Major project- initial research

Now I am in my final thirteen weeks of University, I must start my Final Major Project (FMP). My project idea is an online trend forecasting pack aimed at Buyers by Mudpie. My initial stages are to develop my trends. I have started to take a lot of photographs of anything and everything that interests me.

My family live in Salisbury, so took advantage of the historic country buildings and nature in the area by taking some shots. I found that the historic housing surrounding the Cathedral had some really interesting detailing such as gates and doors. I also looked at the stone walls and wooden bridges that have moss and other plants growing on them. I like the way the plants almost become part of the architecture- juxtaposing the natural world with man made buildings.

Sketches

These are some sketches done in the past few months. I haven't written on her in a while as I have been busy getting my Major Project Proposal and Dissertation Synopsis in. Third year is really flying by. Some of these sketches I included in my digital sketchbook, of which I will be uploading some pages shortly. But originally these sketches were just done in my spare time, for no particular project, which is why most of them are pretty unfinished! 

Tank Magazine Editorial Spread

During my first term of my second year of University, I had a unit called Fashion styling, photography and the Media. We had to choose and research a fashion magazine, mine being Tank, and create a fashion editorial in the style that they use. We also had to choose models that would not conventionally be in a fashion magazine. My original idea was to look at height- one model being short  and the other tall to create a contrast. However there were complications before shooting and the former could not take part in my shoot. Regardless I think the shoot turned out really well, with the post production to change the colours. This was influenced by pop art and the music video for Crush On You by Nero. I also had to write an article to accompany this, but as that isn't particularly visually intriguing I thought I'd leave that out of the post. 

Model: Dwayne 

Assistant Photographer: Leslie

Ralf Lauren Denim and Supply

Yesterday I came across the promotional video for the Ralf Lauren- Denim and Supply range for Fall 2012. It really is a clash of two different worlds, bringing Avicii's electronica dance tracks to Ralf Lauren's American vintage clothing. The video portrays an underground club scene with Avicii, obviously, as the Dj, who gets the crowd going with his summer hit Silhouettes. The crowd and the swedish Dj are fittingly dressed in items from the denim and supply range. I wasn't too keen on the collaboration at first, as they didn't seem to fit together. After all, how would go to a club dressed in a boho maxi skirt and fringed top? But somehow, the styling gives the scene a cool, urbanised edge- with Ralf Lauren updating the bohemian trends of 2007 with rural individualism. 

                  

I love...

Paul Cadden

I came across Paul's work a while ago and bookmarked his website to be looked at in more depth at a future date. Well that date happens to be today and I have got to say, his work is unbelievable. His hyperrealist style is unique to anything I have personally seen before, so it is truly fascinating to read about the ideas behind his work. His images are initially based on real photographs, images and stills but, he explains, they have a hidden depth to them

 "Hyperreal paintings and sculptures  utilise additional, often subtle, pictorial elements to create the illusion of a reality which in fact either does not exist or cannot be seen by the human eye. They may incorporate emotional, social, cultural and political thematic elements as an extension of the painted visual illusion; a distinct departure from the older and considerably more literal school of Photorealism. " - Paul Cadden.com

The stills he chooses are in themselves interesting, often deciphering an immense amount of detail, as well as depicting seemingly irrelevant yet personal moments in peoples lives which is what I love about them. They represent the little moments in life that often go amiss. Aswell as his exceptional talent, using graphite and pastel to create a lot of those images, the choice of image is just as relevant to help best exhibit his skills. 

Results: Proceed.

So I have officially passed my second year of University! I can't believe how fast it has gone so far and I guarantee this third and final year is going to fly by. For my individual modules I got one 2.2, three 2.1's and two 1st's! The firsts are in Retail Research: Buying and Merchandising, and Fashion in Context (research and bibliography for my dissertation). I'm quite apprehensive for next year, purely because you get to choose whatever you want your Major Project to be and I am so bad at deciding these things! However I decided the topic for my dissertation. and that seems to have been the right choice so far!

Sexist or feminism?

During one of my many frequent trips back to my home town at the beginning of the week, I found myself having to wait at London Waterloo for an hour until my connecting train. To pass the time I decided to purchase a magazine to read on my journey. I grabbed a copy of the august issue of Elle and, eventually, got on my train. As I flicked through the front pages, admiring the latest aspirational ads by Chanel and Burberry, 5 business men in suits sat in the seats opposite me. Now of course I am interested by the content of Elle otherwise i wouldn't have bought it! But I couldn't help feeling like these middle aged business men were judging the fact I was reading a magazine deemed having 'less intelligent' content. Flicking past the editorials however I got to the articles, on titled 'How to look good on Facebook' and further on another 'Can you handle casual sex?' 

At this point I felt a bit naive for telepathically defending the magazine to these men for being "inspiring and useful- especially for my future career!" These articles were neither relevant to fashion or inspiring and intelligent. It felt like I had picked up a cheap copy of cosmo, but I actually chose this magazine to learn more inside details into the fashion industry. Maybe more up and coming designers? Photographers? People that have used the creative industries in a positive way to help change the world. This is what I want to read, and I'm sure- I hope- in not the only young woman interested in fashion that feels this! Or maybe their magazine just isn't aimed at me any more. I better stick to my Love magazine and I.D.