I am currently researching in preparation for my thesis class that I am taking fall of 2015. The concept I will be working with investigates recycling and reusing materials with a connection to fashion.
The book will start out examining different aspects of recycling in general. The images for this section will be created in the studio. The models will be wearing different fashion items that are made from typical recycling materials: plastic, paper, aluminum, etc. I have already taken two images that will be in this section of the book. Here you can see the first image is representing paper with the dress made from fashion magazine paper. The second image is representing fabric with the large scarf that is made with fabric from a bed sheet. Some of the other recyclable materials I plan on using will be plastic, aluminum, jean material, cardboard, and glass.
The second part of the book will take a look at different designers that actually create fashion and accessories by utilizing old materials. There are many small businesses that I have seen and worked with locally in Pittsburgh that make new jewelry out of vintage jewelry and other materials. I want to find more places that do similar work and photograph some of their pieces in still life photographs.
The last section of the book will examine how we as consumers can repurpose fashion on both our body and in our home. These images will be on location and more elaborate. I want to work with a local antique furniture shop to use as the location. All of the clothing and accessories will be from thrift stores, vintage shops, or repurposed in some way.
This will be the biggest project I have worked on to date and Iβm excited to start it. It is going to be challenging mainly because there are so many different elements to the project. I plan on working with numerous models, local jewelry designers, and business owners to make this project a success. I want to start planning now so that the photo shoots can go as smoothly as possible. I will be documenting the next few months of my journey developing this project, through blogs, Facebook, and Instagram. I invite you to come along with me!