The 21st edition of AnOther Magazine is a celebration of the modern dissident, defined by Editor in Chief Jefferson Hack as 'cultural protagonists', treading their own very original paths through extraordinary times...
The 21st edition of AnOther Magazine is a celebration of the modern dissident, defined by Editor in Chief Jefferson Hack as "cultural protagonists", treading their own very original paths through extraordinary times. This is represented by interviews with icons such as Aung San Suu Kyi, Julian Assange, Grayson Perry and cover star Rachel Weisz, juxtaposed with radical and innovative fashion stories, which are the creative heart of the magazine: whether they are capturing the burgeoning fashion personalities of thirteen young girls on the brink of womanhood, Sarah Moon's ravishing 'living collages' or the macabre, sliced up images of artist Clare Strand. Here, AnOther's fashion editors selected their favourite images from the issue, and we spoke to the photographers and stylists involved about what inspired, surprised and moved them into their creation of this extraordinary imagery.
Ben Toms and Karen Langley were inspired to do a story focusing on coming-of-age, tying in with AnOther's 21st edition, seeking out interesting girls who were not models, but who had faces, bodies and personalities which resonated through the camera. For Langley, it was "one of the rare times when a fashion story becomes a genuine collaboration between photographer, stylist and subject, as it was about accentuating the reality rather than obscuring it. It felt like a very honest way of styling." Photographer Toms agreed, enjoying the awkward intimacy that manifests when working with those unused to being viewed through a lens. Langley's other shoot for the magazine was a complete contrast: a luxurious American road trip in a stunning vintage car, in outfits inspired by the textures and prints of transport upholstery, with a seventies twist.
Stylist Alister Mackie was also focused on personal style for his shoot with Nick Knight, which was inspired directly by the clothes and attitudes of his assistants Ellie and Melissa. "As the story developed, the premise and fashion got grander and more elaborate, to really set off the contrast with the tough and androgynously beautiful cast." Harmony, with her extraordinary mohawk, perched atop a lamppost in shimmering Rodarte and biker boots electrifies like "a character from a Derek Jarman film".
Katie Shillingford styled three stories for the issue, including working with photographer Lina Scheynius on a Twin Peaks inspired shoot starring Crystal Renn. Stylist and photographer were unanimous in their praise for the model, who performed somersaults in a sheer skirt, the splits in Céline stilettos, and, as Shillingford says, "fully established how important her creative role is within the story." The Haider Ackermann shoot worked to create a sense of grandeur that could stand up to the wonder of his clothes – "not only otherworldly but so luxe and feminine in a tough, really strong way." Sarah Moon's story is a study in quiet beauty, rendering odd and jagged silhouettes in an ethereal glow.
One of the most exciting elements of this edition is the collaboration between Cathy Edwards and artist Clare Strand, who worked together creating an unsettling collection of images inspired both by the fetishistic elements of the season's collections and Strand's obsession with the story of The Black Dahlia. Unofficially titled Horrotica, the story became a collage of weird, surreal grotesquerie, with faces whited out and models sliced in half – set off by fashion that was folky and innocent. For the shoot with Paolo Roversi, graphic masculine shapes were coloured with a strong hint of uber-luxurious street style, accessorised by Shona Heath, who fashioned afro style foam head pieces, television glasses and toyed with the surreal with stick-on lips and eyes.
Sarah Moon will be exhibiting at Persiehl & Heine Photography Gallery, Hamburg, and Théâtre de la Photographie et de l'Image, Nice from November 2012. From October an installation of her book, Fil Rouge, will be on show in Périgueux. Moon's five-volume slipcase 12345, will be reprinted and published by Thames & Hudson at the end of September.
Clare Strand features in Signs of a Struggle: Photography in the Wake of Postmodernism at the Victoria and Albert Museum, running until November 27 2012.
Text by Tish Wrigley
