SHOW me the Shot

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Susie2

I feel really reallly geeky and not at all ‘cool’ in what I’m about to post.  The reigning attitude that people are supposedly ‘meant’ to uphold in the fashion industry is to be blase, nonchalant and completely unaffected by well, everything.  So, probably, for the majority of people who took part in the Nick Knight 100 Portraits i-D shoot, it was nothing whatsoever.  Perhaps it was a slot in their schedule, a favour they were doing for someone or not that big a deal at all especially if they’re already on first name basis with Mr Knight or have indeed already been shot by him many times over (La Moss…).  Some of you may have caught my ten-fifteen minutes with him on SHOWstudio‘s stream and even through the stream, some of you on Twitter perceived how nice he was.  Yes, the man is gentle as anybody you’ll ever meet and despite HOW many people he has been shooting continuously over December, not once did he lose patience, sigh or huff/puff despite the fact I am a novice.  Yet at the same time, he did push and direct to get to the err…more ‘delicate’ and ‘graceful’ side of me.  Doh!  Two words that I knew were never going to be in my DNA ever since my ballet teacher told me that I was not a natural when I was seven.  So my arms were contorted, fingers were outstretched and with the help of a little wooden chair, my legs were also carefully positioned.  Sylvie Guillem I am not alas…

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However, having seen the contact sheets (can’t post here obviously as the issue of i-D doesn’t come out until February), I’m shamelessly chuffed… not at my own limb bending skills, but at the beautiful lighting, Nick Knight’s direction and a spirit in the images I don’t think I’ve conveyed before on camera.  Needless to say I’ll be egg-cited when the issue is out… even if I’ll probably end up as a thumbnail on a page (they have actually shot over 100 peeps now… they’re supremely shoot happy over at Somerset House…).

Post-shoot, I had a walk around the SHOWstudio Fashion Revolution exhibition which I didn’t get to have a GOOOOOD look at the first time I went when it was exceedingly crowded.  It’s actually A LOT better when it is less populated but it is alas, coming to an end this weekend so I’m betting it’ll be crowded again.  It goes without saying that with the sheer amount of projects that SHOWstudio has undertaken over the past decade, that no matter how much descriptive prose you dedicate to the fashion in motion material you see, that it just doesn’t quite do the exhibition justice.  I filmed little bits of it just to give a taster but the good thing with the entire exhibition is that everything is still archived online on SHOWstudio and can be experienced in their original habitat all day, any day…

So we have here a mix of a film/installation investigating the sound of clothes (specifically THAT beautiful Balenciaga S/S 06 collection with all that Edwardian-esque lace…), stylist Jane How’s sweet wrapper ensembles portrayed in 3D, Julie Verhoeven’s naughty toile de jouey print, Gareth Pugh’s fash off performances and Comme des Garcons’ A/W 05-4 dress process documentation… backed by the soundtrack in my head that I had when I was wafting about the exhibition… Sergei Prokofiev’s storming Cindrella finale score…

19 comments

  1. I wasn’t able to catch you on stream but I saw some of the other’s sitters. It is so fascinating to watch Nick Knight work. I’m excited to see the results! Perhaps you can show us your outfit before Feb?

  2. wow! that’s amazing…and you know that’s what makes a great photographer, not so much the technical ability but the beauty they’re able to bring out in a person. i’m really looking forward to seeing how the pictures come out!

  4. Nick Knight . . . nick knight. What a holy name and such a lovely man! OK, now that I’ve read this I’ll go around telling everybody that Nick Knight is such a lovely man, so they’ll think I know him. They’ll also think he’s my cousin because none of my peers knows who he is. JUST KIDDING I would never do that. But I can dream . . .

  9. I missed you. But i watched a few of the others. its really interesting to watch him work. Can’t wait to see your photos! 🙂

  12. Oh, I feel you… …I’m pretty confident in general, but in front of camera about 30 of my 36 years just melt away, and I feel extremely lonely, awkward and unnatural. I’m pretty sure that your experience with those professionals was pretty encouraging, though! Those previous collabs you’ve had have always been great from the viewer’s point of view (hmm, is that weirldly put?).
    Waiting to see the results!

  13. Jess: I purposely didn’t discuss the outfit because the portrait doesn’t come out until March… but there’s not much to say really other than I specifically didn’t want to wear anything too OTT… it’s all sheer things I’m loving at the moment…. a few Louise Gray S/S 10 pieces, some old Raf Simons trousers and the Stella McCartney lucite heels…. in short, nothing mind-blowing as it’s not strictly speaking a fashion shoot…
    KD: I think you can still go round saying Nick Knight is a lovely guy!
    Fashion Westie: That’s a very good resolution indeed!

  14. WOWWW!!!! I am sitting here and silently shrieking of excitement for you!!! I think you are perfect for it, and damn cool too :)Haven’t bought an iD in a while, but this one I will for sure!

  15. So so chuffed for you, Susie! I bought the October 2007 issue of i-D because you were in it, and even though it sucks that they’ve gone bimonthly, I shall keep a weather eye out for this…and I do not want to be nasty or anything but you’re a way cooler choice of profilee than some mags *coughvoguecough* have come up with (kudos to i-D for that- and I shall go around telling people Nick Knight is lovely too 🙂

  16. hah, my ballet teacher told me the same thing when i was five!
    and congrats on the shoot, i look forward to seeing the issue.

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