Word Inspired Final Images

   Here are my final images from my word inspired shoot. When shooting these images, I kind of went a bit off track and didn't technically stick with my original face charts, but more took them with a grain of salt and did something completely different than what I had set out for. I started by doing a very fresh, 'natural' make-up by perfecting the face and bringing out features of the face, such as my models eyes, bone structure, brows and lips buy simply making these features brighter and more intense, however when it came to stick the flowers on my models face, I decided against it and went with wet hair placed roughly over the face. I went against my face charts, due to I thought by having a fresh faced model and having a contrast on the face such as the wet rugged hair would really represent my word well, considering petrichor means; "the fresh smell after rain" I thought having a natural and fresh looking model would be a nice twist on incorporating smell into a shoot. And as for having the wet hair across the face, it represents the rain and that it has just fallen as it is a lot more fresher. Overall, I am happy with my final decision with changing my final design as I felt like this idea really fits my word well compared to my over designs I had previously done. 

Lighting Charts: Brand

   For my brand image shoot, I wanted to use the original lighting that we was shown at the start of this sermester. I wanted to use this lighting purely because I felt like it really lit our practice pictures perfectly, which would really fit with my brand image. For these images I will also be using props, so I don't want them to be missed or disregarded within the images and I know due to using this lighting around the start of the sermester that everything will be lit perfectly and will just overall work with my images.

Lighting Charts: Word Inspired

   For my word inspired shoot I wanted to recreate a lighting effect that Dior has previously used in their Dior Addict adverts. Although this isn't my brand inspired shoot, I thought this particular lighting set up would work well with my inspired word images as my word means "fresh", and when I think of fresh I automatically think of bright, glowly effects which is what this lighting set up will create.
   To create my final lighting, I chose a white background and placed two soft boxes on either side of my model and had them facing the background. Doing this and having the lights between a median or high strength will make the white background a lot whiter, but also brighter and create a soft, glowly effect to the images. I also placed a soft box on a bomb light above where the camera is placed to light up my models face instead of the background like the other soft boxes.

Final Mood Board: Dior

   For my brand inspired mood board, I also took images from Pintrest and my previous mood boards that helped me understand the brand by looking at Dior's original sketches and designs and vintage adverts to get a feel for what the brand is about and how they like to present themselves. I also researched into recent adverts for further inspiration for my final shoot, not just for poses but lighting, composition and colour schemes. I also included features that I want to incorporate in my final images that bring in elements of my chosen word into my shoot, and chose images that I felt had a Dior inspired vibe to them but also how I thought about shooting using umbrellas in my final images.

Final Mood Board: Petrichor

   After collecting images on Pintrest and using them in my several mood boards for my presentation of my chosen word, I have finally made my final mood board to show my process of creating my editorial images and my overall understanding of my inspirational word. This mood board covers all areas of my word from my definition of the word to how my word is shown throughout fashion to typography. I have also included ideas for my editorial shoot such as the wet hair look and having items (aka flowers) stuck on my models face.

Brand Inspired Design Ideas: Oversized Hats

   For this design idea my inspiration stemmed from my first idea of using an umbrella to show rain and shelter, however after looking at a lot of Diors shoots and designs even from the very beginning of the brand Dior has been very fond of using hats in shoots and being almost an iconic clothing item to the brand. Like the umbrella idea, using an oversized hat was to symbolise shelter from rain. When thinking of how I could shoot this concept, I thought about having the oversized hat covering most of the models face and only showing from shoulders upwards. I could also style my brand inspired images with pearl necklaces to also show a link to my brand. In terms of how I'd set up these images, I would light up the background but also try and cause contrast on my models face and body to show facial features and also shoot in black and white, to almost create a classic Dior image.

Brand Inspired Design Ideas: Umbrellas

   When thinking about my brand inspired images I wasn't quite sure how I could show the inspiration though my word as for my brand it isn't known to have dramatic make-up on their adverts and editorial images, so I decided to look at how I could style my brand images to get my chosen word across to the viewer.
   My first idea was using umbrellas in my shoot as my word does involve the rain and without my model in rain/outside I wanted to have an accessory that is universal for rain. Another reasoning behind my idea of umbrellas is in a few Dior adverts umbrellas have been present on the shoot, for example Dior Addict perfume with Daphne Groeneveld and Karlie Kloss 2010 Haute Couture Vogue. My initial idea for this idea was to have the model in natural, dewy make-up and styled in simple high neck top or coat and them holding an umbrella above their head/in front and behind the model.

Word Inspired Design Ideas: Flowers

   For my editorial image inspired by my word, one thing that came to mind was the aftermath of rain and how could I show this on the face. I found an image of moss growing on statues and I wanted to put my own spin on that concept and use flowers on the face to look like it was growing on the face by the cause of rain. I also liked the idea of using flowers as it links into my word by showing smell. Again, I would stick with a more natural/nude make-up look just so all the attention would go to the flowers on the face and body and in terms of placement of these flowers I found a lot of inspiration from the first and third images above, by having them in clusters in random areas of the face. Another extra idea with this concept was to try and recreate moss on the face. To create this I would use different tones and shades of green under the flowers which will not only add more texture but colour to the look.

Word Inspired Design Ideas: Wet Hair

   Having wet hair or water on the face is also another idea that I'd be interested in creating on my word inspired shoot, as I thought this concept would get my chosen word across to the viewer but a different approach to having an umbrella present on the shoot and make my images look more editorial compared to an advertisement. If I chose this as part of my word inspired image, I would pair this with natural or nude make-up with maybe an exception of a dramatic lip, and having the hair placed over the face in a controlled messy manner. In terms of how I would photograph and crop this image, I would have a very bright yet softly lit images and most of the image be a close up of my models face, this so you're focused on the hair over the face and not distracted by other elements of the image like styling etc.

Word Editorial Face Chart #3 - Final

   For my final digital image face chart I thought I'd try incorporate smell into my design by using small, pressed flowers stuck onto the face or body like in the example I drew above. To pair with the flowers across the temples and cheekbones, I'd have super glowy, fresh looking skin with rosy cheeks but placed in the hallows of the cheeks as if I was contouring the face to add shape to the face but putting a twist on the usual contouring. Alongside this I'd have my model wear a rosy lip to again keep in that freshness and 'natural' look to my design, but to also keep a monochromatic colour scheme.

Word Editorial Face Chart #2

   My second idea for my editorial shoot was to sprinkle glitter across my models face to resemble the look of rain but in a more fun and playful way compared to if I just dripped water over my models face. To achieve this I would have either a playful, fresh face make-up with fluttery lashes, or a dramatic, bold look paired with lots of glitter of different shades and sizes to show different textures on the face. Out of all three of my face charts, this is my least favourite purely because I feel like this doesn't fit my word perfectly and doesn't tell my word to the viewer.

Word Editorial Face Chart #1

   For my first face chart, I wanted to put a twist on make-up that has been caught in the rain and replace it with my aqua or super colour from Kryolan. Have you ever been caught in the rain whilst wearing a full face of make-up? If so, you know how your face make-up can react to water and how it either breaks up, smudges and drips on the face which as my work involves rain I liked this whole concept of having a different view on rain. But instead of doing a full on, dramatic make-up then drenching the face I thought I'd put a spin on things and drip the aqua colour across the face and body.

Word Inspired Hair Chart: #3 - Final

   For my third and final design, I put a slight twist on my first design of having a sleek wet look hair design but having strands of wet hair flowing over my models face to create the illusion that they have been rained on. I'm currently still trying to figure out how I'd like this design to look, in terms of how wet I want the hair and how much hair I want over the face, but I think once I figure out my final make-up design it will fall into place of how I'd like this design to look on my model. Out of all three designs this is my favourite one, purely because I like how different it is for an editorial. For this shoot/design in general I want to capture a more natural/organic effect to my images, as if the elements had really taken it's turn on the hair and has moved it in places without making the hair look to purposely placed.
   To achieve this look would be the exact same as my sleek wet look but a lot messier and move strands of my models hair in a natural way over the face and using sea salt sprays, wet look gel and wetting the hair itself. Also by using these different products I can manipulate the hair and make it look a lot messier and windswept.

Word Inspired Hair Chart: #2

   For my second hair chart I decided to still keep with the messy look but was inspired by one of the Dior adverts with Daphne Groeneveld for Dior addict advert, and also one of the beauty advert images I reviewed earlier on in my sketch blog. Although this design doesn't really fit with my chosen word, I still thought it would add a nice effect to my final images, and I'm currently unsure on how I would like my final make-up design to look like so I thought having a simply pretty, messy bun would suit a lot of designs that I could possibly come up with.
   To achieve this look, I would add texture to my models hair by using sea salt sprays and texturising hair sprays or gels to get a worn in effect to my design. For this design I'd like it to look like you've slept in a messy bun and your hair is a little disheveled and untidy compared to when you first put it up.

Word Inspired Hair Chart: #1

   For my editorial I wanted to have a more rough, textured look to my photos to fit my word perfectly. My first design I decided to go for the classic wet look, but put a slight twist on it by making it slightly rough and messy compared to making it super sleek and perfect looking, my aim was to make it look like someone had been caught in the rain and pushed their hair back from their face.
   To achieve this, I would start off by wetting the hair and pushing it into place then using various products such as wet look gels to make sure the hair stays in its desired place and also making it appear more wet and prolonging the wet look. I do really like this style, however I do have other ideas in mind that I think would make my editorial images look a lot pulled together and overall more interesting than if I used this design.

Dior & I

   'Dior and I" is a workplace film, a documentary that follows the workers and Simons himself preparing and viewing his process of preparing Simons first Haute Couture show. The “I” referred to in “Dior and I” does not refer to the new Dior designer Raf Simons, but to Christian Dior himself. In his 1956 memoir “Christian Dior & I,” quoted in voice-over throughout the documentary, the fashion icon reflects on his divided self. “There are two Christian Diors,” he writes. “Christian Dior, the man in the public eye, and Christian Dior, private individual.” 

   The documentary offers a behind-the-scenes look at the workings of a fashion house. It also focuses on the difficulties of the creative process, and the adjustments that must be made when a new successor has taken over a fashion house. For Simons, it’s a life of stress of trying to be creative with a brand, while deadlines approach quickly. Simons describes fashion as a mix between the present and the past, and in Simons Dior designs he wants to take Dior’s “gigantic and sublime” history and blend it with the modern era. Simons also can be a rather demanding as he has big ideas, for example turning the tie-dyed-like paintings of New York artist Sterling Ruby into prints on silk, one of many demands that test his staff’s resources and patience. And when he rents out a palatial Paris townhouse for the show, layering every wall with flowers, his dream of re-creating a mini-Versailles comes true.

   The final show and collection is a success, the clothes are magical, the elite crowd, including Marion Cotillard, Jennifer Lawrence, and Sharon Stone, is luminous. And you also witness Simons himself weep with relief and success. The workers from the atelier, meanwhile, look on at their work whilst huddle in the background in their characterless clothes. Dresses that will go for $350,000 or more to wealthy buyers.

Dior Story Board

   When researching into Dior as a brand, I first started to look at it's history and what launched the brand itself. I know when I personally think of Dior I think of elegance, femininity and a slight sex appeal so when it came to think of ways I could link my chosen word "petrichor" to my brand shoot I was stuck with what I could come up with. However, after researching into how the brand presents itself in advertisements I become inspired by showing my word though styling. Although my ideas for this shoot also include work done to the face and hair, I think I could pull off my ideas I have in mind for this shoot and have it looking very Dior.

  

Christian Diors original work. Showing his designs that broke us out of the masculinity from the war and started the "New Look". 

The last two slides show Diors successors after he passed away, I showed old and new designs and how they've all taken their own creative spin on Diors old classics.

Looking at how Dior advertised cosmetics early on.

Recent advertisements from Dior, still sticking with the same old themes they had originally.  

Thought about styling ideas for my shoot. Using umbrellas or big, oversized hats to show shelter from rain.

Lastly, looking at some inspiration for make-up for shoot. Flowers stuck on the face to show smell or went/damp hair draped across the face mixed with an umbrella or hat.

Chosen Brand: Dior

   Founded in 1946 by the designer Christian Dior, today the company designs and retails ready-to-wear, leather goods, fashion accessories, footwear, jewellery, timepieces, fragrance, make-up, and skincare products while also maintaining its tradition as a creator of recognised haute-couture.

   On 12 February 1947, Dior launched his first fashion collection for Spring–Summer 1947. The show of "90 models of his first collection on six mannequins" was presented in the salons of the company's headquarters. The two lines were named "Corolle" and “Huit", however, the new collection went down in fashion history as the "New Look" after the editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar Carmel Snow exclaimed; "It's such a New Look!" The silhouette was characterised by a small, nipped-in waist and a full skirt falling below mid-calf length, which emphasised the bust and hips, as epitomised by the 'Bar' suit from the first collection. At a time of post-war fabric restrictions, Dior used up to twenty yards of extravagant fabrics for his creations. The New Look became extremely popular, its full-skirted silhouette influencing other fashion designers all the way into the 1950s, and Dior gained a number of important clients from Hollywood, and the European aristocracy. As a result, Paris, which had fallen from its position as the capital of the fashion world after WWII, regained its excellence. The New Look was introduced in western Europe as a refreshing cure to the austerity of wartime and de-feminizing uniforms, and was embraced by stylish women such as Princess Margaret in the UK.

   The designer’s instructions to the perfumers creating Miss Dior was simple; “Create a fragrance that is like love.” But, the perfume went unnamed until the elegant Mitzah Bricard saw Dior’s sister Catherine enter the Dior Couture boutique and said; “Look, there is Miss Dior”.

Dior then went to say; “Miss Dior! That is my perfume!” And that’s how the perfume millions of women still use today was named. More than one litre of pure fragrance was sprinkled every week in Dior’s first boutique when it opened in February 1947. 

“What I remember the most about the women who were part of my childhood was their perfume – perfume lasts much more than the moment.” said Christian Dior in his 1951 biography Je Suis Couturier. Dior then went on to explain that “perfume is an indispensable accessory, a final touch in my dresses.”