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| Image - Calypso Paoli |
I've always held The Fashionisto in such high regard. It is my go-to-guy when it comes to menswear imagery. A one-stop-shop for the best male fashion campaigns, editorials and runway productions in the world. It represents an incredibly comprehensive view of global mens fashion, without sacrificing quality.
Initially an only an aggregator, The Fashionisto launched an in-house magazine in February of 2010. It was a logical next step for an entity with a such a large readership and experienced editing eye. It was to be, or so I thought, a chance for incredible, but otherwise unpublished, photographers and stylists to display their work.
New Zealand's creative talent has recently featured on The Fashionisto, in an exclusive - McInnes Taljaard By Calypso Paoli. An editorial shot by Calypso Paoli and styled by Benjamin Walls, features the top names in New Zealand fashion design. What could have been an incredibly rare chance to display our countries best talent to the world, was anything but.
The stylist of this editorial, Benjamin Walls, is a photographer - by training, but not by trade. It is perhaps due to this lack of educational and professional styling experience that this shoot seems to possess no definitive identity or personality. From Indiana Jones, to an Ivy League attendee, to John Steed - it transcendeds look, style, or reason.
Besides the lack of real character direction, there is no styling polish in this shoot. Shirt collars are too large and not reduced with styling tricks, delicate fabrics are not ironed or streamed, and rich felts still have traces of dust and lint.
I get the feeling that the stylist forced every piece of menswear he collected into the shoot, without editing or thought as to what was being photographed.
There are a couple of great looks in this editorial. But they are lost amongst the sea of mediocrity. With a little bit of garment editing, this could have been a winner.
Besides the lack of real character direction, there is no styling polish in this shoot. Shirt collars are too large and not reduced with styling tricks, delicate fabrics are not ironed or streamed, and rich felts still have traces of dust and lint.
I get the feeling that the stylist forced every piece of menswear he collected into the shoot, without editing or thought as to what was being photographed.
There are a couple of great looks in this editorial. But they are lost amongst the sea of mediocrity. With a little bit of garment editing, this could have been a winner.
