Without dimensionality, the amusement of creation would be empty, and the sense of form would be ignored, removing spaces that permit the transition into a state of transformation from which an idea can become real. The malleable value of fabrics allow for multiple reliefs to appear in different dimensions that alter the understanding of flatness into bursts of bounce, vocalizing a vision of expressive forms. The properties of matter is the science that lays the foundation for realization, a beginning towards the infinite possibilities upon which imagination can be dealt upon the skin, as if the drawn up thoughts were to become the replacement of the shedding layer covering the body. That which once existed only in the format of a dream is fed through tactile materials as a solid surface that exudes the brilliance of an idea, designed to enhance traits possessed by the individual, and to be worn as an accessory complimentary to the existing personality.
When embracing the female bust, the beauty of a corset presents the being within a constraint of defining linear equations. But when removed and left to stand upon its own three dimensional shape, the corset reflects patterns of architectural designs that assemble into the structure of a performance of immobilized character. Even without the actual presence of flesh, a corset’s structure embellishes its surrounding environment, adding volume to the lightness of an invisible being. A performance doesn’t always need to have movement to be considered. Sometimes, once the physical aspect of human forms disengage, the story contained within is just as vocal amongst the silence, and thoughts are free to roam the roads of its linings to make a story one’s own.
In fashion, the emphasis often lies upon the items of clothing, but the contribution to dressing hair can elevate a collection to the next level of realism, explored within a world of fantasy. In a video piece directed by Charlie Wan entitled, L'OREAL PROFESSIONNEL HAIR SHOW AT 4TH DIMENSION, hairstylists explore their love for couture through the extension of strands of locks into ornaments of décor. L'Oréal Professionnel Master Artists, Amit Abraham, Jo Blackwell-Preston and Joseph DiMaggio, performed theirs craft and artistry in front of a live audience, through which the simplicity of the element of hair was converted into headpiece collaborations that become creatures of their own kind. From the masterminds’ rapid fingers birthed straw-like hats, or a bustier with a tightened ribbon, all of which were layers upon layers of behaviors that spoke through a dimension beyond the third, one that sheds lights through the reflective cuts of the crystals composing a chandelier.
Hair has now become the presenter of fabrics that lay beneath the sense of sight, while also remaining so vivid and true to the sense of touch. As inspirations and influences are discussed amongst the hair dressers, a beautiful concept is brought to life through the words of Jo Blackwell-Preston, whose desire was to create “a little bite of a veil, so that you could see through it but not all of it,” which reveals an attention and knowledge of the functions of dimension that make each design so unique within the realm of fashion.
The body is not the only figure of speech– the eyes do talk, but so does the hair, braided along its own physical structure only to become the element to disguise a lover’s gaze, or simply act as the corset that holds the thoughts so that they may not float too far away. In Italian Renaissance paintings, hair was a symbol that embellished a woman, and extended by strokes of paint into a new length to which a vision could create locks that would keep one dreaming in a land far far away.
See more work by director Charlie Wan
