William Joseph Fancher Strength Through Style
Dedicated to my parents, Don and Tess Fancher. Without your support, guidance, and impeccable taste I would have never found my passion.
Strength Through Style began as an exploration of how iconic fashion editors have influenced my understanding of fashion styling, but evolved into much more. This book began to reveal how style can create and express inner confidence. These five editorials will transport you to the different stories that represent and reflect what inspires me in life, featuring the talents of young creative men and women who will bring intrinsically individual versions of strength into the future of fashion.
Table of Contents Revisiting the Supers 1 - 8
Follow or be Followed 9 - 16
Breaking the Binary 17 - 25
Ahead of Her Time 26 - 41
Reclaiming Sexuality 42 - 56
Revisiting the Supers Inspired by Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele
The '80s and '90s were eras of fashion revolution that catapulted the industry into the forefront of every person's mind. One of the fashion editors who catapulted modern styling is Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele. A stylist with a love of color and accessories, her images always brought me an innate sense of exuberant joy. In Revisiting the Supers, I wanted to emulate the sensual beauty of Cerf de Dudzeele's editorials that captured the Super's personality and power while also capturing how the modern woman can find confidence through style.
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Styling & Direction
William Fancher Photography
Javier Asturias Model & Beauty
Lauren Hudson Assistant
Kelly Hippenmyer Special thanks to Amelia Sanda, Emily Whelan, Claire Collier, and H&M for lending pieces to Revisiting the Supers.
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Follow or be Followed Inspired by Liz Tilberis
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Harper's Bazaar has a legacy of being able to direct and understand the American woman's desires for the world around her. Liz Tilberis was an editor who captured that legacy and capitalized, creating unique editorials that depicted glamorous women-in-action during everyday life. In Follow or Be Followed. I captured the essence of Liz Tilberis while visually representing the loss of privacy in 2017 caused by the paparazzi nature of social media platforms.
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Styling & Direction
William Fancher Photography
Jessie Scott Beauty Amanda Liers Accessories
Catherine Sinkule Model
Kharlybia Roane Special thanks to Ashlee Cruz, Kharlybia Roane, H&M, and Uniqlo for lending pieces to Follow or be Followed.
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Breaking the Binary Inspired by Delphine Treanton
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Delphine Treanton, during her years at Vogue Paris, fused femme fatale with cinema and fashion, drawing upon icons like Marlene Dietrich, Katherine Hepburn, and more to show where modern glamour originated. Over the generations, the understanding of femme fatale has shifted from featuring Bond Girls and Charlie's Angels to the modern understanding of femininity. In Breaking the Binary, we explore the reality of modern feminine strength by acknowledging that the true femme fatale is a person being their purest self.
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Styling & Direction
William Fancher Photography
Katie Walker Model & Beauty
Faith Newton Painting
Nora Harrison Special thanks to Faith Newton, Claire Collier, H&M, Urban Outfitters, and Gucci for lending pieces to Breaking the Binary.
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Ahead of Her Time Inspired by Grace Coddington
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It is impossible to think about contemporary fashion without thinking on the profound influence of Grace Coddington's editorials and styling. She had the ability to evoke distress and glamour through effusive portraits of glamour both past and present. Ahead of Her Time is a representation of romantic whimsy and internal distress, influenced by the unsettling feeling of not belonging and wanting more. There is an odd beauty in despair, especially when captured in the eery environment provided by the ruins of the Old Sheldon Church.
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Styling & Direction
William Fancher Photography
Rebecca Gerhard Model & Beauty
Jessie Scott Accessories
Cassidy Terry Assistant
Ian Evarts Special thanks to Jessie Scott, Asos, Uniqlo, and H&M for lending pieces to Ahead of Her Time.
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Reclaiming Sexuality Inspired by Carine Roitfeld
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1994 - 2004 at Gucci were a period of sophistication, sex, and energy, and this was all thanks to the creative partnership of Tom Ford and Carine Roitfeld. Their ability to portray sensuality created a stir in the industry and revived a brand that many thought would never make a comeback. Reclaimed Sexuality follows that path, but focuses through the lense of how sexuality can be used to create feminine strength and not simply as a mechanism for masculine pleasure.
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Styling & Direction
William Fancher Photography
Laura Beckerdite Model & Beauty
Lily Ann Epps Special thanks to Lily Ann Epps, Claire Collier, H&M, Urban Outfitters, Forever 21, and BCBG for donating pieces to Reclaiming Sexuality.
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