I’ve recently been working on a few different types of accessories for Eustratia. When photographer Emily Bailey contacted me about shooting some of my designs I saw a great opportunity to do a chilled out shoot with some of the new accessories as well as a couple of outfits styled in ways independent to any particular collection.
This is the moodboard I created for the shoot.
It will feature a lot of influences from current fashion and my everyday style.
I have always really liked the idea of latex in water and have often wondered why there aren’t that many good quality underwater images around featuring latex. We have all seen the fetish pool-party type ones but I had something completely different in mind.
I was excited to be contacted by Catherine Laura Smith an underwater fashion photographer who, after seeing my work at Bird’s yard, wanted to arrange a collaboration. She had used items from the shop for shoots in the past so I was aware of how ethereal and atmospheric her work was and knew the outcome would be exactly what I was hoping for.
The whole team involved was awesome! Credits:
Wardrobe Designer: Eustratia
Stockist: Birds Yard
MUA: Natalie Greenwell
Model: Zara Abagail Syrett
Hair: Ky’cut Wilson
Assistants: Daniele Fitzgerald & Debra Smith
Support Diver: James Windeatt
I’m really pleased with them and hope others enjoy looking at them too!
A few months ago I lent some garments to Manchester based model agency, Maverick models. They were used for the agencies’ new promo shoot, shot in the south of France as well as the vampire themed fashion show that opened Sheffield fashion week. There is a video of the shoot here and the fashion show here.
A selection of my favourite images from the shoot.
©Conn Young
Favourites from the fashion show:
©Dougal Wallace
©Paul David Drabble
This month I was selected to feature in Bella Morte magazine’s Alt girls issue, available to purchase here. They chose a set of photos I shot a while ago, in Chester with Gareth Hickey. There were a few hundred entries and only 20 girls were featured which makes me feel quite good.
They chose a set of photos I shot a while ago, in Chester with Gareth Hickey and gave me a double page spread, which you can view below.
My favourite image from this set and the one I use for my book is the one below but the feature has definitely make me appreciate the other two a lot more.
image by Gareth Hickey, make up by Azzurra
On Sunday we shot the editorial for the “Eustratia” feature in Alt fashion magazine. The weather turned out to be more rainy than initially anticipated, (not really a surprise in this part of the country) so we ended up in a bit of a predicament regarding the most appropriate shoot location. Toria was promoting an event at Bird’s yard later in the day and the owner was nice enough to let us shoot in the courtyard at the back of the shop as it had a covered section to minimise the rain-damage. With its old Chesterfield sofa, fake grass carpet and multiple degenerated urban backdrops it proved to be the perfect location! So far I am really pleased with what I’ve seen of the images, the magazine has to be published before we release any of them but here are some behind the scenes shots taken with my camera to give you an idea of the styling.
Lovely models and non-acknowledging photographer Left to right: Beth, Victoria, Amber, myself and Toria
I especially love the chainmail components pf these outfits which are made by Richard Ayres.
Portfolio links: http://www.modelmayhem.com/1025602, http://www.modelmayhem.com/170631, http://www.modelmayhem.com/726821, http://www.modelmayhem.com/1592461
I would also like to say a huge thanks to Beth for getting up and being part of the shoot at such short notice!
After the shoot we headed back to Toria’s to pack up and then back to Bird’s yard for the party. I first heard about the shop at a charity fashion show that was also organised by Toria a few weeks ago in Chester. We paired their vintage clothes with my latex accessories for the show.
image 1,3and 5 by Fluke photography 2 and 4 by fireball photography
I also had a stall…
stall
…and Amber wore a pink dress that would have made any fairy tale princess green with envy.
Amber, her pink dress and I
Anyway, non of this had suggested anything more than that Bird’s yard was a vintage shop in Leeds. When we got there I realised that it was actually an amazing concept store/indoor market hybrid with all kinds of treasure dotted around several different shops. They also feature independent designers who can choose between renting a shelf or a booth to display a selection of their products. This sounds like a really interesting opportunity to me, particularly as each designer spends one day a month working in the shop. I would hate to have a job as a shop-assistant but having a “meet the designer” day at a shop where my products are stocked and getting a change to interact with and get feedback from customers actually appeals on so many levels. More news about this when I have time to sort it out properly.
The rest of the party involved free food and drink, discovering new designers and silliness.
If you’d like to know more about Bird’s yard, check out their site! http://www.birdsyard.co.uk/
Amber and pretty things
custom upholstry
Independent designer booths
stair art
slut and slag
what I wore
Edgy designer clothing. Innovative latex fashion. Bespoke commissions.