The idea was the Art of Fashion, which is the premium portfolio of seasonal fashion
presented by Neon Marcus.
The photographer that gets selected to do it is quite an honor given many illustrious
people that have done this work.
I've done what I do for a number of years and being asked to do Art of Fashion is very
special and I take it seriously and I just love the assignment.
My name is Matthew Ralston, I'm a photographer and a director.
It struck me that in all the times Neon Marcus has done the Art of Fashion it had been approached
as one project for several different designers and I thought it might be nice to approach
it as one project for each designer that just happened to run together as one story.
She wanted every page of 16 pages to be a surprise, a different photographic technique,
a different take on cover, a different take on design, all customized to the aesthetics
of that designer this season.
We found the inspiration for each one by starting with that collection, studying the history
of the brand and then going to the inspirations for that particular collection for that particular
season.
I looked at, for example, the Burberry collection for 2010.
When I looked at this outfit and I looked at it again in context of how it was shown
in Burberry's own presentation, I got military, I got bandage and definitely got a new silhouette
that had to do with draping that was really the news because what did I come up with as
an idea for the background?
Something that evokes a field hospital enormously appealing and I can identify that as being
very, very different from, say, a much more stylized creature that we wanted to create
as a character for Caroleen Herrera.
Very different again from a kind of vixen-ish Euro glamour of the Blue Marine aesthetic.
I think probably the most obscure reference that I pulled for this was the inkblots of
Rorschach. I was looking at a Gucci piece and there's a kind of eye-caught woven print
that's very stylized, even a little mechanical looking and it reminded me of a Rorschach
print and I looked at that and I juxtaposed that with the architecture of Oscar Niemeyer
which I think was an inspiration that came from Margo, Oscar Niemeyer is one of the world's
treasures and he built a very unique museum outside Rio with a curving ramp.
So somehow it coalesced into a world of abstraction that was a sky made of a Rorschach plot out
of which it emitted a sort of Oscar Niemeyer curving ramp and that's what this futuristic
vixen was walking down in this dress and they all, all these ideas were reflective of color
and form within the original design.
Here's the really fun part, here's where it gets great.
I said in the first meeting, can we do it all with the same model so that she is also a
vessel of transformation so not only is our space changed, but we take one girl and we
show that she can be sixteen completely different characters, each customized to that designer.
I've done a lot of jobs where you wonder if you're really going to be able to pull it
off in time.
This was the first job I've ever done where I really, really had no faith that it was
going to all come together in time.
There were several times before, during, and after this production that I wondered if we
were going to be able to pull it off, but that's half the fun.
I'm Bradley Garlock, I am the production designer, I like to be a few steps ahead and on this
particular job I was a hair's breath ahead.
The only way the sixteen sets were essentially conceived, designed, finessed, constructed,
stalled, shot, and struck in basically like three or four days.
The only way that that happened is because the ability of this team to work together.
It's very, very hard to find black shiny dye guys.
I don't really know much that went wrong on shoot today at all.
And foundation in the ear.
Little behind the scenes sewing.
Sets weren't done on time, but actually they ended up turning out just fine.
Wrapping up shoes and everything.
We didn't have enough days to shoot this, this story.
I know I heard one of the prop sets flew off the back of the truck.
Did a truck.
On the truck.
Of the truck.
The truck.
Wait, did I mention that?
We had the set for the Giorgio Armani picture loaded up on a steak bed truck and the wind
blew the decals off of the flats onto the highway.
So we had to turn around and go back and reprint and apply them.
Because of losing the back truck, we had to add another shot onto our day.
Our amazing hairstylist didn't have an assistant, and I think he lost about 12 pounds trying
to create 14 different hairstyles in one day, which usually requires someone to be on set
with the model and someone to be behind the set creating the next hairstyle.
Nothing's really gone wrong.
When you're interpreting fashion for a consumer, your vision is never completely clear until
it gets on the page.
And for me, it always has to be about what's working, what's not working, and eliminate
what's not working so that the rest of it fits, whether it's no hair and bold makeup
or clothes and not a lot of anything else.
But for me, I don't have to be right the first time, I just have to be right when it's done.
Just hiccups, not wrongs, little hiccups for me to fix.
A lot of other things that went wrong I don't know about because I work with such amazing
people that they solve them or hide them from me until we're done.
Wow, a lot of things have gone right on this job.
Everything's gone right.
Everything.
A lot of good shots.
Matthew's always on time, and he always makes great, great work.
We have a very happy photographer and client, and then we're having fun here.
We got all of our shots done.
I've never been on a job and seen so many amazing, complex sets come together.
It's amazing the stuff that came together, from the set design to the background stuff,
to the wardrobe, to the wigs even, it's amazing what a wig can do to a woman.
And I think everyone's very proud of all the work that they did, tired, but we'll be proud.
This is the ingredients, patience, patience, patience, speed dial, but ultimately pulling
together a really great collaborative team.
Ingredients for a successful photo shoot or production.
Talented people with magic hands, and the reason I say hands is because of course everybody
has a great eye, but I think it's good to remember that what I do, even though I use
computers and I use high technology, is truly handcrafted.
This is a bespoke business.
Everything we do is custom.
It's one-off, and it is ultimately made by hand, even if the hand is touching a mouse
or a computer.
It is made by the hand.
So people with magic hands, and it open hearts, and great style, great taste.
And then after that, well, the best of everything.
You cannot make great advertising without a great client.
It doesn't exist.
It goes hand in hand.
So I was given the opportunity to do some great work by a really inspiring client.
I'd say that's the most important ingredient.
Have a great client.
Bring great people together, have collaboration, enjoy what you're doing, and give it some
heart.
My ingredients, foundation.
She's dipped into foundation, hit the toe.
And then lots of colors.
The master steamer.
You got to get your fashion looking fabulous.
And then we have the fashions, of course, some nets, some feathers, some jewels.
The secret is, I get to try all this on, but no one's looking.
Okay, what else?
You need pins and scissors, and flowers, and a comb.
Okay, cut.
The department is styling and repairs.
A good pair of scissors.
Thread.
Wrinkle.
Release.
Cell phone.
Jewels.
Fashion is about trashing and repairing dresses.
Shape, texture, form, with a bit of sugar.
This right here, a big old light.
I honestly don't know how I could do my job without one of these.
Internet connection, scenic shop, a workshop where I can build everything, and paint lumber.
The most important ingredient is shockingly massive amounts of caffeine.
An ocean of tears.
The throwing of heavy objects at each other on set.
Hugs, blackberries, digital capture, computers, cell phones.
All of this technology is completely vital to the increased level of productivity that
is now present in 21st century advertising.
This project was no exception.
It was absolutely vital.
A lot of people who all have the same goal that come together and somehow find a way
to create a beautiful story that represents Neiman Marcus and represents these designers.
Being patient, because usually I'm not a patient, but I'm really trying.
Yeah, you are very well set.
Long days, and we have so many pictures.
You know, you're pretty tiring, and you have to give it up, and be happy, and you know,
she gets her hair pulled on, and her makeup applied, taken off, applied, taken off.
16 times.
Yes, and that's in the first outfit.
And then, my job is only to look pretty, so it's pretty easy.
Look at me.
Are you ready?
I do have fun.
Yeah.
Oh, we're going to eat this breakfast.
Yes, there's a little extra pressure that comes with a project that's this high profile,
but everyone on this crew was chosen because they thrive on challenge,
and pressure to them is just another form of that.
I think there were a lot of people who were physically, emotionally, spiritually creative,
sore after this project.
Sort of like working out really, really, really hard,
but working out every bit of your being really, really hard.
But you feel great afterwards, and that soreness is actually just an indication of a job well done.
It was really, really something else, and magical, actually, to see a lot of these sets come together,
and that's probably the best thing about it.
It's just the final shot.
But what I especially love about it is it's very meaningful for the consumer who will see these pictures,
because fashion is theater, and even Marcus knows that.
Any woman can transform herself through the art of hair and makeup, and through fashion.
The things that you can get at Neiman Marcus, and you know,
about what fashion can bring to your life, which is a hell of a lot of excitement and beauty.
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