MODA Lookbook Episode 7: The Great Illustration Exchange
Welcome to Episode 7 of MODA Blog’s Lookbook series! We wanted to offer our wonderful team the opportunity to create and direct more editorial content for your viewing pleasure. Completely student styled, modelled and produced, the MODA Lookbook hopes to inspire, empower and challenge the talent of our community. Keep your eye out for more lookbooks coming soon~!
Curating these Lookbooks always feels like I’m putting together a mini exhibition, and as we find ourselves at Lookbook Episode 7(!) I think I really wanted to dive deep into that kind of curation. Many of you might know that my first engagements with fashion were through fashion illustration, and my love for fashion grew out of this love for recreating and often reinventing what I saw walking down runways in Paris. For me, fashion illustration has always been an interesting intermediary of fashion, where the elements of a collection or show become the ingredients to something completely different. And so I’ve wanted to do some kind of project that had to do with fashion illustration for a while now, and given the circumstance we’re in, I figured now would be as good a time as ever to try and pull it off.
So Welcome to Lookbook Episode 7: The Great Illustration Exchange.
For this project, I wanted to explore the conversation between fashion and art. It’s apparent that many designers in the industry take art as their inspiration for their collections, from Jeremy Scott’s Picasso Extravaganza at Moschino to Lee McQueen’s flemish painting print suitjackets at McQueen, yet I wanted to probe at how this conversation is not necessarily one sided. We’ve seen Vogue Italia take on this type of editorial for their January Sustainability Issue, and while this process was certainly more zero-waste, I also want to emphasize the artistry of fashion illustration as a form of legitimate fashion media. Rather than looking at fashion inspired by art, I wanted to produce a Lookbook that was all about art inspired by fashion.
So in this two-part project, I called a handful of stylists to go wild with the biggest “pull” MODA has ever experienced. Whereas the last Lookbook was all about making whatever we had work for us, this fashion exchange was all about narrowing down an unlimited pool of resources. Our stylists roamed the web for items that stood out to them and that they thought could stand as both fashion and art. And many did not hold back.
Once compiled, these lists of garments were distributed to my amazing team of illustrators, and they were left to interpret these lists as the elements for their next great works.
For the longest time, I wanted to feature talent on this blog that traditionally hasn’t had the opportunity to shine in the same way that other fashion media has; all the artists featured in this Lookbook are not only incredible examples of this kind of talent, but they’re also very good friends of mine, and truly, it was their work that inspired this project. I always want to engage with every detail on a shoot, so I tried my hand at both styling and illustrating, and on both fronts I was blown away by my peers. I think I actually learned quite a bit about both styling and illustrating from watching my team work their magic, and in fact, many of the works I put together were influenced by the first submissions that began to filter in.
I think if there are takeaways from such a project, it’s that circumstance does not have to define or limit creativity - I watched works of art arise from nothing and that is truly the essence of the creative process. Not only was this something that excited me as an illustrator, but it was a project that reaffirmed what I thought MODA was about: it’s really just a community of individuals who love fashion, who engage with it critically (in true UChicago style), and whose commitment, imagination and spirit merge together to create an amazing end product. At the end of the day, it’s still Fashion, it’s just not really how we’ve seen it before on the Blog.
We extend a gracious thank you to our four wonderful stylists whose imaginative styles captured both the extremity and individuality of fashion; and likewise, we extend a huge thank you to the amazing illustrators who brought their incomparable skills to the table for the first ever illustrated Lookbook. I hope you all enjoy MODA Lookbook Episode 7!
Click on pictures to enlarge
“With the idea of creating an outfit that would be transformed into a different form of art, I tried to curate clothing that would exude a certain energy or vibe that could be translated in an unexpected way through the artist’s interpretation ”
Drawn Together: On left model: Custom Gucci Jeans, Gucci Ace Floral Embroidered Sneakers, Custom t-shirt, Louis Vuitton Headscarf and AREA Studded Suit Jacket. Dreamland Evil Eye Ring, Lupsona Double layered Choker and ASOS Safety Pin Earring. Styled by Arjun Kilaru. On Right Model: Vetements Leopard Print Cropped Turtleneck Sweater, Lanvin Blue Belted Jeans, Acne Studios Leather Biker, Dr Martens 8053 Platform Shoes, Dalmata Hoops, Ambush Chain Clasp Bracelet, HANGER X CC-STEDING CLIPPER CASE & CHAIN Necklace. Saint Laurent Schoolbag. Styled by Matthew Sumera, Illustrated by Andrew Chang.
“With illustrations, I could include whatever I possibly wanted, so I knew I had to go big”
MODA-Cycle: Gucci embroidered Jacket and jeans, Gucci ace Floral Embroidered Sneakers, Louis Vuitton Headscarves, Calvin Klein CKONE Boxers, Black customized tee. Cartier Ring, YAMAHA Motorcycle YZ450F. Illustrated by Andrew Chang, Styled by Arjun Kilaru,
“I guess maybe with illustrations we can begin to blur the borders of reality and involve non-human or even abstract agents as the models. ”
Handmade Tale: Central figure in Alexander Mcqueen Floral Dress, Leather Corset Belt and Stone Pendant Necklace, with Maison Margiela Logo Pearl Necklace, wielding Sacai x LD Waffle Sneakers in ‘Pine Green’. Models at bottom wearing Richard Quinn Floral Printed Turtlenecks and Leggings. On left hand: Rodarte Antique Silver Rings . On Right: Alexander McQueen Twin Skull Rings and Spider Double Ring. Styled by Andrew Chang, Illustrated by Jad Dahshan.
“I had to invent this whole character based on how the pieces spoke to me.”
Coming Up Smiling: Charles Jeffrey Loverboy Black Logo Beret, Sweater: Raf Owens Yellow and Beige Oversized Collage Sweater, Chopova Lowena Pleated Tartan Check Wool Miniskirt, Gucci Spike Suspenders, Fendi Tulle Socks, CommeDesGarçons x Doc Martens Brogues . Junya Watanabe Gold flake Edition Pearl Stud Choker, Yohji Yamamoto Vampire Ring, Maison Margiela Screw Ring, Gucci Ghost Ring, Fendi Gunmetal Bag Bugs Ring. Illustrated by Vivian Li, Styled by Andrew Chang
“That look was sort of a disavowment of questions of taste or how things should be worn in favor of an all out celebration of color which the wearer of the outfit would certainly enhance,”
Fly and Low: Balmain Flared Jumpsuit, Iris Van Herpen Sensory Seas Shoes, Fendi Leather, Fur and Shearling Baguette, Roxanne Assoulin “This and That” bracelet stack, Roxane Assoulin “Rainbow Brite” chokers, Bulgari Serpenti Spiga watch, Roxanne Assoulin Technicolour earrings. Illustrated by Andrew Chang, Styled by Miles Harrison.
Puffer Pastry: Prada Glasses, Dior Sweater, Jacquemus Floral Boxers, Gucci Socks, Dior B23 Sneakers, Gucci Zumi Strawberry Bag, Moncler Genius 01 Richard Quinn Striped Puffer Jacket. Rings: Davidor Enamel Rings stacked in ‘Flamant’ ‘Riviera’ ‘Davidor Bordeaux’ and ‘Aubergine’, and Tiffany Blue Topaz Ring. Earrings are David Yurman Stax in Topaz and Diamonds. Illustrated by Andrew Chang, Styled by Miles Harrison.
“When you’re illustrating, you can make certain styling choices that is not limited by any monetary resource, just your imagination, its pretty neat. ”
Deep Fried Fashion: On left model: Gucci Bodysuit, Chanel Choker and Necklace, Gucci Crystal Double G Ring, Bvlgari Ring, Bag, Versace Hair Pin, Rolex Watch. On Right model: Dress by Christopher Kane, Hat by Chanel, Shoes: KFC x Crocs Illustrated by Wendy Xiao. Styled by Andrew Chang
Cast and Crew:
Directed by Andrew Chang
Styling: Andrew Chang, Arjun Kilaru, Matthew Sumera, Miles Harrison
Illustrators: Andrew Chang, Jad Dahshan, Vivian Li, Wendy Xiao.
