"Fashion Show"

A little something from Lauren Greenfield, whose documentary looks at an ad and money driven culture and its effects on adults, kids and especially women and girls, have been noted by myself at ePluribus Media before:

Greenfield's video "Fashion Show" mixes filmed footage with still photography from over 50 runway shows in New York, Milan and Paris. Cut to the pulsating beat of Fol Chen's latest musical single, "The Longer You Wait", the multimedia piece is an experiential journey through the life of the definitive fashion show.

Lauren Greenfield's "Fashion Show" from Lauren Greenfield on Vimeo.


At first view of that little trailer, and having seen a couple of her pieces before, I might think this one would seem to be the closest to a frivolous piece beyond being arsty photog's view of the behind the scene's of what it takes to build the artsy world of Fashion Shows. Reading a little further at the vimeo link:

In her photographs for New York Magazine’s Special Issue, “Look”, Lauren Greenfield documents a face of fashion where grit and glamour coexist fabulously. The body of empathetic photographs teases open the seams of an oft-airbrushed world to reveal detailed stitching, elaborate machinations, and delicate incisions. Her signature investigative style captures the gorgeous collections alongside the pathos and process, creating a critically sympathetic portrait of powerful posturing, vulnerable moments, and striking beauty.

At the New York, Milan and Paris Spring 2010 Collections, Greenfield pairs photographs of models emerging in runway perfection, with various stages of the assembly line: plying, prodding, bleaching, cutting, crying, bleeding. A full visual deconstruction of the industry includes headless hair extensions and stoic grimaces, toxic products and imperfect choreography, and exacting beauty and immaculate performances. Photographs show the industry’s sacrifices: stumbling models, injured reporters, anxious dressers; but also the reward: frenzied flashes, preeminent designers, and applauding critics. By including the methodical process and the stunning show, the essay’s gestalt is in the intoxicating power held by fashion, and the very human participants that perform on its stage.

Well? "HMM?" When you put it that way...