Mode Parade is an entity that has always been founded on the talents of others. Nowhere is it more apparent than in my portrait sessions, those collaborative confluences of shutterbug eye and manufactured lens, of architecturally pleasing location and crafted clothing, and of shooter and subject. Truly, it is much like work
For those who may have wondered where Alex and I could possibly go after last year's series, our latest shoot last Sunday included a heavy dose of Winston Chesterfield, whom some here will know from his prolific, insightful writing at Men's Flair and his ensemble-chronicle Le Vrai Winston. W has also remained a steadfast friend to me for a few years now, and I have long considered him an inspiration for getting The Parade off the digital ground three years ago this month. So in a way, this surfeit of narcissism that my semi-regular readers have devoured since then is ever so slightly his fault
Nevertheless, it does yield fun like this; a day spent at the Royal Albert Hall and the Albert Memorial of Kensington Gardens in an early English spring (a preview of temperatures to come sometime in April, I suppose), with Alex utilising his vintage Hasselblad and scanning these results from film specifically used for stongly lit scenes. I'm certain that W will post his own solo shots, so I will proceed with mine. Another duo picture has already done a decent trade via Mode Parade's Tumblr; I'm naturally grateful to those who have enjoyed and reblogged it
And, of course, Alex and I will return
All photographs are the copyright of Alex Wilson: http://awilsonphotographic.com/
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6 comments:
The glasses really pull the look together for me. Everything is impeccable but a real flair with the purple tint glasses does it to the max.
All together a really crisp look. Where do you get your garments made, tailored, bought from?
http://gentlemansgent.blogspot.com/
The eyeframes rather pull things together for me, also; I was deliberately going against my reputation for all-round flamboyance for this shoot
A rundown:
Vintage suit: Angelo Roma; formerly my dad's
Vintage silk shirt: Deborah & Clare
Vintage kipper tie: Mr. Fish
Vintage slip-ons: Alan McAfee
Trenchcoat: Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche by Hedi Slimane (Black Tie collection, Fall 2000-1)
Eyeframes: Ultra Goliath II
Lapel pin: Spider Man for Marvel Comics
All best,
BON
Fine threads - have the angles been chosen carefully (I imagined you would be much taller than Winston)?
By the way, very sad about Don Cornelius - it seemed to receive remarkably little attention considering his status. The way he adapted his style was incredible (contrast the youtube reels of him in the 70s with the 'Fresh Prince' special - is there a tribute post coming).
Yes, Alex was very specific about the compositions of the shots. Funnily enough, I didn't really get a sense of our height difference until seeing some of the pictures (I've been photographed with Winston before when socialising, but point-and-shoot cameras aren't always reliable)
I do need to write a full Don Cornelius tribute post, really. I still enjoy producing The Parade, but it's difficult to devote the attention it once demanded of me
Many thanks,
BON
Clothes look very well. When you see the quality of vintage alongside the slop of today, where the fundamentals of tailoring have been neglected, it's stark, the contrast. It's the difference between dressing like a man or like a teenager. Congratulations.
David, many thanks for writing in and for your compliments. I've long enjoyed your comments at The Suits of James Bond
That said, the majority of Winston's own clothes are very much of today's mass market, as openly detailed on his blog; his aesthetic, of course, is markedly traditional and his instincts guide him to bring out the best in such pieces (customisations and so on). To borrow your phrase, he represents the difference between wearing accessible stuff with discernment and imagination, and wearing that stuff without those key factors at all. And that's a talent worth considering
Hope to hear from you again,
BON
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