Nick Knight, Jonathan Kaye and Gemma Ward

By Arrangement

Evangelical florist and icon of pre-war femininity, Constance Spry provided inspiration for this three day Nick Knight shoot for W magazine. Stylist Jonathan Kaye picked the best of the Spring/Summer 2004 collections whilst stylist Simon Foxton invited leading florists to interpret the floral themes that characterised the catwalks.

About

Evangelical florist and icon of pre-war femininity in review, Constance Spry was the inspiration for this W magazine shoot in November 2003.

Spry transformed populist ideas about decoration in the home and in doing so she established a unique philosophy of living that remains part of contemporary British style. She worked as head of South Hackney Day Continuation School in the East End of London where she taught working class women practical home-making skills such as cookery, managing a home budget and dress making, followed by flower arranging. Spry published a book of flower arranging and a new art form was born. Publishing made Constance Spry a household name.

Photography was a key part of how Spry established her signature aesthetic. Image-makers worked under her strict direction to create the pictures that illustrated Spry's books. She strove to present her floral arrangements in a style that was as perfect as possible, an appearance emphasised by the 'hyper-real', appearance of contemporary colour processes and reproduction techniques of the 30s and 40s such as carbro, dye transfer and Vivex. Spry's lasting philosophy was that income and background aside, the creation of beauty in the home was accessible, and most importantly, beneficial to all.

In a modern re-working of Spry's Modernist ideology and aesthetic, Nick Knight photographed the Spring/Summer 2004 fashions selected by stylist Jonathan Kaye for W Magazine, as stylist Simon Foxton invited leading florists to interpret the floral themes that characterise the collections. In a rolling 'eye view' text, SHOWstudio Editor in Chief Penny Martin considered the imagery created in relation to historical photography, current clothing and contemporary fashion image.

Credits / Contributors

Clothing

Shot 1: Brown chiffon pleated dress by Prada. Lime green heels by Manolo Blahnik.
Shot 2: Yellow chiffon dress by Alberta Ferretti. Black shoes by Calvin Klein.
Shot 3: Peach silk dress and black mask by Lanvin. Black shoes by Christian Louboutin for Lanvin.
Shot 4: White embroidered dress by Giorgio Armani with heels by Manolo Blahnik.
Shot 5: Floral print flamenco dress by Strenesse. Black mesh shoes by Calvin Klein.
Shot 6: Grey knitted dress by Salvatore Ferragamo. Gilt rattan shoes by Calvin Klein.
Shot 7: White cotton dress and grey shoes both by Jil Sander.
Shot 8: Grey silk dress with floral neckline and patent shoes both by Rochas.
Shot 9: Mauve chiffon dress with leaf cut-outs and Pink leather shoes both by Calvin Klein.
Shot 10: Mesh top and calico skirt with techno-floral print lining both by Comme des Garcons.
Shot 11: Cotton jersey dress by Marc Jacobs with red leather shoes by Viktor & Rolf.
Shot 12: Yellow, silk bias cut dress Ralph Lauren with black stilettoes by Christian Louboutin for Lanvin.
Shot 13: Hat by Yohji Yamamoto. Slip dress by Emporio Armani.
Shot 14: Grey knitted dress by Salvatore Ferragamo. Pink shoes by Calvin Klein.
Shot 15: Brown chiffon dress by Donna Karan. Beads by Lanvin.

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