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Alexander McQueen, Katy England, Bobby Gillespie, Erin O'Connor and Nick Knight

Transformer

In July 2002 Nick Knight extended an invitation to friends and colleagues including Alexander McQueen, Erin O’Connor, Juergen Teller, Katy England and Bobby Gillespie to participate in 'Transformer', a SHOWstudio project that challenged each to devise an act of transformation that held personal significance for them, inspired by the continual metamorphic potential of fashion imagery.

More in this project

  • Overview
  • Fashion Films
  • Image Gallery
  • Webcast
  • Essay

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Image Gallery

Supermodel gets fat! Alexander McQueen turns into a golden eagle! Bobby Gillespie dresses in ladies' underwear! Animating Nick Knight's original polaroids from the set, these films showcase the transformations devised by each and every participant.

 

  • Zora Star & Oliver
  • Trixie
  • Shona Heath
  • Lily & Jibby Bean
  • Clara / Roger
  • Erin O'Connor
  • Liberty Ross
  • Bobby Gillespie & Katy England
  • Fat Sue
  • Flora
  • Juergen Teller
  • David Kappo & Joe
  • Judy Blame
  • Shaun Leane
  • Alexander McQueen
  • Alexander McQueen
  • Zora Star & Oliver

    Zora Star & Oliver
  • Trixie

    Trixie
  • Shona Heath

    Shona Heath
  • Lily & Jibby Bean

    Lily & Jibby Bean
  • Clara / Roger

    Clara / Roger
  • Erin O'Connor

    Erin O'Connor
  • Liberty Ross

    Liberty Ross
  • Bobby Gillespie & Katy England

    Bobby Gillespie & Katy England
  • Fat Sue

    Fat Sue
  • Flora

    Flora
  • Juergen Teller

    Juergen Teller
  • David Kappo & Joe

    David Kappo & Joe
  • Judy Blame

    Judy Blame
  • Shaun Leane

    Shaun Leane
  • Alexander McQueen

    Alexander McQueen
  • Alexander McQueen

    Alexander McQueen

About

Taking the metamorphic potential of fashion imagery and following this through to an extreme, in July 2002 Nick Knight extended an invitation to friends and colleagues including Erin O’Connor, Juergen Teller, Katy England and Bobby Gillespie to participate in Transformer, a SHOWstudio project that challenged each of these fashion creatives to devise and be filmed in an act of transformation that held personal significance for them. 

While some performances were lighthearted, others provided meaningful insight into the different creative processes at play. This was the first fashion shoot to be broadcast live via webcam, revealing the working methodologies that underpin contemporary fashion image-making in real time. SHOWstudio’s viewers were invited to e-mail live questions to ‘interview’ the team of creatives on set about their ideas, motivations and progress, creating a two-way dialogue between the event and its audience. 

Each performance was recorded in Polaroid stills, video footage and via webcam, allowing every aspect to be witnessed, during and after the event. The event is accompanied here by videos charting both the performances and the audience's reactions, and by an in-depth essay examining the 'cultural construction of gender' by academic and theorist Shaun Cole.

Credits / Contributors

  • Alexander McQueen Alexander McQueen
    Fashion Designer
  • Katy England Katy England
    Stylist
  • Bobby Gillespie Bobby Gillespie
    Musician
  • Erin O'Connor Erin O'Connor
    Model
  • Nick Knight Nick Knight
    Film Director
  • Photography and direction: Nick Knight
  • Production: Phillippa Oakley-Hill
  • Styling: Simon Foxton and Jonathan Kaye
  • Hair: Sam McKnight at Premier
  • Make-up: Val Garland at Untitled
  • Manicure: Marian Newman at Premier
  • Casting: Darling Productions
  • Photographic assistance: Ben Dunbar-Brunton, Dom Cooper, Silvia Tchui
  • Styling assistance: Michelle Duguid
  • Technical Development: Chris Raettig
  • Location: Park Royal Studios
  • Music: Mileece, courtesy of Lo Recordings and open-ended. And Enseble, courtesy of Reflex and open-ended.

Related Shop Items

  • Shaun Leane
    Spine Cuff
    2010
    £15,000
  • Nick Knight
    Dynamic Blooms Study 5
    2011
  • Judy Blame
    Black & White Badge Sets
    2010
    £150
  • Nick Knight
    Studio
    2009
    £500
  • Judy Blame
    Tribal Cap and Necklace
    2010
    £3,500
  • Nick Knight
    Nick Knight (Book)
    2009
    £50

Related Projects

  • Interviews
    Judy Blame: In Black and White
    Jun 10 2010
  • Fashion Film
    Venus
    Jun 22 2011
  • Interactive
    Dress Me Up, Dress Me Down
    Jun 28 2005
  • Fashion Film
    Black
    Sep 1 2004
  • Performance
    Lyric
    Apr 26 2004
  • Photography
    Picture/message: Erin O'Connor
    Jul 30 2003

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