model problem fixed + shoot #2

I overcame my crippling fears and asked Jean to help. Jean said Yes, so that was both

A. Clutch

B. D O P E









After that, I biked over to Jean's house, P500 in two, and took a series of FIRE pics, I think this is like...cover story material not to pat myself on the back too hard. Here are the highlights:




Heck yeah. Me and Isa will hop on PIXLR and POLAR (2 photo editing software) after break @ school in order to just touch it up. We will be using custom filters made by Isa by blending 3 filters together, as they both allow for these features. Final Product, here we come.

-Let's get this bread

Oops the model for today cancelled?

Ookokokokokokkokoko soooooo.



Veronica cancelled on me and I am FREAKING OUT. Why? She's moving so thats like a great reason why. I am just freaking because I get really embarrassed about asking people for favors and stuff, so that makes me particularly shy. One way or another I need a model TODAY or I am WAY behind schedule while having a SERIOUS case of "I am a disorganized mess"-oritis.


Evidence for vero:






Anyway, I am gonna reach out to my neighbor Jean. Why? She's fashionable, helpful, and photogenic. Yeet here goes nothing.

-Let's get this bread

Potential pic set #1???

So me and Sil went to the Frost museum for a fun date, and take some good pictures! We found a good corner @ Bayside to take pictures in, and got to work. Sadly, I didn't have my P500 with me, so I used the I N S A N E camera on Sil's Iphone X.












After taking the pictures, I turned to using Snapsy to making the pictures a little better, and then it hit me...















Black and white aesthetic...

Personally, I love it, and it is a solid first start. I am not sure where yet, but I wanna have at least one of these pics from today in the final project. The sad road to the end begins.

-Let's get this bread

PS: here's me having fun looking at fish!

Comparing and contrasting

So, how does one know what a convention look like? Sure, I can mindlessly read about it and type it out until it is very much redundant but what does it REALLY look like?

This road has lead me to what every teenager has done at one point or another: compare themselves to others! WOO, teenage insecurity!

So to successfully do this, I will establish 2 criteria:
1. what does everything look like?
2. What's inside that I should mimic

So let's get started on that list.

1) What does everything look like?
Me:



Other teens:






I mean, what does she have that I don't? Ok, jokes aside, these are undoubtedly helpful.Why? because they give a lot of context to the one thing I wanna hone on: Alt-Conventions seem to be a rejection of the mainstream. Yes, that doesn't mean "there's no rules, every man for himself", but it does mean I have a lot of creative freedom at my disposal. So, I shouldn't be afraid to bend a few mainstream rules, they're there to be broken in the alt-world.

2) what does the inside look like

me:
I am lazy and dont have a TOC rip my life

Other girls:
 
First, enjoy those magazines we just keep lying at my house for some reason and the undershot of my arm. So first thing I see, it's  crowded, there's pictures, and there's obviously ads on the next page. I don't know how to feel about the whole "crowded" look because, personally, it's kinda tacky. That said, it's always good to have a frame of reference in mind, not matter what it is.
With this knowledge in mind, we take on the week where things start coming together, one snap/edit/me re-learning how to edit at a time.

-Let's get this bread.

1st and 2nd shooting dates

Seeing as how it's spring break I have the time to do a couple (if not more) shoots. I plan on taking a lot of pics of two people: Sil and Veronica. Sil and Vero's pictures are probably gonna be used in one (or more) of three places:

1. The cover

2. 2-page spread

3. TOC/Ads

I'll probably take one for the team and take pictures of ads myself or on the weekend when I finish with a paper for my AICE global A class. Anywhos, I know I'm already going to the ~Frost Museum of Science~ with Sil on Wednesday and I've made plans with vero for Friday, so thats very useful for me. I also now have permission from my family to use our Canon Camera to take the pics and make the P R O F  E S S I O N A L.

Here's a clearer schedule:

1. Frost W/Sil 3/27

2. Photos @ Vero's 3/29

-Let's get this bread

Fixing the clothes issue

Like any other high school student, I am extremely broke. This, as you can imagine, poses as HUGE dilemma when I'm making a fashion magazine with an aesthetic/topic SO HYPER-SPECIFIC that it seems like a daunting task to find the adequate clothing for my models/ads.

I first went to amazon and did some...well, quite literally, I looked for clothing.



I found that while it was very handy, buying bulks of clothes was
A. a strain on my wallet
B. a BIG time frame issue with all the different items and shipping they would need
C. an honest logistical issue of people and me potentially fighting about their clothes


I was NOT willing to put myself through that abject misery. So I made plans to go out shopping with my sister. Before we did that however, I started doing research on Japanese minimalism again to inspire me, and thats when i saw this.




I found these on the fashion magazine HighSnob (shoutout to Jaden Smith). This made it click:
I own/my models already own clothing that looks a lot like this...We already own the clothing. Sooooo I essentially just reached out to my models and said to wear anything that has dark colors and is "Street Wear". Like that, I got around my clothes issue. MEANING: we are READY to start finishing this bad boi.

-Let's get this bread.

Link: https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/street-style-november-tokyo/#slide-6

Cover story draft #1

I did the first draft of the cover story! it took some time, effort and a LOT of google to pull off, and i will definitely link my sources.

I feel happy enough with this draft to use it, I'll probably make minor changes before I include it in the end.

So, here it is:

To say the Tokyo street style is incredibly diverse is far from an understatement. The style of the city's 9 million citizens is almost as unique to each as their fingerprint. With the city rising as one of the modern fashion capitals, its unique style and aesthetic has begun to set global trends. One of the most prominent of these trends, however, has undoubtedly been the rise of Tokyo's minimalist movement.  

The movement, conceived in the early 2010's by designers like Yohji Yamamoto and pioneered by brands like Commes De Garçons, has been propelled into the limelight by its increasing prominence in the stage of events like Tokyo Fashion Week and since been adopted by the streetwear culture of the city.

Its popularity is no small feat, as Tokyo's fashion scene, much like the city, has been praised around the globe for being bright and eye-catching. Thus, the emergence of a minimalist fashion movement in Japan, and more specifically in Tokyo, could serve to be extremely indicative of what is to come in the trends of global fashion and streetwear, especially as it rises in popularity in the west. With this in mind, I headed to Japan to analyze the rise, prominence, and implications of the movement on Japanese, and global, street fashion.

The primary concept I kept in mind throughout the trip was the "fight", if you will, between minimalism and complexity in the Japanese fashion world. Japanese designers like Rei Kawakubo (Founder of Commes De Garçons) have stressed for years, "easy" fashion does not compare to that which is as high-concept as it is high-fashion. However, Naoki Takizawa (Design director of UNIQLO) maintains that to stand out without the need for bold statements is, in her words, "intrinsically Japanese".Keeping that conflict in the back of my head proved crucial to understanding different forms and iterations of minimalist fashion within Japan, because as I would soon realize, those who love Japanese have perfected a marriage between the concepts.

Minimalism, as I came to understand during my stop at Shibuya, largely took off after the debut of the style in the main commercial centers of the city. The appearance of subtler fashion, coupled with it's relative lack of expense, took of as Japanese millenials with a taste for fashion and a keen eye for an Instagram-worthy aesthetic flocked to stores across the nation to construct their own take on minimalist fashion. It was this exploration that gave the movement its defining features: monochromatic colors or black/white looks, straight lines and a clean aesthetic, the undersized/oversized clothes. Each detail was born out of these experiments with the aesthetic, ultimately birthing the hallmarks of the movement.

After it was popularized among teens in these high-fashion urban centers, it wasn't long until different parts of the city began to develop different substyles within the larger minimalist movement. In shibuya, it's dark, subdued, and simple, the opposite of the streets so often crowded in the famous Shibuya Crossing. Meanwhile, in Akihabara, a more vibrant and colorful way of employing minimalism is found, mimicking the nightlife and eccentricity Akihabara is known for. Conversations with locals who identified their style with that of the minimalist movement were happy to explain that in each corner of Tokyo, a different form of Minimalism can be found not because there doesn't exist some set of rules or conventions in the movement, but rather because the way in which minimalism is employed is all about personal, cultural, or local expression. In short, the movement, while having norms, is not monolithic and those who express themselves using minimalism can express anything, from their personal character to the character of their District within Tokyo.

I capped off my journey near Mt. Fuji. The serene, untouched landscape not too far from Tokyo itself is a perfect metaphor of the movement. Incredibly simplistic at first glance, however, one is quick to realize how rich, layered, and complex that simplicity can be. At first, one is confused, but later, they are at awe. Like Mt.Fuji has been for decades, the minimalist movement has become a symbol of Japanese culture for the world, a symbol the world is entranced by. But as this dive into the movement has shown me, minimalism, much like Mt. Fuji is and will continue to be an evolving ecosystem that's more than meets the eye.

-Let's get this bread

Covering the story...which is just the cover story

I've started outlining and drafting my cover story. Let me tell you, I scoured the depths of google to try and get some sweet sweet source material...which I may or may not still be looking for.
I have my outline in a piece of paper, but I'm having a hard time uploading the pictures of it I took (I will be working to figure this out). Not being able to upload the pictures is annoying but I will just transcribe it and leave that here for now.

Outline:
-open with a narrative (person or company)
-Introduce the topic
-Analyze/discuss topic with the goal of developing the following:
1) history
2) application to fashion
3) implications to future fashion movements
-???

So that's the outline. To explain the meaning of "???" i mean that I am not sure what to do after I've developed those three points in the sense that I don't know wether to conclude or just leave it after that final point.
Despite all of that, I have a lot of ideas for the article and I've had fun with preliminary research (which is just googling minimalism if I'm being 100% honest), now I just need something I can, you know, cite in a scholarly way. Wish me luck girls.

-Let's get this bread

Meeting #2 analysis and reflection

So we had our second group meeting yesterday and it was very fun. I tried to be as helpful to my group mates as possible, giving whatever feedback I could and trying to give a few tips that may help if I knew any...like when I mentioned to Tabatha that she could be able to make a fake, rotatable arm by taking groups of tubes, grouping, tying them together and putting them in a long sleeve article of clothing #practicaleffectsgang. Aside from that, I was sure to take notes on a clipboard where I had written down a few things prior to the group meeting to just hear feedback on the ideas about what my group mates thought and suggested. I was glad to hear they overall enjoyed the look I was going for, and found the proposed content interesting. With that said, they also gave fantastic feedback that has helped me see there's a lot I need to try or potentially change about my project, which has made me very appreciative of both the group meeting and of the feedback they all gave me. I tried my best to transcribe and summarize my notes, which are featured here below.


Bailey:
Overall seemed to like it and saw the direction it was going towards. Bailey took the lead and gave me the best practical advice in the group:
1) Display more on your blog (Which inspired me to fix this hot mess)
2) make as many throwaways of your magazine as you can. Ensure they have little or large variations so you can take a good look at what your ideas will look like and you can get the look that makes the magazine the best it can be.
3) Take care of the concept for the two page spread soon, and try to test out the look with stock images first.

Elly:
Elly enjoyed the look of the magazine and liked the subdued nature of the cover and its images. She did, however, also point out some things to keep in mind:
1) keep a log of the fonts and images you use on the blog so you can keep references of how each looks and impacts the magazine's look
2) Make an alternative cover with a new font and more cover lines to see what that may look like, even if it's not part of the conventions of an alt. fashion magazine

Juan:
Though Juan didn't have much to say besides comments on what he liked or straight up advice he gave me one good point to think about:
1) Outline, draft, and source your article as soon as possible if it's an easy write. Knocking the easy parts of the magazine out as soon as possible will make everything easier

Tabatha:
Tabatha was by far the most appreciative and supportive of both the magazine's look and growth to the current look from previous posts. Her advice centered around editing and the photoshoot process:
1) take as many pictures as possible
2) If you want to edit pictures, it could make formatting easier since there could be less color
3) Control the environment of the shoot as much as possible

Their combined advice was 10/10, and I'm already planning new ideas or changes accordingly, which will help the final product be DOPE.

-Let's get this bread.

First cover draft

It was hard to get on here (seriously, it took like 3 different JPG's to get it on this blog from Canva), but here it is. So Essentially this is sort of what I'm envisioning for the issue's final look. Originally, I thought I would go heavy with dark colors and just have a drab black/white/grey aesthetic because that's what I shortsightedly envisioned for myself. After self-reflection, by which I mean I learned what good-looking layouts are and how to emulate them, I saw the truth: My previous idea was... ~not good~. So I decide to embrace what I liked after looking at examples and throw away what was clearly hot garbage and throw up a design. I decided to also add some red, surprisingly, but the reason for that was after meeting with Isa and contrasting our mastheads to make sure they match (as per requirements). I saw hers was black with a red / in it(largely cause many popular Alt. Fashion magazines have their names broken up with designs), and I asked her "what if I went with like the design you have but switched it up? " She was really down for the idea, So I decided to implement it. For the image, I googled "Minimalist fashion", rather un-creatively, but ended up with a rather good image to use. Without further ado, Here's the design:

                                           

-Let's get this bread.

E=MC^2 (aka time)

I've been trying to keep myself on track by writing down what I want to do on paper,
but sadly I keep losing the paper I write things down on, so I don't think that's gonna work out like, in the
slightest. SO, knowing that I have to do something to keep tabs on myself, I decided that I will do that here.
Granted, this will be a constantly evolving blog post to account for the fact I wanna use this as a
notes app on my phone, but I do wanna be able to reflect on that.
Checking out studio:

3/16

3/16 update: My dad could not take me to the warehouse that'll serve as a studio so THAT wasn't fun.
Considering he probably can't take me tomorrow, this makes things COMPLICATED
3/17 update: Some research has shown me that shooting outside and in a natural setting will help the urban fashion vibe i want, so no studio

Costuming/Wardrobe:

3/17-3/20

3/17 update: Unsure wether to buy in person or through Amazon, but I've started looking on Amazon anyway.

3/20 update: I have turned more towards guiding wardrobes and giving some fashion requests for models, just so that they know what to do

Set-up shoots:

3/23: i have arranged for 3/27 for me and Sil to shoot while at Frost Science Museum
3/27 update: I have booked 3/29 and some ranging dates

So as y'all can tell, there is a lot of different things to work on but that's chill because by this point in time I am very prepared to knock this out of the park.
Let's do this!

-Let's get this bread

getting my act together (get it.? cause act=what I'm doing)

After a weekend generally filled with brainstorming and finding new ways to go about my minimalist content idea, I've settled on a few details that will allow my project to not seem "gimmicky"and more so a concept piece:

-A winter issue, limiting my color pallet to dark colors
-single color outfits on models and a contrasting background
-playing around with lighting (IE. Looking into color lights)

I also settled on a few other things I want to knock out by the end of next week:

-invest into colored wallpaper to hang up to serve as the background of my photoshoot
-Look into color lights
-Testing out camera/lenses/trial shoots
-physical mock of what I want the issue to be (will be done on paper and yes, I will feature some pics)
-Looking at the site I have selected to shoot at
-shop for clothes (realistically, I don't know if I'll have the time for this)

These plans are a bit of a mold that I wanna have to be able to have more concrete goals through out the crunch time of this project.

-Let's get this bread

Hittin the books (which is like, research)

I wanna have a good set of ideas and frames of reference. Because of this, I have launched into a researching spree to be sure to have a few good ideas. I primarily is looked for Alt-fashion magazines in terms of looks, essence, content, and prominence on social media/how they are distributed. This is essentially what I stumbled upon:

Alt-Press discussed the prominence of magazines/brands having hectic social media presence and content geared towards a 16-25 year old audience. They discuss 10 brands with a rather cult following on Instagram. They also lead to the conclusion that reaching an audience through social media ads and possibly a website in which one could subscribe through but still reach consumers online. It is key to keep up with increased digitization, and that can easily be done, as the research shows, through a strong presence online.

In terms of content, looks and essence, the blog site "I Am Attitude" provides great information provided below:

 "Alternative magazines are at the heart of the scene, run by creative teams who are just as passionate about alternative fashion and culture as you are.What makes alternative magazines so unique, is the very alternative nature of each and every magazine, being made by a team of keen writers, photographers and models, who share their love of alternative fashion and culture with each and every edition. It’s very rare to find alternative designers gracing the pages of mainstream magazines, so alternative fashion and culture magazines give them a great platform to get their work out there, where they can reach their intended audience without the restraints of mainstream media."

The article argues for the freedom of Alt-Fashion as self-definable. Due to their small staff size and specialized, niche target looks and audience, they have a larger degree of freedom in allowing themselves to defy fashion magazine conventions and create an ever changing aesthetic.

This is useful, as it gives me a LOT of freedom and a good idea of how I could be able to design, market, and distribute it (Ex: IG, Alt-Press, Bookstores, Online Subscription)

Also I wanna try this new sign off, so here goes :)

-Let's get this bread


https://www.altpress.com/features/10_alternative_fashion_brands_you_need_to_follow_on_instagram/
http://www.iamattitude.com/content/alternative-fashion-magazines/

The name game

So the issue of a name is a very big stumbling block for our magazine. It's not necessarily one we can't overcome, it's just a very pressing issue given the fact people could very realistically be interested or turned away by a good/trashy name.

First of all, I have no idea how a parent can put up with the pressure of a good name for their child. This is a magazine and I'm already regretting the names I haven't even imagined. Second of all, I am very cognizant of the fact that I have to keep in mind how the name will turn out by the end of the project, after all, our name IS our masthead...

Anyway, here's a list of potential names that will be continuously updated:

3/7:

1. Synth kin
2. Utopia
3. Euphony

3/8
We like euphony, it is staying!

We have settled on euphony for now but name will remain a WIP (3/8 Update: it's staying Y'all)

Genuinely speaking, I like the name euphony yet we have both agreed it is far from final name material. The concept of a name, at least to me, is pretty daunting considering it may alter the overall success of our magazine.

Anyway, I look forward to updating this blog as we finish things up on the name department,

Let's get this bread.

Learning how to edit because that's 99% of the project

So, after the quite obvious realization that I do NOT know how to edit/make a magazine's digital copy, Isa introduced me to the godsend that is Canva: what will save my life.

Try 1:

What may look like a super mediocre canva edit for you actually took me about an hour to learn how to navigate and about a few minutes to actually make. It's not like, necessarily good but it IS a good first step. Aside from that, I've found other editing apps for my pictures:
-Snapsy (on phone, more of an IG pic editor but still does the job)
-PIXLR (Actual editing app for pictures on camera, getting the free version, this is gonna be fire)

So yea, I am slowly learning to edit. Heck ye! Let's get this bread Y'all!

Minimalism: a concept

So in the midst of a debate tournament, i had time to google minimalism in fashion once or twice, and it looks like a lot of fun.

Exhibit A:

As this artsy magazine probably demonstrates, there are very clear ways through which a minimalist fashion magazine can be done. These conventions also seem clear:

- Minimal writing
-Simple, sharp font
-Color consistency
-simple name

So my main focus for this week is largely to get started on the magazine project itself, so my next blog posts will concern:
-Contacting friends to cast->Update: I have secured 3 friends: Sil, Veronica, and Camilla
-talking to my partner Isa about ideas->we have talked and we have bounced back and forth several great ideas
-Secure a camera->got my parents to give me our Nikon P500
-leaning some preliminary minimalist editing/photography-> I discovered canva, which is dope


well, I'm in for a busy week. Wish me luck, and let's get this bread