Studio Brief 02 - Composition of images on a page

Looking at other high fashion publications for inspiration, Maison Martin Margiela's self titled book has a unique way of composing its content on its pages.

Being famous for applying his 'grunge' techniques to his garment design such as deconstruction, recycling and creating raw finishes, the compositions reflect Margiela's mentality and approach to fashion design.

The overall effect of composing the images on the page as scans of varied forms of physical images deconstructs the high glossy, perfectly laid out images usually found in high fashion publications. Furthermore the layout of these images don't conform to an apparent grid system, the images are composed haphazardly as though based on emotion and the content shown in the photos. The overall result is one that reflects Margiela's rawness that is conveyed through the unpolished aesthetic of the compositions. What also works through this style is the ability to combine varied forms of imagery that seamlessly compliments one another be it from the Polaroid contrasting the film photos or the cut outs of mock ups that relate to the mood/theme of the composition. What this effectively creates is a sort of mood board which is something I want to recreate or draw connections from through the composition of Simon's influences. Through this mood board, the reader is exposed to  Margiela's thought process and the inner workings of the fashion house. 

The addition of a shop front was something I rarely see displayed in fashion editorials. With fashion houses having a large influence on the retail market, showing any old front would be pointless. Displaying a front that carries some form symbolism and highlights a milestone would be more engaging. It can also give the reader an insight on how the image of the fashion brand is reflected in its shops.

The addition of a article cutout is an interesting approach in providing copy instead of traditional type. This aspect can be taken to the publication by giving the reader a slightly more engaging way to read about Raf Simons through a key interview or article. 

This addition can be taken a step further by displaying the articles in a separate form within the publication which allows for the spreads to concentrate more on the composition of images. This also poses as an opportunity to experiment with different kinds of stock that may help contrast and differentiate the forms of content for the reader.

Given the context and large form factor of the book, the vast array of images and the accompanying composition are appropriate. The publication design on the other hand is limited in its spread count and thus the images chosen for the publication should be refined and condensed to a point which entirely relates to the page construction and career of Simons.