Photo Shoot 2+3, visual concept development

Shoot 2: Socio-cultural Trend

Faux Fur (Animal Friendly)

Shoot 3: Made-up Celebrity

 <WIRELESS HEART>

Exploration of a socio-cultural trend in forming my design concept for my fashion editorial shoot

Firstly, here are two amazing inspiring videos shown by Aimee in class

Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2011/12 Full Fashion Show

Lanvin for H&M - The Show (Promo 2011)

Personally, the Lanvin video speaks to me, slopping music played throughout without speaking a word, includes age/gender/era groups, performing different role but all for Lanvin's H&M.Even though i'm not a fan of H&M, i would still love to check the whole collection out.


Louis Vuitton, once again, big production, amazing styling, unbeatable Kate Moss with cigarettes. I don't like the video, nor LV, i personally think it's just the brand power. Another way to say it, I'd love to get the invitation to watch the runway show but I might fall asleep during it since it's so boring. I'm sorry maybe my level of percipient is just not high enough.


There are lots of social-cultural trends going on in this world, twitter facebook social networking; 1950s rockbilly Dita Vontes; sustainability issues; blood sukers and shape shifters; etc etc. Socio-cultural trends are the icon of an era, the flag of the society/country/century. We do realize this world changed rapidly, but sometimes we don't even know how things happened. 


A brand I'm working for is call ILLAMASQUA, a new cult british make-up brand. Two months ago ILLAMASQUA launched their new collection "Toxic Nature", this is the collection video

"In retaliation against the genetically modified society that plunders it, the landscape has issued forth a torrent of hybrid shades. Corrupted hues glister amongst muted tones - extreme, intoxicating versions of their original selves.

This is an atomic-botanical environment where survival is key and camoflague by colour is the path to existence.

We scoured the abandoned toxic wastelands of the world to create an eclectic selection of corrupted hues for the eyes, lips, nails, face and body. Flitting effortlessly from poisonous pastel to hazardous neon, this cataclysmic mix of brave new tones take your look to the outer limits of nature's palette.

Become a herald of the new age of Toxic Nature with uncharted night-time make-up."


(http://www.illamasqua.com/collections/toxic-nature/#films)


Black-hearted business men use animal fur to make money, but in fashion industry it's always ok to wear fur. By looking at these photos, how can we still achieve the sexiness and righteous by wearing fur?

pictures from (http://news.we54.com/a/news/ztmbsy/index_pcao.html)




Natural mother is sick. This socio-cultural trend fashion editorial photo shoot is inspired by the general theme of nature being corrupted by pollution and natural disaster. My partner Caroline Fung and I decided to take elements from what we human destroyed, into this assessment criteria. Since it's an fashion spread autumn/winter editorial shoot, we immediately thought of animal fur. 


The fur has always been considered the pronoun of luxury and high fashion, the numerous major brands like using the furs to annotate themselves to be magnificent and expensive. In recent years along with animal protection tide's starting, the consumer changed resisting to the animal article of furskin by the appreciation, the crowd of rejecting animal fur products increases day by day. While the animal fur industry is attacked, the faux fur is gradually emerged. In the numerous luxurious brands like Miu Miu, Channel, etc, promotes faux furs to obtain the good income.

(http://news.we54.com/uploads/allimg/110425/3_110425163100_1.jpg)

However, in recent years, fur market situation after another, the use of fur limelight or not to become a topic in the wavering between beauty and morality. Internationally, many well-known designers such as Stella McCartney, Sophie McKay refused to use any public statements etc animal fur design. June 2009, the French First Lady Carla. Bruni and the U.S. first lady Michelle also has declared, "does not accept any fur products." In early 2011, a large collection of popular magazines and the Norwegian designer announced that with immediate effectuation to stop by the modeling animal fur in the Fashion Week, thus, fur elements will disappear Norway Fashion Week. (http://news.we54.com/a/news/ztmbsy/gushijiaodian/2011/0425/14910.html)


But a question came up quickly: What do we wanna suggest? No killing animals or wear fake fur? Sometimes model wearing fur and taking pictures with live animal can look wrong easily. But I think we overcome the obstacles pretty well, isn't she just purely sexy with faux fur and my cute fat kitten?

Oh yeah, to make the statement even more clear, my subheading is "you don't need to kill a cat to be a cat". There's an old saying:"every woman is changed by seven cats", so why do you need to take cat's clothes to wear when you are already a giant cat? Wear faux fur can still make you look like one, even sexier.


Photographer: Kaka Liu
Model: May Zhang
Stylist + Makeup Artist + Re-touch: Panda P (me)

Profile of my celebrity for my personal editorial shoot

People do really different stuff to the rest of people, they become famous, or called celebrity. 

Lisa the queen, my made up celebrity, 26 years old, Taurus, 

Famous by her fashion sense, self portrait shooting, traveling, blogging. 

She was a nurse working in North Shore Hospital, as normal as everybody else on the street. The worst flood and fire happened in Australia last year, watching human life born and die almost everyday, she decided to travel along this earth, record her life experiences, enrich her soul, so that she won't regret if 2012 is real. 

This year, she went to Hk China in spring, Miami USA in summer, Sydney Australia for autumn, and London Uk in winter. Through her journey, she collects local fashion and beautiful scenes, recording her human life with self portrait shooting. A few cameras and a tripod in her suitcase, she went on her journey, with her " Wireless Heart". 

Inspired by again, disasters, I'm not scared to die but I hate to die, there's so much I haven't done, so many places that I haven't been, so many goals that I haven't achieve, so much love that I haven't make. (ummm...) so yeah I transformed this mini-me into this imaginary person. And I like it, isn't she look amazing?

I pretty much just made up the whole story myself, since it's 3 double page spread, so i just thought 4 full A4 page, then 4 seasons kicks in. Since Sydney is such an multi-cultral city, I can make the travelling thing happen. So yeah without thinking too much, I took my model and photographer hit the road.

Photographer: Justin Xie

Model: Lisa Luo

Stylist + Makeup Artist + Re-touching: Panda P (me)

After notes:

Shooting in four different location is VERY tiring, but FUN! It was raining on the day so i totally improved my photoshop skills. Overall I'm really proud of my work.

Week 9 - Self Portrait drawing exercise

Editorial Photoshoot Analyse - Lynx Excite

Scream shots from the video

This ad was so different, without a speaking line it still hit me. LYNX's ads always been very sexual but in a very 'classy' way. Women in ads has never changed their roles: beauty, sex and housewife object. This ad expands our imagination without bringing any disappointing since it's not realistic. Just a deodorant, but it can make angles fall for it and even break their hallo for it. 


The editorial shots are settled in three different background but in a same concept, firstly they fall from the sky standing on the ground, looking still fearlessly sexy and damaged earth property; then they found this boy who's using LYNX Excite, broke their halo and just dressing in bra&undies, love and feathers' in the air; the last one is quite neutral, it looks like they are in this boy's bedroom, holding their halo not going back to where they belong. Soft box lighting from upper left, creates a soft "im staying here with him" looking.


I believe the ad team has overcome lots of obstacles to create the angel wings and halos, the concept is already amazing, as well as the 3D final touch up. Everything apart from the model all look so realistic. The concept "so tempting, even angels will fall" is definitely successfully achieved. 

Still Life Photoshoots Analyse

Photography and Art direction Konard Wyrebek and Matt Miles

Messages/Symbolism	Sharp scents influence people
Product/Selling	Gaultier, Paul Smith, Commes Des Garcons, Jill Sander, Clinique, Joop
Purpose of the shoot	Introduce the new fragrances
Design/Setting	Using a log and mirror to reflect the message, combination of the colours with the log and bottles.

Messages/Symbolism	A foundation just look like the skin
Product/Selling	Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation SPF15
Purpose of the shoot	New Product Launch
Design/Setting	Uneven oval shaped patch, mixed with 6 different colours, with the foundation bottle in centre front, matt reflect looking.

Photography and styling by Klara G

Messages/Symbolism	Sex and life, the naked truth
Product/Selling	Mannequin
Purpose of the shoot	Advertising photography
Design/Setting	Contrast colours and objects, unique way of achieving the forever-new sex and life topic

Week 4 - Carine Roitfeld, the ex-French Vogue chef-editor

PARIS Vogue says its editor-in-chief, Carine Roitfeld, has decided to leave after a 10-year tenure in which the French fashion monthly became "a worldwide reference and indispensable magazine".
-- "Paris Vogue vague on editor-in-chief Carine Roitfeld leaving", AP, December 19. 2010   10:41AM

10 years of serving one of the most powerful fashion leading magazine in the world, Carine announced her departure. According to official post on vogue.uk (http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/daily/101217-carine-roitfeld-resigns.aspx), this true and talented woman decides to pursue personal projects. All official websites states that Carine was resigned, but according to the issues with small children and Tom Ford, the society wasn't happy about what she represented, people sees differently.

Carine dressed up three 6 years old girls with extremely glamours and make-up in last Dec/Jan issue, these fast growing up small children brought "horror and revolution" into public. But I wonder, this world is full of teenage mum, lost their viginlity by 12 or even under, costs of one birthday party equals to a month living fee for a orphan in a village of third country, worst of all some kids are doing child labour to survive. So dressing up three six years old kids mean so shockingly bad, then why these "justice people" don't use their energy on how to save the real helpless kids like what I just said before?



This is a vintage ad for Love Cosmetics, title is "Because Innocent is Sexier Than You Think". If decades ago we've already started putting all these "inappropriate" elements together, why today this chaos is only created by Carine and people just wouldn't face the reality? 





Carine co-worked with Tom Ford, they lensed Clarissa & Doug in the same issue. The very first time it hits my eyes, not in a disturbing way which is like most other people might feel, but thankful and happy. You might say the ridiculously priced glamour is too early for the small kids, but this couple been through everything that we've been through, don't they deserve their ways of kissing hugging biting all that sorts of sexual action? We are looking at young and super skinny models everyday, it rapes our eyes and mind by force telling us this is beautifully appropriate. Just because we never consider about the others doesn't mean they don't deserve it and ok to be laughed/ignored at.


Another vintage ad i found on boredpanda.com, Men ask "Is She Pretty" not "Is She Clever" is the truth throughout the universe, until today men are still referred as visual animals. Women are just either beauty or sex object. But we are growing stronger, fighting back hard in this men dominating world. Our beloved Prime Minister Julia Gillard made us women proud, our talented headmaster Leanne Whitehouse made us skillful and confident, my immense mother made me who I am today. So when I look at those photo shoots Carine did with Tom Ford, woman is dominating and absolutely needed by men, no matter what age group they in, which decade they from. The massage I received from Carine, again it's reality.


Losing Carine is the lost of French Vogue. The more I read about her, the more I'm in love with her. What a strong, confident, thoughtful woman she is! Always been true to herself and this world, no matter what other people say, as long as she's happy with it. Of course with the talents she has, Jonathan Newhouse the ceo let her take the lead. This world is constructed by 6,400,000,000 human being and countless amount of magazines. But there is only one French Vogue and one chef editor for it. Under such a big pressure, I believe Jonathan had no choice but to let Carine go. I'm expecting the next issue, sure it'll be hold up and get compared with the past ten years, but who cares? I just wish Carine the best with her future, I'm looking forward.

• AFTER From
  
  

Week 4 - Photo Shoot 2 : Beauty & Make-up, Still life shoot

Draft Shoot 

On the day, taken by my own camera

re-arranged pieces

<A day of Li> photo shoot, products list

OLAY MEN SOLUTIONS - smooth cream foaming cleanser - 100g

L'OREAL MENEXPERT - hydra energetic eye gel - 10ml

L'OREAL MENEXPERT - 24hr hydrating gel - 100ml

KIEHL'S STYLIST SERIES - creme with silk groom - 30ml

GILLETTE fusion power - shaver

DOLCE & GABBANA light blue - EAU DE TOILETTE - 100ml

LYNX with Brazilian orange essence - deodorant bodyspray - 155ml

SIANG PURE OIL - traditional Chinese medication oil - 25cc

YUNAN BAIYAO - aerosol - 85g

ILLAMASQUA - rich liquid foundation - 30ml

BOBBI BROWN - foundation brush - full size

Week 3 - Photo Shoot 1：Object, Still life shoot

Product list

Sunflower - from paddington, $6 for 5. As a line element throughout three shoots of Li. It's lively, energetic, refreshing. Li still wakes up at 5:30am everyday, and starts to warm up his body with ballet exercises. It also states his family as the sunflower follows the direction of the sun, he quit ballet to do stock for his family.

TRIVOLI Audio Player - $399, the very first generation of Trivoli audio player, seen in lots of American movies, used by people who has an old soul and real taste. Li loves listening to ballet music. "When I hear beautiful ballet music from the radio in my car, I just wanna pull over and start dancing", Li saids in one of his interviews.

Financial Review newspaper - $1.5, magazines <DANCE Australia> $7.5 and <COLOR> $23 current issue.

Ipad - $499－$629, keep himself on track with the latest stock information.

Hand-made journal book, FABER-CASTEL artist pen, $1.7 - as <Mao's last dancer> author, he still records his life, his memories.

<Class Ballet Music> CD, <BLACK SWAN> DVD - inspirations and entertainment for him

Story 

The beautiful yellow tone spread out this photo shoot, representing Li's background which is Chinese. Five and more sellable products, in a composition of his office desk look with a feeling of neatly messy.