'Fashion on the Move' is my dissertation piece I submitted for my BA (Hons) Fashion Design Degree.
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FASHION ON THE MOVE
----- PUBLISHED 30.1.12
The
rise of digital media and the Internet has heralded a new generation of
contemporary communication that the fashion industry has embraced.
Today, with immediate access to viral information, the new medium of
‘fashion film’ is paving the way for designers and filmmakers alike to
communicate concepts and hone in on the marketing power of the
Internet.
TEXT BY AMANDA SALWAY
Today there has been cross
over in practices with fashion photographers putting down their camera’s
intrigued by the realms of film and filmmakers branching into photography. London
based filmmaker, Ruth Hogben, a graduate in Photography, began her film career
editing for Nick Knight and has gone on to on successful collaborations with
Maison Martin Margiela, Alexander McQueen and completed the visuals for Lady
Gaga’s Monster Ball Tour, the latter indicating Hogben has climbed to the top of
the fashion film ladder. Hogben views fashion film as a new medium in its own
right that is not intended to take over catwalk shows or to replace print, but
a new and exciting creative genre that can aid visualising a designer’s
concept. In 2009 she won the A Shaded View on Fashion Film Jury Prize for her
film collaboration with Gareth Pugh showcasing his Autumn/Winter 2009
collection. Collaborating with Pugh was a match made in heaven for Hogben, as
the young designer in his 20’s understands the power of Internet communication
whilst others fail to recognise its influence.
‘At a show only 300 or 400 people will see it and the rest of the world
will see the stills. With fashion film you can have it on YouTube, everyone can
see it and it’s much more exposing. The moving image is more like showing the
inside of my brain.’
Launch just over a decade
ago ASOS was a small online fashion e-tailer selling aspirational celebrity
clothing and has now evolved into one of the dominant online retail powerhouses. ASOS, as you would expect being an Internet
retailer, is a front-runner in terms of tapping into the power of social media
for brand communication. In 2011 the launch of their ‘ASOS Urban Tour’ firmly
secured their status as one of the leaders in innovative and cutting edge use
of digital media. Exposure of the campaign was all over the internet from
Twitter to Facebook to blogs. Directed by Sebastian Strasser, with Dominic
Goldman as creative director in association with Stink Digital, the ASOS Urban
Tour showcased the Fall/Winter Menswear collection available on the site. The
campaign was an interactive global experience that featured street trends from
seven cities around the world - London, Paris, Berlin, Tokyo, Shanghai, New
York and Los Angeles. ASOS has a deep-rooted target audience that is highly
influence by the street culture that is around them so the campaign uncovered
contemporary subcultures from artists, musicians and street performers that
were pushing the boundaries within their chosen fields, from extreme skaters
speeding through the streets of Paris to beat boxing infused acoustic choral
singers in Tokyo.
Buck, Baby Bang and the world’s best street dance: ASOS The Urban Tour in London
Some skeptics have
predicted that this shift towards the Internet and use of new media will result
in the demise of print advertising and the use of still image. A substantial
amount of fashion marketers have decreased the amount spent on print advertising
and are investing more online. Despite the rise of the Internet, printed media
remains popular with the Sunday paper remaining the most read weekly
publication, in part due to the supplements, inserts and advertisements. Magazines still print alongside sister websites that may provide
extra features to support the printed publication and vice versa. The highly
esteemed menswear website, Fashionisto, in 2011 launched a new self-titled
magazine that features beautiful glossy pages of photography in conjunction
with it’s digital counterpart but introduces new features unavailable online. It
appears that designers and fashion brands can no longer afford to avoid the
giant that is the Internet and the possibility of working in the new mediums
that it supports. Now is not the digital generation where we forget or dismiss
the power of still image but of running alongside it moving images and viral
interaction that adds yet another dimension to a brand. What needs to be
universally understood is that the way in which a brand chooses to communicate
to the consumer is subjective and with the plethora of material available it is
certainly safe to say that there is something for everyone. With the resources out
there it is exciting to anticipate how the industry will strive to push the
boundaries of communication in creative and groundbreaking ways. During this
week economic climate it is imperative that companies invest in advertising and
promotion via all avenues available to them whether that be print and
photography or digital network and film so the industry remains looking strong.
Consumers are given hope with the constant reinvention of brands, less
exclusivity, greater accessibility and communication with the industry.
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Fashion
film is not a new concept with exploration of the medium dating back to the
1960’s. However, most notably recognised as one of the major
pioneers in fashion film is Nick Knight and the launch of his SHOWstudio fashion
website in November 2000. His launch pad challenged the parameters of fashion
communication online, presenting innovative projects and fashion films,
encouraging the fashion industry to embrace the possibilities of moving image in
this new digital generation. Although, it was not until the latter half of 2000’s
that the revolutionary growth in digital media exploded. Internet connection
speeds improved dramatically resulting in rapid downloading and clear streaming
in a short space of time – the perfect conditions for short film and videos to
blossom.
SHOWstudio: Gareth Pugh Autumn/Winter 2009 by Ruth Hogben.
Not to
take away any credit from the success and tradition of a runway show but models
walking from top to bottom of the stage don’t have the same versatility of
movement that can be explored and pushed through the medium of film. Working with Pugh he showed Hogben fabrics and
detailed his aesthetic of how he wants things to look, learning about the
dimensions of clothing and the importance of what chiffon means, for example,
to a designer and how she could really communicate these ideas through moving
image. The cinematic triumph was dramatic and striking with billowing clouds of
chiffon slowly melting across the screen à la Rorschach contrasting with the
staccato movement emphasising the more angular garments – a visual experience
that can only be achieved through editing film.
The
accessibility of fashion film on the Internet breaks down the walls of a runway
shows exclusivity that often separates the privileged sartorial elite from the
public. Now everyone can view equally a designer’s work enhancing the
reputation of their brand and reach a wider global audience. Film exposes a
designers mind and draws you closer into their world gaining a fuller
understanding of concept depth and thought process. Embracing the success of
moving image, The British Fashion Council (BFC) launched its Digital Schedule
for SS10. Since the events launch in 2010 designers have increasingly sought
new and innovative ways of showcasing their collections. Live streaming of
catwalks at London Fashion Week have been launched including highlights being
shown on the London Underground for the public. Film is increasingly becoming
highly influential for the world of fashion. Diane Pernet (2010) founder of A
Shaded View on Fashion believes that the consumer is aware fashion is not
wholly about clothes, events or the photography which explains why the industry
spends so much money on advertising and branding. Consumers have discovered the
power of fashion film and brands are tapping into the demand.
The
limitless nature of fashion film compliments the work of more extreme designers
with the possibilities of visuals making more of an impact where some say tame
brands fall flat. Chirs Sweeny London-based film and TV
director, stated ‘I often look at accomplished fashion photographer’s films and
find them really boring and obvious... They are just moving versions of the
stills that they shoot and that seems pointless to me.’ But is it pointless? Fashion
film, much like music, is art therefore is subjective to the individual viewer.
Chris Sweeny directed the film for Charlie Le Mindu the avant-garde wigmaker,
featuring mainly semi-clothed figures in wigs captured in slow motion and real
time, showcasing a dance number that may be argued doesn’t particularly focus
on the wigs. Therefore is this just still photography put into motion? Although, could the expressive nature of the
contemporary dance reflect on the avant-garde design of the headpieces perhaps?
It is the viewer’s response and their personal experience that dictates how the
film will be communicated.
Charlie Le Mindu Fashion Film. By Chris Sweeny
Generally, what indicates a successful fashion
film is how the components of both the visual and the audio work mutually. Jason Last, a renowned film director, has
worked closely with Diane Pernet producing films for the likes of Comme Des
Garcons and Rodarte. For Last, he
chooses to focus on movement in an industry that is dominated by a wealth of
photography. Last is a firm believer that the combination
of image and sound is more powerful than a single image. Majority of the time,
sound and music are what fuels his inspiration for a film. What is interesting
is the diversity of sound that Last uses from Post Rock to music by composer
Nicolas Leau with narration, to the model Yuri Pleskun reciting William Blake,
but all with a dark under tone that is synonymous with his work. For Last, the
fashion industry is a business, so providing people with the opportunity to
feel an emotion is really exciting.
Auguries of Innocence by Jason Last
However,
can you not feel the same emotion from a still photograph? Photography since
it’s birth has been such a powerful medium in capturing moments of memory and stirring
the deepest of our emotions. A successful single image has the power to provoke
and move the observer. As the directors above have reiterated it is not an
argument whether fashion film is better than photography. An emotion can be
provoked by a single image in a moment but a film can induce the same response,
the only difference is that the emotion is prolonged for the duration of the
film. What fashion film has contributed since its rise to the forefront of
digital media is a new forum and way of expressing fashion and emotion and
marketing the designer and brand. David Lauren, Polo Ralph Lauren’s senior vice
president of advertising, marketing and corporate communication, stresses how
vital it is for a company to explore all forms of advertising and accept the
adoption of new technology. Using a single form of promotion such as
photography is insufficient in successfully communicating a brands identity.
Successfully
exploring the use of both new media and the traditions of photography is the
high fashion design company Lanvin who made a huge viral impact with the
release of their video for the Fall 2011 collections. The video came weeks
after print advertisements shot by Steven Meisel featured sets of two models in
awkward poses that puzzled viewers as to their meaning.
Lanvin Fall/Winter 2011 Campaign
A
month later all was revealed with a minute long video featuring dancing models
including a humorous cameo appearance of Alber Elbaz himself at the end. The
campaign video was a smash hit accumulating more than 150,000 views on YouTube
in a matter of days upon its release. Shot in the style of Just
Dance for Wii adverts the models, clad in sophisticated Lanvin designs, bust
some synchronised moves to Pit Bull’s ‘I Know You Want Me.’ The classic styling
works well with the opulent interior backdrop and the aesthetic of luxury we
have come to love and attribute to the brand.
Models Dance to Pitbull’s “I Know You Want Me” Wearing Lanvin
What
is brilliant about the light hearted video is that despite being such a high
luxury brand, Lanvin showed the world that they know how to have fun and dance
the night away like the rest of us. The brand is now somewhat more accessible
for us to share their sense of frivolity. Many imitation dance videos have been
circulated across YouTube and in New York Lanvin hosted a dance off. The
consumers have a common thread with the brand as we all dance to the music of
Pit Bull and despite the clothes still maintaining their high price point we
feel that we stand on the same level. It was the surprise of this
unconventional campaign that made this a huge success for France’s oldest
Couture House. Steven Meisel wonderfully marries both the medium of photography
and film within the same campaign in a way that is memorable and refreshing.
The use of video here differs in style to that of Ruth Hogben and Jason last
but heralds the same response in terms of brand communication.
The
rise of fashion film has achieved wonders in making fashion more accessible
outside of the scheduled biannual fashion week events. Releasing previews and
films communicates directly to a brands target audience on a daily basis
through the explosion of new media. There is now a sense of reclaiming control
over our own culture that during the 20th Century was controlled by
mass media such as major Hollywood studios, newspaper empires and large
corporate TV Networks (Macnamara, 2010). Even fashion was dictated to us from
powerful corporate companies and fashion publications decided which trend to
filter to the high street and the public. Now with the emergent pace of the Internet
we regain control of what we like and want from the former dictators. Online
social networking sites such as Tumblr, Twitter and Facebook are platforms now
being used by brands to advertise, promote and communicate with their consumer
directly. According to the Internet World Statistics in 2009, there were
reportedly 1.7 billion Internet users in the world, including an estimated 900
million social network users and more than 300 blogs (Macnamara, 2010, p. 13)
The internet has become an crucial marketing outlet that is now fundamental to
a brands success.
ASOS The Urban Tour- Paris Skating
Whatever
the style and lifestyle of the consumer one of the trends was bound to please.
The campaign was a risky move for the brand as nothing preceding it had blurred
entertainment with something that was editorial featuring interactive shopping.
ASOS could not anticipate the nature of the response from critics but they
wanted their customer to enjoy the experience of discovering a new niche artist
therefore buying into the brand. The viral campaign was a chance for ASOS to
develop a brand identity for their menswear range to compete with the likes of
Wrangler, Uniqlo and H&M that have built an identity in the digital realm. The video of street dancers in London was the
first video to be released which, on the ASOS site, was fully interactive.
Clicking on one of the dancers singled them out from the others who froze and
you could click to read more about them or follow a link to purchase the exact
garments worn.
Many
online retailers have approached the use of the Internet as a two-dimensional
web interface, the ASOS Urban Tour leaps ahead in the way clothes are retailed
and a brand is created on the web in a very tactile way.
The
ASOS Urban Tour has pushed the use of fashion film into a whole new sphere that
as become completely interactive and has established the brand of ASOS menswear
as one of innovation. But the films are not just based around fashion, they are
an exposure of worldwide culture, which opens out the audience not only on a
fashion level but also to those interested in dance, music, art and sports.
There is no doubting that ASOS have set a standard in use of video and
interactive web experience that others will copy. It is exciting to see how
brands will compete to try and top this triumphant campaign.
