ELECTRIC
FEATURED ARTISTS
Photography and retouching: Rossella Vanon / rvanonphotography.com
Hair Styling: Masanori Yahiro / masanori-yahiro.com
Makeup: Lara Himpelmann / larahimpelmann.com
Wardrobe Styling: Shun Masaki / shun-masaki.com
Model: Dasha Denisenko @M&P / mandpmodels.com
Photography Assistance: Drew Morgan
Styling Assistance: Yuko Michischita
SOCIAL MEDIA
Photography: Rossella Vanon
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rossellavanonphotography
Twitter: @RossellaVanon
Instagram: @rvanon
FEATURED FASHION
http://www.notjustalabel.com/neanga
http://www.unitednude.com/
FEATURED HAIR STYLIST INTERVIEW
1. Stylists are very sharp on their artistic visual direction. What do you find to be the most difficult when bringing a team of artists together?
This is not the kind of job that can be done by yourself. Therefore the most important point to make is to bring a team of artists together without breaking the “colour” of each individual’s ability – this I believe is the challenge we face.
2. When sending your work out for the world to see, what do you hope your element of the project says to the viewers?
This is a never ending story and the feeling goes around in circle. Without thinking into the work that I do in great detail of complexity, I want the viewers to literally “like” the work that I deliver.
3. What were the best editorial words of wisdom or advice that stand out to you now? Who handed you these pearls and how do you apply it to your professional career?
The great quote by Issei Miyake: “There is no meaning towards creating a design for the purpose of a design” (direct translation applied) – people who “design” a piece of work do their “designing” because they want to tell a message to the viewers. However, they also must question the audience with certain themes.
The questioning of each work will be perceived in different ways, and the audience is free to think further into whatever they perceive in viewing the work. However, the people who deliver the work should not force the audience in the way you want them to perceive. You may have a theme of message to deliver to the audience in this regard. That is to say, the audience is entirely free to receive what they feel by viewing my work.
Another most practical advice that I received in the past was from my unrelated “mother” who lives in Tokyo - which is to “produce something that anyone can have some kind of feel of, regardless of their gender or generation (whether it is a child or an elderly).” That as she described is the “real” professionalism. Therefore I aim to create work that would trigger anyone to have a view on.
4. On set, there are often last minute choices, situations...but what do you feel is a common mistake Artists make?
In general, I do not give up the way I want to work or at least I do not prefer to. To put yourself in such situation in the first place is a common mistake that any Artists may make. By producing work alone you will not be in that situation, however often you find yourself
to be working with a team of people. Therefore to link up the “colour” of each individual is a difficulty and to come up with a solution of the common interest for the team may result in making mistake. To result in such situation, the artists must be selected adequately in the
first place and they must have one clear object and common interest to the end product that they will produce. In relation to what is said above, I also have times where I think I could have done better
when I spent a day with a number of Top Artists.
5. Regarding artistic visual direction... What do you find most difficult when bringing a team of artists together?
If you want the simplicity of work, it must by all means stay that way. If you want to do something crazy, it must be 100% crazy.
This must be either zero or a hundred – all or nothing. I am not aware of the expression used in the western world, but Japanese artists often mention the importance of “subtraction” of work when producing an art. However, something must be “added” in order to make up
100% of work. I strongly believe that the further importance in this expression is in fact “adding or replacing the factors that have been subtracted” to produce something of an added value.
6. Sharing knowledge not only grows our industry but showcases talent and strong work ethic, as well. Who is your mentor? What was the most valuable lesson they taught you?
Picasso - Beauty and Beautiful are completely separate sense of feelings. In my specific field of work, as a “head” artist, a head-piece/ a hair design can be seen as beautiful. However this does not necessarily collate to the Beauty of that head piece/hair design.
Beauty of a head-piece/ a hair design art may be seen to certain audience as a complete none sense from a different angle of their angle. Therefore this explains how Beauty is not directly connected to what Beautiful is.
7. As an editorial artist, what do you feel is one of the biggest mistakes beginners tend to make?
Simply going back to my earlier point on “there is no meaning towards a design for the purpose of a design”. There is no message in the designing of work out of a design, therefore the biggest mistake anyone can make out of something that is meaningless does not trigger any emotions. The most important question to ask is what message you want to deliver; and for each project there must be some kind of concept in producing the end product.
8. How would you describe your artistic style? What has influenced your work the most?
To categorize my style, one may say it is a “surreal realism” and can be fitted in the vast group of “fine art”. However, if I were to put my own style into a certain genre, there is no specific one. My personal artistic style is therefore “myself”. This wasn’t that there was something that strongly influenced my current style. It was purely the sense that derived from my personal life roots.
9. What 3 items would you never do a shoot without?
1. Not to compromise when producing work
2. Not to have self-centred mind/ selfishness
3. To refuse the thought/ideas of other artists
10. Have you ever had an "OMG, what the hell am I doing here?!" moment? Share.
Yes – I once realized the work being produced was in fact “a design for the purpose of a design”. That was a long time ago. I realized this through looking back on the photograph of my own work and could not feel any emotions out of it.
11. What do people find most surprising about you?
People, including my parents, say that they have never seen a strange person like myself. This is myself that I am seeing, so I cannot possibly describe, but they quite possibly see me as some kind of alien.
12. What is one of your #hairstylist problems?
I must have better understanding of the clear difference between fashion and art. I must show my “colour” into the work in creating a product, whether it is a fashion purpose or an art purpose. If the hair styling is purely for the purpose of a certain fashion work, this must be completed as a fashion component.
13. I knew I was in love with fashion when….
I wore the suit from John Galliano, and put on the shoes from Sergio Rossi…
