still & moving.

There is a considerable amount of difference when comparing still fashion to moving fashion images. First the most obvious difference is that still fashion images are motionless while moving images are in motion, making moving images much more dynamic. Nathalie Khan explains in her essay, Cutting the Fashion Body: Why the Fashion Image is no Longer Still that the still and moving image relates with time. A still image will always just be an image captures in a moment in time whereas, a moving image (digital fashion films) enable fashion to be part of a “permanent presence”, which means that the constant flow of the film is able to carry viewers through a specific time zone. With still fashion images, not a lot is said even though a lot is meant to be interpreted or seen. People are all different and for one artist and take an image and hope that everyone sees that image the way the original artist’s intended is near to impossible. With fashion films, viewers are able to be more invested in the film while the moving images and sounds serve as a way to direct the audience until the end. In still fashion photography it is hard to convey everything in one image, one is just not enough for viewers to understand or capture their full attention. Also the beauty to fashion is movement of clothing. To essentially capture that kind of majestic movement in a still image is rather difficult and not quite as successful compared to a fashion film where you would visually be able to see the clothing drape on the model’s body and move as the model walks. Still fashion images restrict viewers from seeing beyond the frame of the image and that in all can be very limiting in the outcome of how the image is perceived.

shanghai & fashion.

The most obvious difference between the two films Blue Lady Shanghai by David Lynch and Fashion Body on Nick Knight’s website is the layout and format of the films. Blue Lady Shanghai is more of a story, with a soft a delicate, yet mysterious mood set for the film with a romantic tragedy that brings it back to the Dior bag. Fashion Body is composed of separate videos that come together to show how fashion on every part of the body is bold and creative. The videos featured in Fashion Body were all created by different artists and each were intriguing with expressive movements, focusing on specific body parts. The films were all ambiguous, with either minimal speech or none and accompanied with music and motion. This allows for the viewers to be free with their thoughts and interpretations. When watching Blue Lady Shanghai I felt a different mood and vibe. The video itself was a little confusing with what it was trying to convey specifically, but by the end we all knew the film was meant to promote the Dior bag. The film had a clear beginning and end that Lynch wanted viewers to understand, not much room for self interpretations. Both films had different approaches in how they wanted to present their product/ work. In my opinion, more people would be intrigued with Fashion Body films because less is shown, which makes the viewers interested in trying to deceiver the message behind the film. The famous saying by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, “less is more” relates well with the Fashion Body films. The films each might only be a couple minutes long, but within those minutes, a lot is being conveyed and that is what captures the attention of viewers.  

After watching the two films and seeing the differences between the two, I believe Fashion Body had a stronger more convincing sense of contemporary fashion. Contemporary fashion is fashion that is produced in the present time. Blue Lady Shanghai definitely did not seem to be contemporary fashion in my opinion. The way the film was made and directed reminded me of ancient times and not similar to present day fashion that we see today. The colors presented in the film were also reminiscent of earlier times. Fashion Body encompasses exactly what contemporary fashion is defined to be. The films speak for themselves loud and clear, with constant captivating movement, sounds, and color. The audience is not forced to be fixated on one directed story like Blue Lady Shanghai, Fashion Body allows for the mind to wander and explore, which brings upon various interpretations as mentioned above.