PT 4: PLANNING 2.0

Having found these images of John Hein, shot by Kacper Kasprzyk and styled by Tony Irvine for December's Dazed and Confused, I was inspired to strip back my ideas and look more at a monochromatic palette with a darker undertone such as this witch inspired shoot. Still true to my own style, the colour scheme is minimalistic and layers are maximal which is more easily acknowledged where the background is not as busy. I, on the other hand will not have access to  Juun. J, Jil Sander, FALKE, Diesel or McQueen so will have to emulate this idea of bolder silhouettes through clothes I have access to.

WORK-HOME-OUT

PT 4: PLANNING

STYLING

Alastair McKimm

-Freelance Irish Stylist
-BA in Fashion from Nottingham Trent
-Based in NY
-Moved to London in 2000 to assist w/  Edward Enniful @ i-D
-Has worked with numerous fashion publications including Vogue China, Vogue Italia, Vogue Japan, Purple, V, Numèro and Numèro Homme.

Having styled on the shoot for the F/W13 Jil Sander campaign, Alastair's styling bares relevance to my own venture into creating a fashion story, particularly the layering of achromatic hues and the minimal accessories. One of his shoots which I was particularly inspired by for my Industrial shoot was his work with Dazed and Confused for their December 1 issue.

What I found worked especially in favour for this shoot was McKinn's choice of tough patent leathers and the layering of bold silhouettes which are not too disimilar from those in my own wardrobe. The usage of muted monochromatic hues set against a pure white background really propels this story into the future for me.

LOCATION

INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH
Photography Meg Urbani
Styling Jandy Monroe 
Hair Sonia Castleberry 
Makeup Samantha Lennon 
Model Anastasia w/ Q Model Management

ELLE - Fly Away, Fashion editorial January 2010 Issue

Photographer: Julius Bramanto
Fashion Editor: Amanda Prihutomo
Model: Anna B @ JIM

Model: Maria Loks 

Photographer: Susie Q & Leo Siboni

for Exhibition magazine S/S13

Fashion Editor: Hannes Hetta.

As I plan on keeping my looks quite minimal in terms of colour palette, I would prefer not to use the white or black wall of a studio to capture my vision against. Ideally, I would love to be able to gain access to an aircraft site to capture a similar mood to the Fly Away fashion editorial by Elle, however something closer to the Industrial Strength shoot may be more palpable. Alternativally I could aim to capture a similar editorial to Dazed by shooting on a building site or scrap yard as Photoshop would enable me to edit backgrounds and colours to compliment the styling/ story.

21st Century Wytch

PT 3

JIL SANDER 

Jil Sander's designs are synonymous with understated design and refined luxury according to the brand's Oki-No biography. Founded in 1973, the brand was under the creative direction of Raf Simons between 2005 and 2012 when he departed for Dior. During this period, Sander reclaimed control of her eponymous label, only to leave it again in October of 2013. Born 27 November 1943, German Heidemarie Jiline Sander is described as the 'Queen of Less.' 

When Jil Sander's menswear is achromatic, whether it's all black, all grey, navy... anything muted basically, that's the label at it's best in my opinion. I'm not much for bright colours in large quantities anymore. Sander does tailoring immaculately and it really shines through atop duller hues if ever there was a backhanded compliment. Fall 2011 was one of the best collections for the menswear line of the brand if I forget the oranges/corals/magentas happened. Done. Yes the layering was key, even if it was as simple as a suit or cropped, short sleeve sweaters over polo necks. Textures which added nuance. Beautifully executed black clothes better suited to the streets of Europe, upon mopeds or behind a cigarette.

Advance one season to the Spring/Summer of 2012 and perfection is defined on the bodies of male models with dark hair gelled to the face. Coats and trenches made of plastic, with accents of neons atop black similar to that of Tait's designs. The accessories really shine this time around without distracting from the glorious navy pleats or large witch like collars. It's crocodile print and it comes in grey's and oranges and blues and if ever I had to choose one collection to wear for the rest of my life, don't quote me but, this would probably be it. Raf Simons really pushes minimalism into the spotlight.

I think it may be the reference to my favourite Upper East Siders (Gossip Girl) which draws me to Sander's collections, elegant simplicity in private school colour palettes. In looking at Jil Sander as a brand, I feel it is something that we can easily emulate at much less of a cost, although it would be lovely to splash out a small fortune on a well-executed product by the house. Sander inspires something within me, which is to create this idea of something being expensive and luxurious in choosing minimal, yet well tailored garments. It's about details and about accessories not about how much money you invest.

PT 3

CHRISTIAN DADA

Whilst Christian Dada's biography remains scarce, I was able to source a few facts from the design house's social media sites. Christian Dada is, in fact, a brand fronted by  Masanori Morikawa. Born in 1984, Morikawa appoints his endeavour into his fashion to his grandfather whose embroidery work, he says, was inspiring. 

Having worked as a personal assistant for Charles Anastasej, Morikawa became independent in 2007; launching the fashion label Livraison with a friend which he left later in 2009. It wasn't until 2010 that a collection was released under the brand Christian Dada. Dada's first womenswear collection came in the fall of 2011 which was debuted on the runway. Christian Dada's credits include a studded vest design for Lady Gaga in honour of the 2011 MTV AID. According to the brand's official site, 23 retailers stock the label and Morikawa's designs have been featured on Style.com, WWD, and upon celebrities such as Korean popstar G-Dragon and Lady Gaga during her 2012 'Born This Way Ball' tour.

The label dresses both men and women and explores themes of androgyny and bizarre aegis (breastplates, headpieces.) Morikawa told DazedDigital that he started to design womenswear and realised the algorithm was a key point in creating menswear which may bare reason for his choices of silhouette.

On his A/W11 collection: A slight light “Gleam”, noticing that there is a lot of confusion in this world, I wish this collection could be a slight light for everyone. I got inspiration from “Bushi”, Japanese fighters who survived through the Sengoku era. 

Much like with Tait, Dada is fully aware of the androgyny trend and utilises it at every opportunity. His menswear often bares flesh in shorter garments typically associated with the female gender and don't be surprised to see a beautiful male model with long hair donning a skirt or a cinched waist.

Very much a conceptual artist in the beginning, Dada has experimented with skulls, antlers and cage like structures to blur the boundaries between what is considered fine art and what is considered fashion. His muted colour choices make for timeless pieces which can be easily interpreted or added to the wardrobe of anyone who so desires to make a statement with their style of dressing. Silhouettes create figures less human than most designers choose to play around with and in that there is a sense both of power and animosity as though choosing to isolate oneself through a wardrobe for better or for worse.

I find myself interested in the brand mostly due to the likeness it possesses towards my own wardrobe, however Masanori does this in a more theatrical way, it almost feels experimental to me; clothes that are missing something. Perhaps it is the fabric choices. This is not a criticism by any means, I believe I am intrigued by the choices in the overall execution because it stimulates something in myself as to how I might have done it differently.

PT 3

THOMAS TAIT

   

Born in Canada, 24-year old Thomas Tait holds the title of 'youngest graduate of Central Saint Martin's MA program'

When asked by Interview magazine how Tait would describe his design aesthetic, he responded, ' It's constantly changing. I don't want to present something that feels too fixated or too restrictive. I'd rather keep it open to evolve. I'm only 24 and who knows who I'll be in a few years. I want my work to progress as naturally as my own growth.'

 

Winner of the first-ever Dorchester Collection Fashion prize thanks to a host of celebrity support, notably from Giles Deacon, Daphne Guinness and Stephen Jones, Tate has been described by Manolo Blahnik as an 'incredible couture mind'.

 Tait’s approach to tailoring seems to have struck the loudest chord. It can appear simple and minimalist while simultaneously experimenting with volume and structure, sometimes to the extreme. ‘‘I try to approach silhouette differently,’’ he says. ‘
‘I like the idea of giving something to people who go to the show or the shop,’’ he says, ‘‘people who take the time to really look at the clothes.’’

The Montreal-born Tait has yet to sell a single dress outside of private orders (some accessories are available through a project with Asos.com), but he says the prize money will enable him to begin proper production and retail sales.
One piece from his spring collection, an asymetrical shift dress slit down the side on an angle from the shoulder, is just sort of chic and put together when viewed from head-on. But upon closer examination, the neckline bows out from the upper breast, creating unexpected volume. For Tait, understanding his work means seeing from the side, seeing movement.

The bold silhouettes of Tait's collections are a key contributor to my affinity for his designs. I feel they are more expressive as clothes as they enable whoever wears them to seemingly alter their shape, despite it being a physically impossibility. Muted colour palettes accented with neons or blinding whites are also a preference of mine as they provide notoriety without blatantly demanding the full attention of viewers or distracting from the overall aesthetic. 

Much like with my own selection of clothes, Tait brings androgyny season upon season by dressing the female gender in shapes deemed by society as male orientated. How he manages to maintain femininity is what strikes me most about his designs. Often utilising chiffon panels, or highlighting the legs, Tait's models appear powerful and yet still sexy, in control of their bodies and how much of it they allow you to see. 

There is something almost futuristic about this Man's work, something which I cannot quite put my finger on although I may hazard a guess as to it being a case of colours and shapes. When I look at his collections, I envision the model strutting down a ramp drawn from a space shuttle. It's armour in my eyes. That's what clothes are to me; that's what fashion is about. Protection.

Anti Fashion