CCR

Here is my Creative Critical Reflection on my magazine, MIRAGE. Here I touch on several topics of interest involved in creating my magazine. Here is the link:

https://youtu.be/T65puegAX64

MIRAGE IS BORN

Ahhh!!! I'm so excited to announce that I am officially finished with my magazine! I am honestly so proud of myself and how I was able to learn and create such beautiful material in such a short amount of time. I am definitely very pleased with the result and I think it really represents me and my image. I hope you all enjoy it! Thank you to everyone who helped me through this whole process (teachers, models, friends, etc.). I will be posting my CCR sometime early tomorrow morning and then I am officially 100% done with this journey. Well, enough talking, behold! Here is MIRAGE:

https://www.canva.com/design/DACRv1ode_o/oxcfQre4_H40fEBcta1f8w/view?utm_content=DACRv1ode_o&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=sharebutton

MIRAGE IN THE MAKING

Hey guys! I have finished my cover page and my table of contents. All I have to work on now is just the two-page spread (I will probably end up doing more than two pages) and the CCR. Here is my cover page:

I am staying true to my previous research of all the other magazines that relate to mine. Notice how I'm sticking to simply one coverline and a neutral color: black. I tested out a light pink for the cover but I did some more research on color psychology and I read that pink can sometimes come across as flashy or gaudy, and that is the exact opposite that I want for my magazine. The color black gives off a more elegant, modern, and sophisticated vibe. I decided to stick with one large coverline at the bottom of the image. Now, here is my table of contents:

I love the combination of the black and the red in opposite corners of the page. I separated the cover story from the remaining articles/spreads. Also, I tried to show that MIRAGE discusses a lot of different topics that appeal to all kinds of genders, races, ages, etc. I want my magazine to appreciate diversity in fashion & style. I tried to maintain a very simple, sleek, and minimal approach to the layout of both the cover and table of contents. Stay tuned guys, the finish line is getting closer! Till next time, xoxo.

The Pictures Are Here!

Hey guys!! So Stephany finally sent me the pictures from the photoshoot and I have already started creating MIRAGE. My plans are to be completely done with the magazine by the end of this week so I can have the weekend to work on my CCR. My last couple of blog postings this week will most likely be pictures, examples, layouts, and explanations of the creative process of creating MIRAGE. I will post how I plan to make my cover, table of contents, and what my two-page spread will be about. I am using this great online tool called Canva to create my magazine. So to give you guys a better idea for what my magazine will look like, I'm going to post pictures from the photoshoot but I will separate them into three categories: Cover image, table of contents pictures, and two-page spread pictures. This way I can show you guys which pictures I am considering on using for each section of the project. Without further ado, here are the pictures and the categories for which I'm considering them for:

COVER IMAGE OPTIONS

       



      

     




TABLE OF CONTENTS (RANDOM PICS)


     


    







TWO-PAGE SPREAD: INDIVIDUAL PICTURES OF MODELS


   

    

Photoshoot BTS!

Guys!! I'm so happy with how the photoshoot came out! It could not have gone more perfectly. My models all looked amazing and we had such a great time, plus we got so much work done. I don't think a second photoshoot will be necessary.  I did take a short video of me vlogging before we all headed out to the photoshoot. In the video you can see Daniela, Luis, and a brief view of both the Ana's. Stephany had just arrived when I started the video. I will upload it to this blog once I figure out how to do so. I actually used Stephany's camera for the photoshoot so I'm still waiting for her to export them to me so I can start editing and creating my magazine, I can't wait! I took so many pictures because I wanted to have a lot to choose from. Better to be safe than sorry, right? Anyways, in the mean time I have a few pictures of Luis, Daniela, and the Ana's that were taken with Luis' new iPhone 7+. But don't worry guys, once Stephany sends me all the pics I will post a huge stream of all the pictures so you guys can see how amazing they came out! Here are just a few pics that I gathered from Luis' phone:

Here is Daniela posing by herself on a set of bleachers at the community park near my house. Love love love her outfit! She looks gorgeous.

Here is Daniela again, posing with Ana E. Ana's top is a shade of pink that is all the rave right now, I loved that she incorporated that color for the photoshoot.

Daniela posing again, but this time she's kneeling in front of the bushes, giving this image a more colorful background. I don't know if I like this background more than the bleachers background?

Here is a selfie that Luis took minuted before we left for the photoshoot. His outfit was so street-style and exactly what I was looking for in my models. He looked casual and laid-back but at the same time trendy and stylish.

                                                           

                      Just a quick selfie that the Ana's took on their way to the photoshoot!

Well, here are just a small amount of pictures from yesterday to give you guys an inside look. Again I will totally make another post with all the best pictures from the photoshoot. Till net time, xoxo!

PLOT TWIST!

I have some major news! I have decided to completely change my cover story for many reasons. Instead of doing an androgyny issue, I have decided to do a street style issue. I found that there is a lot more content that can be produced with this new idea, and there is a lot more that i can do with my two-page spread by taking this new route. With the androgyny idea, I really did not know what my two-page spread would be about because there really isn't a lot of directions that I can take with that topic. I figured that if I just write an article talking about how androgyny is increasing in popularity in the fashion industry, it would be rather boring and uninteresting. Also, I thought to myself that if I'm gonna create a fashion magazine, it should definitely be centered more around fashion itself. Don't get me wrong, androgyny and gender roles are still very much a part of fashion, but they're topics that can be discussed in several other kinds of magazines. I want my cover story to be something that no other magazine can take away from me.

So, what is street style you ask? To me, street style is the epitome of how someone wants to be viewed by others and by the world. Street style literally refers to one's stye when out and about, walking around the city, living one's daily life, etc. Street style is the first impression that any random stranger in the street will have of you. Street style is ALL about setting the first impression that YOU want others to have of you. With this topic, there is a lot more content that I can discuss. For example, I was planning on taking individual pictures of each of my models and then interviewing each model on their street style and their connection to fashion. I am much more excited that I chose this topic and don't feel like there is such a huge weight on my shoulders for having to figure out what I was gonna write about androgyny that could take up two whole pages. The photoshoot is TOMORROW and my models are ready with their outfits. I told them to dress exactly the way that they want to be introduced to my audience. I also told them to be completely authentic to themselves and to dress in the best way that describes their street style. We will probably be shooting in a very nice shopping area in Miami called Bal Harbour. I can't wait! I will keep you all updated on the photoshoot tomorrow! Till next time, xoxo.

Cover Image Thoughts

When it comes to such artistic and high-fashion magazines, the cover image must be electrifying, thought-provoking, and stunning. The fact that this particular issue of my magazine will be focusing on the androgyny movement that has been recently occurring in the fashion industry, I wanted to create an image that would make a statement to the blurring of gender roles in fashion. I want my cover image to portray several different messages on gender, sexuality, and femininity/masculinity and how all of these intertwine with fashion. I obviously want to take a numerous amount of images so I can feature them throughout my two-page spread as well. Now that I introduced my models in a previous blog, I want to give you guys an idea for what my vision is. Take a look at some of the most iconic vogue covers of all time:

         




    

Notice how the images are all incredibly captivating? This is what my cover image must embody. I need an image that will leave people thinking. Considering that the issue of my particular magazine will be such wide-ranging topic that can garner so much conversation, my cover image must have a lot of thought into it. I already discussed the minimal use of coverlines in a previous blog, but now I need to combine a minimal yet powerful use of coverlines and combine it with a strong cover image that can stand on its own. Take a look at this link for more background on the iconic vogue covers that revolutionized the fashion industry. As for my own cover, I will start brainstorming as much as I can to come up with a detailed idea for a cover image. I'll definitely get back to you guys with my cover image idea before the end of this week. Till next time, xoxo!

Meet The Models!

I'm so happy to announce that I have my models ready and committed! I asked most of my close friends if they were interested in modeling for my magazine project and they were all so cool with it! I love it because I can share my vision with them and I'm comfortable with them, which is important for a photographer/model relationship. Here are some really bomb selfies of them so you guys can get somewhat of a mental image of my vision and what my magazine will look like, they are all so beautiful I cannot handle it!!!


Here is Ana E. Her best features are her smile and her hair, so I'm definitely going to focus on those two things while she's modeling for me. She has a very light-hearted and fun personality so that should really shine through as well.





Here is Ana R. Her hair and her lips are absolutely stunning, as well as her personality. She has a very sweet and sunny personality and the fact that she's blonde makes her stand out (all my other models have dark hair!) which I love.





This is Stephany. I absolutely love the fact that she's tall because it will add diversity to the images of all the models standing together. She gives off a very fierce vibe and I think she has the perfect model-face/pose. Not to mention that her hair and eyes give her face a very distinct and beautiful tone.





Here is Luis! The (maybe) only male model. I chose to have a majority of female models to exemplify my message of gender roles in the fashion industry. For decades, the fashion industry has always been viewed as a predominantly female industry, so this is a statement to this fragment of fashion history, showing how one man can still blend in with multiple women when it comes to fashion. Luis has an amazing model-face and his lips are to die for. He has great style but the greatest aspect about him is that his personality is fun and happy and just pure joy! Wouldn't want to have anyone else as my male model!





And last but definitely not least, here is the beautiful Daniela! She is hopefully going to help me out with the make-up portion of the photoshoot because she is incredibly talented in the make-up world (as you can see). Remember how I said Ana R. is the only blonde? This is still true, Daniela recently became a brunette! Daniela has a 10/10 smile and a stunning complexion. Two things that I look forward to elevate during the photoshoot.





There you go! These are my models! I cannot wait for the photoshoot that is happening sometime later this week. I will obviously keep all of you updated on the photoshoot and I will definitely make more blogs later about what my vision for these pictures really is! Till next time, xoxo!

Table of contents: Thoughts

I have not yet discussed the table of contents portion of this project. Although the table of contents may only take up anywhere from 1-3 pages of an entire magazine, it still plays an extremely vital role in the creation and entirety of a magazine.The table of contents helps the reader get an overview of the entire magazine and make a judgement on whether they want to read it or not. The design of a table of contents is key because it must embody the essence and overall style of the magazine. Here are just a few example of a table of contents for any magazine:








Notice how all of these examples technically serve the exact same purpose yet they are so drastically different in design, layout, and content? It's also quite interesting to see how all three of these magazines with completely different target audiences (From top to bottom: Billboard, Time, Nylon) alter certain things about their layouts to appeal to their T.A. My magazine, being very chic and high-fashion, definitely needs a simple and clean-cut design to appeal to my target audience. Here are some examples of table of contents but for magazines that fit into my category:








See the theme running through all of these examples? The simplicity, the sleekness, the clean-cut look, etc. This is the route that I am going to have to take in order to stay true to my theme and my target audience. I will brainstorm the layout and then obviously I will share it on this website. Hope you got to understand my approach towards my table of contents. Anyways, till next time, xoxo.

Two-Page Spread Idea

I don't know if I have mentioned this in my previous posts, but this project requires a table of contents and a two-page spread (I haven't really touched on either of these two topics). We'll get to the table of contents some other time, but I really want to focus on the two-page spread right now. I want the topic of my two-page spread to be the main focus of my magazine cover. I have been brainstorming a lot on what the topic of my cover story should be. Like I mentioned in one of my posts last week, fashion is such a diverse topic that can be discussed through so many different lenses. I want my magazine cover/two-page spread to be focusing on a societal movement in fashion, something that is both relevant and timely for the fashion industry and something in which there is a lot to talk about. After a lot of thought, I have narrowed it down to androgyny and the shifting of gender roles in the fashion industry. This topic is extremely relevant based on the time we live in and the broader views on sexuality, self-expression, and fashion itself. I want my two-page spread to focus blurring of the gender lines in fashion and what this means for the future of the fashion industry (i.e. will fashion companies continue separating their clothing between "men" and "women"? How will the modeling world change because of this? etc...)









This is exactly what I mean during my first couple of posts when I mentioned that I want my magazine to not only discuss the art of fashion, but also discuss how society intertwines with fashion and how it affects different aspects of people's everyday lives.

Here are some informative links that I found to really help you get a sense of what my cover/two-page spread will be about:

In Fashion, Gender Lines Are Blurring

Blurred Lines: Why Gender-Neutral Fashion Is the New Normal

Menswear Womenswear trend - unisex dressing

And the title is...

After a lot of thinking, researching, and planning... I finally came to a decision on the title of my magazine! It really came to me after having a conversation with one of my aunts on the phone. She lives in Colombia but she owns her own boutique and designs clothing for a living, so she is pretty knowledgable with fashion and style. I told her about this project and she couldn't be more excited for me and she offered to help me if I ever needed clarifications or assistance at any point during the process. We got into conversation about what draws us to fashion, and that's when it hit me. She was telling me how she got started in establishing her business and how she was forced to sew since she was a very little girl because her family (my father's side of the family) could not afford to buy their own clothing very often. My father is the youngest of 6... And he is also the only male. All my aunts were taught to sew at an extremely young age, and for most of them it was always a hassle and an annoyance having to spend hours sewing in the hot sun. However, my aunt Clara (the one I'm on the phone with) never saw sewing as a chore or as an annoyance. She always felt very fond of sewing. So she told me that that is how it all started for her, and from that moment she started to pursue fashion with great determination. She then told me that although clothing is tangible, style isn't. That's when it came to me that style is like an illusion, or like a Mirage.

And that is how Mirage was born. I am so excited that my magazine finally has a name to it. I've been getting so annoyed with always referring to Mirage as "my magazine project." A mirage is almost like something that you want toes but that isn't actually there. The best example of a mirage is when someone has been walking through a boiling hot desert for hours with no water, and then suddenly they see a tiny lake in the middle of the sand with cold, refreshing, clean water. And the closer they try to get to the little lake, the more it disappears and then eventually the person realizes that its simply an illusion. Fashion, in a way, is like an illusion. It's something that has so much effort, time, and money put into it but at the end of the day we all have to take off our clothes. And it's in that moment when we realize that we are all actually the same. Well, like I said before, please forgive me because I tend to ramble.

Till next time, xoxo.

Title of My Magazine?

As I have spent the past several days continuing my research/progress for this magazine project, I suddenly realized yesterday that I kinda need to think of a title for my magazine before I start moving any further. I was up late last night going back and forth between about 6 different ideas for a title, and I ended up calling it a night and going to sleep. Today I decided to do some more research on what it really takes to come up with an original yet appropriate magazine title. A reoccurring theme that I found in several of the magazines that fit my genre were short, one-word titles:

                 

This theme is extremely common with high-end fashion magazines. So I already narrowed down my title to one word. But the thing is, it cannot just be any one-word title, it obviously has to relate to fashion and it must have a message/meaning behind it. For example, vogue literally means "the prevailing fashion or style at a particular time." The word also has to be attractive in the way it sounds and the way it looks. It has to be a word that will never become repetitive or that will never lose its charm. Alright, now that I have covered the basic rules to keep in mind, I have narrowed down my list of options for my magazine title:

1. Mod- (adjective) Modern.

2. Ombré- (adjective) Having tones of color that shade into each other, graduating from light to dark.

3. Mirage- (noun) Something that appears real or possible but is not in fact so; an illusion.

4. Minutiae- (noun) The small, precise, or trivial details of something.

Well... Hopefully I'll come to a decision at some point. It better be soon, though, the clock is ticking. Also, here is a link that helped me come up with some title ideas, just so you guys can get a better idea at what I was trying to say: https://thenextweb.com/insider/2015/08/13/3-creative-ways-to-choose-your-brand-name/#.tnw_sHngA0pY

Till next time! Xoxo