Experimentations

I created this piece on the arm. It was my first attempt of body painting. I used aqua colours toachieve this.

This is another photo of my first attempt. I know i can do much better!

This is a tribal tattoo that i painted on my friends upper arm. Unfortunately the picture quality isn't great. I used supra colour for this and finished it off with loose translucent powder to stop it from smudging and looking too shiny.

For this photo, i found an image in a magazine and placed it down onto the skin. I then dabbed acetone over the back of it which made the ink leak onto the skin and look like this.

I then painted on top of the ink with supra colours and it gave this great effect.

This was my first attempt of scarring. It looked more realistic in person but doesn';t look great in the photo. I used liquid latex to stick on rice and seeds and then covered the whole piece in skin colour grease paint.

This is a piece i made out of toilet tissue, latex and foundation. I tried to create a scarring method that shows the peeled skin.

In this session we added pieces to the hair to create a tribal effect. I tied up the hair into a high ponytail and wrapped the hair around a polystyrene ball.

This is the same, yet with two polystyrene balls of different sizes.

This is also the same as the previous styles, yet with three polystyrene balls of different sizes. I have also wrapped white crepe hair around the three balls to cover the bands and to give it a unique plaiting effect.

In this session we had to style the hair and then add fillers earth. Once it dried and went hard, we then painted a design onto it. I did a french fishtail braid in the hair which was quite effective.

This is another photo of the fillers earth in the hair, yet showing the front.

I smeared fillers earth onto the hand and then using the end of my brush, i scraped in a deisgn.. Once it dried and went hard, i then painted the design.

I found it to be quite effectie and i liked the cracking reptile skin effect it gave.

African Fashion Week held in London - 2012

This is a photo taken from a stall at the African Fashion Week that was held in London, 2012. It shows a range of bright and colourful accessories.

This is a closer view of the stall above. It shows that chunky bangles and hoop earrings are very fashionable in the african style. Lots of bright colours and unusual patterns are used.

I fell in love with this photo because each bangle shown is very unique and colourful and the designs are all different. I like the idea of the chunky bangle.

This photo shows a headband that goes around the top of the head with yet again, very bright colours! It looks a bit like a sports sweat band as they are worn in a similar way. There is also a similar piece around the models neck yet with a completely different pattern on it. I like how the model is weaing large earrings, yet look suttle due to the colour. This all goes very well together.

These bangles are beautiful. They look so strong and bold and really give out a statement. Even though they are all of different colours and designs, they match perfectly.

I chose this image because of the models hair style. This is my favourite hair style that I have come across in this project. I love the way they have used a large bun at the front side of the head instead of in the middle at the back. Also i find it very clever how they have wrapped fishtail plaits around the bun. It gives it a very unique look.

These three images were chosen as they are all completely different outfits. I like how the colours have all been mixed and matched together. Also the lengths are very different - The first photo has a low neck and long length, the second photo has a high neck and long length and the third photo has a unique open top with short shorts. The third photo the model is also wearing round sunglasses and chunky heeled boots.

The Mursi Tribe

I wanted to do some more tribal research to help me decide on my final design. I found a tribe in Ethipoia called The Mursi Tribe.

This is a photo of a mother and baby in the Mursi tribe. The mother has white clay smeared across her face and the baby has it all over his face, head and body. The mother also has a lot of accessories on too, including a necklace and a large headpiece made from shells. The baby is also wearing a small bracelet. As it is a black and white image, the clothing is very hard to see, but it looks like the mother is wearing a piece of material strapped over one shoulder with one breast out.

This is a photo of a teen from the Mursi tribe. She has a very different look to the others as she has a horn on either side of her head. She is also wearing a lot of necklaces and pieces of rope around her neck. She has a small piece of material wrapped around her like a sash, leaving both breasts on show. Her face has a white clay design on which is very different to the mother and baby above. I believe that this shows strength and leadership.

This is a photo of two women from the tribe. Their look is very interesting as they have smothered their whole bodies in white clay. It looks like they have run their fingers through it, giving it a lined effect. The lady on the left is wearing a blue blanket pulled around her connecting at one shoulder only leaving one breast out. She is also holding what appears to be a watermelon on her head, as this is the easiest way for them to carry heavy objects around. The necklace and bracelts that she is wearing looks like they are made of beads and string. The lady on the right is not wearing any clothing leaving both her breasts out. She is wearing a headpiece that looks to be made out of shells and has a beaded necklace on. She has a round piece in her mouth which is stretching her lips out. This is very popular in this tribe.

Here is another mother and baby from the tribe, except this time, the baby is sitting in the back of her dress. She is holding a bowl above her head which most likely contains food or water. She has bangles on her wrist and elbows that aremade of material and beads. The headpiece she is wearing is very unusual and looks similar to the piece designed by Manish Arora. It looks like it is made of beads, material and shells. This lady also has a mouth piece stretching her lips out, yet hers has a deisgn painted onto it. Her dress is bigger compared to the others, covering up her body a bit more, yet still leaving her breasts on show. She also has white face paint smeared across her face.

This is a photo of three women from the tribe. This is my favourite photo as i love their head and hair pieces. They are made of material, beads, feathers and shells and look very detailed with different colours and deisgns. They are all wearing a small beaded necklace and have bangles up their arms. They have white clay designs on their faces and arms and have the round lip stretchers in their mouths. Again, these are of a different design to the above photos. They all have a small amount of material wrapped around them and have their breasts out. It seems that within this tribe they are all very close and do not have much privacy.

This is a child from the Mursi tribe. The face and body painting is incredible as they only use their hands, clay and mud. It appears that she has painted egg shapes all over her chest and stomach and spirals around her breasts. Her face has a design on it which reminds me of fireworks. She also has large stretchers in both ears which also have a painted deisgn on them. Her necklace is a variety of coloured strings all put together, which is simple, yet looks very effective. Something that all of these photos have in common is their hair. The majority of the tribe have shaven heads. This could be that it is much easier having very short hair and they can also paint designs into it too.

This is another photo of a mother and baby. What i found perculiar about this photo was that she has stretched her ears, but does not have ear stretchers in. She also has a beautifully deisgned bowl on her head to help hold food and water. Her lip stretcher has been painted black with with spots which is a very popular pattern within this tribe.

This is a young woman in the Mursi tribe. She has a beautifully decorated head piece that looks like it has been sewn with different colours of cotton and material. She also has a simple small beaded necklace around her neck. What i found the most shocking, was that a girl of her age is holding a rifle. I always thought that it was the men in tribes that shot animals and protected the land.

This is a very unusual looking man from the Mursi tribe. He is wearing some sort of hat made out of material. I believe that this is to protect his head so that he can carry items on it. He is also wearing a headpiece that has long beads hanging down over his face looking like spider legs. These beads blend in with his face paint slightly as he has white clay smeared all over his face. He is another member of the tribe that has stretched ears but without the actual stretchers in. He has ablue and black piece dangling from his ears, decorating them. His mouth stretcher is also painted black with white spots. Although he is a man, he is still wearing a red beaded necklace like the women.

1930's

Whilst researching into the Tribal Fashion World, i came across this video. It takes you behind the scenes for Charlie Le Mindu at Paris Fashion Week - Spring 2012 Collection. I really love this collection as it mixes Tribal clothing and accessories with 1930's hairstyles.

These images show how the hair was worn in the 1930's. They used very smooth and sleek pin curls to create this Vintage look.

Paris Fashion Week 2012 - 2013

I wanted to start looking at head pieces as I feel that this is a very important accessory to most tribes. Typically, a tribe uses head pieces to show leadership or gender.

These designs are created by Manish Arora at Paris Fashion Week Spring 2013. I feel that although they are moving more towards the Indian style, the beads that they have used reminded me of the beads the young child is wearing from the Chimbu Tribe, yet worn in a different way. I also love how he has created a gold piece that sits just under the eyes, a bit like a mask.

Again, this is another piece created by Manish Arora. I know that it is not a head piece but i thought that the design was beautiful. I like how he has incorporated a piece that sits like a glove but looks more like a bracelet. Also, looking at the nail colour that has been chosen, is a very tribal muddy colour which would fit in well with my final piece.

This is a piece designed by Charlie Le Mindu for Paris Fashion Week Spring 2012 Collection. I was really inspired by these head pieces as i can see that the photo on the left represents a snake. I thought that the makeup was very interesting too, with the thick dark eyebrows and dark lips.

This is another piece designed by Charlie Le Mindu for Paris Fashion Week Spring 2012 Collection. I find this head piece very facinating as it appears very religious and ethnical. The whole look actually brings to mind the disney character, Aladdin!

I just wanted to add in a quick picture taken from the Disney animation film, Aladdin, as the Charlie Le Mindu Collection really inspired me too. Even looking at this picture, you can see the clothing and accessories have tribal related references to them - The beads and feather head and hair pieces!

London Fashion Week AW 2010

This is a piece of Legu 'Vegetable Ivory' jewellery deisgned by Estethica. I feel that it is a very relevant piece as it is moving towards my area of research. Mixing the beaded accessories worn by the Chimbu Tribe with the colourful accessories worn at the Mexican Day of the Dead Festival, i feel that this is very appropiate.

This is also another piece of Legu 'Vegetable Ivory' jewellery deisgned by Estethica. I feel that this piece is a better design for what I would need as the shape is very similar to the Chimbu Tribes necklaces.

These cuffs were designed by Michelle Lowe-Holder. Although these Cuffs do not correspond with the tribe that I am looking at, I came across them and fell in love with them. They are very detailed and give out a very realistic effect!

Accessories

I have decided to include this image as it shows their hair and accessories much clearer. They have made feather and bead head bands which seem to be an accessory that mostly women wear. Looking at her hair, she has a black afro which may mean that they are from a more tropical environment. She also has a high amount of beaded necklaces around her neck which must weigh quite a lot!

Here is a photograph of a child from the Chimbu Tribe. It shows that he is also wearing a beaded necklace. It seems to have been placed repeatidly around his neck quite tight with one piece hanging down. Whilst researching, I have not come across any grown men wearing jewellery. The men tend to paint their whole body, where as the women tend to wear long dresses meaning they leave their legs and feet natural.

Culture

I have found that the Chimbu Tribe are very cultured in their ways. They dance as a group for entertainment which is part of their cultural/religious beliefs. They do not wear much clothing as they pay most of their attention to makeup.

I have included an old picture of a grave as it shows what a full skeleton looks like. Considering the tribe do not have access to face and body paints, they have used clay and mud-like materials. Although it must be very hard for them to paint detail, they still look incredible!

First Moodboard (Take 2)

After some thought I decided to arrange a new moard board. I have added images of my current thoughts about the 'Day of the Dead Festival' and some images from the actual Festival itself.

Face Template

After researching the Mexican Day of the Dead Festival, I wanted to try out a rough design that was very similar to how they apply their makeup for it. This was my outcome.

First Moodboard

This is the first moodboard that I have created for this theme. It is an overview of what my current thoughts and ideas are for this project. As you can see, I really like the colourful skull designs and the tattoos that are inked all over them. I also like their wide range of accessories, including hair pieces, hair extensions, necklaces and clothing.This highly reminds me of pin-up dolls!

Mexican Day of the Dead Festival

I really loved the idea of the Chimbu Tribe Makeup and Styling which brought me to look at the Mexican Day of the Dead Festival.

I think this photograph is GORGOUS! I just love how they have incorporated skeletons into a beautiful and colourful piece of art. There is soo much fine detail within this design and it really stands out. It's clear that there is a religious and cultural thought brought into this piece.

In this photograph I really like how they have used different colours. Mexico is known for its wide use of bright colours and it really shows in these photos.I also think how they have painted the mouths is so simple, yet works so well!

This is my favourite photograph from the Mexican Festival. The colours they use work so well with the design. I have also noticed that a lot of the models have cob-webs painted on their faces - Maybe it means ageing? They also use many different accessories on the face and in the hair, including flowers, beads and sequins. This is another way of incorporating the Chimbu tribe into high fashion... Yet this time using COLOUR!

Chimbu Tribe

I started looking into the Chimbu Tribe. They typically have a full body of art in a skeleton design. It looks as though they use a very thick paste to colour their body. It looks like it has a 'Mud' texture to it. Although the texture is not smooth, they are still able to paint a realistc skeleton design. They never use bright colours, they stick to black, white and browns.

Both Men and Women are painted in the same way. The Women are covered up more with a long dress like costume where as the men only wear a simple piece of material around their waist to cover their genitals.

This photo shows more detail into their accessories. They wear head pieces that are made out of feathers and/or beads. This lady is also wearing multiple long, beaded necklaces.

 

I have included this video of 'Lady Gaga - Born This Way' because one of her looks in this video relates to the Chimbu Tribe. It is the one of her with the Skeleton face paint on her face. I feel that this is a good example of turning Tribe into Fashion! It also helps me with my own ideas of how to translate the tribal makeup to high fashion and editorial. Lady Gaga's Makeup artist has used smoother makeup to create a more detailed look.