We were looking forward to sharing our new Collection 2022.ONE at NZ Fashion Week and were so sad when we learned that this event had been cancelled for a second time. 

As a key part of our presentation, we had collaborated with Nicole Miller-Wong to create a large scale bespoke digital render as a backdrop for our runway and to help bring our vision to life. 

We talk to Juliette, Alice and Nicole about the vision behind these beautiful designs. 

 

 

What initially drew you to working with Nicole on the NZ Fashion Week runway display?

JULIETTE & ALICE /  We had seen Nicole's work on social media and fallen in love with the aesthetic and how she could create these digital spaces. As soon as we knew the Fashion Week venue had 10m high digital screens and was in the town hall, we knew we couldn't change the whole feel of the venue, but instead could focus on bringing what we could to life. 

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What was the inspiration behind the design?

JULIETTE & ALICE / We wanted to create an alternate reality, a form of escapism. We wanted people to feel connected to the theme we were setting and live in it while they were watching the show. Subtle details like the sunsetting and the natural movement in the scene really reflected this and created a beautiful calm atmosphere. We wanted to evoke a sense of time changing, and moving forward. 

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Nicole, how did you find the process of working with JH to create this render?

NICOLE / This has been one of my favourite projects to date. Absolutely loved collaborating with Juliette & Alice throughout this process.

The process started from an initial mood board detailing how Juliette envisaged the mood and feel of the show, including small clippings of the season prints and references to the show lighting and floral arrangements. As soon as I saw these ideas I knew we were about to create something special.

From there, we started sketching different possibilities of how a 3D render could be incorporated into the space and brought to life. We looked into every detail of the scene and how the lighting would change over the duration of the show.

Every detail in the scene was taken into account – right down to the types of foliage we used and how each element would look during different stages of the lighting set up, from the side, top-down and backlit lighting.

Juliette really gave me the creative freedom to explore different outcomes and layouts. It’s so refreshing to work with someone who appreciates the creative process and allows time for the smaller details to be developed.

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Was the final result what you envisioned to begin with, or did concepts develop throughout the process?

JULIETTE & ALICE / Nicoles work has such a signature, and the natural synergy between her design sensibility and what we had in mind just made for a perfect collaboration. Key elements we wanted to include were the extension of the catwalk, to create that realistic perspective, as well as ensuring that the clothing we designed, reflected the time of day change in the digital render, starting early afternoon and then travelling to evening-wear finishing at sunset. At the end of the day, Nicole was the creative, and we trusted her process.

 

NICOLE / We had a good idea of the kind of ‘feel’ of the end result however the ‘look’ was discovered through the process (like all good design projects!). I’m always so appreciative to work with someone that gives you the confidence to explore ideas and encourages you to add to the conversation which in turn allows you to discover new ways to look at an outcome – Juliette is definitely one of those people.

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Nicole, did you enjoy working on a project for a live event? Is this something. you had done before?

NICOLE / Yes! Love working across live events. There’s something interesting about working on a large scale that sits more as an experience rather than a static piece of design. You’re forced to think in all senses, rather than just visually.

I feel like you often get concerned about the finer design details especially when you’re working on a branding or print piece but with live events, it’s more about the overall feel & experience of a group of people. Immersion is key.

I’ve been working across live shows for a little while now – my first live show was back in 2014 for the NZVMAs / Aotearoa Music Awards. Ever since then I have been creating GFX / Visuals for live shows mostly in music & television. I had never worked in a fashion space so it was lovely to be able to do that with the Juliette Hogan team.

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In love with these designs? Click on the image below to download the mobile or desktop versions to use as your new background: