Three months ago, a Mauritian photographer named Brian Dean took to Paris to discover the world of fashion photography by working as a trainee at Vogue Paris. Style Mauritius caught up with him the very week he returned to our island.
Models Namaa & Julie of Mademoiselle for La Folie editorial spread
Application
"Basically, it started out like this: One day, I was discussing with my friend Jeremy on the internships required for Catering College and he suggested that I look for an internship too.That's when I started sending out lots of e-mails to different fashion magazines, photographers and fashion houses across the world. There were both favourable and unfavourable replies, yet they were too far away from Mauritius and I couldn't find any solid ground for me to adapt there (such as in Brazil, New York, Switzerland and Germany).
Conde Nast had rejected my applications, but I phoned the Human Resource department and said that I had received the e-mail informing me that my demand had been refused, but I was only searching an internship to understand fashion photography and how the fashion industry works. I specified that I didn't care if I was paid for the internship or not, I just wanted to know if I could have work experience. That was it!
Anggy Haif's Haeres
After a short period of time I received an e-mail from Mark O'Sullivan (that I had never heard of before, incidentally) who gave me an address and a time for our first meeting. And from then on, I was a trainee for three months.
Arrival in Paris
My first reaction getting off the plane was a massive slap from the cold! I lived in Troyes, Champagne-Ardenne, an hour and thirty minutes from Paris by train. During the trip from the airport to the train station, Parisian street style had already impressed me considerably-this huge gulf between Mauritius and Paris was all too obvious. In that space of time though, much of my attention was caught up by the notice boards of the train station that displayed confusing times: 11:12, 12:14, 13:17 and so on. (He had never realised that a train leaves at precise times, not in quarter or half hour intervals). That's when I learned that time in Paris is of incredible precision.
La Folie
The Internship
The first day I met Mark, he said " Hi, [I'm] Mark,happy to meet you. Do you want some tea?" He was English, and is the founder of the magazine Under the Influence and is a photographer for Vogue, GQ,Glamour, Numero, Modzik amongst others.
He started by observing the photos I had taken in Mauritius and told me that he would start by explaining the concept of 'Model Management' to me, as this was to be the first thing I was going be taught. Then, we talked about the influence Mauritius had fashion-wise (and to be frank, I hesitated between telling him 'none' and 'it's only now that the industry is developing'...). He also explained the photographers that changed or brought on change in fashion photography, such as Peter Lindbergh, Steven Meisel, Inez & Vinoodh amongst others. It was a new dawn for me.
First day in the studio: Another shock. At about 9h45 am, five girls were inside, waiting. Let's be more precise-five absolutely stunning girls!
Mark says to four girls, without a 'hello'
"You! Out."
"You too"
""Go home as well"
"Hmmm....you also!"
And he asked the fifth to go to the make-up artist. Without grumbling, complaining or asking any questions, the girls went home.
He explained to me that a model was strictly there to wear and do what the photographer and/or the stylist asked them to do. Throughout the following days, I assisted him and was taught on how to orchestrate a shoot. " If the model feels that either you are not directing her or is not at ease with her, she will panic or worse, she will conduct you!"
The models in general were not from France: One French model for three Brazilians and twenty-one Eastern Europeans. I worked principally with Mademoiselle Agency, Angels & Demons and once with IMG for an editorial spread for Under The Influence magazine.
Haeres
I think that the moment I realised how much Mark's advice had impacted on me was the day I took the photos for a shoot themed "La Folie". The magazine was preparing an editorial on the theme and I shot the photos for the casting and for the selection of the models. To be able to instruct models so that they could express fear, uncertainty and madness and being able to capture that moment on camera left me speechless.
A month later, Mark left to shoot Lulu Gainsbourg (the photos were published in the December issue of Modzik) and I was transferred to La Source, a Public Relations and Communications office. I didn't feel comfortable in a white collar job, office-y type job. I prefer groundwork and having personal contact with people. But let's just say that I understood how the fashion industry rolls in Paris.
The industry only employs a handful of people, and buys the rights to their work, with around 5,000 photographers, 8,000 journalists and an infinite number of stylists, be it photos or clothes. Selecting the photos for an editorial or an article costs much less that employing someone, the advantage being that the fact of loving one of their [photographers, journalists, bloggers etc] articles or one of their spreads does not mean that they necessarily like the person. That's why we see a lot of photographers for Vogue Paris one day and in the next six months we see them in Japan. The job pays extremely well but has no definition in terms of how long your career will be at a particular corporation. This way of working is really beneficial to young photographers, journalists or bloggers as they thus have the potential to be published.
Cassandre
I then had the chance to take photos for Anggy Haif, a designer who will participate in the Défiler des Jeunes Stylistes in April in Paris. His collection Haeres, abundant in colours and shapes, was selected to appear in Glamour (end of March), thus introducing the fashion show to the public.
Anggy is really nice and has his own vision of style and fashion that he translates into his pieces. I heard for the first time "Je suis a la bourre, je suis toujours sur mes créations d'hiver 2013!" ("I am in a rush, I am still working on my fall/winter 2013 collection!") I then learned that to be 'in time' a designer has to have his collection ready two years in advance. How on earth do Christopher Bailey or Tom Ford, my favourite designers, manage?
The end of my internship was le Salon de la Lingerie aux portes de Versailles. I was with Albin Porcharel, one of the 'ancient' photographers who has worked almost three quarters of his career using photographic film and then had to convert to digital cameras. I worked with him on some presentation boards for a young Asian stylist, Siren San Tan, who was presenting her collection at the Salon.
I also went L'Arc, a Parisian club a couple of times, where some models, stylists and photographers hang out. We exchanged books and contact information, it was a great way to meet new people in the business.
I saw Mark before leaving, and he asked me if I was willing to do some photos for the editorial spreads of Numéro, and Go Juss, a new fashion magazine that will be launched in March.
La Folie
Life Changing
I acquired so much knowledge throughout my internship: fashion, photography, European demand, model management...I am currently scouting models in Mauritius for the Mademoiselle agency, and I hope that I will have the opportunity to work with women who have a professional attitude. I am putting into practice what I have been taught. I haven't worked with Mauritian models since returning, but that will come soon enough, and then I will see what the results are. I will either go ballistic, or produce incredible photos!
.jpg)
Haeres
And finally...what must be improved in the Mauritian fashion industry?
I would say the standards. Girls employed as models have to conform to certain norms.
The blend of so many different ethnic origins that local girls are born into here is very demanded in Europe, but it is necessary to find those that are a minimum of 1m70 and measure 32-24-36 ( 86cm-61cm-89cm), and it goes without saying that the models must absolutely have their books (portfolio) with them at all times as well as their composite card. Their comp card and their book are to a model what a camera is to a photographer. And to the future models of Mauritius: Keep in mind that you are a clothes hanger!
I think that Haute Couture shows should be organised here, the stylists which I have had the chance to talk to are very interested in the idea of participating in fashion events held in Mauritius.
These ideas are just some of what should be done as a starter here, and the rest should follow."
Hope you guys have an awesome week and weekend!
xoxo
Alex
Twitter: @StyleMauritius
Email: Stylemauritius@live.com
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/StyleMauritius
