Illustrated people autumn winter 2012 from PABLO & JOSH on Vimeo.Fashion films are quickly usurping the lookbook and runway show as the method of choice for communicating a collection’s frame of reference. The narrative aspect of film, plus the ready share-ability of digital video makes shooting a film a no-brainer for any aspiring designer. But that means the internet is quickly getting cluttered with “artsy” short films showcasing bored looking models in clothes, bathed in dramatic lighting. Yawn. That’s why I did a double take when UK streetwear brand Illustrated People decided to dress avatars in their F/W 2012 collection and portray them in a digital world.
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Pablo Jones-Soler: We were interested in the growing relationship the fashion world has with the internet and the way it changes your shopping experience and your relationship with the clothes themselves. We were interested in point-of-sale stands and the language retail spaces used to tempt you into buying clothes and how that translates into a virtual environment. The video coincides with the launch of Illustrated People's new website, which is almost complete, where some of these considerations have come into play—trying to embrace the internet as an environment to shop in itself, not just a secondary to a physical shop.The film definitely has a net art vibe… were you inspired by Second Life or any of the videos made for Fatima Al Qadiri’s Genre-Specific Xperience?
We definitely made it with a conscious awareness of other work like this being produced at the moment. Fatima Al Qadiri’s references to Kuwaiti shopping malls and the luxurious architecture of super modern hotels definitely resonated with the hyper capitalist, highly-polished vibe we where trying to achieve. We also spent a long time watching Jumeirah Group promo videos. Second Life was definitely an influence. If you look closely at the screens, when you go through the “control room” you can see that some of the videos are screen recordings from Second Life. We spent a good while exploring on there as well.Do you think avatar fashion will ever be a thing? Will we be shopping for our avatars anytime soon?
Definitely! I mean, it already is. People buy clothes in Second Life, some people put a disconcerting amount of effort into their avatar’s appearance. You get tall, bronzed men with perfectly sculpted six packs walking around chatting to sexy blonds wearing fluro pink boob tubes and stuff, and you know the whole time they are probably just two lonely fat guys hanging out in their mum's basement. I try to bypass it by just being a tank or car, but when I was around nine I was into Habbo Hotel. I sent a £2.50 text from my mum’s phone so I could wear a cool sweater and have a mohawk. Aside from just trying to get yourself a virtual lay, I think there is definitely room for a more progressive way of looking at avatars and their relationship with fashion. There could be a cool idea in that.Label: Illustrated People
Director: Pablo Jones-Soler
Produced by: Pablo Jones-Soler, Josh Greet, and Bradley Bell
Maya: Pablo Jones-Soler and Josh Greet
After Effects: Bradley Bell
Soundtrack: Force 1 aka Scrolls “For The Team”@kfloodwarning