1950’s fashion… Friday, Oct 23 2009

Post WWII was a fabulous time of change and the fashions were no exception. The women wearing these clothes had an air of prestige and wealth. It seemed to be indulgent, yet natural. The video below i found on youtube, it shows a trailor of the Dior movie – it is a glimpse into the life of the 50’s.

1947, France is in the midst of reconstruction after the war. Although fabric is being rationed, a young designer wins the world over to his daring visions of feminine elegance. He once again establishes Paris as the capitol of fashion. His name, Christian Dior, is destined to reach the realm of myth.

This man, however, who so completely changed and glamorized haute couture from 1947 to 1957, contradicts the extroverted, flamboyant image the public has of fashion designers. Christian Dior, never comfortable with his celebrity, was a reserved, conservative man who hadn’t even considered working in the fashion industry.

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the fabulous world of high fashion… Thursday, Oct 22 2009

I love the topic i have chosen. I think that it is such an interesting and wonderful thing to be researching and writing about. I have learnt so much already and this is from simply scouring the internet and reading everything and anything i can find. My mother, being a librarian, has also been VERY helpful in sourcing me amazing books from as far as Newcastle and Sydney.

The images really bring the colourful language to life in these books, it eludes glamour and prestige and although looking back now at how Dior put women in the corner, in a confined reality of what women should be, the clothing of that time really were beautiful.

I have sourced an 80 year old lady, called Corrie De Graff, who i will be speaking with Monday the 26th October at her house about the 50’s, life back then and what she thinks of the fashion etc etc. I want to get as much information out of her as i can, I’m hoping to be able to get a video camera to take so that i will be able to film her which will aid me in being descriptive about how she spoke about certain things and her expressions etc etc.

I am also going up to Sydney to a lovely little vintage store called Coco Repose, in Surry Hills which i will be interviewing the owners, Jessica and Amanda. They have a lot of knowledge on the 50’s and can explain to me why women love the era, even though the lifestyle of the women were not the life they wanted to lead.

I have also found this amazing blog, where this women from the USA has been spending all of 2009 as if she was living in 1955, It’s amazing, she has blogged all her experience, the highs and the lows and her feelings on certain aspects. You can find this blog at http://my50syear.blogspot.com it is definitely worth checking out as she is a great writer and it takes so much dedication to be able to complete a huge task like this! I have contacted her and she is willing to complete an interview for me, i think this will definitely add a lot of character to my story and be very entertaining.

I am also visiting the Powerhouse Museum, as they have a display of ‘Design through the ages’ and feature a couple of Dior’s pieces, which i think will be good in getting my creative juices flowing in regards to describing such beauty.

I am excited to see how the project comes out, and i think as i am loving the topic i have chosen, and you can be quite expressive and descriptive with this topic, that it will turn out fabulous. I’m excited!

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breakable rules for literary journalism… Thursday, Oct 22 2009

Written by Mark Kramer, this article is interesting and informative. Here is a photo i found of him:

courtesy of http://www.transom.org

In his article he explains the ‘breakable rules for literary journalism’.

• Literary journalists immerse themselves in subject’s worlds and in background research.
  -in order to capture the true essence of the topic, literary journalists must spend months (on occasions years) with the subject of their feature, to completely understand and be able to tell the story totally.
• Literary Journalists work out implicit covenants about accuracy and candor with readers and with sources.
  -literary journalists are solo operatives, establishing their veracity with readers by displays of forthfightness and street savvy.
• Literary Journalists write mostly about routine events.
  -literary journalists are drawn to routine events because of ease of access and the need to gain material in places that can be visited. It is often the experiences and theories of the subjects that create the story, as routine dosen’t equate to humdrum.
• Literary Journalists write in ‘intimate voice’, informal, frank, human and ironic.
  -the narrator of literary journalism has a personality and a voice embedded throughout the piece. The journalist doesn’t speak on behalf of any institution and delivers no agenda. The genre’s power is the strength of the author’s voice.
• Style counts and tends to be plain and spare.
  -the mark of literary journalism is efficient, individual, informal language. Clean lucid, personal language draws readers towards experiencing the immediacy of scenes and the force of ideas.
• Literary Journalists write from a disengaged and mobile stance, from which they tell stories and also turn and address readers directly.
  -literary journalists take the position of the host, entertaining and immersing the reader into the story being told, to allow the reader to totally understand and enjoy what is happening and feel a sense of involvement.
• Structure counts, mixing primary narrative with tales and digressions to amplify and reframe events.
  -most literary journalism is primary narrative, telling stories and setting scenes. Literary journalism carries readers along one, two, three story lines, sculpting stories as complex as narratives do.
• Literary Journalists develop meaning by building upon the readers’ sequential reactions.
  -readers care about how a situation came about or what happens next if they are experiencing it with the characters. Literary journalists need to be able to be entertaining and style and structure knit story and idea alluringly.

It was an intersting article to read, expanding my knowledge of literary journalism and enabling me to be better prepared as to what needs to be done when creating my own.

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the technicalities of literary non-fiction… Thursday, Oct 22 2009

So, in an attempt to try to understand more about this complex style of writing, i headed to my bookshelf containing many journalism textbooks i have accumulated over these past years.

An interesting book i found collecting dust, was by David E. Sumer & Holly G. Miller, titled ‘Feature & Magazine Writing’. Here is a little info on literary non-fiction:

• It is a term that eventually replaced ‘New Journalism’. Both refer to the use of fiction techniques in non-fiction reporting.
• New Journalism is a writing genre that developed during the 1960’s, later called ‘literary non-fiction’. Its distinguishing characteristics is the use of fiction techniques – especially narrative, dialogue, description and scene-by-scene reporting: in non-fiction reporting.

Stephen Tanner’s book, ‘Journalism – Investigation & Research’ claims that Literary Journalism is often clouded by controversy regarding the accuracy and truthfulness of the piece. The book goes on to explain that Literary Journalism is often associated with the problem of accuracy and objectivity. As a writer of literary journalism, we must think about how we are portraying the topic of the piece and understand the inherent bias that is delivered through the way we write about the topic. The book outlines that it is impossible to be entirely objective – the facts are there are the reader is being informed, however their is a ‘slant’ to the story, delivered by words that are chosen to describe certain situations, adjectives and the underlying message being sent to the readers.

An online book i discovered during my researching, titled ‘Literary Journalism’, by Norman Sims & Mark Kramer outlined the characteristics of literary journalism to be:

• immersion reporting
• accuracy
• symbolic representation
• complicated structures
• voice

However, they explained that in order to create a true masterpiece of literary journalism, it is essential that you build a bond of trust with the subjects of your feature. You need to enable people to forget that you’re a reporter, and for them to feel comfortable to say things to you. This is the real way to be able to create a story that is personal and can draw in the reader to the situation and story that is unfolding as they read.

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trapline… Saturday, Oct 17 2009

This narrative, written by Alexi Zenter is a fine piece of writing. The point of reading and absorbing the techniques within this narrative is so that the can be applied to our own literary journalism pieces. Although the situation, events and characters within the piece are fictional, Zenter uses some interesting, yet simple, techniques to entertain and immerse the reader into the story.

Centering around a man, who is hunting in the forest, we begin to understand within the first two paragraphs his dark past as a murderer. It is unexpected and Zenter has a great ability to move from one idea to the next, creating a shock value. In discussing the piece on class, we found a few techniques Zenter uses which are interesting and could be used successfully within our own literary non-fiction.

• establish a lot of scene setting sentences and taking the time to set the scene. This helps to draw the reader in, create a mental visual image which brings the reader into the story and into the characters mind.
• get into the mind of the character by revealing bits and pieces of what they are feeling, thinking of doing. This technique aids in establishing a ‘relationship’ between the character and the reader, by the reader thinking they have private and inside knowledge as to why the character is doing what they are doing, and understanding this.
• don’t overwrite by using short and punchy sentences. be descriptive, but in a way where the reading forces you to take a breath and pause, which aids in the delivery being more to-the-point and direct.
• create images by the language you use, attention to detail is important to create a sense of the ‘real’ and involvement.
• use simple language, this won’t confuse the reader and a more conversational tone is always best in being more personal and involving the reader more.
• to be entertaining and dramatic, vary the length of your sentences and be imagistic in delivery.
• create a ‘shock factor’ – swap from one image to the next, which the reader would not have seen coming, this adds a level of drama and propels you into another zone.
• make choices that are slightly unusual, in the way you describe things, be creative.

I thought that it was an interesting task, to read a narrative and understand how the techniques can be utilised in non-fiction. I think that the dramatic elements and the ‘unusual’ techniques aid in creating a entertaining piece of writing. I think that in creating a work like this, it is all about timing and knowing when to reveal certain things about the character and things about the story that is progressing.

I definitely think that i will be able to utilise these elements in my own writing of my literary journalism piece. Although my characters are not ‘revealing’ anything about themselves, it will have different elements which will make it interesting and i will be able to draw on inspiration from this.

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‘new look’, the collection… Tuesday, Oct 13 2009

I thought, considering i am talking a lot about Christian Dior and his ‘New Look’ collection, that it might be helpful if i include images of his collection. Note the extravagence of the designs and the constraints of the wasp waist and heavy material. All the images have been sourced from google images:

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christian dior, the man… Monday, Oct 12 2009

In completing research about the amazing designer that is Christian Dior, i stumbled upon a great website, www.designmuseum.org, which outlined his entire biography. Below i have included a timeline of his life, his biography and achievements, but first let us see the face of the man that shaped history:

image courtesy of google images

BIOGRAPHY:

1905: Born in Granville on the Gulf of St Malo on the Normandy coast, as the second of five children a wealthy fertiliser manufacturer.

1910: The family move to Paris and Dior enrols at the Lycée Gerson

1923: To please his father, Dior studies at the Ecole des Sciences Politiques (Sciences Po’) to prepare to join the diplomatic corps.

1928: Opens a modern art gallery, Galerie Jacques Bonjean, with a friend and financial backing from his father.

1931: The Dior family business folds in the depression. Forced to close the gallery, Dior scrapes a living by selling his art collection and fashion sketches to couturiers.

1938: The couturier Robert Piguet employs Dior as a design assistant at his new couture house.

1939: When World War II begins, Dior is called up into the French Army, but is demobilised after a year when France surrenders and joins his family on a farm in Provence.

1941 Returns to Paris to work as a design assistant to Lucien Lelong.

1946: After World War II ends, Dior persuades the industrialist Marcel Boussac to back him in the opening of his own couture house to be managed by the civil servant Jacques Rouët.

1947: On 12 February Dior presents his debut couture collection, which is an instant success dubbed the ‘New Look’ for its voluptuous silhouette and luxurious fabrics. Launch of the first Dior perfume, Miss Dior.

1948: Dior and Rouët open a ready-to-wear boutique in New York and, over the next few years, launch new perfumes and negotiate the licensing rights for Christian Dior hosiery, ties and other products.

1950: Designs a dress for Marlene Dietrich in Alfred Hitchcock’s Stage Fright and, the following year, a suit for Dietrich in No Highway in the Sky.

1954: After years of variations on the New Look, Dior unveils his new direction, the French Bean Line or Flat Look.

1955: Yves Mathieu-Saint-Laurent joins Dior as a design assistant. The Grande Boutique opens on Avenue Montaigne and Dior launches a cosmetics range.

1956: Designs over a dozen dresses for Ava Gardner in The Little Hut.

1957: Christian Dior dies of a heart attack after choking on a fishbone while on a rest cure at a spa in Montecatini, Italy. Dior’s funeral in Paris is attended by more than 2,500 people. Yves Saint Laurent is named as Dior’s successor and unveils his first collection in January 1958.

© Design Museum

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the ‘new look’… Friday, Oct 9 2009

Christian Dior’s ‘New Look’ of 1947 provided women with an entirely different outlook on life, following the austerity of the WWII years. His designs were luxurious and lavish in their establishment, causing a complete uproar in America. They felt it was scandalous that he would be so plentiful with his clothing, in a time were rations were still in place.

Below is the image of the infamous ‘Bar suit – the suit was the star attraction of Dior’s New Look collection in 1947. The short, fabric – skimping dresses and masculine silhouette of wartime fashions were swept away by the long, full skirts, softly rounded shoulders and tightly nipped waists of the New Look.

the famous New Look image

It is obvious by looking at the image, exactly what the collection defined – everything that is beautiful, feminine and affluent. The book by the Powerhouse Museum, titled ‘Christian Dior – the magic of fashion’ explains that the collection was a reaction to what Dior called the ‘hideous fashions’ of the war years, he chose to create an opposing perspective. He said that ‘hats were far too large, skirts far too short, jackets far too long’. So he replaced these with the polar opposite.

He proposed a feminine image, one contrary to the military look. It seems that the success of this style was due to the persistent need that people seem to have in times of crisis  to seek comfort in the trappings of what are thought to have been more carefree times. After years of deprivation and misery, the wish for people to believe in a brighter future puched them to desire splendour. Dior could sense this, thus accentuating it in his second collection.

Through the success of his collection and the world-wide attention it recieved, Dior’s direct involvement in the business side of the House of Dior took haute couture out of the limited domain of the very small elite and offered it to the world – turning it into a financial empire.

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gay-hate, journalism and compassionate questioning.. Sunday, Sep 6 2009

As this interesting comparision was written by my own teacher, Marcus O’Donnell, it is safe to say that i do not see it fit to critically analyse my superiors work. I will however, comment on the interesting nature of the comparison, given that it is such a prevalent topic in today’s society.

As a mutual observer, being a heterosexual, i guess i can sometimes overlook the imbedded discrimination in reporting of homosexuals and this reading brought to light that prejudice. This was interesting as it was a straightforward reading and didn’t include much emotion. It got the facts across and delivered a clear comparison between the two reportings of the Matthew Sheppard incident.

Once completing the reading, it is clear there are vast differences between the two investigative reportings, in terms of style, emphasis and angle of the reporting. JoAnn Wypijewski’s story in Vanity Fair, titled ‘A Boys Life’ tells the story in a form of anecdotes by the town people, the family and friends of the people involved. O’Donnell defines her work as:

“What marks Wypijewski’s work is that she is able to respond compassionately to all teh characters in her story while still maintaining a strong moral voice throughout. Unlike some of her informants, who want to both condemn and excuse McKinney and Hnderson, Wypijewski is clear that there are no excuses but there are multiple explanations.

O’Donnell finds this aspect different to the 20/20 investigative reporting by Elizabeth Vargas, which was set up as a ‘scoop’ and promised revelatory new evidence that would forcea reinterpretation of the accepted facts of the case. O’Donnell explains it as:

“The program set out to resconstruct  what happened the night Matthew Shepard was murdered, it sets up two seemingly irreconcilable possibilities. 1) Shepard died because he was gay and the victim of a hate crime; or 2) McKinney and Henderson set out to rob a defenceless college student but took it toofar because they were struing out on meth. At no point does Vargas seem to entertain that the two are not in fact exclusive options.”

O’Donnell outlines in his reading that the Harper’s story (JoAnn Wypijewski – ‘A Boy’s Life’) won a gay and lesbian human rights press award and the 20/20 report (Elizabeth Vargas) was condemned by gay activists as an attempt to ‘degay’ the Shepard murder. This was interesting, as the two stories had both touched on similar issues and had used some identical sources in sections.

I learnt a lot from the reading and it was interesting to see how two different reportings on the one incident can produce such diverse outcomes. I understood why Wypijewski’s feature was recieved better then Vargas and the aspects and techniques she used it reporting the story that made it a fair and more appropriate reponse to the complex and sensitive situation that occured.

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into the red… Friday, Sep 4 2009

Published in The Monthly and written by Nicolas Rothwell, ‘Into the Red’ is a literary journalism piece that centers on both a symbolic and a physical journey taken by two colleagues through the Australian inland desert. It dealt with artistic elements in full, the picturesque landscape of the Australian desert and the sounds of classical artists such as Bach.

This comparison of the landscape and music in my opinion, made for quite a dry literary journalism piece. I am not a classical music fan, nor am i a fan of discussing landscape and together i found the combination hard to digest. It was rather specific in its language and how it spoke about the two aspects, there was some jargon used which made it difficult to completely understand.

The structure of the feature was interesting, in that the first part of the feature comtained a lot of dialogue, which i actually found to be an interesting tactic. The dialogue enabled a large proportion of the story to be delivered without the depth of text. The second part of the feature was reflection and Rothwell’s interpretation of the landscape proceeding his first visit with Venn.

Rothwell immersed himself into the story almost completely and it really was a story about his adventures and a personal situation for him. I found this an interesting element and i understand literary journalism has the capacity to involve the author in some respect, i just didn’t realise that it could include the author so completely.

Reading this example of a literary journalism piece, aided in my understanding of literary journalism and the variety that it allows. Although i didn’t enjoy this feature nearly as much as the others, i still found it useful in expanding my knowledge on literary journalism features and the various techniques that can be utilised.

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