed " Bloomers". The Bloomers put up a valiant fight for a few years, but were subjected to ridicule in the press and harassment on the street.'

More images here.

Thoughts: Both Libby Miller and Amelia Bloomer was one of the first people in history that have made a such a dramatic change into woman's fashion. And the fashion is still one of the most influential trend of all time. This fits into the disppearing and re-appearing theme that I discussed earlier on.