On 8 and 9 November, LCF students and graduates will be taking part in the Aesthetica Short Film Festival showcasing Fashion Film: Impact and Responsibility and Imagining Fashion: Expressing Unexpected Concepts.
'Fashion film has long been associated with capturing a certain type of lifestyle: elegant, aspirational, stylish. But it’s an unprecedented tool. Fashion campaigns are increasingly steered towards new horizons – combining practices and genres, pushing the boundaries of contemporary aesthetics. But what responsibilities does fashion have towards society? London College of Fashion highlights the power of high-impact campaigns, feeding into today’s biggest issues.' - ASFF
Anna Radchenko - 'Kokosmos'
Kokosmos is a purely visual, experimental piece inspired by space and our fascination with the unknown. A surreal fantasy, aimed to extend our perception of reality by letting us wonder over the existence of a higher being and our connection with her. Shot in Moscow, Kokosmos is a tribute to Russia’s infatuation with space.
Growing up in post soviet Russia I’d be constantly dreaming about space, the unknown and what was out there, almost like an unknown entity we were trying to reach out to. With Kokosmos I wanted to express exactly that: my vision of what space and this god-like presence would look and feel like.
To me Kokosmos is more of a way to express aesthetically my vision of the cosmos and how little we really know about it. For all we know we are all just pawns in the hands of space goddesses just a little bit of fun.
Daniela Marsh - 'Fragile'
‘Fragile’ was created out of a desire to explore the concept of nostalgia, as well as to develop my signature illustration and animation style to graduate with. The film’s main inspiration consisted of my feelings surrounding leaving university. This transitional time meant I was thinking a lot about my next steps and the fear of the unknown. Therefore, it made sense to me creatively and personally to do my final major project exploring the theme of nostalgia.
The story of the film follows a doll that comes to life and realises the girl who owned her has grown up and is leaving home. This story line came from a lot of thinking and research into childhood and memory and the importance of certain objects in childhood which continue into adulthood.
‘Fragile’ was my first real animation project, and I mostly taught myself the basics of After Effects and the principles of animation to execute it. Undertaking the project has massively paid off, this film has earned me great opportunities so far, such as being exhibited at the Oval Space, hosting my own Today at Apple session and teaching a class at London College of Fashion. It has also resulted in professional animation gigs working on music videos and lyric videos. A year later it’s now resulted in this great opportunity to be shown at Aesthetica Short Film Festival, just as I start my MA in Animation at London College of Communication. I’m really pleased I took a risk and taught myself something new as it’s changed the trajectory of my creative career!
Alia Soraya - 'Oi Botak'
Oi botak is about embracing a long term attachment to your hair. The objective for this shoot is to commemorate little you and future you and the girls and women who want to go bald but never had the courage to do so or has to go bald because of their circumstances. You are not your hair. This is a poignant reminder that women, despite their looks, are not representatives of the typecasts so often thrust upon them. I personally want to look at women without hair to appear more often in all spectrums of womanhood. I had low self-esteem when I was 11. I had no hair for a few years because my skin was sensitive to a shampoo we used, and my parents and I agreed that it would better to shave off all the hair. I felt an instant breeze and felt better because I didn't have to keep scratching. However, towards people, I wanted to be rebellious and that made me angry because that was the exact opposite. Also, in Malaysia, it wasn't always easy for girls to be walking without hair. So, this video is for the hopeful.
I would like the audience to witness a girl commemorating a long term attachment. To feel a form of release. I want them to feel like they could understand what I'm trying to translate and also focus their concentration on the film itself as the narrator's voice is really soothing. She's also part of the video.
Shuoshuo Xu - 'Enter the Void'
Time is a very important part for everyone. For me, time is like a dream, and all the memories are mixed in it. Therefore, dream and memory are very important element in my fashion film. In my work, the time has been drawn away, still, and everything is destroyed by time. Therefore, in the world I created, reality and illusion became more blurred. Time for me, is life, death and rebirth. It is also a journey through the cycle of life. This film is a reminder that our inner worlds may be timeless but our outer world is always changing.
I hope my work can be give audience an inspiration or stimulation. Let people be able to considerate independently. Think more about life, think more about time.
Harun Güler - 'Room 2740'
Instead of sending out a specific message or giving answers to a specific topic I have always preferred to raise more questions with my work. My aim is to challenge the audience’s notion of how certain gender should be, act or behave in everyday life. Instead of sending out a specific message or giving answers to a specific topic I have always preferred to raise more questions with my work. My aim is to challenge the audience’s notion of how certain gender should be, act or behave in everyday life.
Calvin Chinthaka - 'Osariya'
Fashion has always been inspired by the customs and symbols of different cultures. It borrows and creates the new on the foundations of the old. When objects lose every connection to their history and tradition, they become empty symbols of exoticism. The Sri Lankan, Kandyan style photo shoot portrays contemporary fashion with the elements of traditional Kandyan clothing. These traditions have shaped the aesthetics and values of the community that I belong to. The collection re-energises traditional styles with a bold of colourful twist incorporating iconic dress elements. Vibrant coloured hand-loomed garments are key features throughout the looks as we embrace the nostalgia of the past while looking to the future. These unique fashion perspectives of Sri Lankan culture and fashion have been implemented in the fashion film project.
I have always been amazed by vibrant cultures and colours which create social identity dilemmas and controversy within people and their cultural beliefs in different parts of the world. By creating this fashion moving image I intended to bring some of those elements to life so everyone can enjoy fashion beyond fashion.
- Find out more about Aesthetica Film Festival
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