Creative blog of Lauren Hernandez, Sydney-based designer and photograherpher. I live my life by two different names, seriously.
Sydney, Australia.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 07, 2014
SHADOW PLAYER | ALEXANDRA PHILLIPS
As a working creative, there has always been a desire to step away from the computer screen and explore my vision behind the camera lens. Having been mostly in front of the camera, I’ve always found so much more satisfaction taking photos rather than editing ones that featured myself. During my annual leave I made sure this happened and finally styled and shot my very first shoot.
From fleshing out the concept to styling the looks, there was one thing I wanted to communicate above all - my creative aesthetic. Close friends of mine can pick whether a certain piece of graphic design was created by me, and here I planned to do the same and begin to cement my photographic style in these shots.
Titled "Shadow Player", this visual story takes a dark spin on just some of my favourite trends at the moment eg. wardrobe essentials like the denim and leather jacket, layered crystal necklaces, cute chokers, ripped jeans and edgy street-goth inspired looks. My model muse is Alexandra Phillips, whom first caught my eye with her exotic looks at an event a couple years ago. With her ethnic ambiguity and youthful beauty, I was thrilled to have her involved.
Alex is a bright, young 22-year old who has a lot going on for her. Studying a Bachelor of Arts in Media with a Bachelor in Commerce in Marketing, she has ventured into the digital marketing world through her internship at Found Juice which landed her the role of Junior Content Manager and later interned for clothing label bassike in PR and Marketing. She is currently working as a Marketing Assistant at eBay inc. whilst also developing her passion for acting and screen production at NIDA. Her latest achievement and biggest highlight to date is her feature in Brisbane-based indie band Sheppard's videoclip of 'Geronimo', which reached Number 1 on the Aria charts. During our shoot I was able to squeeze in a little questionnaire. See below!
YOUR ONLY BLACK SWAN: You have a really exotic look. What nationality are you?
ALEX: Filipino, Irish (and Spanish)
YOBS: Being a “Euroasian”, what is your favourite thing about being part Filipino and Irish?
A: I love being exposed to both cultures, I believe it has made me very open minded and appreciative of other cultures.
YOBS: How would you describe your personal style?
A: This is a very difficult question! I range from minimalist, to strong, structural, architectural shapes, to basic staples with twists. At the moment my favourite brands are Rick Owens, Dion Lee, YSL, bassike, Alexander Wang, Balmain, Kanye West and Emilio Pucci! And I'll just stop there...
YOBS: What is your never-fail outfit?
A: Black leather or wet jeans, white or black turtle neck and my adidas kicks.
YOBS: What are some of your guilty pleasures?
A: Cookie dough, starburst lollies, McDonalds Happy Meal (with 6 pack nuggets of course)
YOBS: Favourite song at the moment?
A: 'Geronimo' By Sheppard because I am acting in it ;)
YOBS: If you could eat one cuisine for the rest of your life, what would it be?
A: Seafood
YOBS: Favourite place on earth to date?
A: Seafood
YOBS: Favourite place on earth to date?
A: New York (followed by LA)
YOBS: Is there something people don’t know about you?
A: I have flown a plane.
YOBS: What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2014?
A: To graduate from my double degree at Uni! Pursue my acting further. Grow in my job at eBay inc.
To catch more of a Alex's acting and modelling pursuits, hit her up on the gram here @allexphillips
I hope you like the shots! I had such an enjoyable time shooting Alex and am very happy with the results considering it was my first official attempt behind the camera. This is definitely something I would like to do more often and share with you on the blog! Let me know what you think!
Outfit details below:
Look #1: Vintage Levi's denim jacket (my own), lace bralette via eBay, shorts by August Street, Cat Luna choker by Illuminati Jewellery and layered necklaces (my own, worn throughout), striped socks (my own), Adidas Original x Topshop Super Tech sneakers.
Look #2: Felt hat by Witchery, lace bralette via eBay, pants by August Street, silk scarf (my own), Converse Chuck Taylor high-tops.
Look #3: Knit by Neon Hart via General Pants, leather skirt by American Apparel, felt hat by Witchery.
Look #4: Leather jacket (my own), body suit by Missguided, Oneteaspoon Hendrix Baggies via General Pants, Rayban sunglasses, striped socks (my own),Adidas Original x Topshop Super Tech sneakers.
Look #5: Santa Cruz crew neck, Alice In The Eve tulle skirt and Neon Hart check flannel all via General Pants, striped socks (my own) and Dr Martens.
Creative Direction, Styling and Photography: Lauren Hernandez
Model: Alexandra Phillips
Assistant: Darren Luk
Special mention to the team at Room 22 and General Pants for the awesome threads!