christinetaylorphoto-blog

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‘Bye to Summer’ (part I)

Photographer | JD White

Styling | Willyum Beck

H/MU | Lena Walsh

Model | Hailee Levias w/ Savage talent.

Shoes | Barbara Seipp

Creative Producer | Christine Taylor @Happyplayground

Bright colors are so big not only for summer but for fall and winter!  We decided to recruit color master photographer JD White to have some fun pairing statement shoes by designer Barbara Seipp with kaleidoscopic apparel designs styled by Willyum Beck to see out the summer sun and welcome in the grey days ahead.  If there has ever been a time in fashion since the early 1990′s to show your experimental side, it’s 2016/17.  On top of that there hasn’t been so much glitter since the days of disco.  Its a very fun time for clothing nerds to get the green light on making style choices that give insight into your confidence and imagination.  Funky femininity is again flowering all over fashion, apparel and sportswear, for both women and menswear.  In fact taking their cue from sportswear, designers all over the U.S. are breaking free of the past years of conservative ideals around style and fabrics.

Personal expression is more than popular for the fearless and since we know you’re both curious and nervous about it, we produced this project for you to safely peek at wildly wonderful pieces that you can match up with your regular wears to break all the right rules.  Enjoy it while it lasts!

Wardrobe Credits:

Shoes - Barbara Seipp.

Printed jumper, tank, & jacket - Coachella Collection for H&M.

Tee shirt, tank dress - H&M. 

Sequin turtleneck and leggings - Discount Universe. 

Net dress, net top - Gypsy Sport. 

Sequin patch jeans - Topshop. 

Underwear - Calvin Klein. 

Sunglasses, goggles - Holes Eyewear.

White watch - Wildfang.

Macy’s Sequin scrunchy - H&M.

Lady bug purse - Betsy Johnson.

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FERVENT VIEW with designer Liza Rietz

Photography & Questions by Christine Taylor

Seasonless Fashion

1.  Can you define what ‘seasonless’ fashion design is to you and share any ‘rules to live by’ that you have for your own reasoning behind clothing purchases?

Seasonless fashion is a way of dressing that can adapt to any time of year. This usually requires pieces of clothing to be somewhat timeless as opposed to trendy, with neutral fabrics and design elements that complement the form regardless of the weather. This is fashion that can be adaptable to any season by way of layering or dressing up or down. And if worn a lot, it must be high quality.

rules to live by… I rarely shop, but when i do, it is usually vintage because the quality is usually superior (to new clothing) and I like having something that has been worn and from another time. It feels more authentic to me. If I want some trendy clothes I always go to second hand stores because there is a ridiculous abundance of clothing that have barely been worn that are literally thrown away. But if I buy new, I try to buy quality, timeless pieces that I can wear again and again. Of course this is difficult, but I try to buy American made. And 99 percent of the time, I buy a jacket over anything else because I think a good jacket makes the outfit.

2.  Because your work is so well known for its comfortable yet highly structured form around the body, can you tell us more about how you think shape can contribute to longevity in a personal wardrobe?  Can you give us some examples from your latest collection?

In order to have a structured or tailored garment, you almost always have to use a thicker more durable fabric to hold the form or the shape. In most cases, durable fabric equals longevity - a garment that will last. A durable garment has weight to it. So much of 'fast fashion’ is weightless. Literally. It doesn’t weigh anything because the fabric is usually poor quality and will disintegrate. In another sense, structure is personalized. It fits your measurements and feels more like a shell of your body. I have some well fitted suit jackets in my closet and I will never get rid of them.

As for some structural garments from my latest collection - I have some high waist suspender skirts that are very fitted in the ribs and waist with a cummerbund waistband and the hips have these exaggerated inverted box pleats to add some volume to contrast the fitted waist.

3.  You create meticulously sewn handmade fashions.  Can you explain how and why slow fashion is an important part of the seasonless wardrobe?

Slow fashion is important on so many levels. It is important to a seasonless wardrobe in the sense that less is more. You pick fewer pieces that are more versatile (with the seasons) and make sure they are high quality and will last. To be seasonless means you really can’t jump on the hyper-trend frenzy of fast fashion (buying for not just every season but for every mood) thus you support slow fashion - buying timeless, quality pieces that will stick around like an old friend for years to come.

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What she said.

“Both of my parents are light skinned and black. They’re products of what I call the great horror story and the great love story of America. Meaning, when you come from the South, and you’re under the terrorism of Jim Crow, families would often marry other light skin blacks to stay alive. Most light-skinned black people were not hung from trees and set on fire. What black people did and who we got to be… just making it through The Middle Passage, you had to have a strong and resilient constitution. There’s no way to even identify how many bodies were tossed over because they got sick and couldn’t make it. And then, with all the atrocities and violence, we not only survived, we gave this country culture, we gave you field socks, then we gave you spirituals, then we gave you jazz, then we gave you blues, then we gave you hip hop, then we gave you art and rock and style and food and soul!  Why wouldn’t I want to be from those people that did that in the face of that? That shit is hot to me! There’s never been a time in my life where I haven’t been, not just proud, but grateful to be black. Even when the whole appropriation argument comes out and people are like, ‘Why is Kylie Jenner wearing cornrows?’ I’m like, ‘I would want to look like that too! It’s fly!’ I have no shade over anyone. But if, you deny our journey, that’s where we got problems.” - @michaelaangelad in our new episode of #whatsunderneathSUMMER16 🌍Tap the link in our bio to watch all of Michaela’s episode on our YT channel 🎥 Join the movement #IAmWhatsUnderneath

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I want to work with this beautiful fabric!

Chanel HC S/S 2016

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This weeks subject Alexis Owens.

#christine taylor photography #portrait #producer

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Working on these all week... from editorial called ‘Diamonds and Pearls’, styled by Kailyn Bowen Marcus showing fall brocades and prints.

#christine taylor photography #kailyn bowen marcus #brocade #gucci #nwfashion #nwfashionphoto

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From ‘The Protagonist’, by Christine Taylor.

Styling by Willyum Beck

Model is Dana Franklin

#christinetaylorphoto #nwfashion #protagonist #willyumbeck #danafranklin

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Have a beautiful weekend!  I’m off to celebrate May Day at Windy Acres in the Washington Gorge - an independent artist residency where some of us are gathering to do readings, perform, eat and play with friends and family. I’m grateful to once again get to join in. 

(These photos are outtakes not seen yet, of the lovely and talented Cara Swift, also lucky to have gotten to collaborate with her).  She designed the ring set seen here in silver.  Learn more about it here.

#weekendlove #mayday #christinetaylorphoto

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Don’t forget to have fun on set.

#happyplayground #christinetaylorphoto #bryceblack #nwfashion #nwphotog #play #funonset

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I have an 8 image feature of me and my work on Vogue Italia!  Weeeeeeee!!!  

#nwfashion #christinetaylorphoto #vogueitalia #portlandfashion #stylebywillyum #samantha lemieux #savagemodels #optionmodels

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Community Spotlight: Christine Taylor

Part of an ongoing series highlighting the amazing people in the Portland creative community.

Christine Taylor is a photographer, art director, and curator. Whether she’s shooting for clients, helping to shape the signature look of Hand-Eye Supply, or giving visibility to fashion photography in the Pacific Northwest, her discerning eye has made an impact in Portland. This tweet during the Holly Andres talk caught our attention, so we wanted to shine a light on her great work.

See Ashley Courter’s photos in all their glory on Flickr and check the interview below.

You do a lot of things, from photography to curation to art direction. What’s the throughway in your work?

There’s a natural relationship between photography, art direction and curation because for each I am shaping an environment for others to experience. The only real difference is in how you are engaging your viewers. Ideas can always have a kaleidoscope of objectives. How they are applied is dependent on resources, and where there is flexibility in use of space, light, sound and even scent (if it’s an ultra-immersive installation). Seeing the world through a constant thoughtful visualization has been a part of who I am since I was a little girl so the connection between the three practices – taking/making a photograph, showing a selection of artists work, and directing commercial projects – is to disclose a specific point of view. I’ve observed it’s a certain personality type that obsessively envisions ideas before they exist – ideas that show a specific point of view. It just comes to these kinds of people and I think my family would verify that I’ve always been a little too enthusiastic about making things happen. These three practices combined have given me an outlet for all that energy.

Tell us about the work you’re doing as Art Director at Hand-Eye Supply.

In brief, what I do at HES as Photographic Art Director is oversee photography and contribute to the entire retail branding experience. That translates into a lot of organizing to make things happen smoothly, and in the end, that takes a team of people for success. In addition, my photography is the human personality of what most people see of HES; all of the Quarterlies, ads, and the editorial content. In many ways HES has been the ideal place for me to have landed in Portland, because I come from journalism (since the early 1990’s). From there, I went into editorial shooting, which led me to college to study multidisciplinary design and concept, which somehow took me even deeper into bigger commercial photography projects, and is now steering me into lots more art direction. What an exciting ride that’s been! Being at HES has allowed me to improve that collaboration of courage, envisioning and constancy needed to complete multi-channel personality-driven projects. There are some inspiring design minds working there and that environment has made a sizable impact on my work, much of which seems to have culminated this year. One of my luminaries, Steven Johnson, adamantly tells us that the breakthrough idea has never come in a flash. He states with fact that that theory is a myth. It comes over time and through experience and hard work by trial and error, scrutinizing, and researching. One of my life breakthroughs came this year. So I believe in that!

On a personal level, HES is a great example of my nerdy brainy side, my process obsessed side. My own work motto is, “In my mind everyone is a star!”. I get to apply that ethic at HES. It’s an outlet where I have combined my youthful interest in cultural anthropology, my delight in history and investigation, and a lifetime of experience in pop culture photographing creators, style, and environment while sharing my point of view. It’s simultaneously complex and simple.

Is it challenging to navigate between the commercial and fine art world? Is there a relationship between the work you do in each?

Thank you so much for this question. Like most people with a daytime gig, creatively I have additional interests, so I am 100% committed to exploring those, in part because I honestly cannot help myself, and in part because I completely understand that without exploration, there can be no growth. It is indeed incredibly challenging at times, though. I mean, who has the time? I would like to be much more directly engaged with the art world but along with art, I have been a commercial maker my entire life now, so my knowledge is limited to a very specific point of view that’s highly educated and technical. It’s not all-encompassing like for instance someone like Dave Hickey, or any museum curator, for that matter, or even my partner/boyfriend, the conceptual painter Michael Lazarus. Those people can talk about every nuance of art and then some. I know photography and video, and after that I know what I like and why I like it and how it relates to history vs. present day - but I cannot compare too many artists outside of my own medium and hold face. The name game is definitely not my strength. But the art world plays an enormous part in my life because I choose to be in it for inspiration. The artists know what’s up first. Almost all of my close friends are active artists, serious writers, curators or vigorous designers of some kind and they are also all dedicated educators. You can imagine our conversations: “Did you listen to the In Our Times podcast the other night?” …or else we talk over teaching styles, grants, residencies, public art, art around the world, politics and LOTS of process talk. Boring stuff for most. In general, I am just a dogmatic fan, and like Thomas Edison said, “I am a sponge”. My view on life is that we learn something critical from every person who enters it, and gratitude or failure are what brings those lessons to light.

What is it about fashion that drew you in?

Fashion can be a stage to explore my conceptual ideas that involve the body, movement and expression. It can also be a powerful tool to communicate cultural views using beauty and style. For example, I always choose to portray women as having great strength. At its simplest, fashion photography is predictable; at its worst, the ideas are immature and poorly executed; while at best, it shows flawless creative freedom and diversity in what we find beautiful. All of that, and it changes constantly. To be good at it, you have to change with it. To be great at it, you need a colossal amount of resources integrated with an inherent ability to anticipate lifestyle changes before they take place. See what I mean? Its a great provocation. Not anyone can make something significant and it’s not always in the concept that makes it celebrated, nor is it always in the clothing, nor the model, nor anything one thing - yet it certainly can be.

Fashion photography is remarkably intricate. Fashion takes more than a village, it takes a world, and in that world, every single person has to be great at what they do. If one tiny thing is off – say, the makeup is too heavy, the hair is not on style, the image only shows one foot where there should be two, or a hand is hiding and looks weird, the clothing lacks a consistent overarching statement, there’s a wrinkle in the wrong place on the fabric, or the model is too thin and poorly cast - each can ruin the final images. Then time passes, and what you created isn’t even pertinent any longer. It takes a very good eye to see these seemingly minuscule things and untrained eyes will easily overlook them. In addition, what you show to the public is susceptible to anyone who has an opinion, and because fashion is a part of pop culture - everyone has one based on what they have seen in their everyday lives, which often means very unchallenging images. Ideas around beauty run deep and differ culturally as well. All of these factors make it a constant challenge. That difficulty is what keeps me intermeshed with fashion photography in my freelance life as either a shooter, a director, or an educator. Of course, for my commercial work – which is what most people see – it must meet industry standards so that it’s well received. But the avant garde I love, and it informs my commercial fashion work.

You pioneered the Fashion Photography course at the Art Institute. What was your goal with the curriculum?

Yes, to my knowledge I did, but I am not teaching right now. The goal with the curriculum was to offer an immersive experience to inspire the students to push themselves so that they have a better understanding of what is expected of a shooter in the real world of professional commercial photography. I want them to get what their competition is. Being good isn’t enough. I do this by instructing in a contemporary style, that which utilizes a bit of performance. I was not actually performing like an actor or musician, but the idea is to keep everything in class at a high level of enthusiasm using real people, real community members, multimedia and modern ways of sharing and receiving information that include things like fashion video karaoke, TED talks, music and slideshows to help train and expose students to ways of seeing and thinking about fashion imagery. I do that along with more traditional forms of teaching using written essays by international writers such as Gilles Lipovetsky and local writers like our own Lisa Radon (whom I read out loud on the first day). Through that first interaction they know the class is going to be distinctive.

It’s all designed to get them to think about what fashion photography is built upon: individuality. They need to find that in their own opinions and knowledge in order to apply it to their imagery. I want them to be able to change and shift and redefine, not just say, “Yes, I can do that.” Anyone can be technical. Not just anyone can have ideas. So I am teaching them how to have ideas, communicate them, then follow them through. In my class they learn how to properly produce a shoot. Great shooters are cultural sponges. They experience everything.

With students I am transparent and honest about my own numerous failures in New York, Chicago, Seattle, etc. I am also transparent about budgeting and etiquette. We have 3 in-person talks in class with a mix of impressive producers, designers, art directors and photographers who come to discuss what they do and what they look for in a shooter. They are expected to create call sheets, creative briefings, budgets and find their talent. They communicate and organize while they produce one fashion test shoot on their own with my direction, then they are broken into groups to collaborate with each other to produce another smaller-sized studio shoot with my direction, and lastly they form groups again to collaborate to produce one commercial location shoot portraying their own ideas. I also offer to help find internships with photographers for anyone who wants one. Oh yes, we also do critiques on all of the projects. Without non-opinion-based criticism there can be no progression as a maker.

What inspired the Notions of Beauty show? The ‘Notions of Beauty: NW FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY NOW’ exhibit was directly inspired by the Museum of Contemporary Craft’s recent exhibition 'Fashioning Cascadia’ curated by Sarah Margolis-Pineo. During her research she had me come in to talk with her about fashion in Portland which led to a dinner and some great conversations about manufacturing, designers and resources. It also led to the discussion of Northwest fashion photography. It is on the rise, but because Portland is mostly new to this, professionalism, originality and taste are works-in-progress. There wasn’t space or time for Sarah to take on the photo monster so with MOCC’s support, they introduced me to Annin Barrett, and what an enlightening meeting that was. Annin is the Art Institute’s astounding brainiac gallery director and she loved the idea I had to do a survey exhibition showing the work of many of Cascadia’s fashion photographers. She approved my curatorial approach, keeping the focus on the conceptual side; to show how NW fashion photographers think, so-to-speak. We hung large-format prints, and the entire space was incorporated into creating an immersive experience that I designed based on my respect for the process of the printed magazine. Included in that spacial design were sculptures, jewelry, animated gifs, a section for art directors, and publication viewing station. An entire wall was for projections of videos. The prints wrapped around the space, and it was a real joy to see a white box come to life. Included were six Northwest fashion publications that had been made in the past 5 years, and lastly Art Director Willyum Beck created a handmade catalog as documentation of the exhibit and its participants. Some of those participants included Charlie Schuck, Holly Andres, and Rafael Astorga, mixed in with more unknowns such as Bryan Kyckelhahn and BriAnne Wills. Together we proved that Northwest fashion photography is alive and well, and ready for the task in all its variety. Luckily it was a great success, but I’d like to do it even better next year.

You’ve been to quite a few of our events. Were there one or two talks that made the biggest impression?

This is true. Its early, so that means I can attend and still get to work later in the day! There are so many that inspire… but most recently, Anna Telcs was great because I have followed her work for 5 years now. Her talk taught me new things about her - that is very cool. Then, as a photographer, Holly Andres’ talk was memorable. She is a guiding light in so many ways. Her transparency and passion for her art is without parallel. She has had this experience so different from my own and yet as people we are not so unalike. Her story is really interesting and it’s awesome to have the juxtaposition of being a fan before we knew one another back when I lived in New York and saw her first exhibit there, and now to have met and know her. I find her work developing in a direction that is only more and more gripping. That’s the kind of artist I wish I had become. That’s why I photograph makers… because I wish I could do what each of them does. Its a kind of love.

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Technique & Personality - a self published look at slow fashion by Christine Taylor.  Email ctaylor at happyplayground.com or sign up here http://goo.gl/VEuvs8  for a PDF directly sent to your inbox!  

The team:  Christine Taylor, Samantha Lemeiux, Taylor Stillwell, Dana Franklin, Willyum Beck, Chad Calvert, Jason Brown (Backporch Projects), Mike Whitehead, and Michael Lazarus.

Featured designs by: 6/7, Alexa Stark, Alexander Wang, BOET, Bottega Veneta, Brunello Cucinelli, Colico, Demimonde, Formation, Jacobsen, M.Patmos, Numinous Works, Pointer Brand, Portland Garment Factory, Rag & Bone, Rachel Ancliffe, Rowen Sarten, Straw Studios, Tiro Tiro, Utility Canvas.

Retail who supported this project: 6/7, Hand-Eye Supply, Mario’s, Seven Sisters, and Stand Up Comedy (and of course the independent designer listed above).

Location: FINEX Iron Skillets

Talent: Savage Management

#customcontent #happyplayground #christinetaylorphotography #savagemanagement #backporchprojects #finex #taylorstillwell #willyumbeck #danafranklin #portlandfashion #slowfashion #personalstyle #nwfashion #cascadiafashion #seasonlessdesign #durabletextiles #timelesscolor #effortlessstyle #layering #spring fashion #samanthalemieux #numinousworks #standupcomedy #6/7 #six/seven #BOET #tirotiro #bottegaveneta #brunellocucinelli #utilitycanvas

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Cara again.

#happyplayground #christine taylor photography #fashion photography #Portland Fashion

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Revisiting Cara.

#christine taylor photo #happyplayground

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REPRESENTING NW FASHION! 

I am in shock at this moment. Senior Photo Editor of VOGUE ITALIA, Alessia Glaviano, went through 800 great photographer's work from all over the world - and she selected 28 to feature on Vogue Italia... and my art directed and photographed fashion work is in that group.  (see above). 

Whaaaaat??? 

Its the top fashion publication in the world!  Not to mention I have so much respect for Alessia and her team- she's a HUGE inspiration for women in this industry. 

I have no idea what it really means for my future, but its a great validation of hard work.  PS a special thanks to my styling partner in crime Willyum Beck - we are a great team.

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I want to announce that through much of the work we've been producing these past several months, one of my key partners in crime, stylist WILLYUM BECK, was hired onto the Kanye West styling team for NY fashion week which began today. Willyum and I have worked on a large number of projects together from set design, to fashion styling, to video shoots. Its so good to see him rising! show less

#kanye west #stylebywillyum #christine taylor photo #new york fashion week

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Another tough girl photo - in honor or Beyonce.  We shot this a couple years ago, and I love still love it.  It would super cool if women all over started posting photos of themselves flipping off the camera rather than smiling or trying to look sexy....  Just saying....  it would be kind of amazing to see a movement like that.  

Art Direction & Photography by Christine Taylor

Model is Sarah Schroeder with Option Models

#tough girls #punx not dead #byonce tribute #christine taylor photo #sarah schroeder #option models #take it or leave it