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| Photo art by Annaleena Leino Karlsson |
It feels crazy to think about, but my first year at FCP has just ended! I can't believe how fast it went by, and the realisation of it makes me both excited for second year and terrified of how quickly I will find myself dishing out ideas for my final year dissertation – yikes! On one hand I feel pretty impatient to make such a big step, especially when most of my friends who are my age have just finished their third year at uni whereas I'm just starting (because of travelling and gap year abroad and yada yada). On the other one, though, I don't know if I'm ready to leave the safe academic setting and make the big leap of faith into official adult world – not the make-believe adult world-limbo that students live in.
Either way, I thought I would share with you my first year portfolio which includes a selection and summary of what I've been up to this year. I have been uploading most of my work on my Issuu account throughout the year anyway, so if you'd like to see and/or read some of those works more in detail, you're welcome to do it there. In the meantime, here's an overview of what Fashion Communication & Promotion students can do here at Nottingham Trent – a combination of photography, trend research, street style, PowerPoints, InDesign reports, packaging mock-ups, and lots of Big Ideas (or find it at this link):
Hope you enjoy that while I sit here drowning in boxes and suitcases as I pack up all my stuff to leave Nottingham and the UK for the summer. I am flying back to Italy this Sunday to go back to my family (whom I haven't seen since Easter break!) and actually have an internship waiting for me at an amazing fashion company near where I live. More on that soon!
A while ago I made a post about some of my favourite Instagram accounts to follow. I mentioned how hard it was to pick only 5, which is why I'm back with some more lovely feeds for you! This time I'll be focusing on a few brands accounts which I still find so incredibly pleasing to the eye, I can't but mentally congratulate their social media teams.
As usual, in no particular order:
@thefuturekept (link)
The Future Kept are a team of husband and wife who collaborate and work in the fields of interior, graphic and product design, styling, photography, writing, and brand development. Their online shop offers a selection of some amazingly-designed, beautiful objects for the home, which they design and source from independent designers, artists and artisans. I am big on this recent and upcoming trend of buying less and buying better, and their business values are rooted in exactly that belief. They write on their website: "Our primary goal with The Future Kept is to inspire more people to think carefully about the items they have in their lives, by putting together a collection of best in class products all with a story to tell." They also donate a percentage of all their profits at the end of each year. What's not to love?
@noatpaper (link)
It's no secret that I'm a sucker for stationery, especially when extremely pretty such as the one by Noat Paper. I love their icy pastel colour palette and thin, modern and scandi-minimalist lines. I wish all my cards looked like theirs and I'm always happy to see a new post by them whilst scrolling down my feed. Their website also features some amazing imagery in their "Mood" section, which perfectly encapsulates their philosophy.
"Sharing a quiet sense of style and nostalgia, with simple pleasures that deepen senses."
@bullettmagazine (link)
Am I cheating for bringing in a magazine? It is still a brand after all in a way. Either way, Bullett Magazine's Instagram feed is without a doubt one of my favourites. They are a print and interactive "transmedia" company that curates bold, engaging fashion, art, film and music for young, international tastemakers, who isn’t afraid to write articles that spark discussion, with editorials calling out the skinny model debate and how to write about fashion intellectually. Their feed is but a reflection of their eclectic and curious taste. They always manage to find such amazing and inspiring images which span from illustration, to fashion photography, to anything artsy and creative in general. Another thing I love is that they always credit the creator's Instagrams, allowing me to often wander off on a social media rabbit hole of artistic discovery.
@danielwellington (link)
“Minimalistic and unpretentious. A timeless classic”. One of my favourite Instagram feeds, it features minimalistic and often artistic shots of the watch, often in very creative settings which can appeal to a wide range of audience, especially since a lot of the photos are sent in by actual buyers. Some of the pictures are so clever and creative, and others just plan beautiful. Amazing product placement!
@geo_fleur (link)
Yes, I love cacti and general succulenta, could I be any more boring? What can I do, I've been hooked. I know that once I have my own place I won't be able to keep myself and will want to fill the house with these green beauties. Geo Fleur is one of the few cactus-Instagrams I follow, and they are by far one of my favourites. If you also like adorable aggregations of these mini-potted beauties then I suggest you give them a follow!
So here they are, my top 5 Instagram brands' feeds. Hope you found some inspiration in these and don't be surprised if I make another one of these soon enough!
Over and out,
B. x
As usual, in no particular order:
@thefuturekept (link)
@noatpaper (link)
"Sharing a quiet sense of style and nostalgia, with simple pleasures that deepen senses."
@bullettmagazine (link)
@danielwellington (link)
“Minimalistic and unpretentious. A timeless classic”. One of my favourite Instagram feeds, it features minimalistic and often artistic shots of the watch, often in very creative settings which can appeal to a wide range of audience, especially since a lot of the photos are sent in by actual buyers. Some of the pictures are so clever and creative, and others just plan beautiful. Amazing product placement!
@geo_fleur (link)
Yes, I love cacti and general succulenta, could I be any more boring? What can I do, I've been hooked. I know that once I have my own place I won't be able to keep myself and will want to fill the house with these green beauties. Geo Fleur is one of the few cactus-Instagrams I follow, and they are by far one of my favourites. If you also like adorable aggregations of these mini-potted beauties then I suggest you give them a follow!
So here they are, my top 5 Instagram brands' feeds. Hope you found some inspiration in these and don't be surprised if I make another one of these soon enough!
Over and out,
B. x
It is a pretty striking video whose intention appears quite clear to me: it is bold, it is engaging, it is inspirational and aspirational. The powerful voiceover features strong words and the footage itself is fast-paced, wild, adventurous, set in an urbanised nature and with a Thelma and Louise road trip vibe.
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| Still from Ridley Scott's Thelma & Louise (1991). |
The first thing that caught my attention was how different the tone of voice of the video was from Lancôme's overall brand identity. Thinking I might have missed some pivotal change in consumer base or brand identity, I searched for other recent campaigns by the French luxury beauty house, but they only confirmed my intuition.
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| Lancôme's previous ad campaigns. |
Lancôme is a high-end perfume and cosmetics brand with over 75 years on its back and known for its refined, French luxury and this is consistently weaved through their products, in-store and online experiences, and ad campaigns. They target mainly women in their 40s whose focus is to keep looking healthy and young.
And it's not even to do with their "new face". Lily Collins, the face of the Énergie de Vie video ad, is certainly an unusual spokeswoman for the French brand, whose campaigns usually feature Hollywood stars the likes of Kate Winslet (40), Penelope Cruz (42) and Julia Roberts (48), all actresses and women of a quite higher caliber than Collins as well as, naturally, higher age (Collins has just turned 27 in March). However, other previous Lancôme campaigns which featured the young British-American actress clearly conformed to the brand's usual approach to ads:
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| Lily Collins in other Lancôme's campaigns. |
Yet this video's aesthetics and tone of voice seem to completely overturn these values. I honestly would never have guessed it was Lancôme hadn't there been a hovering logo on the top left throughout the whole thing! This ad is grungy, gritty, rebellious, it has attitude, it has spirit, it tastes of leather jackets and car tires on sand and urban streets. It has a decisive Millennial appeal, the sort of motivational "no-bullshit" type of narrative that this younger, but somewhat more cynical generation is attracted to like bees to honey. The style of it actually really reminded me of Baz Luhrmann's 1999 "Sunscreen" video. Both the music and script add to this feel, reaching their climax in a freedom-claiming and strongly feminist statement:
"you can do this, you can own this, you'll be proud
show the world what we're made of (...)
my energy is unstoppable
i'll show you what i'm made of"
There's nothing wrong with attempting to rejuvenate one's consumer base and to reach to a wider target audience by tweaking and matching one's brand's values to the aspirations of a new segment. As Françoise Lehmann, Lancôme’s CEO, explained, “The goal is not to rejuvenate the brand, only to target a wider population of women”. However, even the print ads for this same product which I found online seem to be completely clashing against the attitude of this video, maintaining instead Lancôme's traditional clean, fresh and organic feel which appeals to a sense of quality, trust and honesty in their products.
So my question is: what's your plan, Lancôme? You gotta make up your mind and pull all your strings together if you want your message to come through. As a matter of fact, I found it pretty hard to find a full version of the video, and none completely in English without subtitles: it has 4,000 views on Lancome Österreich (Austria), 2,193 in Lancome Suisse (Switzerland) and not even 1,000 on Lancome France YouTube channel. It looks good, so why hasn't it gone viral yet? Maybe because no one has got a clue what you've been up to with your campaigns.
Over and out,
B. x
Eve: "I think you just hate people."
James: "I don't mind people, I just can't stand collective idiocy."
What do you think would come out of a collaboration between Stuart Murdoch – the chief songwriter and lead singer for Belle and Sebastian – and the producers of Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums?
God Help the Girl is a coming-of-age story centred around Eve (Emily Browning). Eve is a catastrophe: at the start of the movie, she runs away from a eating disorders recovery clinic and wanders off into a candy-coloured and sun-dappled Glasgow holding nothing but a backpack and a tape, in which her dreams of becoming a recognised pop singer are enclosed. There she meets James (Olly Alexander), a cynical and awkward young guitarist, and Cass (Hannah Murray), a dreamy and kind of posh who wants to write songs. Three seemingly disparate souls, but brought together by their love for pop music and ideas about the role of musicians and the aspirations of today's songwriters. They are an improbable and yet perfectly put-together trio, just like their outfits, selected by costume designer Denise Coombes.
The dreamy and idyllic Glasgow scenes are marked by an undertone of dark psychological problems addressed to some too lightly, but to me it's sort of refreshing to see a movie with a character whose eating disorder isn't the main protagonist of the story, nor is it her defining characteristic, but something that creeps up at the worst times, unexpected, uninvited, and taking everything with it, but still something she can keep at bay.
God Help the Girl is, essentially, a 2-hour long Belle and Sebastian music video filled with charming little dialogues and sharp but casual retro-chic outfits. For me, it was a bit of a guilty pleasure: yes, the plot was definitely secondary if not non-existent and the characters have little real development; but the thinness of the story and the characters is what makes the movie pull out wings and fly high, dazzling you with a pinch of fairy dust, with a daintiness only possible thanks to Belle and Sebastian's lyricism and Emily Browning's amazing dream waif performance.
It is a movie about aspirations and goals, musical or otherwise.
“If you want to hear your voice floating in the middle of a beautiful tapestry of frequencies, you’re going to need a pop group.”
Needless to say, I was a huge fan of the soundtrack (it does help that I'm rather fond of Belle & Sebastian music), so if you want to take a tiny step into the twee and whimsical world of God Help the Girl, wait no further and let this one hour of delicious arrangements and uplifting choruses:
It's no secret that I am a huge fan of Brandon Stanton, a.k.a. Humans of New York. I have been following him on Facebook for years and watched him go from snapping the average passerby on the streets of New York, to going around the world to feature real stories of real people from over 20 countries, following causes, meeting refugees, and, basically, changing people's lives as well as the world a little bit at a time.
Which is why when I found out that, just like last year, HONY was going to be at the Met Gala, I was only waiting to see what he would come up with this time. While the press avidly howls at the celebrities our on the red carpet and paparazzi snapped juicy candids inside, Brandon skips on frivolous details such as what designer they're wearing or who they are currently dating, and he just finds the right questions to make anyone open up about their dreams, fears and aspirations. As per his usual format, his subjects are the focal point of the picture and each photograph is left anonymous and only accompanied by one simple quote that he extracted from their chats, which can last up to 10 minutes. I love how he included such a various range of Met personalities, not only high-profile celebrities the likes of Nicole Kidman and Elon Musk, but also employers and less "famous" faces.
All photographs via Brandon Stanton.
Which is why when I found out that, just like last year, HONY was going to be at the Met Gala, I was only waiting to see what he would come up with this time. While the press avidly howls at the celebrities our on the red carpet and paparazzi snapped juicy candids inside, Brandon skips on frivolous details such as what designer they're wearing or who they are currently dating, and he just finds the right questions to make anyone open up about their dreams, fears and aspirations. As per his usual format, his subjects are the focal point of the picture and each photograph is left anonymous and only accompanied by one simple quote that he extracted from their chats, which can last up to 10 minutes. I love how he included such a various range of Met personalities, not only high-profile celebrities the likes of Nicole Kidman and Elon Musk, but also employers and less "famous" faces.
All photographs via Brandon Stanton.
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| “From the moment he could speak, he could discuss.” |
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| "I'm afraid we're moving toward an environmental apocalypse where everyone is going to be living in slums and I'm going to be a 60-year-old woman gasping for breath." |
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| "We always tell each other: 'Whatever form you came in, I'd love you.'" |
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| "I'm a fashion associate. I come from a family of doctors and lawyers, so I do feel frivolous at times. Fashion is a luxury. I know that everyone gets dressed in the morning, so clothing is a necessity, but a dress like this is not even for the one percent—it's for the .001 percent. But there's something magical about that. When I was a little girl, I put pictures of these dresses on my bedroom wall. It's what I aspired to. And this dress was somebody's dream and vision. Fifty artisans spent thousands of hours making this. That doesn't seem frivolous to me. That seems like servitude and artistry. It's people doing what they love." |
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| "I grew up in India where a woman got married, settled down, and kept a house. I never thought I’d do anything different. I lived a very sheltered existence. I went to a British school, then a women’s college, and then I met my husband. I assumed that I’d be taken care of for the rest of my life. But shortly after we came to America, my husband slipped into a coma and lingered for another 15 years. We had a small child at the time. I’d never worked before, except for a part-time job in the bookshop at the Met. I was a very quiet person. And suddenly I had to make all of the decisions. I had to get a full-time job. It was empowering. I learned that I could be fearless, I could be angry, and I could fight. These were three things that I'd never had to do before. I was thinking recently that if my husband had lived, he might not have liked who I’ve become." |
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| "We started dating shortly after she acquired a stalker—bad start, I know. So she had security with her 24/7. Our first date went great. It was the kind of night that was clearly going to end with a kiss. But I had to kiss her in front of the security guards. It was awkward. It was like our parents were watching. The next morning she knocked on my hotel room door. She was alone. She walked into the room and said: 'I can do better.'" |
Who thought dance and flour could make such an amazing combination?
Lately, after attending a series of lectures about photoshoot ideas and how to turn ingenious concepts into simple but effective low-tech solutions, I have been looking at photographs and editorials under a different light. Even after coming to a decision with my group about our perfume brand photoshoot, I was still on the lookout for creative ideas to keep as a reference for future projects. I have to admit, having never been in a studio on the other side of the camera, I wasn't sure whether I would like being an art director for a while, but it actually turned out to be pretty fun! I'm not sure if this is the path I would want to go on, but it is definitely something I will enjoy exploring more throughout my degree, which is why I've been avidly collecting inspiring images on my Pinterest (look out for my #art direction boards at the bottom!).
I came across this particular series by Russian dance photographer Alexander Yakovlev and completely fell in love with them. After admiring them for a while I immediately felt the urge to reproduce them, and, keeping in mind Tim's advice on "photoshoot cheats", noticed right away how the whole idea was based around a very simple concept to recreate: the use of movement and flour.
I love the smoky, almost ethereal consistency of the flour, and how it seems to elongate the ballerinas' beautiful movements in the air. I believe that the elusive quality of the flours would be suited really well to a fragrance ad, and the way it blurs with the models' bodies links it with the idea of scent and identity and whatever meaning it might carry. Maybe I just have a thing for conceptual visuals, but I found myself wishing I were able to use this trick in our ad.
Another reason why I felt this was a rather serendipitous discovery is that I recently found out that for our summer activity we will have the chance to work on a live project with a brand! And as we got to pick, I decided to go with this brand called Dance4 and focus on the relationship between fashion and dance. I'm not sure what exactly this project will entail as we haven't been briefed yet, but I just thought it was pretty interesting and I have to admit I am pretty excited to find out more.
I highly recommend checking out his other work both on his website and his instagram! I am hoping to write soon something about my other idea for a perfume brand which in the end my group and I didn't go for, but that I really really liked so, even if the module is almost over, I am not quite ready to give up on yet. And I must say this guy's work has really inspired me in terms of visuals and aesthetics for this brand. So stay tuned to see more on that!
B x
Lately, after attending a series of lectures about photoshoot ideas and how to turn ingenious concepts into simple but effective low-tech solutions, I have been looking at photographs and editorials under a different light. Even after coming to a decision with my group about our perfume brand photoshoot, I was still on the lookout for creative ideas to keep as a reference for future projects. I have to admit, having never been in a studio on the other side of the camera, I wasn't sure whether I would like being an art director for a while, but it actually turned out to be pretty fun! I'm not sure if this is the path I would want to go on, but it is definitely something I will enjoy exploring more throughout my degree, which is why I've been avidly collecting inspiring images on my Pinterest (look out for my #art direction boards at the bottom!).
I came across this particular series by Russian dance photographer Alexander Yakovlev and completely fell in love with them. After admiring them for a while I immediately felt the urge to reproduce them, and, keeping in mind Tim's advice on "photoshoot cheats", noticed right away how the whole idea was based around a very simple concept to recreate: the use of movement and flour.
I love the smoky, almost ethereal consistency of the flour, and how it seems to elongate the ballerinas' beautiful movements in the air. I believe that the elusive quality of the flours would be suited really well to a fragrance ad, and the way it blurs with the models' bodies links it with the idea of scent and identity and whatever meaning it might carry. Maybe I just have a thing for conceptual visuals, but I found myself wishing I were able to use this trick in our ad.
Another reason why I felt this was a rather serendipitous discovery is that I recently found out that for our summer activity we will have the chance to work on a live project with a brand! And as we got to pick, I decided to go with this brand called Dance4 and focus on the relationship between fashion and dance. I'm not sure what exactly this project will entail as we haven't been briefed yet, but I just thought it was pretty interesting and I have to admit I am pretty excited to find out more.
I highly recommend checking out his other work both on his website and his instagram! I am hoping to write soon something about my other idea for a perfume brand which in the end my group and I didn't go for, but that I really really liked so, even if the module is almost over, I am not quite ready to give up on yet. And I must say this guy's work has really inspired me in terms of visuals and aesthetics for this brand. So stay tuned to see more on that!
B x
I love Instagram. I may not post on it all that often, but I love scrolling through my feed and looking at all the awesome images from people all around the world. There is just something about the time and care that some people put into these tiny squares that has the power to make me feel inspired and more often than not I indulge myself in going down rabbit holes of follow-attack which is how I end up following over 400 accounts. Oops.
Here are some of the people that participate towards making my feed some of the prettiest I've ever seen (in no particular order).
@1924us (link)
With a combination of typography, illustration, and amazing scenery these guys have it all. They include a bit of everything that I love, and how could you not fall in love with their amazingly detailed mini-drawings animations? It's safe to say this is one of my all-time inspiration favourites.
@groehrs (link)
I love me some good fashion illustration and this, to me, is one of the most creative and interesting of the few I follow. Gretchen Roehrs takes "playing with food" to another level! I just love the pop of colours from the pomegranades, banana peels and watermelon slices combined with the simple and smooth lines of her sketches.
@betty_books (link)
I love books and I love pretty covers. Betty_books brings the two together offering some of the prettiest shots of niche and exclusive book editions which she finds in various book fairs and events. Plus, her annual competition #readtherainbow is one of the most visually pleasing hashtags I've ever laid my eyes on!
update: here are some shots from this year's #readtherainbow2016. Doesn't it just look amazing?!
@feminist_tinder (link)
Moving away from all the prettiness of great photography and illustration, here is another of my favourite Instagrams. feminist_tinder collects conversations taken on Tinder (both by the woman herself and fans' submissions) which perfectly illustrate some of the pathetic pick-up lines and otherwise manifestations of sexism which some men feel entitled to make while hiding behind a screen. Doesn't sound all that appealing? Don't worry, her pungent and sardonic replies will make you laugh out loud.
@thefilmcommunity (link)
As per their description, thefilmcommunity is a curated feed to celebrate film and film photography. As you know I am a big movie fan so I have an affectionate reason to follow them, but even without that the photography they feature is always so unique and inspiring! I like these "collective" Instagrams as they allow me to discover new hidden gems which I wouldn't otherwise never come across.
This is it for now, I am sure I will make some more of these soon as it was really hard to narrow my favourites down to only 5. So stay tuned for that!
Over and out,
B. x
Here are some of the people that participate towards making my feed some of the prettiest I've ever seen (in no particular order).
@1924us (link)
@groehrs (link)
@betty_books (link)
update: here are some shots from this year's #readtherainbow2016. Doesn't it just look amazing?!
@feminist_tinder (link)
@thefilmcommunity (link)
As per their description, thefilmcommunity is a curated feed to celebrate film and film photography. As you know I am a big movie fan so I have an affectionate reason to follow them, but even without that the photography they feature is always so unique and inspiring! I like these "collective" Instagrams as they allow me to discover new hidden gems which I wouldn't otherwise never come across.
This is it for now, I am sure I will make some more of these soon as it was really hard to narrow my favourites down to only 5. So stay tuned for that!
Over and out,
B. x
Independent magazines are to me like the grapes are to the fox: I aspire to read them, yet they feel inescapably elusive. They seem to belong to that aspirational hipster lifestyle, consisting of on-fleek latte shots and tinted of a soft, black-and-white Instagram filter. In other words, not me.
On occasion, however, my hand will reach for one of those polished-looking and gloriously matte magazines, sitting untouched and undisturbed on a shelf (that is, as long as the shelf is within my frustratingly short reach). On this particular occasion I was lazily browsing through the aisles of the WHSmith at East Midlands airport when my eye was caught by a lonely, possibly displaced copy of this:
On occasion, however, my hand will reach for one of those polished-looking and gloriously matte magazines, sitting untouched and undisturbed on a shelf (that is, as long as the shelf is within my frustratingly short reach). On this particular occasion I was lazily browsing through the aisles of the WHSmith at East Midlands airport when my eye was caught by a lonely, possibly displaced copy of this:
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