Lingerie geniuses The Lake and Stars have released a Spring 2011 campaign that blew my mind. I am finally starting to see the shift in the fashion industry that I have so longed for. I truly feel that where I am going with my work is completely in alignment with the direction I am now seeing. Blending a sense of playfulness with spirituality, The Lake and Stars have created a campaign that is both aesthetically appealing as well as intellectually intriguing. I can't wait to see what they come up with next.
"For Spring 2011, designers Nikki Dekker and Maayan Zilberman took last season’s idea of “fetish” and explored it as a means of “ritual”. Inspired by the ‘80s New Age approach to spirituality and well-being, and today’s resurgence of communal living and cult practices, the team created their own “family” environment to stage various rituals. Playing with the notion that lingerie can be a key player in the ritual of romance, the new slideshow album, photographed by Tom Hines, offers tongue-in cheek advice on how to stay grounded and how not to take it all too seriously."
I'm sorry, I just don't see what you see.
ReplyDeleteI see sad, depressed, young, skinny, malnourished bodies...who cannot connect to the joyful intimacy that these photos are supposed to depict. Where are their smiles? Where is the laughter? And why on earth are they so thin? This is not how ceremony and ritual are meant to be portrayed....and especially not with the 'fashion' industry. The addiction of anorexia and bulemia, cocaine and other drugs is just as rampant in this industry...please consider NOT marketing them in this way.
I hear you saying that it is tongue-in-cheek...but really, if we continue to support and offer images like this to our youth - what do you think its influence is going to be?
I can appreciate the 'photo artistry' or creative aspect of setting up shots like this - however - it does not at all represent romance to me. I love the work you do, but these photos just do not resonate with me, and so I hope you understand...IMHO.
My excitement stems from the direction that these images are going in. The fact that they are even beginning to discuss ritual in fashion is a huge change. There is still much evolving left for the fashion industry to do, which is where I want to be involved.
ReplyDeleteI understand your concern with body image and how this may effect people, along with the other habits that some people may have in the industry. Those issues are not solely 'owned' by the fashion industry, but I am in no way trying to market them either. I do realize that the fashion industry sells an often unrealistic body type, but that is beginning to shift as well. (I myself recently shot a series for 303 magazine called voluptuous which embraced feminine curves.) We also cannot judge and say that every slender woman has an eating disorder. I myself have close friends who are very healthy and very slender. So we have to be realistic and see both sides of the coin when it comes to what body is "real" or "safe" to sell. The reality in any situation is that it is important for us to teach children the importance of healthy eating and loving their bodies no matter what shape or size.
Anyways, I hope this clears up some of the concerns you had about why I was posting or why I enjoyed these images. But thank you for speaking out and making these issues important, because I too think they are.