Peter Saville, Nick Knight, Liberty Ross, Richard Kern, Philippe Garner, Jonathan Kaye, Jonathan De Villiers, Ann-Sofie Back and Andrea Dworkin

Dress Me Up, Dress Me Down

Exploring the idea of control in fashion image-making, 'Dress Me Up, Dress Me Down' offered SHOWstudio viewers the chance to dress Liberty Ross in a live interactive photoshoot. Inspired by live pornographic video chats widely available on the web Ross became the focus of a series of fashion film interactives and imagery, the creation of which was determined by the online audience and Ross herself

Brief

Footage of the initial 2005 pre-production meeting with model Liberty Ross and SHOWstudio Director Nick Knight, Editor in Chief Penny Martin and Creative Director Paul Hetherington, to follow as the ebb and flow of initial ideas develop into a concrete rationale for the Dress Me Up, Dress Me Down shoot and project.

About

Taking its cue from the title of one of Pedro Almodovar’s films about desire and control, 'Dress Me Up, Dress Me Down' offered SHOWstudio viewers the chance to dress British Model Liberty Ross in a live interactive photoshoot showcasing the Autumn/Winter 2005 collections.

Inspired by live pornographic video chats widely available on the web, 'Dress Me Up, Dress Me Down' shifted control from the image-maker - first to the model, and then ultimately to the viewer. Ross documented herself and her work through a series of galleries and interactives leading up to the shoot in June 2005. During the editorial itself, the SHOWstudio audience acted as 'virtual stylist' to Liberty Ross, choosing pieces from a wardrobe of garments selected by stylist Jonathan Kaye around nine key themes, but determining their own look for Liberty. The stylists' instructions were communicated online through a live chartroom, viewers watching their handiwork on a live broadcast. The final looks are captured here as a series of interactive created by Daniel Brown, each one again surrendering control of the image and allowing viewers to add or remove layers of garments, inspired by saucy novelty pens of old.

These interactive editorial images are accompanied by Liberty Ross' video and picture diaries documenting her experiences on fashion shoots and an interactive comprised of footage shot by Liberty, utilising her own body as a canvas for aesthetic experimentation. The origins of the shoot are mapped out through mood boards that investigated Jonathan Kaye's selection of key seasonal themes, and also a series of essays and personal statements from a variety of voices on the subject of pornography.

Credits / Contributors

Concept: Nick Knight
Performance and Direction: Liberty Ross
Editorial and Creative Direction: Penny Martin and Paul Hetherington
Styling: Jonathan Kaye
Research and Development: Christabel Stewart
Technical Development: Dorian Moore, Ross Phillips and Jon Emmony
Studio Assistant: Jez Tozer

Live Shoot

Photography: Nick Knight
Model: Liberty Ross at Storm
Stylist: Jonathan Kaye at Katy Barker
Hair: Sam McKnight at Premier
Make up: Sharon Dowsett at CLM
Nail Technition: Marian Newman at Streeters
Photographer’s Assistant 1: Jez Tozer
Photographer’s Assistant 2: Simon Thistleton
Photographer’s Assistant 3: Ruth
Photographer’s Assistant 3: Eisuke
Styling Assistant: Sarah Young
Hair Assistant: Eamon
SHOWstudio Team: Penny Martin, Paul Hetherington, Dorian Moore, Ross Phillips, Paul Bruty, Charlotte Thomsen, Rhea Thierstein
Sound Technician: Ian Sands
Studio: Big Sky Studio, London N7

Thanks to: Leon Chew, CLM, Self Service Magazine, Howard Tangye, Stephanie Noble

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