As part of my class, I had the opportunity to go to 080 Barcelona, which is basically Fashion Week here in BCN. We had access to the main village, the showroom and even a couple runway shows. In the showroom one of the designers had a Polaroid lookbook displayed on one wall. I found it not only visually appealing, but also incredibly effective in selling product. Most booths dressed just one mannequin to show off the clothes. Here, one could see easily see every piece modeled.
The display also made me think of the use of Polaroids in fashion. They've long been a standard back stage at runway shows, but more recently, they've been creeping out from behind the scenes. Champion of the Polaroid lookbook is Scott Sternberg, and his brand Band of Outsiders. His story-telling series of pictures featured Michelle Williams in Fall 2008, Marisa Tomei and Jason Schwartzman in Fall/Winter 2009, and most recently Leslie Mann in Spring 2010. Urban Outfitters Europe has a Flickr set dedicated to Polaroid photo shoots they've done in the past.
Each grainy, washed out photo emits an effortlessly casual sense of cool. No matter that the images of the clothes are imperfect - the effect is nostalgic, like a preserved piece of the past. It's like the test shots you're not supposed to see. They're more authentic feeling - the antithesis of a polished fashion magazine editorial.
0 comments:
Post a Comment