STUBBORN WEEDS / Research Book 2 / Camille Lemoine

RESEARCH B

K 2

1

CONTENTS

Brief & Manifesto

4 - 9

Publication Content

10 - 33

Photography & Styling

34

- 175

Graphic Design

1 76 - 2 0 9

WHY WE NEED STUBB RN WEEDS 4

B R I E F – Stubborn Weeds is a contemporary publication advocating for fashion to exist as part of today’s back-to-theland movement.

The turbulent events of the past year have helped us nurture a social revolution from our backyards. Witnessing not only the fragility of our food systems in the face of food shortages but the precarity of our own human vulnerability, our instinctual desire to be more self-sustaining and in tune with the Earth’s natural rhythms has resurfaced. Inspired by the return of the Victory Garden, memories of my own home-steading childhood and intimate relationship with my garden sparked a desire for change – using fashion to uproot modern society.

Whilst challenging the idea of what contemporary fashion should look like, Stubborn Weeds embodies this movement by exploring a regenerative approach to creative direction and photography. Using handmade pieces made from existing resources or food itself that can be later composted or made into a meal.

Although competitor publications such as The Plant magazine and Kinfolk Garden explore our relationship to nature within a fashion context, Stubborn Weeds recognises gardens today as places of radical action and change. Made for people within the fashion sphere who are interested in regenerative fashion, self-sufficient lifestyles and REJECTING modern society.

5

MANIFESTO BECAUSE

a movement of self-sustenance is

uprooting modern society.

BECAUSE

we are exploring the fundamentals

of our existence and finding meaning in our own vitality.

BECAUSE gardening is a radical act that REJECTS capitalism.

BECAUSE re-localising the food system is the best way to start reshaping our political and economic systems. Making it more democratic, more social, more collaborative and more respectful of the health of humans and the environment.

BECAUSE

sustainability is not enough. Sustain

what? Our current existence? We must learn how to regenerate and replenish – this starts with growing our own food.

6

BECAUSE we must learn to find asylum in the soil and joy in the trees again.

BECAUSE

my homesteading upbringing and

relationship with my own backyard has helped me develop a reciprocal bond with my surrounding environments.

BECAUSE the fashion industry must become an advocate for today's back-to-the-land movement.

BECAUSE food will be the largest driving factor to the change of fashion.

BECAUSE creative direction and photography have the opportunity to be more regenerative, challenging the idea of what contemporary fashion should look like.

BECAUSE

great value can be found in food

waste and other disregarded materials.

BECAUSE fashion will thrive in unlikely spaces.

7

S W Who

Reads

T A R G E T A U D I E N C E – creative people in the fashion sphere interested in sustainable fashion and pushing the boundaries of contemporary fashion.

Individuals

interested

in

self-sufficient

lifestyles

and

REJECTING modern society’s blueprint to success. They have not yet been exposed to this way of engaging with today's back-to-the-land movement in their own space (e.g. fashion space) which is the gap Stubborn Weeds intends to fill.

The movement of cottage core, tiny rural homes and digital nomads further drives Stubborn Weeds forward into contemporary culture. Individuals already engaging in these trends will naturally gravitate towards this publication.

9

P U B L I C AT I O N

Continued research and content development.

10

CONTENT

F O THEN

Fashion

D

Food and fashion have always been interlinked.

Throughout

history

catwalk

trends

have

replicated what we eat, and even during fashion weeks the conversation surrounding ‘where is the best place to eat’ is known to be as loud as the clothes. Food like clothes is a necessity in our society, we all wake up and make decisions on what we are going to wear and eat. Some key quotes commenting on food and fashion’s relationship include: “Food, like fashion, is driven by trends, seasonality and the occasional gust of hype.” Lee Tran Lam. “Fashion gains inspiration from everywhere. It’s not really just about fashion, it’s about a lifestyle.”

Jenny Capano.

“It doesn’t matter if you live in the metropolis or

What I am most interested in is how the idea of

the Amazon, everyone is eating and everyone has

‘Slow Food’ has started to filtrate into fashion. The

traditions linked to food. Food provides a glimpse

Slow Food movement was started by Carlo Petrini

of our culture and lifestyle.” Elettra Wiedemann.

and a group of activists in the 1980s in Italy, with the initial aim to protect regional traditions, good

“I think the fact that they’re both fields that push

food and a slower pace of life. The movement has

people to experiment and be inventive leads

since spread worldwide, promoting respect for

to lots of new ideas bubbling over and gaining

producers and the environment in particular.

attention.” Lee Tran Lam.

The phrase ‘Slow Fashion’ however wasn’t coined until 2007, in an article by journalist Kate Fletcher in the British publication The Ecologist. The idea behind slow fashion aligns with the same values as slow food but is just taking longer to evolve.

For example, the concept of ‘Plot to Plate’ (where the customer gets to know where their food is from) has been around and welcomed by many, yet ‘Farm to Fashion’ is only just beginning to take shape in the UK (more advancements have been made in the US). The idea of there being ‘healthy’ fashion for our bodies, the planet and workers is yet to be truly realised. This is why I want to bring the conversation of food directly into the same space as fashion. Li Elderkoort has also recently stated in a podcast with Business of Fashion that ‘food will be the largest driving factor to the change of fashion.’

13

P U B L I C AT I O N C O N T E N T E s t a b l i s h i n g t h e t y p e o f c o n t e n t t h a t w i l l f e a t u r e i n S t u b b o r n We e d s .

I plan to take this publication further after

Therefore, I have decided to leave the articles out

graduation (potentially creating an online space

for my first edition. If my book was to be printed

or a biannually print edition) which has driven

however, the articles could have been added as

me to re-consider the format of my original

a pamphlet section between pages. This way the

publication. After in-depth research and reviews

reader could dip in and out of the conversations.

of other publications, I felt as though my original

But as a digital publication, I believe the message

plan (to keep the publication 99% visual) could

is stronger without. The following pages share

be built upon further.

the final drafts of the articles.

In order for the readers to engage and learn about this regenerative movement, I decided that voices of those currently occupying this space should be included. This motivated me to contact numerous individuals at the forefront of this movement in the UK. However, once I had written two articles, I took a step back to reflect on this change. I realised that by including these written pieces, my visual narratives became less focussed. I am most passionate about creating thought-provoking imagery and sharing a unique approach to styling – this is what I want my book to represent first and foremost. This angle is also what will make my publication stand out from its competitors.

14

Draft mockup of publication with article content.

15

GA R D E N

In conversation with Rosie Bristow on 'Farm to Fashion'

TO and growing her own clothes.

GA R M E N T 16

Finding herself unemployed and living in an empty city when the pandemic first hit the UK, musician, costume and set designer Rosie Bristow is now carrying her laptop over to her caravan window to show me the field on which she now resides. ‘I’m a farmer two days a week, and studying the rest of the time,’ she tells me, laughing.

Before the pandemic hit, Bristow was part of a band called ‘Holy Moly & The Crackers’. The band had been getting ready for festival season, but when performance industries shut down Rosie found herself unintentionally gravitating towards a more holistic lifestyle.

Although she was always warm to the concept of living selfsufficiently, the artist’s adulthood has largely been spent in city flats, touring in a diesel van and staying in ‘shitty hotel rooms.’

Being jobless and unable to pay rent, her underlying interest in an alternative lifestyle was enough to drive her to leave Edinburgh and volunteer on an organic vegetable farm near Cambridge, UK, at the start of April last year. ‘Everything I seem to do is a hobby that becomes wildly out of control,’ she later tells me.

Bristow spent last summer working at Flourish Produce, where she learned about high-quality organic food and became increasingly engrossed in the slow food movement.

Whilst she was learning about regenerative farming practices, Rosie recalls that she mentally connected the work she was doing on the farm to her job as a costume designer. ‘When I went fabric shopping to make outfits for other people, I would just pick whatever fabric fitted the budget of my client, but I never went that next step,’ she explains.

Having later borrowed the farmer’s recent issue of The Land magazine, on the relationship between farm and fashion, and being fixated on the book Fibershed by Rebecca Burgess—a leader in the local textile economy movement—it wasn’t long before the idea of growing her own garments began to blossom.

Learning how to grow vegetables was the catalyst to Bristow’s current love affair with the slow fashion movement; the movement prioritises quality and longevity, which allows for fairer wages, a reduced carbon footprint and slower production schedules.

‘I think food is way more intimate and obvious. Because you eat it, people really easily associate that with their health and well-being, which makes them care about it more than clothes.’ Rosie says of how innovations within the food industry have historically been later adopted by fashion.

She goes on to mention that our skin absorbs the properties within our clothes every time we wear them. Choosing to wear toxic textiles could therefore be compared to choosing to eat chemically processed meals day after day.

Bristow plans to grow flax, which can be turned into linen—a natural fabric that is both biodegradable and offers numerous benefits to the wearer, including chemical exposure protection and reduction of solar gamma radiation.

She describes learning how to process flax and use a spinning wheel in a ‘beautiful, hobbital building’ during a two-day long workshop at Flaxland—a UK-based, family-run organisation that offers education on flax processing. Holding up some samples that she has recently spun and woven by hand, she

‘Everything I seem to do is a hobby that becomes wildly out of control.’

says, ‘This is still a lot closer to gardening twine than a nice linen shirt, but, you know, … we are getting there’.

The artist’s plans extend far beyond perfecting the act of spinning. After visiting regenerative farmer George Young’s farm in Essex, UK with no experience of growing flax herself she left with a plan in place to grow her own crop just the following year. ‘He said I could use some of his land as long as a I provided the seeds and gathered enough people to harvest in August. I immediately said yes.'

She plans to start documenting her flax-to-fashion journey in April—when the seeds are first sown—by documenting the process on a blog. Making yarn is the only thing on Bristow’s mind right now. However, creating fabric and actual garments will come later. ‘In the future, if I was going to start my own production line in this fantasy world where I had all the equipment, I would want to make farming clothes for women because there just isn’t much choice. If you are a tall, thin woman you can look great in it, but if you are a short, round woman then there is no good work-wear that exists for farmers.’

Today, Bristow is settled on Phantassie Farm, in a small town called East Linton, Scotland, and is braving the harsh northern winter in a caravan with no central heating or toilet. ‘I wanted to prove to myself that I could cope with it in January,’ she says—sitting in a chunkily-knitted turtle-neck.

When she isn’t helping on the farm, Bristow is working on her MSC degree at Heriot Watt in the Scottish Borders, investigating the gap in fibre production and flax in the UK. Due to there no longer being any flax processing mills left in the country, she explains that processing either has to be done using middle-age hand tools or sent to a factory in Europe or China. ‘No one is making tools that are cottageindustry scale.’ she explains.

Her research focuses on the middle stages of flax processing––breaking, scutching and heckling––which she hopes to design open-source processing tools for. Addressing this gap in the supply chain will enable regenerative agriculture and sustainable fashion to connect on a local scale something that many countries are simultaneously working to realise.

Still unsure whether her previous life as a musician will resume, Bristow admits that working with the land to help create a regenerative soil-to-soil textile economy makes her feel more grounded and in tune with her morals. She encourages anyone who, like her, feels an itch to explore this sort of lifestyle to start by volunteering either via an online organisation like ‘WWOOF’ or ‘Workaway’, or even at their local community garden. ‘I learnt about it by just moving to a farm and having no idea what I was doing. It was like baptism of fire!’

If you are interested in getting involved in Bristow’s own project, she is calling for volunteers to help with harvesting flax in August this year. She also plans to run an experimental workshop where she will be processing the flax herself.

Follow Bristow’s journey on her Instagram page @Straw_ into_gold.

18

'FOOD is

more

I N T I M AT E and

OBVIOUS' 19

GROWI NG In conversation with artists Susie Wilson and Felicity Bristow

ALONE

on their work at Plot 55b and creating seed circles during lockdown.

TOGETHER 20

Artists Susie Wilson and Felicity Bristow were forced to retire from their artist residency, Plot 55b, at Craigentinny Telferton Allotments, Edinburgh when the pandemic first hit the UK. Since then, they have been working from home to expand their growing community by starting a postal seed exchange that has flourished into ‘The Seed Library’. I talk to them about how their project ‘growing alone, together’ is taking shape, from the seed sovereignty movement to hosting a virtual potluck.

How has Plot 55b influenced your work during this difficult year?

S: What we have recently been interested in is how the plots have been a source of comfort in the last year for all the locals. Most of the people on the plots are local to C&T in Portobello. We have been asking the plot holders to write how they have been feeling in the last year and how their plot has helped them.

F: How they have managed their time, or people who have lost jobs or been furloughed and then entertaining family and things. It’s been really evident that it’s been a lifeline for some people to get fresh air and exercise and spend time there. I mean we have always loved being there haven’t we Susie. We would be digging alongside each other, and you use these things like working the ground and planting to kind of set things right.

Do either of you have a garden at home? If so, how has it impacted your time in lockdown?

F: Yes, a long narrow cottage garden with some very old fruit trees. I have spent a lot of time working in it during lockdown, tidying things up, setting up a greenhouse and digging new veg patches. We grew potatoes, chards, beetroot, tomatoes, fennel, cucumber, courgette, dahlias and marigolds - our squashes were planted too late so didn’t work.

at home. It feels like a very supportive growing community.

People understand the effort it has taken to grow that courgette. It is kind of an exchange as well, so if you have too much of something you can share it. The first time we went to the plots we came back with a bag full of beetroots and courgettes because people had too many and it became this generosity. And that has happened collecting seeds as well. It’s nice that people have somewhere to give them too.

‘The Seed Library’ is part of your project ‘growing alone, together’, can you explain a bit about what this larger body of work involves?

F: In the first lockdown there was a seed shortage, people couldn’t get seeds and through our research into what happened historically at the allotments we realised that generally people have stopped sharing seeds and saving them to grow the following year. As we had more time we were able to plant, harvest and then let our own flowers and veg go to seed so we could trial collecting, we have also recently completed courses in seed collection and permaculture which reintroduces the idea of small community seed circles, allowing people to swap excess seeds for something they would also like to grow. When you receive seed from someone else (as Susie and I did with our postal exchanges of chitted potatoes and seeds) you tend to them as if they are that person (maybe sounds a bit weird but the distance from people maybe heightened the feeling and need to connect).

How are you engaging with your existing growing community during lockdown?

Could you explain how ‘The Seed Library’ first started?

F: It has changed. This year was the first time we did a veg pot, looking at the responsibility of nurturing something from a seed to a plant. We were going to have a pot-luck dinner on the plot last summer, but we ended up having one on zoom. We cooked some of the things that we’d grown

F: Yes, so Susie and I were trying to find a way of working when we couldn’t get to the plot and we bought loads of our seeds and had a plan. It was quite a traditional seasonal growing plan but that was all blown out of the water! We had done all of the ground prep, digging over, planning

what we were going to put in, nice borders here there. But then lockdown happened, and we couldn’t get there so we started a seed exchange by post. Susie and I both had some seeds, so we started making some artist books with sowing instructions to swap between each other. That really made us look more at the seeds and the idea of what we were growing and what the actual plant gave you in terms of nutrition. That shifted things for me.

What larger impact do you hope ‘The Seed Library’ will have on local growing communities?

F: We hope that smaller seed circles will continue t develop and become self sustaining and supporting communities.

Were you both keen gardeners before starting this project?

S: I mean I’m not a gardener! I’ve always had a garden, but I don’t think of myself as a gardener. I don’t know very much about gardening, I just put things in and hope that they grow and if they die then they die.

F: I think we both set out from the beginning and said we’re not experts in what we are doing. What we are trying to do is find ways to make it more accessible, and to work with the communities at the allotments. We now want to extend beyond that which is how the Seed Library started.

How did focusing on the seed change things for you?

S: When we started to focus more on the seed, which we always knew was an important element, we began to think more about how the things would be growing and imaging that at the allotment. But also, we started looking at the issues surrounding seeds. The fact there is a whole monopoly of not many companies who supply seeds drove the idea of getting communities to collect their own seeds so that again your self-sufficient and you’re not having to rely on huge companies that are creating seeds that you can’t even take seeds from after.

Why do you think there is limited awareness surrounding seed sovereignty?

F: I think that the cycle of collecting and using has kind of gone because of the commercial side of things, and how easy it is to buy some seeds. It has dropped out of people’s way of saving seeds. We haven’t been very technical about the way we have been saving seeds and drying them to pass on this year- It has all been quite basic. But the idea of seed circles and community groups sharing amongst themselves, keeping it local and encouraging wildflower growth. Really simple things that can really make a difference. It is only by making changes there that it will gradually spiral out and have a larger impact.

for

What do you envision for the future of ‘The Seed Library’?

F: The legacy of the project is still not quite resolved, it may continue by post or we may build a garden shed/ seed library shed at C&T Allotments but we have to engage with the community there that want to continue with it as an idea, we don’t want to waste resources on something that is not wholeheartedly adopted. A bit like a garden, it would need people to assume roles to maintain it.

Although you mentioned that you don’t consider yourself experts, do you have any tips for first time growers?

F: Don’t use all your seeds at once that is something I did!

Sprinkle. I felt quite wasteful with some of the stuff I did, and I learnt quite quickly. Don’t over water, I used to kill them with love.

S: Not to feel too stressed if it doesn’t actually grow into anything at all!

If you would like to get involved in Plot 55b’s seed exchange, get in touch via their Instagram page @Plot_55b.

'IT did

BECOME a

LIFELINE for

PEOPLE'

LO C K D OW N PHOTO G RAPH Y Looking at how fashion photography is responding to the pandemic.

Photography of Unknown, Instagram.

24

Photography is evolving as a reaction to restrictions that

Photography by Viviane Sassen.

continue to disrupt the routine way of working. From zoom photo shoots to household still life, the obstacles that creatives are facing are quickly becoming anchors for innovation. It is important for me to observe how photographers around me are adapting, but also to take note of unconventional ways of photography that already exist (e.g. Viviane Sassen’s collage technique). When considering my

theme

and

individual

narratives, I have decided to source models for my shoots predominantly

from

within

my neighbourhood and family.

This will ensure that my subject matters

are

diverse

whilst

also emphasising the theme of community. This research has

Photography by Emily Soto.

also made me consider printing and manipulating imagery by hand as mentioned in Research Book 1 using textured paper or paper in water (left).

25

Looking into contemporary still

Photography by Unknown, from Pintrest.

life surrounding my theme has made me consider using food more than I originally planned in my publication. This image of a fish in particular could resonate with my theme of food

markets.

Similarly,

I

could recreate a flat lay set up of my garments to illustrate my styling in an even more experimental

way

(bottom

left). However, although these images are contemporary and currently pushing boundaries – I do not want to rely on existing work to fuel my next steps. I need to spend some more time exploring my theme to find new ways of portraying my narratives. This could include using behind the scenes shots

Photography by Unknown, from Instagram.

of homemade set design or documenting the process of making my outfits out of food waste.

I would also consider

creating experimental collages, mashing elements of imagery together.

26

Photography by Harley Weir.

Photography by Silvana Trevale.

27

Shell and Egg, Photography by Man Ray.

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SURREALISM AND COOKBOOKS Researching art movements and creative cookbooks.

Developing on from previous research, I have

his art and comments on features of the dinner

found the art movements Dadaism and Surrealism

table. Many of his images of food have sexual

heavily influential. Without clear intention, I

connotations and keep the viewer guessing.

have started collaging images together, drawing

Pollock’s cookbook illustrates how expressive

out a specific element of an image by isolating it

he is with both art and cooking. The imagery in

from the rest. This way of working feels natural

his book takes you back to the source of food in

to me, pushing me to look at others who work

nature. Reflecting on these books it is clear that

similarly. Photographers such as Man Ray and

food and art can interconnect in an exciting way,

Dorra Marr continue to inspire this current work,

something I hope to do within my publication.

not to mention the Dutch photographer Viviane Sassen. All of these artists approach their images in a unique way, often biomorphic and suggestive.

When approaching food photography, I am therefore keen to abstract forms and reject the stereotypical images found in many recipe books.

Two cookbooks that already do this include Dinner with Jackson Pollock by Robyn Lea and Les Diners de Gala by Salvador Dalí. Les Diners de Gala is a collection of recipes by Dalí, illustrated with 29

Dinner with Jackson Pollock by Robyn Lea. 30

Les Diners de Gala by Salvador Dalí.

31

Photography by Irving Penn

32

33

PHOTOGRAPHY

Bringing Research Book 1 narratives to life.

STYLING

35

MODEL

36

BOARD

37

38

PLOT NARRAT I V E

TO DEVELOPMENT 1/7

P L AT E

FARM TO FO D 40

Test shot of 'moss plate'.

41

This narrative was originally called 'Local Stalls'

styling point of view, I also knew that I could

and stemmed from research into the importance

access these materials (shells) without creating

of food markets and my own relationship to

excess waste, and that they would look striking

French food stalls. As previously discussed, this

in the final images.

concept will obscure elements of food stalls that

My model choice has changed as my original

you find at a local market, looking at how our

mash up from my previous research book showed

relationship to produce can change when buying

someone specific who I wasn't able to meet whilst

from local sources and real faces.

respecting lockdown rules. Instead, I chose to use

Originally this concept had 3-4 looks

my cousins who have very pale complexions and

exploring different food stands, but the concept

structured faces which worked well in the final

has been refined to focus on just the fish stall.

shots. I knew that I wanted to pose them in a way

This is due to having too much content within

that abstracted their bodies and made them look

the first issue and wanting to keep it focussed.

as though they were attached to one another.

I decided to pick the fish market as I have

This represents the intimate relationship you can

already explored using vegetables in many of

have with your food and the people who produce

my other shoots. As a lot of my research focuses

it when you source from local markets.

on specifically Scotland, it was also important for me to acknowledge that in certain areas (e.g. islands such as Orkney), the fish market is the main provider of local food and a core part of the community. Both tourists and locals build relationships with the people who catch their food and learn about where it is from. From a

42

Collage using my imagery of muscles, dough and a painted backdrop.

43

DISCARDED SHELLS Using clam and muscle shells to create a styling piece.

This look was created by cutting

from

long strips of fleece lined silver

via Instagram who eats them

fabric (that I already owned)

every week. The fabric will be

which was used as a base for

wrapped around the models to

the shells. Muscle shells were

create a layered look that was

collected from the beach in

inspired by scales. Muscle shell

Portugal and were also saved

earrings and clips will also be

after family meals. A friend

made, alongside natural make

sent more over by post and

up and simple yet sleek hair

clam

arrangements.

shells

were

collected

someone

44

I

contacted

45

46

SET DESIGN Mimicking the texture and colours of a muscle shell.

The backdrop was painted by hand and marks were made to mimic the look of muscle shells, clams and fish scales. I didn't want to spoon feed the viewer however, so it remains very abstract.

The handmade was intentional, reflecting the feel or a food market and its imperfections when contrasted with a supermarket. To use the backdrop, I had to assemble a wooden frame as previously done for every shoot and pin the paper to it. This shoot was done outside, using natural light and a reflector.

47

F I NAL S HO OT 1

Selected imagery and outtakes.

Final selected imagery.

49

50

51

52

53

54

55

ADDING STILL LIFE Emphasising the local market narrative using still life imagery.

After reviewing the final shoot

and market produce. Although

ups out and found that using

using models (previous pages)

the styling within the previous

ripped pieces of my backdrop

it was clear that I needed to

shoot was inspired by these

and

add some still life imagery to

elements, the imagery doesn't

(following pages) helped me

further emphasise the food

completely convey the almost

communicate the less polished,

market

Although

messy and 'homemade' feeling

raw and authentic experience

the images are strong and I

or experience of a food market.

of a food market. Together, I

don't want to spoon feed the

This inspired a still life series

believe these images create a

reader, I still need to make

using sea-bass from a local fish

strong editorial that clearly

clear references to fish stalls

monger. I tried a variety of set

communicates my narrative.

narrative.

56

playing

with

shadows

57

58

59

60

61

62

63

In addition to the shoots I planned, I also experimented with collage using both new and archive imagery of my own.

Here I have combined an image of someone holding a line of mushrooms that I took last year, with a recent shot of a roll of pastry. I really love this collage as

it

authentically

conveys

the feeling and atmosphere of local markets. Food markets are often a mash up of different colours, smells, textures and food.

I

have

included

this

collage in my final publication to highlight this, in addition to my more focussed narrative on fish stalls. Within this series I have included a collage in the same style as this one (but using muscle shells), in order to remain cohesive and push the boundaries of what fashion photography should look like.

66

F I NAL S HO OT 2

Selected imagery and outtakes.

68

This shoot was part of my

styling look. For the final shoot,

a more diverse body shape than

narrative called 'Local Stalls' in

the paper was pinned to a shed

the fashion industry is used to

Research Book 1 (Now called 'Plot

outside in order to use it without

portraying. This was important

to Plate'). This look explores

the wind tearing it down. The

to me as I felt like my model

the warm colours you find in

model I had originally planned

choices could be even more

a market, specifically the pink

for this shoot was swapped out

diverse

and purple shades of an onion.

for a different narrative (due to

semester. I also knew that her

The

created

her colouring suiting a specific

features and skin tone would

using a large piece of paper

look). Instead, I chose a model

complement this look.

that was painted to match the

who is mixed race and reflects

backdrop

was

69

than

planned

last

70

As previously planned in my mash up from last

inspired by the varying forms of vegetables

year, this look is made using onion skins (both

(the circular rolls mimic the shape of spiralled

red, orange and pink). The neck piece was used

onion). Each individual piece of A2 paper has

specifically for portrait shots, accompanied

been naturally dyed with beetroot, turmeric

by earrings and a ring made from onion skins.

and onion skins, before being rolled up into

Outfit wise, the model wore a draped velvet pink

individual tubes. The rounded shapes dyed in

curtain, which harmonised with the homemade

purple, pink and yellow hues communicate my

backdrop. However, upon reflection the curtain

aesthetic celebrating imperfections and organic

was not a flattering fit and did not drape as well

forms. The tubes have then been attached to one

as planned (see previous page).

another to create a structure that was attached to

For the second part of this look I attached a

the model via strings from the back.

paper sculptor to the dress to create a silhouette

71

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75

Dried, pressed and scanned onion skins – made from leftover styling pieces used in the shoot.

78

NOURISH

NARRAT I V E DE V E LOPM E N T 2 / 7

Concept mash up.

80

As my original plans to create a narrative around 'Garden Kinship' or 'Growing Community' had to be put on hold due to the restrictions, I have adapted my approach to this concept. The new narrative still looks at the idea of growing, but instead of focusing on human bonds (e.g., in community gardens) it explores the idea of growing a relationship with our food and nature itself.

The name 'Nourish' was chosen as gardens have nourished us in a new way over the past year, reinstating a connection with the natural world and our primal selves. With the increasing frequency of shocks to our way of life, our survival mode has been triggered and we finally learn to find joy in preparing for the unknown.

My model choice has also evolved from previous planning last semester, as I am keen to include more genders and ethnicities. Michael, a Scottish and Nigerian male living in Glasgow was used for this shoot. Although not a family member or from my neighbourhood, it is my responsibility to create a diverse series of images, and this must include people of colour.

81

DIY STYLING Up-cycling gardening twine and green moss.

The

styling

will

adopt

a

sprouts styled in unusual ways

resembles various green leaves

DIY approach as previously

will nod towards the concept of

that we often eat, or even the

researched last semester, using

reconnecting with our food in a

shape of grass. However, after

things like moss, gardening

different way than usual during

reflection this looked too much

twine and leaves. I will also use

this unprecedented time.

like a costume or a tourist-like

a green patchwork cardigan

I did consider reusing

that my friend knitted. The

the

texture and colour palette of

previous

this piece reminds me of an

waste by cutting thin strips to

resembles

overgrown garden. Vegetables

create a fringe skirt (below).

within gardens and sheds.

such

When layered, this garment

as

mushrooms

and

backdrop

Hawaiian grass skirt. Instead,

shoot

82

from

my

I used a faux leather olive

using

food

green structured skirt which tarpaulin

used

Styling mash up.

83

84

SET DESIGN Using a moss table and hand-painted backdrop.

I painted the paper backdrop light green as I knew it would stand out against the darker shades used within the styling. I also collected a lot of green moss on a walk to cover a table. This way, the model will be able to lean onto a carpet of vivid green moss whilst taking portrait shots. It was important for me to use textures and colours from nature itself.

Unfortunately, the backdrop fell onto the table before the model arrived and ripped (below). This meant that I had to think on my feet and tape the remaining backdrop piece onto a clothing stand, which could only be used for portraits. Any full body shots now had to be taken without a backdrop.

85

F I NAL S HO OT 1

Selected imagery and outtakes.

87

88

89

90

91

92

F I NAL S HO OT 2

Final shoot outtakes in a new location.

94

95

96

97

100

101

FRESH

NARRAT I V E DE V E LOPM E N T 3 / 7

EGGS

103

F I NAL S HO OT 1

Selected imagery and outtakes.

105

106

107

This shoot builds upon my previous narrative ‘Backyard Hens’ from Research Book 1. This title has changed to 'Fresh Eggs' and

explores

revolution

the

backyard

currently

taking

place. From mushroom farms on roof tops, to chicken coops and home spun wool, both urban and rural spaces are booming with cottage scale industries.

Individuals are starting these projects

with

little

or

no

experience. This is the ‘Age of the Amateur’ as Li Elderkoort puts it, a time where the ability to be flexible, creative and adopt DIY skills ranks higher than a qualification.

108

109

These images are still life

as well as the shadow of a hen

I have experimented on this

shots of my family and I’s

passing by. These images help

page by duplicating the eggs

chicken, duck and goose eggs.

communicate the theme of a

within the image, creating a

The bright sunlight allowed

new backyard revolution, where

more abstract subject matter. I

for interesting shadows that

home grown produce such as

tried this out on both Photoshop

distorted the shape of the

eggs are growing in demand.

and by hand using print outs. I

paper. The previous images

This set up using my own eggs,

also scanned various cracked

also feature my mum’s pottery

chickens and backyard allowed

eggshells to accompany these

(which

speckled

me to create a still life that feels

shots (previous pages).

eggs through their shape and

more personal and relevant to

glaze) used within the set-up,

my theme than use of a model.

resemble

110

111

BEHIND THE SCENES Considering the inclusion of process or set up shots within my publication.

These images document how I set up this shoot. Reflecting on these, I like that the viewer is able to see behind the scenes and I also think the lighting, colour and composition make them

aesthetically

pleasing

in their own right. Being able to see the clutter and location within the shots also adds to my homemade aesthetic and homesteading narrative. When selecting from all my final images I will be able to make a

more

informed

decision

on whether these add to my publication

or

whether

the

cleaner cut shots are more impacting.

112

113

RE WORK I NG I MAG E S Using collage to create new work from previous imagery.

114

Reworked collage using imagery from last semester test shoot.

115

Handmade collage using imagery from last semester test shoot.

Inspired to create some reworked and alternative imagery

from

previous

research,

I

have

experimented with both digital and handmade collages. The previous page has been created digitally, whereas this image has been made by hand using naturally dyed paper and print offs.

Considering my theme and organic aesthetic, I believe that the collages on this page works the best. I also prefer creating things by hand, where texture, colour and a feeling of authenticity is preserved.

117

F I NAL S HO OT 2

Selected imagery and outtakes.

120

Using blown eggs and paper mâché to create a stand-out piece.

B LOW N EG G ST RU C T U RE

To create this look I made a sculptor out of wire and card which I built on using paper mâché, creating a distorted egg-shaped silhouette. I then painted the structure brown using wallpaper paint. Over a course of a few months, I then blew every chicken, duck and goose egg used whilst cooking, saving the empty shell in its true form. All the eggs still have numbers written on them displaying the date they were collected

from

the

chicken

house. I like this detail as it emphasises the fact that these eggs were not bought from a supermarket. The top was then loaned from Eilidh Alison's final graduate collection.

122

SET DESIGN DIY backdrop and using natural light.

The

backdrop

was

made

using a large sheet of paper painted with brown and white wallpaper paint. The strokes and splatters were inspired by the patterns eggs make when used in cooking. I also knew that I needed a warm colour story to underpin this editorial in order for the backdrop to enhance the final look. The paper backdrop was pinned to a wooden structure I made and paired with a nude-coloured carpet. Natural light was used in the late afternoon, in order to capture soft, warm light.

123

This model was chosen due

her face. Two satin scrunchies

to her pale complexion and

were used for this. No make-

warm hair colour. The colours

up was used as her freckles

are very cohesive in the final

and

images, and this wouldn’t have

harmonised with the set-up and

been as impactful without this

styling. I also want to capture

model choice. Her hair was

the raw qualities of every model

straightened and pulled back as

in all my shoots.

natural

I wanted to see the structure of 124

complexion

125

126

127

128 128

As mentioned, I made sure that the numbers written on the eggs (displaying the date they were collected) could be seen on the skirt. If you look closely, you can see that every egg has a different date written on them in different handwriting, size and pen. Here I have played with this idea by writing over the image in paint (on print outs) and using Photoshop.

SCRAPPINGS

NARRAT I V E DE V E LOPM E N T 4 / 7

131 131

132 132

After reflecting on my first

It was this that motivated

believe it would be interesting

shoot

narrative

me to also use a discarded

to include both shoots in my

‘Scrappings’, I decided to do

watermelon skin within my

final

an additional shoot indoors.

shoot (we always have them in

itself will be a fusion of indoor

I used the green leaves from

the house so I already had the

and outdoor shoots like this

carrots that would normally

leftover pieces).

(but all will make use of the

for

the

publication.

My

book

be thrown out to create a neck

This shoot has a different

surrounding environment and

piece. I created a home studio

feel to the outdoor shoot I

feature handmade styling and

set-up and painted a backdrop

previously did as it is indoor,

set design looks).

by using the end of a courgette

using stronger natural light

to create vegetable markings.

and

After

was

However, both shoots convey

finished, I feel like it mirrored

the same message, and the

the pattern of a watermelon.

styling remains experimental. I

this

backdrop

has

a

busier

133

set

up.

134

135

136

I used my dad as the model

body type is also important.

for this shoot as I am pulling

Faded blue jeans (that he has

predominantly from my family,

had for years) were also used as

and I had not yet used a male

a subtle styling piece but also

model. I wanted the styling to be

as a symbol of longevity, which

the main focus of the shoot, so a

aligns

bare chest was used as a blank

redefining the term 'waste'.

canvas. Portraying a normal 137

with

this

narrative

H U N G RY

NARRAT I V E

FOR DEVELOPMENT 5/7

CHANGE

Test shoot using ingredients.

140

141

U P - C YC LE D ST Y LI NG Creating a recipe using the styling pieces from previous shoots.

Within my publication I want to discuss the topic of waste within fashion, especially in relation to creative direction. Often clothes are bought specifically for a photoshoot to never be worn again, or similarly, props will be used to fulfil a single purpose. Waste is often spoken about within textile and fashion design, yet photographers and stylists are just as much to blame for making misinformed choices. I wanted to engage with my readers and prove that the photography and styling within this book is regenerative and as zero-waste as possible. Using the carrots that were bought for their long tops, the pastry used in a collage and eggs that were blown for a skirt, I have put together a recipe page for a carrot pie.

A sweet dessert that also contains the comforts of warm spices such as ginger and cinnamon. This page could be used by readers to make this exact dessert, but its main purpose is to portray to the viewer that when it comes to fashion imagery, there should never be waste. After all, how can a fashion image be truly effective and authentic in communicating its message if it openly supports the damaging nature of the industry?

142

143

144

Outakes from final shoot.

145

Scanned baking paper from the bottom of the pie.

146

147

148

149

150

151

ARC H I V E

S U STAI NAB LE I MAG E - MAK I NG

I M AG E RY

153

154

EMPHASISING LONGEVITY Highlighting the core values behind my approach to photography and styling.

Whilst assembling my publication, it became clear that a particular editorial from my own archive would help me emphasise the values behind my approach to styling. These images were taken at the end of 2019, not for the purpose of university, and were inspired by my homesteading lifestyle and upbringing in Torrance, Glasgow. The sheep skin was found tangled in a fence in a nearby field, and the mushrooms represent days foraging in the woods (previous page). This image (left) was created using goose feathers from our garden, as geese have been a prominent part of my lifestyle since I was young. To me, these images feel even more relevant today, and project the same vision as my publication Stubborn Weeds. As I have used predominantly only natural materials (bar my dad’s white suit jacket), the styling still feels very contemporary, and has a sense of timelessness.

This is what I believe fashion photography and creative direction should be; portraying a narrative or important message rather than just glorifying new trends and driving overconsumption. Fashion photography and styling have the opportunity to become part of an important movement surrounding sustainability and alternative living. This idea of longevity and sustainable image making is an overarching message within my publication, and I these archival images well help me emphasise this message.

155

156

157

CAST-OFF

N A R R AT I V E S N O T TA K E N F O R WA R D

SHOOTS

H O

OME P UN 161

Although

this

shoot

was

not detailed in my previous research book, I had walked past this field several times and knew it would fit my theme perfectly. Hundreds of turnips had been spread across the field for the sheep to eat (this is a normal thing to do for many farmers during winter as turnips are very nutritious for the sheep). I was also given 100% sheep wool offcuts from a friend who studied fashion design, donated to them from a company in the Shetland Islands. I decided to make some fashion

pieces

using

these

offcuts to create a narrative surrounding the rise of cottage industries utilising home spun wool

and

ethical

farming

practices. This shoot was not kept in my publication as the winter landscape did not feel cohesive with the rest of my editorials.

164

165

GA R E N 166

DEITY

EXPLORING STILL LIFE Using still life to symbolise a 'Garden Deity'.

This narrative ‘Garden Deity’ is from last semester, exploring the spirit of the garden. These images were taken in various places,

including

my

own

garden and the garden of my old primary school. Gardening equipment

was

across

school

the

scattered grounds

and reminded me of when I was a child there (whenever it was sunny our lessons were swapped out for gardening).

Just being in this space and feeling the presence of others who had just been gardening uplifted my mood and left me more inspired to start planting things myself. This influence is the power of the 'Garden Deity'.

The

next

pages

also

show

me playing with gardening equipment

from

the

shed,

creating DIY sculptors that represent this ‘Garden Deity’.

However, this narrative was left out my book due to the imagery feeling

more

documentary

like or taken in winter, a big contrast to my other vibrant editorials.

170

Test shoot using garden equipment.

171

Test shoot using garden equipment.

172

173

Test shoot using floral prints and flowers.

175

GRAPHIC

Developing a homemade design aesthetic.

176

DESIGN

178

C R E AT I N G P E R S O N A L I T Y Embracing imperfections and inconsistencies in the graphic design.

The graphic design in my publication was

imagery. This evolved into print making by hand

initially inspired by Kinfolk Magazine as explored

using vegetables and vegetable waste. Other

last semester but has been pushed to be fuller

elements of my design now include using scans

and richer to align with my theme and personal

of vegetable dyed paper that I used to create

style. My first draft of my publication adopted

styling pieces. The natural occurring patterns

a very minimal approach (next page). However,

on these eco-paper sheets embody the nature

I reflected on this very critically and felt as

of my theme. Finally, green was kept as my core

though it didn’t convey the bold nature of my

colour as already decided in previous research,

theme. My message is clear cutting and radical,

due to its dominance in emerging trends and its

so the muted typography and heavy use of white

connotations with the earth and growth.

space felt shy and bare. This motivated me to push the boundaries of my graphic design and to create a more vibrant aesthetic. My personal approach to styling and photography is rooted in the handmade, creating texture and colour.

Every facet of my publication must embody this DIY nature and my personal design handwriting.

Looking back on my previous research, I started to re-explore the idea of using food to rework 179

180

Mock spreads from my publication draft, taking a minimal approach.

INITIAL DESIGN AESTHETIC

181

Final spreads from my publication, in a fuller and bolder aesthetic.

FINAL DESIGN AESTHETIC

A weed is known as an unwanted plant in a

WE NEED

human-controlled environment.

Growing aggressively.

Growing invasively.

Like stubborn weeds

STUBB RN

a movement of self-sustenance is uprootting modern society.

Growing aggressively.

Growing invasively.

WEEDS

24

25

Cultivating a relationship with our gardens and surrounding environments

will help us diminish food waste.

Whilst growing our own produce,

we begin to understand the labour of love that goes into nurturing good food.

Our meals become symbols of time spent nourishing a seed to stem.

Our meals become something to be savoured and valued.

This ignites a desire to sustain and transform the entirety of our produce,

exploring new forms, flavours and textures.

65

182

N U RI S H

H NG R Y

Photography and creative direction have the opportunity to become part of a movement advocating for a more regenerative fashion industry.

The afterlife of an image and its by products are rarely thought about, and the image itself will too often further drive a desire to consume.

These final pages share a recipe for a carrot

pie, using ingredients that

formed the fashion images within this book. From the eggs that were blown to create the skirt in Fresh Eggs on page 16, to the pastry featured as part of Plot to Plate on page 53. The photography within this book intends to celebrate an alternative approach to image making, where the elements within an image are recognised beyond that fleeting moment, evol v

ing

into new for ms .

FOR CHANGE

U

Enjoy the comforting taste of a classic carrot pie. This reciepe was created from a desire to

creativily use the recources leftover from styling the images within

INGREDIENTS

this book

.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Assemble the pastry into the bottom and up the sides of a pie

Sourced with love, from

plate, using dried beans or rice to way it down.

fashion images.

Bake the pie shell for 3 to 5 minutes, just to firm it up, then remove from the oven, and set aside.

1 cup plant milk Place carrots in a saucepan with enough water to

2 cups carrots (from p 60)

cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender. Drain water, and whiz the carrots until smooth using a

1 roll of pastry dough (from p 47)

food processor.

2 eggs (from p 30)

Mix together the carrot puree, sugar and eggs in a bowl. Add in the cinnamon and vanilla. Gradually stir in the milk. Pour the mixture into the partially

1 tsp vanilla essence

baked pie shell.

1 cup sugar Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce heat to 175 degrees C. Bake for an additional

1 tsp cinnamon

40 to 45 minutes at the lower temperature, or until firm. Cool completely before serving.

76

183

CARR

T PIE

Homemade signs outside of my home (left), Typography from my final publication (right).

TYPOGRAPHY DEVELOPMENT Developing one-of-a-kind typography beyond the Kinfolk aesthetic.

that you find on farms or at food markets. This

E GS

puts an emphasis on imperfections and irregular

recognisable within this approach, as it remains

forms, which aligns with the rest of my graphic

clean and consistent as an overarching aesthetic.

design. The font family ‘Argesta’ is still being

Overall, I believe that this developed typography

used however, and the way that the text has been

style helps me bring more personality and

arranged on the pages remains the same as before.

authenticity to my publication as each design

The influence of Kinfolk Magazine is also still

becomes one of a kind.

typography

has

developed

by

taking

FRESH

The

inspiration from handmade signs from my own house (Orchard Lea), food market stalls and farms. As picture in p180, my previous style of typography was very muted. This felt out of touch with my overarching theme and has evolved to suit my bolder approach to graphic design, using block colours and adapting single letters within headings to be unique from the rest. For example, on the cover of my publication the ‘O’ in 'Stubborn Weeds' has been edited on Illustrator to look more hand drawn and irregular. This has also been replicated in paragraphs, singling out sentences to follow crooked paths as opposed to following the paragraph structure. The idea behind manipulating single elements of my typography was inspired by handmade signs

185

REVISITING KEY INFLUENCES L o o k i n g b a c k a t t h e c o l l a g e a n d p a i n t w o r k o f V i v i a n e S a s s e n a n d H a r l e y We i r .

Revisiting

and

building

upon

previous

research, I have taken further inspiration from photographers Viviane Sassen and Harley Weir in the way I have designed my book. Something I had not discovered last semester was Weir’s abstract collage work that is often handmade and showcased with full bleed in her books (bottom right). These images gave me the idea to photograph interesting elements of the vegetable dyed paper I made to show alongside my editorials. Although I am already familiar with Sassen’s ink work, I felt it was necessary to revisit what images she would edit like this and in what style. This reflection encouraged me to consider what silhouette I was trying to distort (if any) before adapting any image, and reminded me to only use simple strokes and gestures when print making.

Photography by Viviane Sassen.

186

Photography by Viviane Sassen.

Photography by Harley Weir.

187

M A D E AT H O M E Reworking my photography by hand, using paint, oil pastels and vegetables.

The next few pages show how I have reworked my imagery by using mushrooms, broccoli and other more traditional mark making techniques.

I chose to rework this specific series as the narrative explore home growing and developing a relationship with home grown produce. This meant it made sense to play with vegetable printing over the body in various ways (looking at the relationship between humans and food in an obscured way), using mushrooms as a nod to the styling.

188

Mark making using oil pastel.

189

..

Mushroom, oil pastel and paint mark making.

190

191

Mushroom and broccoli mark making.

192

193

F O O D WA S T E M A R K M A K I N G Creating one-of-a-kind designs using vegetable waste.

As well as working over photographs themselves, I spent time mark making on plain paper using vegetable and fruit waste. I then experimented with manipulating the scans on Photoshop to be more minimalist and contemporary. This mark-making piece (below) created using the core of a baby corn was edited to become this final design (right). I believe these markings are very beautiful when embedded throughout the publication, helping create space and emotion.

It is also important that my graphic design highlights and celebrates irregularities, which these pages do well.

194

195

196

Using eco paper and vegetable dying to define my graphic design aesthetic.

V E G E TA B L E DY E D D E S I G N

197

198

Backdrop painted using a courgette for mark making (left), mushroom prints (right).

199

Feather prints using our goose feathers collected from the garden.

200

201

Paper dyed with beetroot and berries for the styling pieces made for 'Plot to Plate.'

202

203

Scanned onion peel and berry died paper.

hy

can’t

we

pay

for

rent

with

onions?

205

Paper dyed with beetroot and berries (left), red cabbage imprints on photo paper (right).

206

207

STUBB RN WEEDS

Front cover (left), back cover (right) both featuring mushroom prints.

1

208

THE COVERS Using photography and vegetable prints to underpin my theme.

209

CAMILLE LEMOINE 210