Paris Fashion Week: Issey Miyake Street Style

I have been using the new Olympus PEN camera during London and Paris fashion week- perfect in size/ weight whilst producing all important great quality images. I wasn't focusing on street style per-se during London, more details of the catwalk, however have been partaking in a little peeping tom-esque (no real essence of peeping though as there tends to be a sea of photographers outside every major venue) whilst in Paris.

Theres something quite exhilirating about photographing individuals within a crowd slightly off guard, more often than not in a rush- you never quite know who you're going to see or what you're going to get. I do like posed street style but often find non posed images ironically more engaging; devoid of 'auto pilot poses' with an essence of realism.

I also find the style of guests interesting to observe based on the show they're attending. In London, when I attended the KTZ and Nasir Mazhar show, people were dressed with considerably more urban inspired elements (baseball caps, trainers etc) than how one would expect guests to dress to Christian Dior or Lanvin for example. At Issey Miyake there were an awful lot of the popular holographic Issey Miyake bags from a couple of seasons prior.

Anyway, please enjoy a selection of street style highlights from the show. If you've heard of street style photographer Bill Cunningham (documentary on Netflix, anyone?) you may spot him sneaking in to one of my pictures- I had no idea he was there until I was editing on my laptop!

Emerging Trends of London Fashion Week SS15

So for another season, London Fashion Week has come and gone in a flash, ironically pre-shaping everything from high fashion to high street for many months ahead, dominating the fashion cycle as it has for many years prior and many years to come. You may be wondering whats beginning to loom this season, both trend wise and more wholistically for London as one of the key fashion capitals of the world.

Firstly, the reign of the digital era is permeating into presentations and shows alike. This was evident not only through the flourishing BFC digital presentation space but also through a personal encounter on the 2nd row of Holly Fulton, where I sat next to two professionals working for the BFC focusing on all things digital; researching the current digital presence at LFW and how the experience may be enriched in the future. Surreal as it is that fashion looks so far into the future, even more so with attendees researching for AW15!

As a freelance creative director and photographer, I begin collecting editorial ideas for the upcoming season soon after fashion weeks are over and when possible, will attend the shows myself. There are many facets to attending shows that I find beneficial-  noting the movement/ texture/ colour intensity of fabrics, casting of models, venue contrasted with the collection, the press release explaining the direction of inspiration; all useful elements when constructing editorial concepts.

The most prominent trends that I envision emerging from SS15 (based on what I've witnessed in person and on Style.com!) include:

Distressed Hemlines as seen at Marques' Almeida and Prada.

Sheer as seen at Issa and Mary Katrantzou.

Stark Monochrome as seen at Jean-Pierre Braganza and KTZ.

Shades of Green as seen at Erdem and Tom Ford

Sex Appeal Metallics as seen at Emilio de la Morena and Tom Ford.

Colour Panelling as seen at Peter Pilotto and Marques' Almeida

London Fashion Week: Olympus PEN E-PL6

During London Fashion Week I was given a fantastic opportunity to try out the brand new Olympus Pen E-PL6. For editorial and commercial work I always shoot with super high spec professional models however on the occasions when I'm attending events as a guest, heading off on holiday etc and need a little more flexibility, this camera is a fantastic option; ideal for London Fashion Week.

As a photographer, I'm a little harder to please when using affordable cameras aimed to a wider audience- it's very hard as there are so many options and where there are options, countless opinions follow. You may be able to buy a relatively good 'point and shoot' for £150-200 but more often than not, their longevity isn't great and the quality (in many more ways than one) doesn't exceed that of a phone.

The Olympus Pen E-PL6 (retailing at £429) is a very well considered camera. The quality and clarity is first rate when combined with optimum settings; achieving sharp images with enhanced colour depth and detail. The camera itself is chic and customisable, with an array of accessories including lens caps, grips and straps.

Everything about the camera works as you would anticipate- there are no grey areas which drive you mad and its quick and easy to change the settings, even in a rush as I was on the catwalk at fashion week!

I'm looking forward to using the Olympus Pen at Paris Fashion Week between 24th-29th September and will keep you updated on my progress. Not only is the Pen a great camera, it will also compliment my monochrome parisian wardrobe to perfection!

Aspinal of London Lending Launch

I was delighted to attend the Aspinal of London lending launch on the 9th September, an exclusive drop in lounge for press to adorn their fashion week outfits with a bag from Aspinal's AW14 collection.

I selected the Marylebone tote, retailing at £895. This monochromatic beauty is the perfect balance of function and style, complete with USB phone charger which in my opinion, is utterly genius. I don't want to think about how many times I hunted out the elusive 3 pin grail last season, crouching on the ground whilst praying it would reach at least 20% in the next 10 minutes.

It's large enough to pop in my fashion week staples, including, but of course not limited to; invitations, a pair of black pumps, emergency blister plasters (you can never be too prepared), an apricot and almond Eat Natural bar and/or Propercorn sweet and salty for on the run sustenance and last but not least, my camera.

The lending launch ends on the 22nd September, covering the duration of all European fashion weeks; London, Milan and Paris. I'm looking forward to attending Paris Fashion Week for the first time this season, the cornucopia of all things chic- armed with my rather fitting monochrome tote. It's going to be hard to part with!

Makeup Essentials for London Fashion Week

Fashion season is upon us again, with #LFW (sorry I can't resist a good hashtag) less than a week away. I've attended fashion week on behalf of L'Officiel Ukraine for the last few seasons and will be doing so again this month for SS15.

One tip that I've learnt -the hard way of course- over the past 2 years is that is that you can never be too prepared; sussing out outfits in advance is a lightbulb moment not to ignore. There's nothing worse than waking up on the day of fashion week and not knowing what to wear, especially when its inevitable that everyone else will look as though, with a select proportion quite literally, having stepped out of Conde Nast's headquarters.

My wisest of words -above everything- is to always walk out of the house feeling both confident and comfortable, its so easy to get carried away with something that just isn't you. Personally, I'm most content in monochrome or all black. Paired with a red lip, dewy makeup with well frizz eased curly hair, I'm all set to go!

I've taken a quick snap of my makeup essentials for London Fashion Week...

Oribe Supershine Moisturising Cream- Smells delicious and great at defining curls. Ideal travel size, especially for a smaller handbag.

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer- Perfect coverage with a dewy finish

Dior Nude Foundation- Medium coverage, giving the illusion of a light coverage

The Body Shop Vitamin C Energising Face Spray- Refreshing and rejuvinating the night after a  party!

Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream- Great for a natural look on the eyes mixed with a light shadow and mascara.

Code Beautiful Black Mascara- It took a while to perfect the technique (360 rotation of the brush whilst in a zig zag motion) but now I finally have the hang of it the results are great; creating soft yet full lashes- a godsend when wearing glasses!

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in 'Dragon Girl'- The perfect long lasting  'pop' of colour. On trend with it's velvet matte finish combined with a timeless siren red tone. I use lip liner all over underneath on the first application of the day, topping up with the lipstick pencil accordingly throughout the day.

Do you have any makeup essentials or tips for fashion week?

Behind the Scenes: 'Light Years'

The concept 'Light Years' was inspired by S/S 14 beauty trends such as those seen below at Mui Mui and Holly Fulton. Nars international makeup artist Anna Priadka and I discussed that the sheer, glossy blues and purples would photograph beautifully under a selection of sci-fi-esque kaleidoscopic lighting to highlight both tone and texture.

Volt Magazine commissioned this as an online 'Volt Cafe' exclusive; a refreshing injection of S/S inspiration with a conceptual, cinematic aesthetic.

 

Click to view the shoot on Volt Magazine's website

Alice Luker
www.aliceluker.co.uk

Setting the Mood: The Secret Behind Moodboards

As a photographer and creative director of most of my shoots I'm often involved in developing moodboards; a presentation of visuals and text to reflect the concept/ aesthetic of a brief. This stage is so important, not only for production value (proposing to publications, model agencies etc) but also to share full mutual understanding of the concept with the team.

It is advantageous as a fashion photographer to attain a level of knowledge in all aspects of fashion- most importantly styling, makeup and casting models. Luckily for me, I attended various short courses at LCF in makeup, styling and the history/evolution of fashion which have been beneficial when communicating and translating ideas with the creative team. I would never refer to myself a makeup artist or stylist based on this experience but dexterity of knowledge within the fashion industry is key.

Moodboards need to be in depth, clear and concise. I'm rarely fond of a single page moodboard as I feel its important to spread the layout over a couple of pages, enriched with visual references and accompanied by short, pertinent sentences. I'm fond of Microsoft Powerpoint or the equivalent 'Keynote' with my new Macbook Pro. Both programmes are simple and professional, containing all the necessary actions to create the perfect board.

I separate each creative component into individual pages; concept, styling, hair & makeup, lighting/ art direction, poses and models. If its a major editorial shoot or brand campaign, I will often devise a shoot plan in a similar style to the moodboard too, with each page hosting 2 shot ideas with visuals to elaborate. An example page from an editorial shoot plan is below.

Key benefits of allocating a full page per creative focus come into action on the shoot day. They are flexible to physically move back and fourth from prep room to shoot location; allowing the team to stay on point and are ideal to incorporate additional annotations if required- a black sharpie pen is perfect for this.

Most of my moodboards begin with a title page. Sometimes if I feel it's strong enough, I will include a title suggestion for an editorial, or if a S/S brand campaign for example I will simply call it ' (brand name) S/S Campaign'.

The moodboard images featured below are from my editorial shoot 'The Third Degree' for Stylenoir Magazine. I haven't included the page describing the concept (which would be featured directly after the title in a PDF presentation) or the page suggesting specific models.

If I had skills in illustration I would avoid using other photographer's imagery where possible, especially in the shoot plan. Film still references are great to broaden the horizon of inspiration in addition to face charts created exclusively by the MUA for the shoot.

Useful websites for Moodboards

Pinterest- Visuals

Pinterest is fantastic at the pre-moodboard stage- collecting a vast range of imagery relevant to each shoot brief. I'm often a little frivolous at this stage, pinning all images that may reflect the aesthetic/ mood (without too much thought) to be filtered down during the next stage; sub-conscious pinning as it were. You can also invite others to pin to any selected board and create a number of secret boards only be viewed by yourself and those invited. I'm an avid nocturnal pinner...

Style.com- Styling

Style.com contains a filtered selection of catwalk shows/lookbooks during fashion week season, ideal for Pinterest boards. I create 4 boards every season on Pinterest featuring my personal highlights from Milan, New York, Paris and London Fashion Week which are useful when putting boards together. I may even take it a step further and create a trend based sub board from the season as a whole, titled 'futuristic' or 'metallic' for example.

Models.com- Models

To stay in the loop of the current circuit of models, models.com contains all top agency packages from major fashion weeks in addition to top newcomer faces. I have folders on my Macbook and save the model's cards that particularly stand out for future reference.

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I hope this has been helpful, happy moodboarding!

Alice Luker
www.aliceluker.co.uk

Valentino: Master of Couture at Somerset House

My latest exhibition trip was to Valentino: Master of Couture. With a designer and subject matter of such prestige and talent, I had high expectations of the show, especially to be gracing the rooms of Somerset House- the hub of London Fashion Week.

Amidst the fumes of fabulously dressed older women fragranced by Chanel No. 5, I was reminded of my time spent in Milano, the birthplace of Valentino. There is an unquestionable air of Italian craftsmanship in all of his pieces; whether it may be a zebra print 60s creation or an elegant little black dress, Italian refinement -like no other- is a distinct quality affiliating every one of his pieces.

In addition to number of letters, a video of Valentino and a fascinating insight to the production of his creations, the 'catwalk' was undoubtedly the key component of this exhibition. Over 100 of his pieces lined the walls of the rather long and narrow space. It was displayed in a very literal manner, with a small booklet offered with the numbers of the pieces and physical description as you weave your way around the crowds.

I do however feel that based of the title of the show 'Master of Couture' it would have been even more insightful to have more details of the 'catwalk' section in the booklet- perhaps a little more on the wearer of the dress, a quote or two or an image on the mannequin. I really do appreciate something to take home and treasure for many years to come.

This show would be of interest to a diverse spectrum; unifying to witness one of the most successful and accomplished couturiers in existence.

Whether it may be inspiration or aspiration, the fashion industry is one which continues to seduce, assembled by a provenance of desirable opposites- both realistic and unrealistic, attainable and unattainable- proving that dreams and visions will enchant our creativity and imagination for many years to come.

www.aliceluker.co.uk

Is all that we see or seem, but a dream within a dream? -Edgar Allen Poe

Fyador Golan: The Next McQueen?

I was first introduced to the spectacular work of Fyador Golan at  London Fashion Week 2012; the design duo's conceptual yet visually stimulating designs proving to be one of my personal favourites from the season. As these designers reaching the tipping point of their career, they certainly offer a lot of promise for artistic greatness yet to come.

One particular quality which I feel that true conceptual artists display with their collections is the use of narrative- a real theme and story collectively showcasing a unique viewpoint each season. Each season acts as a new chapter-or in the case of McQueen (and I predict for Fyador Golan) - a new book entirely. 

From what we have seen so far, Fyador Golan has already offered us a true vision of a conceptual artist, proving that although fashion is a business, the perspective can still be visually stimulating and above all things, exceptionally inspiring. 

I feel that since the death of (in my opinion) our greatest conceptual artist/ designer of our time, we have a large fashion shaped hole still waiting to be filled. A designer offering equal levels of passion and talent, proving that they can create beauty and art in almost anything through the medium of design.

Perhaps this is who we are looking for, a designer glowing with passion and talent; so evocatively that success inevitably follows their every footstep. The V&A have showcased an immense spectrum of design talent over the past few years: from Craig Lawrence, Stephanie Rolland and Kenzo, each collection I have personally seen seems underlined with passion.

How do they do it? I personally feel that any creative- be it designer, stylist or in my case photographer; one must immerse themselves in culture, art and -secondly- in fashion. As stated on Fyador Golan's website 'behind the brand is a muse- gentle yet bold, sophisticated and explorer'. It seems that many successful designers (including McQueen) seem to abide by their ideals of an all important 'Muse'. One both determined yet ambiguous, constantly striving to be reborn season after season. 

www.aliceluker.co.uk