Day 2 of the Vogue Hommes Japan previews for Models.com featured the cover and editorial, "One Impression of Francis Bacon", shot by Tim Richardson, known for his amazing motion photography, and styled by the Creative Director himself, Nicola Formichetti. I was immediately impressed by the cover, effectively conveying the dark, brooding and haunting masculine atmosphere of the magazine to its audience.
The editorial explores the distortion of one's sense of reality, the juggle between what is true and what is false in our existence, represented by the figures captured in motion. These figures, being constantly in motion, force us to question their motive and role when placed next to the intimidating characters who are the embodiment of a man's obscurity and inner darkness, heightened by their piercing stares at the viewer, bringing one's claustrophobic fear to the surface. This editorial is both a conceptual and fashionable masterpiece, not seen in many fashion magazines nowadays.
Louis Vuitton's latest campaign for their new collection, to be shown later this eventful month of September, is a strong reminder of the prominent trend of the fusion of old and new, seen throughout many fashion designer's collections in the 2011/12 and 2012/13 seasons. The film is reminiscent of the intriguing for the Sci-Fi and Film Noir genres, with Gattaca being a prime example. The sophisticated and nostalgic aesthetic of the Louis Vuitton dress, luggage and automobile is contrasted to the foreboding formation of metallic panels which the car is driving through to the mechanical monolithic structure, embodying both the fashion and film trends aforementioned. Lastly, the atmospheric music of famed DJ duo Justice sets the overall mood for the fashion film and collection - the unknown, and by that I mean we ask ourselves what the future of not only fashion, but architecture, the environment and the human race will hold.Of course, this film is only a campaign for Louis Vuitton's latest collection, but is more so a commentary on our society and it's progression.
