#haesun

The initial concept that I attempted to carry out at the beginning of this project was to explore and unearth the urban and unique culture that Chippendale is stereotypically known for, as well as to also explore the urban cultural aesthetics possessed by the area. In all honesty, the first few times I entered the area, I focused on anything somewhat interesting that I would walk past. I knew I was aiming to focus on the culture and urban aesthetic of Chippendale, but I was struggling to narrow it down to one focal point and aspect of my concept. However, after consultations with Chris, I began asking myself…

  “What exactly makes up a culture?”

  The answer was simple. The people.

  The people affected every aspect of Chippendale, from the certain types of business and shops that were within the area. Each individual possess their own sense of style, and they use their garments to inform others of their personality.

  Personally, being deeply interested with fashion – I decided to focus on the unique and vibrant individuals that were roaming around Chippendale. There are a great range of people who visit Chippendale for various reasons – and all from varying backgrounds and unique stories. I decided to approach individuals that gave off interesting, friendly, unique and vibrant vibes as I walked around Chippendale, and interestingly enough – most of the individuals I approached were standing or walking nearby backdrops (the architecture of Chippendale) that complimented their outfits of the day – such as complimentary and/or contrasting hues.

  The concept of my project took a turn after this. I have actively followed street style photographers such as Tommy Ton and The Sartorialist for a while, so I decided to put my own flavour to it and focus on the street style of Chippendale. I felt as though I was successfully achieving my concept by exploring the culture of Chippendale, whilst focusing on a great interest.

  Whilst photographing the selected individuals/strangers, I was provided a massive insight into their lives – as soon as I noticed their sense of style. The initial greeting and compliment was what allowed me to earn an aspect of their trust for them to tell me something about themselves. It was an interesting concept, and allowed me to realise that the way in which you approach a stranger greatly affects their attitude and comfort level with someone they have just met. Therefore affecting the photograph, as it portrays their true emotions, and allows the viewer to possibly gain an insight into the individual’s life, only by their choice of clothing and emotions captured within the images.

  In order to further support this theory, I decided to not reveal each individual’s name with their photos – therefore it allows the viewer’s imagination and own interpretation to run wild.

  Through this project, what I have discovered is that the culture of Chippendale is made up of a collective and cohesive combination of different personalities, that although each on its own is unique and individualistic, they all connect together in order to form the culture, and therefore, the overall aesthetic of Chippendale itself.