OUGD502: PHOTOGRAPHY COLLABORATION- Paris/Madrid/Tokyo Zines

OUGD502: Graphics x Fashion x Photography Posters

I decided to make some posters for the event, putting them up around the three departments. To incorporate an aspect of each department was key, by showing a clear Swiss graphic style and a fashion photograph.

Alec and I brainstormed names for the event and thought to keep it simple, a X would suggest a collaborative process- much like 'Vs' (Warhol vs Basquiat etc). So decided to call the event Graphics x Fashion x Photography, in no necessary order other than the priority being on a service for the graphics department (my personal bias), and working hirachichally off that.

To gather these photos, I asked Alec to do a call for photos on his course, as well as asking the same from a Level 6 photographer Michael Savage.

Initial designs:

I used a 5 column grid to give formal qualities, aligning the typography, image and negative space in a grip like hold on the page (ref. Helvetica doc). Both designs are just constructed in black & white for now. The second style is inspired by the polaroid format using the full grid and Futura Bold with reduced kerning for a sophisticated but contemporary impact. 

The posters will be printed at A3 yet the scalings (smallest type is 16pt) may be adaptable to smaller printing sizes.

Developments:

Added subtle colour elements in the X aspect of the concept. I showed the designs to Alec and he advised on the images to put in. We chose Mike Schofield from Level 5 Photography, experimenting with a mixture of black and white and colour. The submission for images wasn't very varied and we chose the best from the images featuring garments. I felt that this was a necessary factor as this was also a fashion event.

*pdf saved glitched so the kerning is all off. Even spacing would occur like in the design below.

The vivid green, fuscia and cyan tinted grey are loosely assigned to each colour in a a pattern, with fashion being pink, graphics being green and photography being grey (referencing black and white medium and photo).

I presented the designs to Alec and Tara Pertwee from Fashion and collaboratively we chose these final designs. We made sure to credit the photographer Mike as exposure is a big thing we need to convey within the tone of this event. A collaborative, unexclusive community with a sleek aesthetic. The use of Futura with tight kerning is resemblant of The British Journal of Photographers and countless fashion brands.

Resolutions:

<pictures in situ>

The event wasn't a big success as few people remembered about the event in the heat of deadlines and other commitments. Fashion did attend though and I presented the idea of a possible mixer event (inside or outside of uni, possibly The Fenton) to share details and allow people to make their own contacts. 

Going on from this, it would be interesting if there was a database of some kind which stored submitted work under different categories, so when someone needed to find a collaborative partner within a certain field or style, they could simply search by key words (e.g.: fashion photographer, minimal, branding, glitch art etc,) and find the right person for them... Basically a giant LCA portfolio.

OUGD502: Graphics x Fashion x Photography Event

After going to the Fenton for a drink with some friends, I bumped into Richard and Samantha Husdon-Miles (My COP Lecturer and the head of Fashion) and went over to say hello. Sam and I started talking about the fashion course and how we should collaborate more between courses. She said how many of the Level 6 students needed branding, look books and press packs doing for their final collections. I thought automatically this would be a great opportunity to inter great the courses more and actually do something as a student rep. In addition, I really want to explore more fashion within my practice so will love the opportunity to meet more students and get more involved with aspects I don't currently know about (e.g: press packs).

In the discussion, Sam and I mentioned how photography, graphics and fashion all fuse together to create campaigns and editorials. My friend and BA (Hows) photography student Alec Aarons also joined in the conversation, and we said we should host some sort of mixer event getting together interested students to show their work and meet more people. 

I need to check my Gmail more and speed up the 3 day response

After this I saw Sam in uni and explained I was visiting D&AD festival until the 27th so that wouldn't really be possible- we rearranged for the 28th and set up an initial informal chat between students, for 2pm in the Fashion studios. I notified the students of graphics with 12 people expressing a real direct interest and many more saying they wanted to get involved! Alec contacted the photography students and Sam contacted the fashion department, as well as my other friend from Level 5 Tara Pertwee spreading word of mouth.

I'm really greatful I spoke to Sam at the Fenton and I'm proactively taking arranging something to benefit mine (and others) practices!

OUGD502: Vintage Furniture Sale

The Furniture market was an interesting experience as I got to see design disciplines outside of Graphic Design. I've noticed a lot on the blogs and pages I follow, i've been growing increasingly interested in furniture and product design. The aspect of vintage finds and unique aged pieces was cool, and I wanted to find a chair for my flat. I learnt the furniture was quite overpriced as tarnished with the 'vintage' label, with bidding wars commencing in come aspects of the event. 

There wasn't just furniture, prints and garments also featured and I bought a print from a vendor to support the event to help with Studio Brief 01 for 505. Throughout the event I networked with other people interested in the pieces I was, as well as speaking to the stall holders. I met a really interesting woman Debbie who practiced as an illustrator, I got her email address after her showing me some photos of her work on her phone and it would be cool to see some more of what she does (she showed fashion illustrations similar to the woman on the left). Illustration is another medium I'm interested and it would be interesting to meet more illustrator like people. I have learn't that purchasing old furniture to re-appropriate and customise with design may not be possible in the vintage market, so if I want to experiment with multidisciplinary design (restoring and costuming a chair for instance), I may need to look into alternative methods of obtaining said chair.

I will go to more events like this in the future and really enjoyed this event!

OUGD502: Collaborative Fashion Zine

When starting the COP module I was really interested in pushing the fashion aspect of graphic design, and explore art direction more in the process! Incorporating fashion into my practice is definitely still an ambition so I contacted Priya Palmer from L6 Fashion at Leeds College of Art via Instagram, after seeing her work displayed on my feed. Instagram has been proven to be a great tool of quick responses, as well as keeping things quite informal to build more personal relationships. I loved the cultural aspect and the way she had constructed her garments, with the use of gold and royal connotations crating multiple photoshoot concepts in my head just by observing her feed. I plan to use this to inform a fashion editorial, collaborating with Priya, a model and photographer over the summer. The aspect of collaborative practice is something I've identified to enjoy in the Responsive module so I'm really excited about this opportunity and hope to learn from the whole experience. This also involves me project managing the organisation of the zine, including printing, contacting Priya and helping put together a call sheet for the event. Other things I will need to consider are costs, possible model casting and coordinating printing.

This is still very early days of the zine, I don't want to rush it to just to get it ready for the 8th May deadline (also printing would be an issue). With this, I plan to explore a wide range of concepts and props for a location shoot with Level 5 photographer Alec Aarons. The use of natural lighting and an indoor will give a less 'high fashion' aesthetic, removing the high key nature of studio photography. A soft light and homely setting will both juxtapose and competent the garments if the planned locations come through. One place we're considering shooting is at a friends family home in North Yorkshire, which has a wide variety of scenes to explore and high ceilings to complement Priya's extravagant garments. allow the garments speak for themselves. I am excited to collaborate with a wider range of designers, looking at locations as appose to the studio (which I have become quite familiar and coherent with). 

OUGD502: Lifes a Pitch

When coming together, we realised our versatility was in difference. This is simply a platform to communicate our work, similar to a coalition to promote each other. With this in mind, the target audience needs to encompass the breath of everyones practice, meaning the broader- the better.  We intended to give art and design back to the people, freely distributing it and using it as an effective tool to get others involved too. Taking inspiration from The Happy News and Nest Magazine, we expand our initial public in many ways to grow as a collective.

• What skills and services do you have to offer individually and as a group?
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• What form will your showcase take?
• What are your costs, charges and financial considerations?
• How will you structure your collective?
• Who will be responsible for what?
• How will you promote your showcase? To who? Using what media?
• Is it set in a physical location ? then where?
• How will you manage communication through the group?

You must make reference to the module resources materials, books and web sites to demonstrate your understanding of basic marketing and business principles.

OUGD502: Opening night / Disobedient Bodies, J W Anderson

Fashion designer J W Anderson has curated an exhibition, acting as the first in a new series of collaborations between The Hepworth and individuals outside the 'visual' arts. The designer Johnathon Anderson made an appearance at the opening night and I managed to speak to him briefly and discuss the sequence in the curation. The exhibition featured garments, photography and sculpture.