Despite everyone being stuck inside their homes, the fashion world has not stopped turning. Magazines and labels are making the most of a medium that even you could operate: FaceTime, the video-calling app for iPhone.
The intersection between Facetime and high fashion first took the internet by storm after model Bella Hadid posted her work for Vogue Italia’s April 2020 issue. The project, Far Away So Close, was shot by Brianna Capozzi exclusively over Facetime. Instead of a 20-person crew and a well-equipped studio, the medium reduced the photoshoot to its bare bones, with Hadid even doing her own makeup for the event.
With Bella Hadid embodying what it means to be the modern-day model, it’s no surprised that she was the subject of another Facetime campaign. She was also the face of the Jacquemus SS20 campaign, “Jacquemus At Home,” alongside Euphoria actress, Barbie Ferreira. The campaign, shot against white walls with Barbie and Bella sporting natural, fresh-faced makeup looks, perfectly highlights the pieces from the ready-to-wear collection.
In a world characterised by perfection, luxury and exclusivity, it’s refreshing to see picture-perfect models stripped back in an environment that we can empathise with. It is this sentiment that is behind “Safe + Sound,” a project by i-D for Willy Vanderperre and Alastair McKimm. “Safe + Sound” is a series of screen grabs of 19 supermodels, captured mid-conversation, with all of the models winking. The project also includes a description of how each model is coping with quarantine. “These girls normally live a hectic life, so I was intrigued to hear what they do to keep sane. In this fast changing world we live in, a conversation and keeping contact is important,” says Vanderperre.
While it is unlikely fashion will ever stray away from its modus operandi, these Facetime photoshoots have revealed that perhaps there are different ways to create appealing, fascinating content. As Sam Dameshek, an LA-based photographer who works with everyone from influencers, models and high-end brands, tells Nylon, “At first this was just a matter of convenience and what’s available because I would never do this otherwise. But now that I’ve done it, it’s actually something that I think would be cool regardless of the circumstances in the world.”
FaceTime’s greatest asset is it’s accessibility – if supermodels are doing FaceTime photoshoots, the beauty of it is that we can too. Tim Dunk, for example, is a Yorkshire-based photographer, who uses FaceTime to take photos of ordinary subjects. The results are stunning, but lack the feelings of unattainability that typical photoshoots have. As Dunk points out, the image quality will not be that great, but rather than considering it a flaw, Dunk calls us to “embrace it.”
The current climate has forced all of us to adapt, resulting in fashion turning to a tool that it would normally overlook. However, rather than just a matter of convenience, it is possible that these FaceTime photoshoots will change the way fashion regards accessibility and familiarity.
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