fashion communication portfolio
DESCRIPTION
styling, photography, events, journalism, magazineTRANSCRIPT
magazine/editorial
REIGN Magazine concept:Styling
Photography‘Rock stars as Mythical
Creatures’Katie Scrafton
reign
Jacket VintageScarf Matthew Williamsom
Belt Models own
Children of the RevlolutionPhotography and Styling by
Katie Scrafton
reign
Jacket BalmainScarf models own
Jacket BurberryJeans B Brand
Vest Aubin and WillsBangles Models own
Jacket BurberryJeans B Brand
Vest Aubin and WillsBangles Models own
My girl wants the time, party all
the time, party all the
time My
girl wants to party
all the
Photoshoot for I-D Magazine
Photography andStyling
Katie Scrafton
styling/photography
Photoshoot forPop Magazine
Inspired by African prints
Photography and StylingKatie Scrafton
Leather Trend Photoshoot
Styling and Photography
Katie Scrafton
Photoshoot for POP Magazine
Photography and StylingKatie Scrafton
journalism
1000 Eyes Mag David Hails
“the commercialism of a product just didn’t interest me, Sony had the final say over everything and made it quite difficult at times.’’David Hails, Artist
We all have visions of the average graffiti artist dressed head-to-toe in black, armed with a can of Montana, ready to pounce; preying on innocent un-touched walls in dark alley ways. However, this is not always the case. The term ‘graffiti’ has been known to have connotations of some-thing dodgy scrawled on the back of a toilet door. ‘Street art’ however sounds slightly more low-key and is now used to describe the art-form that has globally become widely acceptable over the past decade.
David Hails has played an active part in contributing to this ever growing scene. He was born and raised in Newcastle, now choosing to live in Heaton with his partner Sarah and daughter Daisy aged 9.He started out listening to BDP, Tuff Crew, Tim Dog and Ultra-Magnetic MCs. ‘’When I first got into hip hop it was around 1986’’ he was hanging about with the kids his older sister knew ‘’(she) was a heavy influence through my life, she was knocking about with break dancers and body poppers.’’
Arts and Culture
I have images of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in its heyday. During this time Hails was inspired to begin his career; a lifestyle which turned out to be a lot more than just a bad habit.
So welcome to creative heaven. Hails’ house is how I expected it to be. Modern artwork, nothing matches, nothing gels. It’s relaxed; which suits his personality down to a tee. Once we begin talking about his work, it is clear that this is also his passion.
Hails studied Art and Design through school which lead to a foundation course allowing him to specialise in 3d design. Looking towards sculpture, Hails carried this through to degree level. Once the degree was complete he discovered ‘’the materials that (he) had been working with, became out of reach, it was too expensive to make work.’’
Video and animation were mediums Hails had explored throughout University and when a prop making career in London didn’t work out, the opportunity came around to create a video installation for Architecture Week i n June 2004.
His Inspiration was taken from ‘’social insects in-habiting tower blocks and looking at super organ-isms, how lots of people work together and looking at comparisons between ants and wasps’’ Scarily Similar? ‘’Ha ha yes it was all kind of based around modern structures and so on...’’ The finished animation was a large scale audio visual projection using 3d animation and was shown in Castle Keep; a small castle situated in Newcastle with views of the quayside and the cathedral.
Off the back of Architecture Week, Heritage Week was then held in the same location this time looking closely at older buildings. Hails produced another vid-eo installation for this which then led into some illustration and sculptural work, this was exhibited through a group show called Multiplus. ‘’We did about twenty different shows in different locations, the most high profile being the Lowry Gallery in Manchester.’’
Hails then began working as a freelance illustrator ‘’on bits of graphics and stuff, taught myself the software’’. An Ad agency that were dealing with Chrysler had started looking for an artist to do a large scale mural in
‘‘This is a legitimate art form, you know, it does have credibility.’’
London although Hails was still living in Newcastle at the time. ‘’Me and my mate put in a tender for it and flukely enough got it...the largest one was 40 ft by 50ft high.’’
So what about the positive influx in street art we have seen over the past ten years? Hails comments ‘’You know we’ve got people who are in their mid thirties who were all into graffiti and street art when they were younger, so I think that’s probably one of the main reasons it has come to the forefront now, people could push it to the forefront and say yes this is a legitimate art form, you know, it does have credibility.’’
Once this breakthrough came Hails was asked to a short film for the British Film Council which was an open brief. Taking his inspiration from old folklore ‘I always look to (these) things which are traditional stories because they’ve got absolute grounding’’ The film explored themes on the impact of a manmade environment on the natural environment. ‘’Concrete structures, you know very grey landscapes and graffiti being almost like a natural force, it’s not contained and it’s kind of bringing colour back into these environments’’ A battle between nature and industry.
The film was ten minutes long and the premier was held at the gate in Newcastle in October 2007. The film was shown on the big screens at Glastonbury this summer just gone. Hails was approached to do the screening and handed over the tape.
Shortly after this Hails and his girlfriend were asked to work together on a music video for an independent record label that was eventually swallowed up by Sony. Hails worked on the animation side of things while his girlfriend Sarah mastered the illustrations. The song title is The Karoshi Brothers – Love the World and is available to watch on Youtube. How was it working for a huge record company? ‘’the commercialism of a product just didn’t interest me, Sony had the final say over everything and made it quite difficult at times.’’
Hails has now found a way of giving something back and is passing on his knowledge to students of Newcastle College. On teaching Illustration and Animation Hails says ‘’the students are great. I think I get as much from them as they get from me. They inspire me, it is really part of who I am, it isn’t just a job, it’s much more than that.’’ So has Hails found his calling? ‘’As a lecturer I can’t imagine myself teaching illustration and animation whilst I’m in my 50’s. I think the students would be better off with someone who’s young and fresh and has come straight out of the industry.’’
So he must have a Mac, cause’ PC is a swear word where design is concerned? ‘’Dirty pc’s! I have to wash my hands after I use one.’’ As Hails sits back and lights another cigarette, I ask wheth-er he thinks he will ever give up his freelance work for the more stable option as a lecturer. ‘’I can still never turn my back on my roots, or forget where I came from, you know.I suppose I know it’s a cliché but just try and keep it real.’’
Interview by Katie Scrafton
Video stills from Karoshi Brothers - Heal the world
AFTER PARTY CHICPhotography and Text Katie Scrafton
We’ve all been there. Each ray of sunshine feels like hell as your eyes finally adjust and you realise you’re in a mates flat sprawled on the sofa. Worse than that, it’s looking like you’ve got to do the walk of shame: not pretty. What you wore last night just does not look as good in the morning, when the only people around are walking their dogs and mowing their lawns; all very sensible.
It’s Friday night and I’m catching up with the blonde bombshell known as Tyree Anderson, informally known as Ty. Events and Photography are her thing and she is studying in Leeds,
a city that knows how to party. She has already called to ask if she can borrow a top because she has ‘left everything in Leeds’ so when she arrives she is dressed down in a pair of black skinny jeans and a grey sweater. When I answer the door she has a bottle of red wine in one hand and no bag; she’s a borrower.
A plastic medal, large water pistol, a Fez, several pairs of glasses and expensive men’s jackets are just a few of the things I’ve accumulated over the years of after partying.
It seems time is spent grooming yourself to perfec-tion only to step outside the club and begin your transformation to something even smarter…The after party goddess.
The walk of shame doesn’t interest me. It’s the squeals of joy as the girls clamber to get dressed up, it’s a ritual. Imagine if you could count the endless hours you’ve spent in front of that mirror, choosing your clothes so carefully for that big night. It seems just short of a lifetime.
Still, when we leave the club it seems we have found something new. A unique style. It doesn’t work on paper, your hair is messed up and you’ve borrowed someone’s jacket cause’ its cold, but somehow it works better with your mini than anything else you tried on before you left the house. You’ve unravelled all your previous hard work. A mish mash of clothing that isn’t your own.
Ty hasn’t brought anything, including make up, so begins slapping plenty of my foundation on. Unsure what we are wearing, we get down to business. Settled and looking fairly glamor-ous we head to a night called Wax:On. Inside the club, the atmosphere is buzzing. I’m dressed down in Con-verse, if you’re here to dance, heels are a no go.
I ruffle my hair as we walk to the toilets. I swing open the door, greeted by a sea of girl’s lined up in front of double sided round mirrors. Chatter is constant; ladies swapping all sorts, constantly adding to their look. Its borderline grungy, managing to keep an air of coolness about it. It looks thrown together and styl-ish, something we all want.
As we make our way through the mix of people, I look across the crowd and realise the transformation is taking place. The swaying, the messy hair, the clothes hanging from their bodies in a different way to before. Tyree is dressed down in a blue and white striped dress, with leggings and black high ankle sandals. Her bad habit is forgetting to brush her hair, a true follower of this look.
We dance until the sun comes up (well maybe its 3.15) and its time to jump into a taxi. On arrival back at the house, the after party is in full swing. Cigarettes, alcohol and music appear to be staples in every room.
Smoking and tucking into a pizza Tyree begins raid-ing my penny jar for ‘dial a drink’ whilst working the dishevelled and ‘stone broke’ style. She looks damn good. It seems after partying is the new clubbing, get involved.
Log on to Tyree’s blog at www.tyrizzle.blogspot.com
View Wax:On line ups at www.waxon.com
The Fashion Toast is among the many fashion blogs that swim around our cyber space world today. However, in a sea of budding bloggers, there is something unique about Rumi Neely and her snapshot fashion diary. This ‘something’ pulls you back to her webpage every couple of weeks to check out her latest style concoctions. Perhaps it is her subtle beauty, half Japanese and half Northern American (her complexion is flawless and exudes radiance in every photograph) that draws you back to her page for regular updates. The blog covers a mixture of clothing, make up, accessories and whatever else catches Rumi’s eye. However, what first strikes you about Rumi is her clothes. A distinct follower of current fashion, she models her favourite pieces by Alexander Wang, Chanel and YSL adding touches of high street pieces by Topshop and American Apparel. Combining high street and catwalk looks she creates the perfect blended outfit. Rarely seen without her Chloé wedges, Fashion Toast keeps a close eye on Rumi and her boyfriend Colin explore numerous locations in California; her hometown stretching to San Francisco and Tokyo, relaxing and blogging at beaches or busy cities, (kitted out head to toe in designer labels, wherever she goes) lucky for some. Rumi and her boyfriend share the photography on the blog, whilst Rumi single handily writes to give us an insight into her world whilst managing to still maintain a level of mys-tery. Just enough to keep the many followers intrigued. The girl seems to have it all. Dating back to December 07 the blog started out a little rough around the edges, with Colin taking photos of Rumi in her back yard. The blog then was as much about text as it was the clothes and photography, but as time passed her blogging style developed to primarily showcasing the fashion photography. Her journey began with her Ebay store ‘Treasure Chest Vintage’, (no longer up and running) a collection of thrift shop pieces hand chosen by Rumi herself. The over whelming interest shown in this project spurred her on to start Fashion Toast which went on to become the creative fashion paradise it is today. Shopping anywhere from French Connection to Dolce and Gabbana, mixing high/low end and vintage, Rumi’s style is heavily influenced by Californias relaxed attitude to clothes. Mixing statement pieces with staples, this girl knows how to shop. Keeping up to date with current trends the photography itself tells a story, documenting every trip, oversized ring, customized bag, sunset and cityscape there is to see. She often posts her inspirational mood boards, scanned magazine shoots and shots from the catwalk. The blog is truly individual and inspiring. Log on at http://www.fashiontoast.com.
THE FASHION TOASTRumi Neely; Blogging sensation
ARTICLE KATIE SCRAFTONPHOTOGRAPHY COLIN
graphics
The Ear and the Music ArtworkKatie Scrafton
Flyer artwork, concept designed to generate interest amongst
local artists for launch night
Artwork for sneaker swop shop flyer/e-flyer/ticket/e-ticket
Artwork for launch party flyer/e-flyer
events
Nike Sneaker Swop Shop Event Concept
Photoshop workPromotion/Flyer/Ticket
ArtworkKatie Scrafton
Street Style ExhibitionConcept
Promotional material/Concept/Floor plan
