Fashion Magazine: A multi-spread couture magazine based upon the 2006 film Marie Antoinette
Finding Inspiration
I chose to base my magazine on the film Marie Antoinette because of my interest in and knowledge of French culture. I also have an appreciation for the film’s cinematography and costumes.
I began the ideation process with a moodboard and fashion sketches. I researched the film and its setting to find elements that embodied Marie Antoinette. Among these elements were fabrics, colors, silhouettes, and iconographic items such as feathers. I referred to these elements when styling or designing the outfits, hair, makeup, and backdrops.
Developing the Story
To plan out the storyline and the photos that I would need, I drew rough thumbnail sketches of each shot. With this magazine, I did not simply want to show the indulgent side of Marie Antoinette. Rather, I wanted to tell the story of Marie Antoinette’s character development as she goes from naive to insatiable, and later, to bored.
Stepping Behind the Camera
The next step of the process was to complete several rounds of photoshoots. For each round, I made tweaks—sometimes minor, other times major—to the costumes, backdrops, facial expressions, props, composition, and more.
In the early stages of these shoots, I was also making several of the garments seen in the magazine either by hand or with a sewing machine.
Overcoming Challenges
One of the main challenges I faced during this project was achieving a feeling of extravagance and excess. It was through much trial and error that I finally reached the desired look; I added accessories, swapped out backdrops, and refined hair and makeup until I attained the richness that is so indicative of Marie Antoinette.
The layout of the magazine also gave me an opportunity to add more luxuriousness. For example, I layered photographs to create more depth. I also chose fonts that added just the right amount of ornament without taking attention away from the photos.