Ceremonial Formality
Frederik Heyman‘s fashion film ‘Ceremonial Formality’ gives a glimpse into what our future psyches might be, as models and contortionists engage with–and become–machinery.
S/S 20 fashion from Gucci, JW Anderson, Givenchy, Bottega Veneta, Marni and Mugler is set amidst an unsettling distorted soundtrack. Bodies are twisted and surrounded by digital hardware, and the mechanics of respiration are reimagined through vapour jets and breathing apparatus.
As we go beyond the human, how do we think about the body?
And once the body becomes machine, what is humanity?
Could humanity be a consciousness untethered to any physical thing?
Established in November 2000, SHOWstudio is an award-winning fashion website, founded and directed by Nick Knight, that has defined the manner in which fashion is presented via the Internet. A pioneer of fashion film and live fashion broadcasting, SHOWstudio is now recognised as the leading force behind these mediums, offering a unique platform to nurture and encourage fashion to engage with moving image in the digital age. In its documentation of fashion and the arts, SHOWstudio has collaborated with pop culture icons and creatives including Tracey Emin, Lady Gaga, John Galliano, Kate Moss, Alexander McQueen, Charles Jeffrey, Gareth Pugh and many more.