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“AWAKENING” Fashion Styling and Photography Sheffield Hallam University Ba(Hon) Fashion Management and Communication Level 4
Maria-Mihaela Alexandrescu 1
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C O N T E N T S
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1. NORTHERN SOUL
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2. NARRATIVE
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3. LOCATION
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4. MAKEUP & HAIR
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5. STYLING & PHOTOGRAPHY
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6. PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS
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O N E.
N O R T H E R N S O U L
Studying the Northern Soul phenomenon revealed one of its chief characteristics: the crave for freedom. Being stuck in the routine of having a factory job Monday to Friday inevitably led to the desire of finding an escape and Northern Soul was just the perfect one. Teenagers of the late 1960s rejected the mainstream and dedicated their lives to the soul music in every aspect instead. It was a new and exciting era, friends became family and being a “soulie” was a way of living life at its fullest. Participating to an all-nighter was synonymous with profound liberation. The youth was living for the weekend. The brief required to base our concept on a mixture between Northern Soul and the team’s personal perception about Sheffield. As the “Northern Soul” movement is strongly associated with the idea of freedom and escapism, a concept was specifically created to link this notion with the city of Sheffield, as one of the greenest cities in Europe. That is how “Awakening” was born, a northern fairytale. 5
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T W O.
N A R R A T I V E
The narrative of this concept depicts a young, working-class lady who feels trapped in her own existence and seeks a way out of her daily mundane life. The story presented is mostly metaphorical and symbolic. In the beginning of the film she sits alone in the middle of the forest on an old, rusty chair. This scene is meant to represent her own conscience, a moment when she decides to confront her inner self about the situation she finds herself into. She is young and wild at heart, but lacks the courage to allow herself to find the freedom she deserves. Just like the young workingclass teenagers in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s rejected the mainstream and needed an escape from the daily routine, found it in the catching beats of Black American soul music, played at the all-nighters taking place all around Northern Britain. 7
In the beginning of the story she is about to light up her cigarette, a symbol for the routine she has to endure. Inhaling, exhaling, inhaling, exhaling in a repetitive manner until she breaks down. After finally deciding to raise up and stub it out she starts to explore the surroundings. The tension rises gradually as she slowly walks around, then starts to jog and ends up running until she reaches the perfect spot, the one place she has been looking for. She has finally found freedom through dancing (on the beats and rhythm of Northern Soul). She becomes part of something greater than her own being. The 3 jumps represent the “breaking point” of our story, the highest peak of her freedom seeking journey. Her spirit is now flooded with joy and satisfaction and collapses on the ground. 8
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T H R E E.
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The chosen filming location called “Longshaw Estate�, hosts picturesque natural surroundings, exactly what the team was looking for. This beautiful place perfectly illustrates the link between Sheffield and its heritage. It is a wonderful location to discover the spectacular Peak District with its ancient woods, meadows, parkland and heather moorland. With around 1600 acres of moor, gritstone edges and extensive woods the Longshaw Estate provides breathtaking views over the Derwent Valley. This idyllic scenery could easily be portrayed as a magical place, an enchanted forest that perfectly illustrated the concept and helped sketching out the fairytale and implicitely the final outcome. Being such a vast, open-space location, it made filming and photographing easier and a great pleasure.
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F O U R.
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The hairstyle worn by the model was intentionally chosen to illustrate what a “soulie� would have had back in the late 1960s or early 1970s. Elements like a fringe and sideburns, which are rooted in the mod subculture, were still relevant during the Northern Soul era. In order to mix this particular style with the idea of a fantasy, the team decided to use a contrasting element, namely flowers, meant to subtly suggest the concept. The makeup used is minimal. Foundation and loose powder were applied to even out her complexion and match her natural skin tone. A small amount of mascara and a few fake freckles, painted using eyebrow pomade, complemented the final look.
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F I V E.
S T Y L I N G & P H O T O G R A P H Y
In terms of styling and photography the same concept of emphasizing the character’s movement has been taken into consideration when choosing garments and poses. The main goal of the photoshoot was to capture the most significant moments presented during the film. Therefore, the final images would be genuine and able to convey pure emotion to any viewer. The individual garments and overall styling references the Northern Soul aesthetic and the team’s fairytale concept, in a more modern and contemporary relevant manner. The 2 main outfits are meant to illustrate the concept, while the rest of them were meant to be incorporated during the scene of utter liberation, her dance. 15
close up textile skirt touching the grass
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For the first main outfit presented, the model wore a 70s vintage Adidas jacket borrowed from Mooch Vintage, an independent store in Sheffield and a maid skirt, specially created for this project, to suggest the initial condition of the character. 17
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The second outfit consists in a Fred Perry T-shirt (a symbol of the NS roots in the mod culture), suspenders, dancing shoes and Adidas socks with items that are meant to suggest the change of scenery (the moment she finds freedom through dancing), namely the tulle skirt mixed with the white flowers. 19
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Extra outfit I 27
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Extra outfit II 31
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close up red and white textures
Extra outfit III 35
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Extra outfit IV 37
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S I X.
P R O M O T I O N A L M A T E R I A L S
Instead of a classical art or photography exhibition where artwork is usually displayed on the walls of the venue, Awakening is meant to represent a concept, a state of mind, and therefore, viewers should be encouraged to emerse into this particular frame of mind by the end of the experience. The first part of the exhibition will bring the forest inside. Tall trees and real grass would be the perfect setting for the photographs, which will be encased in a rectangular clear glass shape. After the woods experience, guests will be invited to take their seats and the film will be played on a cinema-like screen. The opening event will end with a dinner and a Northern Soul party, where all the great soul hits should be played by an authentic DJ. 39
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Invitation prototype I 41
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Invitation prototype III 43
Invitation prototype II 44
Poster and leaflet artwork 45
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SHU FMC 2019