Studio Shoots, Project Requirements and Evaluation Guidance

Phoebe Reynolds

Studio shoots for your garments are arranged for the second day back (Thursday 5th January 2017) - we have two 2nd Year photographers working with you, and studios 1 & 2 in the Photography department are both booked from 2.00pm until 4.00pm - this should allow time to get collection and individual shots for everyone. Make sure you have your garment, model, plus any make up or other clothing you need to set your piece off effectively.
We will distribute edited shots from the shoots for use in your folios as soon as possible, but we won't expect to see these as part of your project submission.

The deadline for your Fashion work is Monday 9^th January @ 4.30pm and this is the minimum you need to have in your sketchbooks:

Initial Research and Presentation:

• Observational drawing/s of your object.
•  At least 2 busy pages of visual research into your garment, different versions/styles/shapes, try to find inventive Haute Couture versions.
• Minimum 2 pages of visual research into your object - different versions, different uses, unusual applications of your object, if you can find examples of it in Fashion then include these.
• 2 pages where you find examples of Collections. Most designers/design houses release themed collections seasonally, look for examples of collections that are inventive, exuberant and perhaps use elements of recycling – for example the work of Martin Margiela.
• Copies of your presentation slides.
• Any notes relevant to your presentation.

Illustration and Design Development:

• 4 pages research into 2 Fashion Illustrators.
• Your photos from the figure (the ones you used as a basis for your Fashion Illustrator responses).
• 4 Well finished Illustrator responses based on your photos.
• 6 garment proposals (with notes, using the templates).
• A finished Illustration based on your best design - this should be developed     independently and not based on an existing template. This might include sample pieces, annotations and colour swatches alongside.

Final Garment, Photography and Evaluation.

• 4 pages research into 2 Fashion Photographers.
• Your finished garment/accessory.
• A thoughtfully styled location shoot of your garment - be ambitious, think about the photographers whose work you have studied. Arrange model, location, props, make up. Consider posture and camera angle carefully. Take plenty of shots (20+) you might use PhotoShop to enhance your best shots for inclusion in your sketchbook.
• Your word processed evaluation (see guidance notes below). 

RECYCLED FASHION EVALUATION GUIDANCE

In order to pass this project you must complete a word processed evaluation of 500-800 words, discussing the following ……

• What object and garment did you get to work with?
• How did the development of your Presentation help in understanding the possibilities offered by your object. What sources did you access in researching your object and garment?
• In what other ways did you respond to and investigate your object? (e.g. photography and drawing)
• Who were you collaborating with? How did you share tasks? Do you think you communicated effectively together? Did you find this collaboration helpful?
• Which designers/collections did you look at? What appealed to you about their work?
• What did you learn from looking at the designer’s work? Did their work influence your own garment designs later in the project?
• What were your first ideas for your garment design? Did these bear much relation to your final solution?
• What was it that appealed to you about the fashion illustrators you chose to research and respond to?
• What did you learn from recreating the styles of the illustrators you looked at, and how did this help you to understand the techniques employed in fashion illustration?
• How did you go about creating your own fashion illustrations – what processes did you employ in developing your final images? Describe how you used photography to style them initially and what you did to get them to a high standard.
• Which Fashion Photographers did you research? What appealed to you about their work?
• Describe the process you went through to create your initial garment designs, and how you decided upon the one you chose to make.
• What elements of your original garment did you retain and what was added/taken away?
• What materials and techniques did you employ in the production of your final garment and what problems did you encounter along the way?
• Discuss your final photoshoots, how did you style your garment? Mention aspects such as make up, props, location, models, postures, lighting, composition.
• Do you feel your final garment will work well with your collaborators? Did you maintain good communication throughout the project?
• What do you regard as the most and least successful aspects of your project?
• How well did you manage your time and what you would do differently if you did this project again?

Fashion Project Update and Photographer Research

Garment Completion and Sketchbook Content
OK, so you should all be well underway with garment construction by now. Make sure you have the resources you need: as many multiples of your object as your garment requires and potentially a base garment to reconstruct/work over. You may need other things such as additional fabrics, dyes, zips, clasps, velcro etc.
This weekend is a good opportunity to shop for any bits that you are currently short of. If you have an ambitious plan it is essential to work in a focussed way to resolve it properly.
Any finishing work to your illustration research/ responses/design development needs to be completed as self-directed study now. 
From now until when the project is submitted (Monday 9th January) the things that need to be added to sketchbooks are:

• Some photographic documentation of stages of your making process, with annotation/explanation.
• Contact sheets and larger prints of the best images from a location shoot.
• 4 pages of research into 2 Fashion Photographers (see information below for guidance).
• Word-processed Project Evaluation - guidance for this will be issued.

Studio Photography (after Christmas)

We will also arrange a studio shoot for your garments in the short week we have when we return after Christmas, we will get some of the second year students specialising in Photography to work with you to get the best imagery from this session. This will be an opportunity to record your garment alongside the other creations in your collection. 

Location Photography (over Christmas break)

Thinking a little way ahead you should start giving some thought to your location Photoshoot - this should be completed over the Christmas break, but your planning should start now. You should be aiming for a professional approach with this that results in great imagery for your portfolio.
Consider who will model for you (or who will take photos if you are modelling your own garment), where you will base the shoot (what will complement the garment?), will you need props/make up? Taking a professional approach may mean doing things like researching the weather (if you are looking at a shoot outdoors) and working around when it looks likely to offer you the best light/conditions.

Fashion Photographer Research
In order for you to plan and execute effective final Photoshoots for your garments it will be helpful to make yourself aware of the work of some top Fashion photographers.
When looking at these Photographers work you should look for the following things and comment on them:

• Use of location/studio - how does this relate to enhance the garment?
• Use of make up.
• Use of props.
• Use of the model(s) consider things like body posture, what mood is the photographer trying to create?
• Use of lighting - natural/artificial? harsh/gentle?
• Composition/cropping - how is the figure placed within the image?
• Use of post production - has the image been manipulated via software such as PhotoShop to achieve the final result, how subtle/dramatic is this process?

You should look at 2 of the following photographers and provide a little background biographical information before analysing at least 3 images by each one in detail (2 pages per photographer, print out decent size reproductions of their work).

Steven Meisel

Corrine Day

Mario Testino



Ruven Afanador

Nick Knight

Perou

Tim Walker

Steven Klein

Fashion Illustration & Preparing for Making.

You need to finish your illustration work through the remainder of this week, so that you can move onto garment construction next week.
Ideally you should finish the tasks outlined below before next Monday (5th December) so that you can have 2 full weeks before Christmas to make your piece. At the very latest the illustration and design work must be complete by the end of Tuesday 6th December so EVERYONE is onto making by Wednesday.

• 4 pages of research into 2 Fashion illustrators, include a range of their work and your analysis of their technique.
• A range of your photographs of the figure in "fashion" poses, printed out and included in your sketchbook.
• 4 illustrator responses developed from your own photos (2 in the style of each illustrator you researched).
• 6-8 quickly sketched design proposals for your garment/accessory, you could use a template for these. Annotate alongside to explain your ideas and techniques you intend to use. These ideas can be variations on a theme, each one does not need to be radically different.

• A well finished illustration of your selected design (the one you intend to make) - you might choose to do this in the style of one of the illustrators you researched or develop a more independent illustrative approach of your own.

You also need to think ahead and gather everything you need for your making, make a list of your requirements and order online (eBay www.ebay.co.uk/ is your friend here) or find other ways of obtaining your resources - suppliers such as Fabricland in Basingstoke www.fabricland.co.uk/fabric-stores/fabric-land-basingstoke may prove valuable.
Things you might require include:
Cotton thread, zips, velcro, fabric, dyes, iron-on transfer paper, multiples of your object (clothes pegs, rubber bands etc.). 
There may be other practical preparations you need to make as well such as exposing screens for printing.

OK, to ensure you are all crystal clear about what you should be doing over the next couple of days. What we want you to achieve is 4 beautiful responses to your 2 chosen illustrators using your own photos as the basis for these illustrations.

So you will need:

• A collection of images by your 2 illustrators - enough to get a really good feel for their style, technique and media.
• A range of photographs from the figure - try to get some good dynamic poses that have the feel of Fashion illustration/photography. If you are unsure what you are aiming for then flick through a few copies of Vogue and look at the fashion shoots and advertising images.
• The appropriate media to respond to your illustrators, identify what they use and do likewise. If their work is produced digitally then don't try replicating it by hand.

Once you have all these things you need to really focus on making some impressive responses that capture the feel of each Artist. Use the lightbox to start your drawings from your own photos off if it helps. You might want to use software to extend and stretch the figures in your photos and achieve something closer to the classic fashion illustration proportions (which are quite different to the real proportions of the human body).

Here's an example of what I'm talking about:

Raw photo file

Digital Illustration by Jocelyn Gravot



Digitally developed response to Jocelyn Gravot

Fashion Illustration Work

You need to research the work of 2 fashion illustrators, here are a few good links to explore: 

http://www.dripbook.com/top/browse/illustration-portfolios/fashion/

http://www.illustrationweb.com/styles/fashion

http://www.illustrationdivision.com/

Anna Higgie

Try to choose illustrators that have contrasting approaches and use different media, as you are going to have to respond visually to these illustrators BE REALISTIC and select styles you are confident you can reproduce effectively. For each selected illustrator print out 3/4 reproductions of their work at a reasonable size (A5ish).

You then need to provide some analysis of each illustrator. Find out what you can about them - where they trained, who they have worked for. Most importantly analyse the images you have chosen, identify what media have been used and discuss technique (expressive or controlled?), composition, use of colour. Give your personal opinion on the work, but ensure you give reasons for the views you express.

Present the work thoughtfully (2 A3 pages per illustrator), think about layout and text/titles etc.

Developing your own illustration work involves a number of stages:

• Do the Fashion Illustrator research as detailed above.
• Take a range of dynamic photos from the figure. Using a studio environment for this will be advantageous (either book the photography spaces in the Stevens block or at least use the booth and lights in the Art Department). Look at Fashion shoots and advertisements to get ideas about suitable poses, enter into the spirit of it and avoid "wooden" poses.
• Using your own photos as a basis produce two Fashion illustrations in the style of each Fashion Illustrator you have researched (4 images in all), make sure you use the most appropriate media. Take time over this and aim for some professional looking illustrations. See separate post for an example of this.
• Using body templates we have distributed come up with a quick range of 6-8 design proposals for your garment (consider conversations you have had with your team when designing - e.g. if you have decided on theme colours or shapes then use them in your proposals).

Having produced some design proposals and hopefully gained some knowledge about Fashion illustration styles the next stage is to put these two things together:

• In the last phase of the illustration you need to create a polished illustration of your final selected Design proposal. Again use your own photographs as the basis for this, but try to create a personal illustrative style. You might integrate elements of the techniques/media of the Artists you studied, but you should be aiming to take this final image further, and create something more personal.

This work should be completed to a high standard by Friday 2nd December so that you have a chance to concentrate on garment construction from Monday 5th December.

Fashion Sketchbooks

So what should be going into your sketchbooks over the first week/10 days of this project?
Well, one reason behind using photography to record your Moodboards and not sticking everything down is that it means that the material you have gathered is then available for inclusion in your sketchbook.
So once you have got good photos of your Moodboards you need to divide (and potentially duplicate) the visual material amongst your design teams, and then compile the following:

• 4 Sketchbook pages of visuals and information on your garment/accessory. Different versions - traditional and radical, history, definition.
• 4 Sketchbook pages of visuals and information on the object you need to recycle. History, typical uses, unusual uses, previous applications in Fashion.
• 2 Pages showing some examples of collections, ideally exploring some recycling, try looking at Martin Margiela and Jez Eaton for starters. Provide some analysis.
• One or more good observational drawings from your object.
• Printouts of all the slides from your presentation, plus copies of any cue cards you use.

After the Presentations are complete we will start to explore approaches to Fashion Illustration, responding to existing Illustrational styles, before trying to develop a more personal style with which to illustrate your own design proposals.

Fashion Presentation Schedule

All presentations to be given on Wednesday 23rd November, good luck! 

All group members should contribute to the delivery of the presentation in some way, so planning who will say what is a good idea. You will need to explain and expand upon the visuals you put up on screen (don’t just read text off the slide). Preparing and using cue cards is likely to be helpful. Presentations need to last approximately 10 minutes. 
Speak clearly (and not too fast), face your audience and most importantly practice your delivery as a group in advance. When you practice try timing your presentation to ensure it is of a suitable length.

UPSTAIRS GROUP 1
Time	Students	Object
9.05	Ella, Mollie	Clothes Hangers
9.20	Jessie, Diana	Disposable Cutlery
9.35	Amy, Trinity	Envelopes
9.50	Kieran, Lakshmi	Clothes Pegs
BREAK
10.25	Abby, Joel	Drinks Cans
10.40	Elise, Jaime	Plastic Cups
10.55	Maddie, Phoebe	Rubber Bands

DOWNSTAIRS GROUP 2
Time	Students	Object
9.05	Jordan, Josh	Disposable Cutlery
9.20	Abi, Harri	Clothes Hangers
9.35	Jaz, Holly, Emily	Envelopes
9.50	Issy M, Rhiannon	Clothes Pegs
BREAK
10.25	Beth, Izzy K	Plastic Cups
10.40	Hannah, Lily	Rubber Bands
10.55	George, Leah, Olivia	Cardboard Tubes
11.10	Jemima, Tom	Drinks Cans

Further Guidance on the content of your Presentation Slides

Before Wednesday you need to research both your object and your garment - collect and print enough material for compiling your A1 moodboards. Photos of these Moodboards will be the first 2 Slides in your PowerPoint/Prezi.
KEEP THIS STUFF LOOSE, DON'T STICK IT DOWN:

• Lots of visual research into the garment you drew from the "cup", different versions/styles/shapes try to find inventive Haute Couture versions. Find 12 - 20 examples, print these images in a variety of sizes up to A4.
• Plentiful visual research into the object you drew from the "cup" - different versions, different uses, unusual applications of your object, if you can find examples of it in Fashion then include these. Again 12 - 20 examples in a range of sizes.
• Other stuff you need includes: headings and titles (use interesting fonts), dictionary definitions of your object and garment, photos of yourselves, as well as your own good drawings and photographs of your object.

For sourcing imagery try using  http://www.pinterest.com/ (open a free account if you don't already have one). Thoughtfully selected search terms in Pinterest will lead you to a host of rich imagery and ideas.
After Wednesday you need to concentrate on Slides 3 & 4. These are a little more demanding. 

• For Slide 3 you will need to be imaginative in how you manipulate your object and record your experiments photographically. Explore processes like cutting, burning, laser cutting, heat pressing, appliqué, tearing, crushing, layering, stitching, riveting and photographing the object with a view to making a screen print.
• For Slide 4 you will need to consult with all members of your Design team across the two groups to come up with some common themes for your collection (e.g. colours/particular ways of manipulating your object), after consultation you need to come up with some initial design ideas.  
• For Slide 4 you will also need to find several examples of existing Collections and print 6 -10 images images of these . Most designers/design houses release themed collections seasonally, look for examples of collections that are inventive, exuberant and perhaps use elements of recycling - the work of Martin Margiela and Jez Eaton might be valuable starting points.

Times when both groups have lessons simultaneously (so the easiest times for consultation) are:

• 8.50am - 10.05am Weds.
• 10.25am - 11.25am Weds.
• 2.00pm - 3.00pm Thurs.

Tips on Photographing Moodboards and preparing Images for Presentation

You have the option of preparing your presentation slides either digitally or through manual layouts that you record photographically and then convert into a digital format. If you are making manual Mood boards here are a few steps you can take to make sure that they look good as presentation slides.
The first of those are in taking the photographs - make sure they are well lit and that you position your camera above the centre of the image to avoid getting a taper distortion, take several photos to ensure you get images with a good sharp focus.

An example of "taper distortion"

Once you have got decent photographs it is usually possible to enhance them in PhotoShop before you transfer them into your presentation. Here is a raw photographic image followed by an edit of the same photo.

To achieve this I did the following:

• Rotated the original image.
• Cropped the image to remove unwanted areas.
• Adjusted brightness and contrast to give the image more on-screen "zip".
• Used the "sharpen more" filter to add crispness to the image.
• Created a new layer, made a rectangular selection and filled this with a pale blue colour, then applied the multiply Layer style to this blue box.
• Using the text tool added notes (in a font downloaded from www.dafont.com). I then used the move tool to place the text over the blue area.
• Finally from the Layer Menu I added a drop shadow to my text from the Layer Style options.

Having done all this I then saved the final image as a jpeg (option available from the dropdown menu when you save in Photoshop). Using jpegs as presentation slides works fine, if you upload .psd PhotoShop documents or high resolution digital photos you may find they slow your presentation down and stop it functioning properly.

After you have arranged and photographed your moodboards share the loose imagery out between you and collage this into sketchbooks, giving due consideration to layout and combining text and image effectively.

Some of the Sculptural Work from the Alphasemble Project

Diana Silva

Abby Blakeley

Joel Molyneux

Madeleine Jay