Preposterous Press

Conflicted

2011-04-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

“He was cracking jokes,” said Nicole Tung. A sentence all too welcome to those having family members involved in a war. 27-year-old Guy Martin was not involved on the front lines with a gun, but rather a camera. The world of conflict photojournalism can be one of the most dangerous occupations; one where you can't fight back. Ed Ou recalls a trip to Cairo with Martin during the uprising. "We would always be talking,” Mr. Ou said. “Always talking. Every 30 seconds, we would go: ‘Is this safe?’ ‘Is this dangerous?’ ‘What’s our exit strategy?’” During one particularly intense struggle they voted to hide behind a large wall adding, “The bottom line is we kept each other safe.”

The world of conflict photojournalism has not always been prominent. Since photography is a relatively new invention as compared to that of conflicts themselves, it has taken many years for this form of photography to thrive. Since the inception of photography itself, there were almost always photographs of the war sites being taken. John Burke, who photographed the Second Anglo-Afghan War in the late 1870s, paid his own way to Afghanistan. The camera toted along with him was a standard at that time; a 4-by-5-inch field camera. Though Burke created astounding images of the region, he did not do so with that of the conflict.

It was not until the Spanish Civil War that photojournalists began capturing the moments as they happened. Three photojournalists in particular became famous for covering the war; Robert Capa, Gerda Taro, and David Seymour. "All three openly supported the anti-Fascist Republican cause and were eager to use the camera as a weapon to fright Franco. They not only recorded battle scenes but, whenever possible, the harrowing effects of war on refugees and civilians" (source).The cameras themselves were also much more versatile by this time.

Regretfully, all three died on the battlefield of different wartime locations. Taro was the first, dying just one year into the Spanish Civil War, Capa in Vietnam in 1954, and Chim in 1956 during the Suez War. All three left a lasting legacy and paved the way for photojournalists to get closer and be involved.

Gorey, but not quite.

2011-03-05T12:23:00.000-08:00

Even after his death almost eleven years ago, one man continues to inspire through the images he created. When Edward Gorey died at the age of 75 he already had a steady following of creative individuals, a number which has steadily grown since then. Gorey’s books showcased a variety of black and white images centered on illustrated images and dead pan remarks. The style of the comics themselves drew a line that enveloped Surrealism with Victorian true-crime set in a British place with times reminiscent of Victorian, Edwardian and the Jazz Age.

Gorey’s career entailed working for PBS and even Broadway. His playful illustrations would introduce the series “Mystery!” on PBS, but before that his drawings were used as set pieces for the 1977 version of the Broadway play “Dracula.” Despite these beginnings, he has inspired an array of individuals prominent in the spotlight today. Lemony Snicket author Daniel Handler called himself a “complete rip-off of Edward Gorey” before anyone knew who he was referring to. (Now they agree wholeheartedly with Handler.) Tim Burton owes many a scene to Gorey, including that of Coraline and Alice in Wonderland. Neil Gaiman, the author of Coraline, said he originally wanted Gorey to illustrate the book, but Gorey “died the day I finished it.” Gaiman’s inspiration drawn directly from a Gorey drawing hanging on his wall. Established designer Anna Sui has drawn inspiration from him as well, saying that “he picked up on all those cultures and was inspired by them.” American Idol contestant Siobhan Magnus sported bicep tattoos of illustrations done by Gorey.

The market for Gorey’s merchandise has certainly grown in recent years. Book publishers merchandise demands have buoyed with increased interest in his comics. Even the Gorey House in Massachusetts has seen increased notoriety. Before an exhibition arrived in February, numerous individuals had arrived to the house.

Gorey aimed to provide a world based on the 1860’s with a deadpan, ironic worldview. His love of film, theater, and ballet inspired him, often causing him to create compositions that looked more like dramatic theatre sets. His crosshatched or stippled artworks were well composed to give you something new to look at every time you viewed them. “The philosopher Jacques Derrida might have said it is this very elusiveness — the sense that meaning can never be pinned down by language — that is Gorey’s overarching point.” (source)

LA as Art Mecca

2011-01-30T12:33:00.000-08:00

Recently I have noticed a strong shift in the art world. When a person usually thinks of the art world center, New York is one of the first, if not the first, place to pop into their thoughts. For years New York has been the center of the art world, and probably rightfully so.

The city of Los Angeles has always been a mix of people, culture, and ideas. It is the largest city on the western coast, a port city, and a landscape filled with a plethora of imagination and innovation. The film industry already reigns supreme here, so what's stopping further growth towards another type of industry?

I recently interned for the annual photo l.a. in Santa Monica. While the internship itself was quite demanding, I noticed something about the art scene here. Many of the booths were not centrally located in California, but instead came from around the United States as well as places like Germany, China, and Switzerland. In this one space a wide variety of people had gathered for one purpose: art. The mass collection of ideas and art was apparent. Los Angeles is a place ready and willing to thrive on the people that travel and live here.

A recent LA times article explored the idea of a large art show being organized in LA. While there are several smaller art fairs, there has yet to be a fair that garners resumed international attention. Miami now holds one of the most prominent contemporary art fairs, Art Basel Miami Beach. This fair brings in many artists and also brings the attention of the press.

However, there is one large factor that stands against LA. While the city may have a cornucopia of restaurants, galleries, and party spots, it lacks a sizable venue to hold incoming artists. One thing I noticed at Photo L.A. was the complex nature of a space. There was a great deal of people crammed into one venue and not much room for anything else. Los Angeles has a wide variety of spaces, but none of which can hold a fair the size of other cities.

There is no doubt that an international art fair would bring much more tourism to the state. But the challenge begins with how to organize a fair. The people are ready. The art is ready. There are viable spaces available. Now comes to challenge to organize.

Assignment for JRN412

Work.

2010-10-18T12:29:00.001-07:00

Lately, I have been faced with a grueling statement: Photography isn't work. This statement has come in various forms, from various people over the past few weeks and each time it irks me a little more.

One conversation involved me telling my Father's friend about my major and what I am currently doing (he later wanted me to take pictures for his business). Another occurred when someone claimed that photography doesn't count as a class. Of course, there are always those individuals that think photography is more of a pastime and not necessarily something that takes effort. To anyone who has dabbled more than briefly into the occupation could probably disagree with this idea wholeheartedly.

In my current production class, it seemed that capturing the image was the least amount of time I spent on this project. In order to capture the image I first had to create a lookbook. For this project it was essential to work with a portrait-style photo and then incorporate a texture into the photo. This in itself required much research in an attempt to garner a look for the actual shoot. It seemed as though I spent hours searching through magazines, the internet, and even asking my mother for help in an attempt to begin creating my lookbook. Upon finally creating a lookbook I then had to wait in order to present the idea in class. Even after I had set the idea and presented it, I realized (probably not more than a few hours before I was about to shoot) there was a better image I could execute.
When the day finally came to shoot I had to rush my model out the door in hopes that the cloudy, overcast day would continue. My first instinct was to set her underneath the parking structure in front of my apartment. This proved to be the best lighting situation, although my range of shooting was limited. While I did capture a few more images I ultimately went with one of my first from underneath the parking garage. This entire process only took about twenty minutes total.
The next step was to capture the texture I had wanted to use since I was first assigned this project: different parts of a palm tree. Since the correct lighting was difficult to find I had to set each piece onto a black mat board then bounce my flash off the dishwasher. After several attempts I achieved the correct lighting and had all my textures.
With all my images and textures finally on camera I had the most extensive part of the project complete. The next process was to bring them all into Photoshop and combine them in as many ways as I could imagine. With a few combined class periods I had finally combined several images into one me and my teacher could be satisfied with.

I can say that I am happy with the image that was produced it definitely was not instant. Throughout much of this project I second-guessed myself. Many times I thought I should re-shoot or start over with another idea entirely (even if I did stray almost completely from my original concept).

With the process I learned something that I may have not fully realized before: photography is work. A look at this graph will surely make anyone think about the work that goes into the life of a photographer. While the majority of people think it's about one giant party, it's really not. Also, take into account the stat that 85% of new photographers go out of business within the first five years.

If it were as simple as everyone entailed, then I’m sure more people would be inclined to pick up a camera.

Assignment for JRN212.

Observations

2010-09-26T19:08:00.000-07:00

When I look at the campus of CBU, I look through the eyes of a photographer. On a Wednesday morning before class it's easy to notice who participates in certain activities.

The swimmers are constantly rushing, most of whom have bleached blonde hair from the many hours of swimming they do. The "jocks" are usually outfit in some type of sportswear with the CBU emblem. The active music students involved in Choral Union and one of the other various choirs are always dressed in anything besides jeans, except when a Monday or Friday occurs. Army ROTC students are easy to spot in their camouflage uniforms. Graphic Design majors are rarely seen because of their three-hour classes on the third floor James.

With those being the most obvious for me to catch in a blurred crowd a people, there are always those few stragglers. One person may have fallen asleep in class and missed the last half of their lecture. Another may have stopped to ask their professor a question about mononuclear phagocytes.

Some may be labeled as a the theatre-kid or some may be changing their major well into their junior year, still unsure about what career they want to pursue. Others may be managing twenty one units with a double major and some breeze through with only twelve. No matter what the activities or the workload we are all one student body.

Assignment for JRN212

Inspired

2010-07-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been realizing the importance of true inspiration. Without some sort of creative energy for my brain to absorb my own ideas become flat, dull and lifeless. In recent months I have been trying to absorb as many images as I can in the spare moments that I have between life as a student and employee. This absorption includes the good images and the bad and trying to differentiate between the two. Through this I hope I can learn the develop my own style while also learning trying to learn about photography through daily life and work.

Here are a couple of inspirations that have been bouncing inside my brain lately.

Within the realm of photojournalism I am constantly looking for interesting photographers. It seems so many journalistic pictures are simply a quick snapshot of an event used for filler that don't complement the article it belongs to. Stephen Crowley works as a staff photographer for the New York Times and continues to produce images that step beyond the bounds of normal journalism photography.

Until a feature on Nowness appeared, I had absolutely no idea who David Montgomery was. Upon just looking through his images it became apparent that he has been around for many decades is most famously known for being a portrait photographer for the famous, most of whom are musicians (something I would love to make a career out of one day). PLUS, he shot the cover for the Jimi Hendrix album Electric Ladyland; that alone equals massive swoon.

Steven Klein has a flare for the dramatic. If you need any evidence of that you can watch his recent collaboration with Lady Gaga: the video for Alejandro. His body of work in still images certainly does not hide behind this video. Klein is not only able to create brilliant fashion editorial images, but is also able to produce more commercial images for advertisements. "Playing with appearances he mixes mediums and metaphors to literally stitch his tableaus together from the stuff of reality and dreams...The result is a strange and fractured landscape, a form of collaboration that looks not to the glare of publicity but to the twilight of the idols. There it inhabits a darkened space where performance and art merge to create an iconography of their own." (quote via his website)

All images are from the photographers' websites.

p.s. Sorry about the cut-off images. I'll rework this later... probably with a new layout.

Sure, it's real.

2010-03-13T22:03:00.000-08:00

Following the aftermath of World War I, André Breton published his Manifesto of Surrealism. This document proposed a new way of working towards art by dealing with Freudian psychology and use of the unconscious. While the surrealist movement created many more famous painters, such as Salvador Dali, and poets it also helped to create a number of surrealist photographers.

In the 1920's when this movement originated there was very little a photographer could do to manipulate film. Most of the artists worked with slanted angles, juxtaposition, combination printing, or double exposure. It would take much creativity, trial, and error for a photographer to produce an image like the one below.

This surrealist ideal forced photographers to think outside the box in a time when cameras were often large and a time consuming endeavor. (From personal experience I can tell you that lugging around a 4x5 monorail camera through a desert in July is not enjoyable.) Compared to technology today it can be much easier to create images and enhance the surrealism.

Fast forward almost eighty years, and the surrealist movement is still holding it's own. Nowadays images can be manipulated much further and are still manipulating reality. One photographer, Erik Johansson, is working as freelance and a student but also develops images that push what the viewer is actually seeing. While some images are at first glance obviously fake, he is also able to use combine images that require a double-take.

Though these images sometimes lack reality or congruency they are attention grabbing. But, then again, surrealism does attempt to defy logic.

Holga: Not the German Wrestler

2010-03-07T22:30:00.000-08:00

This camera cost me approximately $20. That is a far cry from the thousands that could be spent on much more advanced camera equipment. It is also, much less complicated and lighter. The Holga is about the image and not the million other details that can be lost in trying to understand a more complex camera. When using an Holga there are really only two settings you would need to worry about; shoot outdoors and ensure the distance focus is correct and your set. The simplicity is something to admire. However, this camera is so simple that it can't be used for much else... or can it?

One shot of Al Gore taken by David Burnett in 2001 won an award but was never run in Newsweek, for which it was shot. Though this shot is nine years old it still emphasizes this one point: "A Chinese-made Holga, a laughably crude toy that, in the right hands, can perform miracles of light and shadow." (source) An Holga is certainly not to be put to use in every situation in the same way that each lens and f/stop (and about a million other details) must be changed to produce a great shot.

One thing is for certain about the Holga, it can create unique shots just the same as any other camera. The small quirks that often come along with the camera and develop over time are something to be cherished whether or not they produce extremely perfect images every time.

David Burnett 2001. Al Gore. Shot for Newsweek.

Varvara Lozenko. Flickr.

My own image. Apple Valley California. July 2009.

Massi Pugliese. Flickr.

MJ. Not Michael Jackson.

2010-02-16T19:10:00.000-08:00

Marc Jacobs streamed his show live from New York fashion week. This gave the chance for people worldwide to view the show as it happened, something that rarely happens. Leading up to the day, Robert Duffy, President of Marc Jacobs, tweeted non-stop about the show and all the various events leading up to this moment. Again, something not entirely heard of in today's fashion realm.

Last night, after working through a gargantuan amount of work my brain flipped on and remembered that I had, indeed, missed this special live performance. Normally, I am not a big fan of Marc Jacobs line and favor his set geared toward the younger crowd, Marc by Marc Jacobs. But this collection was stunning. It seemed to grab my attention immediately when Jacobs came out and unwrapped the models as they stood ready for the show. Yeah, I could give you a play-by-play of my favourite outfits and what I didn't like, but wouldn't it be more fun to just watch it yourself?

Source: Marc Jacobs

The Photo Niche

2010-01-12T23:05:00.000-08:00

The niche I wanted for the the last semester was to be about the creative arts. In this I suppose I was looking to have a broad subject base on which to blog in hopes of me actually being inspired to post more. However, whenever I attempt (trust me, there are a few drafts floating around) to start a post it comes back to something within the realm of photography. For now, I figured, this will be the focus of my blog. Now on to the real stuff...

Josef Hoflehner did not ring this through photoshop. I somehow wish he did because then I would not be feeling the insatiable urge to fly to St. Maarten. The island is so small that planes must fly directly over the beach in order to land. Impressive. This happens several times a day and enough to get some sincerely inspiring images. Hoflehner also has a variety of other photographs from around the world with a similar point of view. All of his shots seem to provoke a simple, quiet theme and all are shot in black and white.

Brandon Pavan is from New Jersey and I am fairly certain he is a fashion photographer. Besides that I know not much else than what his pictures show. His style also seems to be rather simplistic and straightforward. They all seem, well, real which is an element that I find to sometimes be lost in the days of photoshop and high-priced shoots. Something that makes his images slightly different is the use of personal images from people like his grandmother. Through these images he offers a glance into his own world and gives a real representation of his life.

Sources: thisisduty & hardfeelings

From Velvet to Infrared.

2009-12-16T02:28:00.000-08:00

Lou Reed claimed most of his fame when he served as the guitarist and vocalist for The Velvet Underground in the 1960's. After leaving the band in 1970 he worked on various solo projects. But, I'm not here to talk about the music.

Recently, Reed published his third photography book entitled Romanticism. His first, Emotion in Action, was published in summer of 2003 with a subsequent book being published in 2006. The first two books show more of a point-and-shoot photography of either motion or New York City.

The third book proves to conquer a much more diverse subject range. For the book Reed had a digital camera altered for images to appear as infrared film. This technique gives film a surreal look by causing foliage to appear white and for other objects to appear as different colors depending on the temperature of the object. The subjects for his photograph are much different, as well, with images shot in Scotland, Denmark, and China. The book is available for order now through this site.

"I think of the camera as my soul. Much like a guitar." Lou Reed

Pic via: Nowness

Aura of Style.

2009-12-11T21:47:00.000-08:00

This is my last blog of the semester for, specifically, Intro to Journalism. That aside we were recently challenged in Newspaper Production to find our niche. Being completely baffled by this I went to the trusty dictionary on my mac for help and found this as an entry:

Niche (noun): a comfortable or suitable position in life or employment

What stands out to me is life. Full-time employment may be two years away, but for now I am a student living and experiencing life. For this blog to truly strive I want it to have life. For now, I want my blog to focus on the off-beat cultures. It would not focus on one subject, per say, but the subject of the interesting things people are producing in culture. A compilation. It's not necessarily underground, and it's not really mainstream. It's a mix of the creative arts whether it be music, fashion, style, photography, or something completely different.

On that note, I give this post about personal style.

The woes of clothing are something encountered daily. Clothing is a mandatory element of society even if we don't necessarily think about what we put on each and every day. But, for the weirdly clothing obsessed like myself it can take up a large chunk of time to decide on the proper outfit.

I have no idea where my habit came from, but I am guessing it began somewhere in an Osh Kosh Bgosh with my mother. Unlike most mothers, mine would let me wear clothes I enjoyed even if it did involve disgustingly green track pants at one point. I am also constantly reminded of the time I carried around the same silver, faux-crocodile skin purse for months when I was four or five. When one of my parents' friends inquired where I got the purse I promptly said, "It's vintage." I guess it's just ingrained in my DNA.

What interests me more, though, is other people's sense of style. It interests me greatly to see not only the differences but also the similarities of style throughout the world. One website a friend recently introduced me to is lookbook. I have become a tad bit obsessed with this site. Unfortunately to access this site completely involves being accepted by the site-keepers or being invited from an existing member. While I did apply on a whim the other night I think my dreams of gaining access to the site will have to be put on hold for the moment.

For now I will continue to meander through the endless cycle of blogs in the so-called blogosphere. Below are a list of my favourites that I regularly follow in no specific order. The entire list would take me about five days to write, I suppose.

Karla's Closet
She is fellow southern California resident who seems to own a never-ending collection of vintage pieces.

Fashion Toast
Residing in San Diego, Rumi has recently partnered with RVCA.

Style Rookie
Even though the author turned thirteen only a few months ago, the title of the blog is not to be confused with Style Cookie. She appears to be doing more in the fashion community than any other blogger twice her age.

We Were Damsels
A duo from New York City balance each other in the blogging world nicely. They also blog about another one of my obsessions, music.

Blushing Ambition
I found this blog only a few hours ago but I have already read through every single one of her posts.

Fashion Bits and Bobs
The only male on my long list of blogs. His style remains consistent but he often does other photography bits and streetstyle photos of persons in his hometown of Zurich, Switzerland.

Just Another White Shirt.

2009-12-08T20:42:00.000-08:00

The basic white shirt. It's white. It's uncomplicated. It's easy to throw on. It's something anyone can wear. But what happens when thirty-one designers from thirteen different countries are asked to take complete creative control of a plain white t-shirt? Well, to be honest, a lot.

Each designer has put their own spin and ideas into the shirt. Unni Håkansson and Andreas Andersson from Doktor Doktor in Sweden decided to cover a shirt in 2,000 marshmallows to symbolize the price you pay for good taste. A statement that is certainly appropriate within the fashion world.

One designer voted to not design under any common means at all. He put his t-shirt in a metal bucke, doused it with gasoline, then lit it with a match. It doesn't take much of a guess to realize that he burned his shirt into ashes.

So far sixteen designers projects have been revealed with the others being shown on Dec. 12 and 19. With the creative liberties that have been taken so far it can only be something great that comes from the remaining designers. With each design comes a short video, photograph of the final design, and paragraph about the designers.

Photo and Information via: ProjectWhiteT-shirt

Costumes.

2009-11-05T10:54:00.000-08:00

There are those individuals in the fashion industry whose work is seen but often they are never heard from. They quietly sit back designing very grand and often ridiculous costumes. The most that mainstream culture will ever hear about these designers is when a they are shown as a blip during the Oscar's ceremony for the category of Best Costume Designer. Most costume designers are much more apparent in the music industry than in any other medium.

Christian Joy has been designing for Karen Orzolek, more commonly known as Karen O, since the early 2000's when the band Karen fronts for, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, united in 2000. Joy manages to create a menagerie of outfits each individual for her shows. The costumes range from elaborate kimonos to shiny, gold mini dresses. Karen puts her own spin on the outfits by combining different elements from each outfit.

For other projects Christian Joy has worked on her own collections and recently designed a special pop-up collection for Urban Outfitters with the release of Where the Wild Things Are.

Midterm. For JRN215.

2009-11-03T20:03:00.000-08:00

Journalism is changing. Technology is advancing to span a variety of different people, ethnicity, and social groups. Blogs, non-profit online newspapers, and database sources are changing how Americans collect their news. “Reporting is becoming more participatory and collaborative.” (page 3 of The Reconstruction of American Journalism)
People can now go to many places on the Internet and choose what type of news they want to read. Local news comes from one source, movie reviews from a different source, and recipes are looked at on another site altogether. News is becoming specific for the individual with each company tailoring to different readers wants and needs. No longer is information coming from one news source in a town’s daily or weekly newspaper. The variety is growing.
The Voice of San Diego is a specific example. Journalism is changing to be more reader orientated, not necessarily meant to incorporate all the aspects of life.
In the report Donohue said, “We want to be best at covering a small number of things. We’re very disciplined about not trying to do everything.” He makes a very important statement here. The best businesses, for example, are commonly the ones that focus on a certain product or service. Resources are stretched between different groups, affecting the overall quality of each product or service. If a large newsroom exists with reporters scattered between different story subjects then they must shift focus every time they write a new story. When a reporter is constantly focused on one certain type of news story they become better at it over time. The skills are enhanced because they know how to cover the topic and how to get all the important details for their area of specialization.
A journalist focused on school affiliated topics will be able to open more gates by building a better relationship with certain schools in the area to get important news in the public eye. The school would possibly be more open to trusting a journalist they know will report unbiased, truthful news than having a different reporter show up only when a problem arrives. Journalism may change to be more centered on the reader getting the information necessary, not only covering a broad amount of topics.
“The Internet’s easily accessible free information and low-cost advertising have loosened the hold of large, near-monopoly news organizations on audiences and advertisers.” (page 3 of The Reconstruction of American Journalism)
In my opinion, American journalism will change very much in the nest few years. The introduction of new sources has made it possible for individuals to step out and begin printing news they want to see. The article even cites that advocacy journalism is growing. Is this a bad turn of events? I think not. Perhaps with the rise of more locally centered news only reporting papers then people will be heard and not simply those who want certain news reported. Journalists are the gatekeepers of information. It is their responsibility to bring forth the information that needs to be reported.
If journalism does become more focused people will be more likely to buy it if it is a reputable source of information. The start-up may be difficult for some newspapers it will be the excellent news sources that continue among the changing times.

Harajuku Halloween

2009-10-23T05:32:00.000-07:00

Everyday Sunday is halloween for the Harajuku girls in the Harajuku District of Japan. For this group individual style is very important and they make a conscious effort to dress specifically to a certain style of clothing. The Harajuku movement began when teens thought to mix the common Japanese culture with that of a more western style. As popularity grew the style focused more on western fashion than traditional Japanese culture.

The Harajuku girl was first introduced into American pop culture when Gwen Stefani used them for backup dancers during her solo career. These four girls dressed in a mix of Kawaii, meaning "cute" in Japanese, and Decora style. While the girls were still very dressed up and styled there look was more westernized with the addition of mini skirts and Gwen Stefani's fragrance and fashion collection Harajuku Lovers.

The most common people who dress are usually teen age or young women.

Sources: Wikihow & Japanese Lifestyle

Fashion month: The end.

2009-10-09T16:34:00.000-07:00

Fashion month is closing tomorrow with the final collections from Paris. From the slow start in New York, Paris has been a refreshing change into the gaudy, artsy side of fashion.

Fashion heavy-hitter Karl Lagerfeld took over a barn as the setting for the ready-to wear Spring 2010 show. Models stomped around in heels on the hay covered floor. While mostly showing black, white and tans, the designs for each garment could not be more pristine.

Ever at the opposite end of the spectrum is Marc Jacobs, the head designer for Louis Vuitton. Before Jacobs was called to design for Louis Vuitton in the late nineties, the brand was more demure. This season Jacobs again called for a more extravagant case of designs. In regards to the Louis Vuitton collection Jacobs said, "I think people love to show off." Each model showcased not only the collection but a giant Afro.

Alexander McQueen was another eccentric collection. Every piece was not oozing with flamboyancy, however. He managed to portray both brilliantly structured pieces and sleek, modern designs on the same runway.

Quote via twitter from wwd.com.
Photo taken by Giovanni Giannoni.

Fashionably Social.

2009-09-28T20:24:00.000-07:00

The social media is coming! For the past few years, it seems there has been a gargantuan growth of social media and the people it influences and strives to influence. Every year the number of people jumping on the media bandwagon seems to grow exponentially. Lately, even fashion bloggers have been playing a major role in the fashion environment. Their influence, especially, has grown tremendously in past year.

One reason for this shift to social networking can take a cue from changes in advertising. No longer do people of younger generations scour as many fashion magazines and print publications. More and more brands are focusing on the internet to reach customers. In a world where it used to take months for fashions to be shown to consumers, it can now take minutes via photos from a runway show. Fashion is fast, and so are the people searching for it.

A great source of variety and inspiration has been found in the world of fashion bloggers. Only about one to two years ago fashion blogs began to grow in popularity. For something that was first meant to showcase personal style and opinion, they have grown to include a multitude of outside sources and networking opportunities. Recently, in New York Fashion Week, popular bloggers were sitting front row for a variety of acclaimed designers. Simply by having their presence designers are more able to reach a public that, normally, would pass by the fashion tents.

As these networks grow, then so do the possible marketing techniques. Interaction among fashion bloggers and readers is huge. One link about a product on a popular blog site could generate a great deal of income for a company. This is great opportunity for well-established and newcomers to the fashion world. Fashion social networking provides an opportunity for individuals to establish a customer base on a personal level. Making the product more relate-able and just that much more attainable for the individual.

Massive Fashion

2009-09-22T19:02:00.000-07:00

"Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening." Was Coco Chanel right when she made this statement, perhaps, nearly a century ago. With the turn of the new millennium, fashion has become more accessible to the masses. Luella Bartley debuted her collection in January 2006 for Target's now prominent Go International Collection. The retail chain only holds a certain designers clothing for ninety days, then it disappears and the clothing prices are once again only available in the three-figure range. This idea has become so successful that Target has also had contributers in makeup, jewelry, and shoes.

Though Target's venture has been successful, some of the designers are relatively unknown in the majority of American households. Periodically, H&M will collaborate with established designers, or well-known celebrities such as Madonna, to increase buyers awareness. The first of their feats being with a mega-star in the fashion industry, Karl Lagerfeld. Launching this fall will be Jimmy Choo. His main collection will revolve around women's shoes, but there will be some ready to wear pieces and men's shoes available to complement.

Fashion boasts to be a billion dollar industry each year, and with good reason. The scene is constantly evolving, even in periods of economic stagnation. It is during these times that designers must become creative in finding ways to reach a consumer. Even someone who says they do not participate in the world of fashion does simply by getting dressed in the morning. To the normal, everyday person fashion does not seem to be that important. But this is precisely what Chanel was talking about in her quote. Even without the constant visual over the runways and multitude of fashion publications, an individual must eventually come face to face with the fashion world.

New York Fashion Week

2009-09-17T11:34:00.000-07:00

Twice annually a plethora of designers gather in four fashion Mecca’s to present their collections. The first of these stops is New York City; subsequent being Milan, London, and Paris. While a few notable designers bowed out from the normal hubbub of the Bryant Park tents, but many still returned.

This year each collection seemed to have a very similar theme: simplicity. Though spring/summer runway shows have never been a time for overly complicated designs, the recent state of the economy could have played a role in each designer’s composition. Many designers choose to discard the rich colors and kitschy prints normally seen on a spring runway in favor of more muted palettes. As with any other spring/summer show the floral pattern was common. Even the more exuberant designers, such as Christian Siriano of Project Runway fame, opted for a collection of less structured pieces.

One of the only fashion houses to step close to detail work was Preen (see pic below), designed by Thornton Bregazzi. Many of the dresses looked to be painstakingly hand sewn; a work often only seen in the haute couture houses of France. The work was shown to be rather different from any other collection shown during the first fashion week. This handcrafted work offered a variance on the windswept, easy-going feel that assailed the runway.

However, there are a variety of other shows to be seen during the coming weeks. With Paris Fashion week not beginning until late September, it will be interesting to view the route more exuberant designers will choose. Perhaps simplicity is going to make the rounds once again in the fashion world.

Image source: wwd.com