NEXT STEPS - STYLING & SHOOT PREPARATION

MOVING FORWARD STYLING & SHOOTS

To move forward with how my outcome would look, using my prior research I created a number of digital croquis to understand how I could express my narrative of this collaboration through my styling. (Shown in separate book) Before embarking on my styling I researched into the key Chanel and Dover Street identifiers to ensure both brands maintained their personal brand image within the collaboration. From these croquis I discovered a monochrome theme running through my looks alongside a theme of deconstruction and reconstruction of Chanel identifiers such as tweed blazers and pearls styled in a new way over the layering streetwear as a base for my designs I found these croquis very helpful in expanding my visual outcome in a digital manner being able to mock up and trial different ways of expressing this collaboration.

STYLING TESTS

I then took these developments forward and undertook many styling tests on a mannequin and model prior to my shoot. (shown in styling book) This allowed me to develop my styling and understand what worked well and what needed changing. The clothing I had accumulated was a mixture of my own blazers, hoodies and leggings, second hand blazers from the charity shop, my nana’s pearls and my mum’s vintage Chanel bag. I found styling particularly difficult when it came to replicating my croquis as I wanted to ensure both brands were represented within my looks. Eventually after many tests I was able to develop a clear understanding of my styling. The combination of clashing textures from structured blazers and softer hoodies, differing volumes, shapes, and experimenting with wearing clothing in an opposite way to how it was intended were the main

factors in my styling.

After this, I realised that I had an unintentional split in my styling between a more conceptual style and a more commercial style. This allowed me to show both brands as the lead in this collaboration. After speaking to industry mentor Christopher Shannon, he suggested I should develop both sides to express a holistic overview of this collaboration. Therefore, I decided to shoot both styles to see which portrayed the collaboration best.

SHOOT PREP

In preparation for my shoot, I created a number of mood boards to outline my ideas such as hair and make-up, poses and photography I hoped to capture. I researched into locations deciding that a studio shoot would be most beneficial as it gave me options to edit my imagery in a digital sense post-production. I also created a shoot brief document that outlined my final decisions and references to encapsulate what I wanted my final outcome to look like. This gave my shoot clear structure and underpinned my ideas, this document was very helpful during my shoots and I found that it would be helpful if I had to collaborate with anyone for example make up as their brief would already be laid out. The looks for this shoot needed to encapsulate the essence of this campaign, being strong, recognisable, and new, something I portrayed in my mood boards.

STORYTELLING

Storytelling and curation are key to this campaign as they are with both brands within this project. Storytelling is an important tool in engaging Generation Z with storytelling stemming from a brands heritage it shows a key value of authenticity to consumers. ‘Creative directors are now telling stories and building universes around a product,’ (Lau, 2020) This suggests that to curate experience there must be a story told that consumers resonate with. Therefore, I knew my shoot would need to encompass a strong narrative that consumers can resonate with and engage with as a more socially aware consumer with a want for experience more is needed to draw them in. I wanted to evoke feelings of power, strength, freedom, escapism and community within my shoot so it was important that my imagery portrayed these emotions in order for consumers to connect to the brands involved giving them as fresh perspective of luxury.