Through an insomniac’s mind, the night is a blur of unrest and a reminder of the harsh reality that is nocturnalism. The following images embody elements of the torture of sleepless nights and constant unrest, set in a harshly lit tunnel in the middle of the night by a dingy night club. The night can do things to the mind, as reflected in the styling – with straight-jacket style body suits and chains. Strongly influenced by the Alexander McQueen 1995 ‘Highland Rape’ collection, the styling encapsulates different aspects of the word ‘Nocturnal,’ whether it be animalistic, insomniacs, hard core clubbing etc, and is inspired by bats, foxes and particularly cats, which we favoured in the form of cat eye contact lenses. The idea was to create a sinister, edgy atmosphere, using both male and female models to add an air of mysterious androgyny.
Featuring pieces from designers such as Georgette Kamara, Zsofia Webber, and Harriet Carp, stylists Rebecca Dudley and Emily Rajch displayed textural black materials - sequins, ruffles, furs, studs and leather; all up and coming trends for Autumn Winter 09. Balmain, Louis Vuitton and Balenciaga all sent accentuated shoulders down the catwalk for Autumn/ Winter 09, so we stuffed the shoulders to give an 80’s effect. Makeup influences came mainly from Marc Jacobs A/W 09 show, reiterating the eighties trend, whilst the hair was inspired by Christian Dior A/W 09. Julie Kerr and Mena Bhella created many different looks with quick changes in the hair and makeup, from dashes of neon colours to smudges of black around the lips. Photographically, Debbie Chaung created an eerie effect with strong contrast and a harsh, yellow effect that is reminiscent of a mental asylum. She cleverly strung together the different ideas that the word ‘Nocturnal’ conveys, whilst capturing the hair, makeup and styling from different, yet flattering and creative angles.
As shown in the title, we portrayed the image of a lonely stoner, who turns to the night to let go of all inhibitions.
By Rebecca Dudley
Credits
Photography - Debbie Chaung
Styling - Becca Dudley, Emily Rajch
Hair & Makeup - Julie Kerr, Mena Bhella
Models - Miguel Dare, Rebecca Pearson
Designers - Georgette Kamara, Zsofia Webber, Harriet Carp
I really liked the contact lenses used in the Alexander McQueen collection (shown below), and I also thought the Wrangler - We Are Animals campaign was a great reference for this shoot:
And here are the final pics!
Hope you like!
