You know an election is pivotal when even those who can’t vote in the USA are inspired to create content dedicated to the its eligible voters.
Voting is a fundamental right in America, and although it’s only been 100 years since women of the country earned their right to participate, 2020 has been a year of many issues and concerns.
The pandemic and limited casting and filming in its wake have made many artists, models and actors felt a sense of restricted access and care when choosing how to create outside of their own house. With this in mind, may of the social media posts of 2020 have featured talent isolated, focusing on themselves for content.
But an undercurrent of concerned voices (and faces) was stirring to put this aside somehow and raise the bar on promoting the need for voting in the 2020 election. This included Canadian actress Dominika Juillet, founder of non-profit speaker series and film collective Provoke. When she heard the statistic that of the eligible registered voters in the USA, only just over half have been turning up to vote, she was ignited to create something.
Having a faith in social media’s ability to spotlight shared issues was one thing, coming up with an idea for a micro shoot to encompass both care and activism in the space that is 2020… well!. Her time serving on the board of Santa Monica’s 41 Ocean Club, ambassador for ASW and founder/curator of the non-profit organization Provoke (featured in the Scion cross-American INNOVATOUR) had provided Dominika with inspiring and helpful friends in the industry.
To create a pro bono shoot dedicated not to the face of one but the the chorus of many, it would take an outdoor location, a designer, photographer and BTS director with a cast of fellow actress/models eager to come together in the name of a “bigger picture” message. 800 Main had been a long-time supporter of Dominika’s work and Jim Murez dedicated one day for the shoot in his architectural wonder (former clients include Nick Jonas and Heidi Montag) Photographer Lara Solanki was first choice for the shoot but mid way through pregnancy, she had to redirect Dominika to find someone else.
In a time when trends in fashion are still a part of influential marketing, it became obvious the theme and style for the shoot would need to cultivate both beauty and meaning. The “beauty for a cause” model had been a signature concept for the Provoke brand (celebrity designer Lorena Sarbu had dressed a group of beautiful female scientists and CEOs for an event dedicated to “breaking the stereotypes”). This was a shoot that required a strong look and a genuine voice from all participants and Dominika chose the 90s denim heavy look for its birth of the prolific (and personal) supermodels.
Photographer Monica Guitti provided a helpful infusion of cast, stylist and make up artists and another model offered to contribute resources . French model Fiorella Dreux and Dominika would be two faces in the shoot who were not able to vote in the 2020 election but, as both put it, “it isimportant to use our voices and platforms to encourage participation in such a milestone decision in history.”
Director Nick Bicanic rounded out the team; he had shot “Blackout” recently and was known for hisaward winning documentary film endorsed by Amnesty and invited to screen on Cap Hill to a bi partisan audience.
The final ingredient came from designer Maggie Barry who Dominika had been sent to see during Fashion Week several years before. The hope was to borrow a few pieces from past collections but Maggie floored Dominika by offering to design a one of a kind custom “VOTE” dress in honor of the shoot. As she would later say to WWD, Maggie spoke from heartfelt passion. “This is no time for apathy. Using your voice and influence to get people registered to vote is critical.”
With this unexpected addition to the concept, the shoot was set to feature both elements of design, current fashion culture and, as importantly, the dedication and genuine hope of the creatives involved to inspire and motivate their shared audiences to participate in history.
Maggie created dresses in the classic 90s “tubedress” cut with bold lettering and almost wonderwomanly fringed cuffs; models for the shoot were sent a short script and prepared for personal interviews about their reasons for promoting voting.
The day began at 8am and went until 4 pm, featuring 2 set ups and personal interviews with both models and behind the camera talent. Behind the scenes footage provided a useful safeguard for content in the mostly outdoor location. Models embraced a fearless,playful energy in denim outfits and then a superheroic powerful poise in the VOTE dresses.
To say that the shoot was effortless would be a lie. To see a global community and close neighbors come together in the name of a bigger message was the whole goal of creating in the space. While it could have easily been a two person shoot for Dominika and another actor, the goal of sharing space creating motivation became the focus of additional behind the scenes footage and cute messages the models would send thanking the designer.
The pandemic will be remembered for many things and the election of 2020 has gone down in history as one of the most challenging, spatially and philosophically for many people. But in the wake of 100 years celebrating the right to vote, the girl-centric project showcased just exactly how grateful and dedicated everyone can be to making an impact on policy. The shoot was put together by the efforts of a few but in a very meaningful way, it was dedicated to the inspiration and celebration of the voice of many.
More info: wwd.com
Provoke recipe: beauty AND a message (PLEASE VOTE)
custom VOTE dresses by Maggie Barry
keeping it safe on set at 800 Main
bonding with beauty for the cause
I think men's bodies are marketing tools to.. we are ALL in fact, still part animal, no matter how intellectual, philosophical and irreverent towards the elements that attract us to look at things. I used to resent sex and sensuality being projected on to my body but I realized it wasn't personal, it is simply why we still have a monthly menstrual cycle for a woman whether or not she's ready to have a baby or not, a never ending replenishing of male semen in a given male body whether he has a partner or not... to understand that sex and aesthetic beauty is something that attracts us, that is the premise. To think that you can harness that attention to something cerebral, that (to me) is very empowering as a woman. I designed this shoot, I CHOSE to be topless (because I walk around topless at home and I hate that men can go without tops but not women) and it is MY body and MY words that have presented this concept... no man had any say in this. So THAT, is the difference.
Load More Replies...
I think men's bodies are marketing tools to.. we are ALL in fact, still part animal, no matter how intellectual, philosophical and irreverent towards the elements that attract us to look at things. I used to resent sex and sensuality being projected on to my body but I realized it wasn't personal, it is simply why we still have a monthly menstrual cycle for a woman whether or not she's ready to have a baby or not, a never ending replenishing of male semen in a given male body whether he has a partner or not... to understand that sex and aesthetic beauty is something that attracts us, that is the premise. To think that you can harness that attention to something cerebral, that (to me) is very empowering as a woman. I designed this shoot, I CHOSE to be topless (because I walk around topless at home and I hate that men can go without tops but not women) and it is MY body and MY words that have presented this concept... no man had any say in this. So THAT, is the difference.
Load More Replies...
-2
11