Styling Photoshoot

With all the work surrounded and based on our trend book and the 'TRACES' brief, I really did begin to wonder if we were going to be doing something else because I knew that after this project it's Christmas then its the beginning of our Final Major Project.

Last week we started our 'styling' part of the promotion package on this course. I was soo excited because it's something I really like doing and something that I want to go on doing. We were introduced to styling and how it works and what it is. Styling is basically having the ability or natural flair to absorb fashion and to train your eye to work out what works and what doesn't and why. I also learnt that styling is based on the attributes to appreciate and accentuate and to compromise and compensate (the body).

My personal view on style is that, clothes represent you as a person, the first thing somebody sees when they meet you is what you are wearing, it's important to show your personality and individuality in the way you dress but also representing yourself well at the same time. For example you're not going to turn up to a business meeting in a grass skirt and bikini. We were shown a few 'style icons' who used the rule of accentuation and appreciation;

• Marylyn Monroe- had an hourglass figure, she wore clothes that showed off her figure to it's fullest by wearing fitted and figure hugging clothes-this was her style.
• Audrey Hepburn- had a 'boy like/ tube' figure, so she wore clothes that appreciated her shape and also accentuated it i.e. she had a slim waist so she would wear dresses that 'showed' this off.

In all this we did a little exercise, with a box full of accessories and shoes we were to re-create or interpret a 'fashionable look' (50's housewife, 60's hippy chic and 80's power dresser) and in teams style them in those looks, photograph it and create a storyboard. In my team it was me Grace and Steph

We chose to do two looks a historical and contemporary- 60's hippy chic and Contemporary 80' power dressing.

60's Hippy Chic

In this look our model 'Grace' is at a festival but somehow gets lost in the woods and is trying to find her way back. The music to accompany this storyboard/look is Rolling Stones.

Contemporary 80's Power Dressing

In this look the model 'me' is located on the roof of a business centre (actually it's University House roof), she is a business woman who likes to have fun, we wanted to go for more of a sartorial look at fashion week sort of thing. The one song that comes to mind for this look is Bobby Brown 'Two can play that game'.

I really enjoyed this exercise, I got a chance to be in front of the camera as a model, which was a rare but liberating experience, it sort of makes me envy and appreciate the models and the modeling industry like all things creative you can do what you want, be who you want and look good doing it too!!!

Photography courtesy of Steph Maund @ www.maundo4.blogspot.com/