Research log for Fashion media Laboratory

My initial idea was to write about non-narrative fashion films, but once I started recearching this topic, I realised that there is very little information about that.
As I was still interested in this particular topic, I decided to alter it a bit and talk about both narrative and non-narrative fashion films instead.
This is not a post documenting all the research I did - I didn't continue my research log during the original research period, I am only writing about it now, as the essay is finished - so I am looking backwards. I have read and researched much more - not everything I read got actually used for the essay I wrote, but it certainly gave me a broader understanding about fashion films in general.
My research started with watching a lot of fashion films – I needed to separate the two types in my head at first.

Started with the films for Gareth Pugh of course, even though I have seen them all, even a couple of times. I personally find them very appealing.



I like this one as well:



I love this one and have seen it a million times. I just think it is visually beautiful and I absolutely LOVE the music here. Though this film made me realise that there are films which are "in between" - I do not know if it is narrative or non-narrative, it all depends on the way you interpret what you see there.



I personally am not a huge fan of narrative fashion films - I get bored very easily. I find non-narrative films with strong visuals much more appealing. And this Dior film - with that "scary" bag in the room - I think it's a bit ridiculous.







Andy Warhol's screen tests and some early films were non-narrative as well:





And then were there dozens of more films I watched preparing for this essay...

One of the interviews I watched - with filmmaker Ruth Hogben:



Besides the articles and books that were featured in my bibliography, I also read:
A Brief Introduction to the Fashion Film

Narrative Theories

Some of the essays in this book have given me a broader understanding about narrative in films

There were more and the time spent on my research can not fit in to this little research log - but these are some bits that helped me on my way to writing this essay.

Visionaire #47 Taste

Gus Van Sant for Visionaire issue #31 Blue

I'm in heaven!

Just saw a letter from Cecilia, she would love to answer my questions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#3

"More like a readable piece of art, than a magazine"

I do not remember who...

This is the newest issue

Visionaire 61. Larger than life

#1

I love to talk and to write and most of the information I will be reading I guess will be online, so I decided it will be better for me to start my learning journal in the form of the blog.

So, I am doing a project about limited edition fashion magazines - not the regular magazines one would imagine. I particularly love and admire Visionaire publication (it comes out on quite a regular basis, so I am still calling it a magazine). I think the founders of Visionaire - Cecilia Dean, Stephen Gan and James Kaliardos are doing a really visionairy job there. I would love this project to be a case study of Visionaire, but we will see how it goes. Nilgin proposed I would write about limited edition magazines in general with a closer analysis of several of them, if I do not find enough information. Though I would love to concentrate on Visionaire and make a deeper analysis there. I tried contacting them today by mail, by facebook - they "liked" my post on their facebook fan page, so I am still hopeful :)

Visionaire 55. Surprise