Graphic Design Visual Diary No.3

For a while I've been collecting lookbook/catalogues from designer brand boutiques in Melbourne. The thing I like about the lookbook/catalogues is that they are much more focused on the garments and it becomes a valuable resource for my studies. There used to be lot more lookbook/catalogues around, but after the emergence of internet, the number of printed lookbook/catalogue has decreased. Higer end brands such as Chanel and Gucci still prints catalogues for the clients to take home.



Chanel


chanel undoubtedly has most extensive and exhaustive amount of lookbook/catalogues. It is not surprising considering the fact that Chanel has 8 collections a year with new collection arriving at the boutiques all around the world every 2 months. Chanel's main season collections come with very high quality catalogues, which has become collectibles among fashion followers. They are usually hardcover, with all the images of their latest collection's ad campaign (shot by none other than the genius designer himself, Karl Lagerfeld) featured in it. I first came across the catalogue last year, when I was viewing Chanel's latest collection at the Chadstone boutique, I saw the catalogue on the table, I flipped through and asked if I could take it home and could not believe that I could because of it's quality. I was sure that the catalogue was for the boutique, but I decided to ask because I fell in love with the images.
Chanel also prints magazines twice a year and it is named '31 rue cambon' (the address of the legendary Chanel headqurter). Unlike the main catalogues, these magazines focus on all the collections, including cosmetics and eyewears, that Chanel produce and it features articles on the inspirations for each collections.
For their 'Pre' season collections (pre-Spring, Pre-Fall), Chanel prints brochures or booklets. They are not as high quality as the main catalogues and the magazines, but they are still a great resource for the clients.

Slightly less than the number of lookbooks/catalogues Chanel preoduces in a year

Chanel's main season catalogues

Chanel magazines '31 rue cambon'

Chanel 'Pre' season brochure

Versace

I was waiting for my friend at the Crown to go to the movies, and I decided to walk into the Versace boutique to check out their new collections. I was not sure if Versace printed lookbook/catalogue, somehow I thought only Chanel printed them and had them available for customers. When I asked the shop assistant, she kindly gave me a copy of their lookbook/catalogue. They are pocket-sized books and both womenswear and menswear lookbook/catalogue came inside a red cover with the logo of Versace printed on the front. Versace's catalogue is more like a lookbook that you would be able to browse in the boutique. It has images of the latest runwayshow. I really like the size and the packaging of the lookbook/catalogue, the fact that you get both womens and menswear collection is also great.

Giorgio Armani

I've only recently discovered that Giorgio Armani also prints catalogue/lookbook for their collection, another accidental discovery. I was looking through my mother's old catalogue collection and came across one from Armani and decided to check out if they still have catalogues available. I went in to the Collins St boutique and to my surprise the catalogue was quite readily avaialble (pile of it was stacked near the door where I culd just grab some without asking the shop assistant). Armani's catalogue/lookbook comes in a beautiful paper case, and inside it is a A4 sized book. When I looked through the catalogue/lookbook, I realised that it was like a combination of Chanel and Versace catalogue/lookbook. It has sections of it which features the ad campaigns and photos from the runway show at the back. I really liked how Armani's catalogue/lookbook has both womenswear and menswear, but it also meant that there wasn't enough images for both collection in the catalogue.

Ralph Lauren



Ralph Lauren does not print any catalogues and lookbooks, they don't even have lookbooks in store for the customers to have a look at, unlike all of the luxury brand boutiques. I always felt that it was a pity because Ralph Lauren is one of my favourite designer brand and I always want to have something to keep. This season though, they have printed a brouchure for the Blue Label. It is not as extensive as other brochure/catalogues you can get, but I thought the images were beautiful. The brochure is similar in contents to the invitation to their fashion show, which I thought was a nice touch. Ralph Lauren also started printing magazines, like those from Chanel. The magazine is slightly bigger than A4, and it has a lot of images of their collections, most of them unseen, which I thought was great.

Cover of the Ralph Lauren magazine, 1st issue

Catalogue/brochure for Ralph Lauren Blue Label

After collecting and looking at all the lookbooks/catalogues I can get in Melbourne, I was sure of the direction I want to be heading with the lookbook I need to create for the Graphic Design class. I love the catalogues with beautifully shot images but I also like the ones with the runway images as you can focus on the actual garment. For my lookbook, I want to combine the two, much like Armani's catalogue. I want to have images that represent the mood of my garments, in other words, images that represent the inspiration even if they don't really show the garments, and then have more garment-focused images in the second part of my lookbook.

Graphic Design Visual Diary No.2

With the photoshoot for my collection and the Graphic Design project 2, I want to organise a photoshoot in a playground. I thought the minimal colour of black and white as well as the contrast between high fashion and place associated with adolescence and naivity would result in some really cool images. These are just some images I've found on the internet, I will be going around looking for a great playground to do the shoot in.

I am also inspired by the images on Tavi's blog 'style rookie'. I love how unpretentious and nostalgic the images are and I feel this will go really well with my minimal concept.

Images from
http://www.thestylerookie.com/search?updated-max=2011-08-23T22%3A00%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=5

Graphic Design Visual Diary No.1

For Graphic Design class next term, we need to create a lookbook. Although I am unsure if I will continue my study at AAD, since this project will be very beneficial for my own folio, I decided to start right away. As it happens, I already had an idea for a photo shoot and it feels great to have a reason to actually make it happen.

One thing I always have trouble with is keeping my visual diary. A lot of what I do is very spontaneous, my designing and planning doesn't take much time, I suddenly get an idea and I execute it. I understand it is very unreliable way of working, but this is just how I do things and it hasn't failed me yet. Also I have trouble making every page of my visual diary looking perfect. I would take ages to finish just one page.

So instead I decided to use my blog as a visual diary so that people can have a look at the proccess and get a glimpse of my vision and ideas.

I've been tirelessly working on my 'Magnum Opus' collection and the collection has been taking a lot of my energy. I want every piece in this collection to be a masterpiece, something that is comparable to a Haute Couture pieces shown in Paris. This means a lot of work and effort. After working on a piece for the 'Magnum Opus' collection, I am completely drained and found myself craving something minimal and white. This is very typical of me, I always want to do something completely different to what I have worked on.

In order for me to not get too sick of working on my 'Magnum Opus' collection, I decided to create small collection of more wearable and minimal garments inspired by the movie 'Black Swan' and the Givenchy Haute Couture collection by Ricaedo Tisci.