Ethnic Stereotypes

This might be a little weird of a thing to say, but something that bothers me sometime in fashion is what I percieve to be a tendency to conform to societies sterotypes regarding minorities (or should I say majorities, considering absolute percentages from the world) with regards to fashion. On the runway there were a few non-white models who seemed more often than not to be dressed according to what I feel is a prevalent sterotype about how those of that ethnic background are suppose to look. I don't really have a wealth of evidence to back this claim up with, so take it lightly and come to your own conclusions, but here are two photos from the Heatherette and doo.ri (I think) show that i don't take offence to, but I do feel a little 'uneasy' about. The asian girl was really an ASIAN girl. She walked in this tripsy, loppy head way that for me seemed to be exactly what I picture a sterotype of a small asian girl to be (yeah I know, I guess thats my perception). From the heatherette show we have for comparision, three black girls dressed kinda 'tribally' and the Hilton sisters- as american as apple pie.

Like I said, just my perception and 'hunch'. I'd welcome opinions.

Model of the Week

This model (I'm trying to figure out her name now, I spoke with her, but it eludes me now) totally stole fashion week in terms of being a stand-out-of-the-crowd model. She's from argentina, petite tall and very slim. She is also quiet and unassuming, but her uniqueness transcends all that and despite her seeming shyness, she simply stands out of the crowd. I saw her several times backstage and it seems the impresion I have of her is shared by quite a few people as she walked in quiet a number of shows. Anyway, I think she is beautifull in her uniqueness. Lovely! Like a frail flower or something.

Paris Hilton

Here are two photos. One is of Paris Hilton while one is of the girl who supposidly 'looks' like paris hilton, and certianlly walks around town pretending to be her. Personally however, I see where people could possible get confused "blond". But thats about where the similarity ends.

Backstage at the Gestalt Party

Here are some backstage shots from the Gestalt magazine debut party. Fashion show with a number of up-and-comming dutch designers.

few more hours

Only a few more hours left to go here in New York. And you know what? I really don't want to leave. I've had such a nice time, and it's so nice to be back in america for once. (It's been a long time). I have work already on sunday so I need to get out and get some rest before I jump back into work. But now I've been thinking, like, "hmm." New york is a really, really, nice place. Mostly though in the past couple weeks I've really formed an emotional attachment to the place. It's probably the only place in the world that has so many people from my past concentrated all in once place. I have girlfriends from highschool through college, best freinds from every age. Casual aquantances, people I've met on planes in foreign countries and models that I've met from nearly every place in the world.

I think the thing that makes it such a magical place for me in part is that it is exactly that type of junction for my life. Everything seems to come through this place, somehow. And that's nice. I have history in prague, which is nice, but even though I have been there nearly six years, it's really nothing compared to the years I have from living in the states.

So I will keep that in mind.

This is Amanda. We went to college together, about five/six years ago. We were in the same program and lived in the same building. I dated her roommate years ago for like five seconds. It's funny the things that last and the things that dissapear. We went to breakfast this morning, and seeing her was like walking around the corner into five years ago. Nothing had changed. She's still just as beautiful/wonderful/fabulous as she was back then. And seeing her again was about the most refreshing thing in the world.

Yeah. New York is pretty fabulous. I wonder though, would living here change that impression? Certianlly living in prague (reputadly one of the most beautiful cities in the world) has changed my impression of it. I still certianlly regard it as an incredibly beautifull place, but I don't see it as home. And as much as I love it and as much history and heart I have in that place, I don't think I could grow old there. It saddens me to think of it as continuing on without me though. I threw myself so deeply into the czech culture, that as much as they might disagree, I do consider myself a tiny bit czech. If there were a stamp I could get that would say 'honory czech' I would do whatever it took to get one. I want/need to leave the czech republic, but I don't want the Czech Republic to ever leave me. Rozumis?

Anyway. I think I would be scared a bit of moving back to america, if only for the fact that I fear my 'magic' in life might wear off a bit. Right now I really enjoy the lifestyle of traveling to different countries every couple of weeks. I love the mistique of hoping on a plane and three hours later catching a taxi through North Africa. I love that. I really love that. I love the fact that I have through all sorts of tragedy, loss, difficulty, love, joy, hopes, dreams, freinds, lovers, pain, sadness and happiness; really-trully-honestly built a life for myself that looks exactly how I wanted it. I am alive and living the life I dreamed of when I was 16. When I lay in bed afterschool with my first girlfriend running my hands through her hair, dreaming of all that lay ahead. I'm proud that I can make the people I love proud. Happy that I can be the person I knew I could be.

Every day I am fufiling my dreams. Step by step. I haven't yet made it. Haven't yet 'done it all'. But thats fine. That path through life that we spend years looking through the fog of youth/indecision/insecurity is before me. It is clear road, and although I might not know exactly where it leads, I do know that I am on my way.

Outta here.

I'm on my way back to Europe for work. I'm shooting a catalogue on sunday so I really need to try and squeeze as much travel/sleep into the day I have to prep. I like to be fresh and ready for assignments.

Otherwise I am getting used to a new Wacom tablet and running photoshop under Rosetta on a mac. Whoa. It's not fast, but it's about as fast as the last PC I ran photoshop under, so I can't say I'm dissapointed. It's about the same speed, or speedier. Which means when Adobe recompiles the binarys it's really going to fly.

I'm working on a mermaid story right now that should be simply awesome when it's done. By far it will be the best work I've done in my career. It looks simply AWESOME.

Fashion Week - OVER -

Wow.


What can I say? Fashion week is over, and with it- one of the busiest weeks in my career! I wasn't only shooting fashion week, I was working with Gilles Bensimon Director of Elle and shooting four of my own magazine editorials. That, my friends. In a lot of work.

Wow.

So fashion week is over. It was an amazing experince in and of itself. What a mix of celebrities, models, makeup artists, fashion commentators, bloggers, editors. Everyone. Simply everyone is at New York Fashion week. And it's seven days of runway, hustle, chaos, drinks, parties, fashion, laughter, yelling, work and shooting that leave you totally exhausted by the end.

I'm not sure how to best sum up the entire experince except to say that I really do love New York City. It's a great place to live and work, although I'm not sure if it's totaly for me - just yet. Eventually all fashion photographers go to New York. It's our Mecca. But the trick I think is all in the timing of exactly when you go in your career. I think you either go at the very start of your career, or somewhere later in your career. I think at the moment I am between these things. I am a working professional, but having not started in the New York market, if I were to suddenly move there, I would be devoid of the connections and the networks I would have built had I started there. That said of course, I'll have to build these networks at some point. But I would feel more comfortable moving first to new york with more editorial under my belt. Your work will speak for you, even in new york. Thus the new goal:

Shoot editorial.

MAO MAG Party

I was at the MAO Mag party last night. Basically they are essentially a PR firm with a Magazine to support their PR activities. Clever idea. It was pretty fun. Free drinks and women dressed like 50's pin up girls. Very cool. I didn't stay nearly long enough to take it all in though. I have the feeling it was really just starting to heat up as I left.

Fashion Week

So I am in New York currently. Fashion week is starting up in just a couple of days, but already there is plenty to do. Lots of pre-fashion week events to attend. It's quite fun and I am just trying to keep up with the rush of comming into the city, navagating and getting to places on time!

I've also started my other work that I have to do which consists of planning for the several fashion editorials that I will be shooting while I am here. It's alot of work, but it's a great way to see the city as I get to wander around it looking for the perfect location. The hard part though comes when after I find the location, I then have to go to city hall and obtain the nessesary permits so that I may actually *shoot* there. Fortunatly, the process doesn't look *too* daunting, but of course- you never know.