Georgie Kennett
Choosing the Correct Context
So I am looking to create a hair sculpture related to Birds of Paradise, I began researching certain ways that I could use my work for fashion editorial purposes and what products in particular I could advertise.
Make-Up Products
Dior Bird of Paradise Summer Makeup Collection 2015
The video shown on the left is promoting the release of Dior summer make-up collection based on birds of paradise.
The reason I have looked into the Dior advertisement is because I am looking into the types of cosmetics I could advertise. The images are mainly of the face to promote the product. If I was to advertise a cosmetic I may struggle to incorporate a focus onto the hair. The make-up would have to be the main focus of the image.
Essential Care(2015). Dior bird of paradise summer makeup collection.
NUDE TAN: THE DIOR SUMMER COMPLEXION
Dior has made bare-skin beauty its area of expertise; the kind of beauty that lights up the face with a natural glow under the summer sun thanks to the products from the Diorskin Nude Tan range. Dior continues to expand into the new horizons of suncare makeup. The Paradise Duo powder combines a bronzing powder to add warmth to the complexion with a blush for sculpting and colouring the cheekbones, both together in an exquisite case with cannage engraving. Nude Tan BB Cream - the very first BB sun cream - hydrates and illuminates the skin with an even finish in a single action: it single-handedly prepares, beautifies and prolongs your natural tan. Nude Tan Healthy Glow Enhancing Powder lights up the face with a golden glow and a transparent look.
By enhancing the skin's natural tone, Diorskin Nude Tan products give it a sun-kissed summer tan that lasts all year round.
Eyeshadows in shades of exotic blue, coral lipstick, peacock blue nail varnish... this summer, our Makeup Design Director Tyen sees the Dior woman as a bird of paradise adorned in cheerful tropical colours. Inspired by Christian Dior's passion for colours, the 'Bird of Paradise' collection tells stories of faraway and exotic lands. To mark the occasion, the legendary 5 Couleurs case has been re-designed with shimmery pigments inspired by the golden sheen of peacock feathers; nail varnishes are offered in pairs for a matching manicure and pedicure; and the Jelly Lip Pen enhances the lips with transparent colour.
COLOUR TREND: A RICHLY-COLOURED PARADISE
Image and information reference:
(n.d.). Bird of paradise. [online]. Available from: http://www.backstage.dior.com/makeup-mag/en_US/look/2305/collection-bird-of-paradise [Accessed 20 October 2015].
Teeez Cosmetics
Teeez Cosmetics sell a range of eyeshadows called Island Palette that are available in eight various shades. One particular colour is called Paradise Bird. The reason I researched into this product and also the Dior product was because I was trying to find a product closely linked to my theme. I have decided I do not necesserily want to base my fashion editorial look around a make up product since I am aiming not to do an extravagant make-up look so that the focus is more on the hair. I began looking at other product ideas to advertise.
Cosmetics, T. (n.d.). ISLAND PALETTE EYESHADOW. [online]. Available from: http://www.teeezcosmetics.com/island-palette-eyeshadow.html [Accessed 21 October 2015].
Kurt Geiger 2011
The images above are from a 2011 Kurt Geiger advertisement based on birds of paradise. The shoes in the advertisement are brightly coloured reflecting the theme. This is possibly a good product for me to advertise however I would quite like the focus to be mainly on the hair. The Kurt Geiger hair styling does not have much going on and is just slicked back in most of the images, I do not want to do this and am thinking whether the hair must be the main focal point rather than another aspect like shoes.
(n.d.). Publicitestheresalexandersson, publicites theres alexandersson, theresalexandersson, theres alexandersson, Theres Alexandersson, THERES ALEXANDERSSON, Theres Alexandersson’s ads. [online]. Available from: http://planetems.cluster014.ovh.net/yangabin/modeles/theresalexandersson/pubtheresalexandersson.html [Accessed 25 October 2015].
New Products 2015
I began looking at new products released in 2015 to give me some inspiration. I initially started researching these products as there would not be advertisements as such for them yet and if so they would not be big fashion editorial images however one of the new products Kerastase Paris Fix Fabulous Hairspray made me consider doing a hairspray advert, this way the focus would be on the hair and the hair product.
58 Genius Beauty Launches You Need to Know This Year:
Cruel, J. (2015). Kerastase Paris fix fabulous hairspray. [online]. Available from: http://www.popsugar.com/beauty/photo-gallery/36398809/image/36968136/Kerastase-Paris-Fix-Fabulous-Hairspray [Accessed 25 October 2015].
Having looked at this hair spray and decided that I would like to advertise a hairspray of some sort I wondered how I might link my theme of the bird into my product advertisement. Then I started to wonder maybe whether the relevance of the representation of the animal in the hair could be an indication and advertisement of the product not having been tested on animals. It could be advertising the fact the company are cruelty free with their products. I then started researching into possible companies that do not test on animals.
Cruelty Free Brands
Peta Website
On the PETA website there is a page that you can search companies to find out whether they test on animals and are cruelty free brands. I selected hair styling products to show me a list of hair products that do not test on animals. I have uploaded a picture of the list and on it is not very many brands. I started to think about looking for well known brands and seeing why they are not on this list.
(n.d.). The easy way to go cruelty-free | PETA UK. [online]. Available from: http://www.peta.org.uk/living/easy-way-go-cruelty-free/ [Accessed 26 October 2015].
Superdrug Website
Superdrug promote their products as cruelty free and they present this with a small leaping bunny logo on all their profucts to show the consumer what they are buying is not tested on animals.
They have a cruelty free section on their website which allows you to look at all of the brands they sell and their own products that are cruelty free. In the hair styling section the only hairsprays that have not been tested on animals are their own brand. This made me wonder how many of the known hair styling brands actually do test on animals and if any what ones don't.
(n.d.). Superdrug.com. [online]. Available from: http://www.superdrug.com/microsite/cruelty-free-makeup [Accessed 26 October 2015].
John Frieda
To the left is a list of some of the well known brands that claim to not test on animals. I began looking at John Freida since they sell a range of hairsprays for different purposes. The brand claim they are cruelty free and sell products that do not test on animals however, they are owned by a mother brand called Kao Brands which do test on animals. This is the problem with advertising a product that makes these claims when the mother company contradicts it.
I began thinking about creating my own hairspray since there are minimal companies that sell cruelty free hairspray for a company that may not necessarily sell hair products but does not test on animals all together and is an independant company.
Lilla. (2012). Companies that don’t use animal testing. 19 May 2012. [online]. Available from: https://beautyandthefreak.wordpress.com/companies-that-dont-use-animal-testing/ [Accessed 26 October 2015]
Creating My Own Hair Spray Product
Lush Cosmetics
I did some research into Lush Cosmetics, I had by this point realised that I was most likely going to create my own hair stylying product for a company that prides themselves on being cruelty free. The website and shop clearly states logos that represent them fighting animal testing, that they create fresh products, that they buy ethnically, that they are 100% vegetarian, the products are handmade and that the packaging is 'naked' therefore they dont use branding techniques to sell a product rather than the product itself.
The only problem I face with advertising for this product for Lush Cosmetics is that their advertisement look a lot different to what I am hoping to achieve. The context of the photographs does not suit the fashion editorial images I hope to create so I considered some other brands- one in particular Illamasqua.
(n.d.). Lush fresh handmade cosmetics. [online]. Available from: https://www.lush.co.uk/ [Accessed 26 October 2015].
Illamasqua
Illamasqua are strictly against animal testing, on their website they state:
1. Does your company test ingredients or/and finished products on animals?
We do not conduct nor endorse animal testing and all our suppliers commit to this same philosophy.
2. Do you test ingredients or products on animals through a 3rd party? How do you ensure that your manufacturers do not test?
No, we get signed agreements from our manufacturers to state they do not conduct animal testing
3. Do your manufacturers test ingredients or products on animals?
No, as above
4. Are you owned or affiliated with any companies that test products or ingredients on animals?
No, we are an independent brand with no parent company.
5. Do you currently have plans to market and sell your products in the Chinese market, which requires animal testing by law to sell in that country?
Until such time as there is a route to market in China that does not require animal testing, we have and will continue to refrain from selling in this market.
Illamasqua Advertisement
Designing the Hairspray
Having considered Lush Cosmetics I wanted to find another company that had similar theories about cruelty free products and animal testing but with a more suitable advertisement look fit for fashion editorial.
Illamasqua are an independant company that sell cosmetics, their target audience is around the 20's mark. They strictly state that they do not test on animals and they are quite passionate about ensuring everyone knows this. They are not owned by a mother company which is great since often the mother company contradicts the animal testing rules they state. They are also on PETA's list of cosmetic brands that 100% do not test on animals. Illamasqua do not sell hairspray however along with make-up they do sell perfume which will be helpful to look at when designing the product.
The illamasqua advertisements definitely give me more leeway with the photography and appearance since the styles differ quite a lot for products they advertise. The overall look is much more fashion ediorial based which is great since that is what I am looking to create. The advertisement style also gives me the opportunity to create make-up and hair that is unique. The advertisements vary in backgrounds since some are shot in studios and some shot on location.
The branding of Illamasqua is quite simple however it still remains stylish basing all the packaging and branding on black and silver. The product itself seems to be the main focus with the black branding emphasising the vibrant colours they sell. Thinking about the way that illamasqua showcase their products I think it will be quite easy to create the design of a hairspray can to advertise. The best thing about the relevance of how illamasqua sell their products to what I am looking to create is the fact the packaging does not sell an awful lot the main promotion of the product is through the advertisement fashion editorial images. I have decided this is definitely the best option and correct context. This way the actual hair sculpture and styling can easily relate to the fact the purpose will be to sell strong hold hairspray and the basis of replicating an animal with the hair can relate to the fact the hairspray will be promoted as a cruelty free hairspray that has not been tested on animals.