Over the Spring '06 season, SHOWstudio is embarking upon a series of projects devoted to exploring 'The Sound of Clothes'. Continuing our commitment to re-thinking mainstream fashion editorial, we believe fashion audio to be a genuinely new frontier. Beyond overlaying imagery with non-specific sound - such as favourite songs or ambient music - the aim of The Sound of Clothes series is to explore a range of audio possibilities, such as discovering the actual sound a garment makes.  

During the shoot of a 'Balenciaga special' by Nick Knight for Pop magazine in November '05, digital artist Daniel Brown was invited on set to respond to Nicolas Ghesquiere's Spring/Summer '06 collection. Inspired by its delicately layered, translucent garments, Brown proposed a series of interactives based on the unpublished images from Knight's story (published in January '06). Using the notion of 'pictures for the blind' as a stimulus, a collaboration with synaesthete and sound designer Nick Ryan ensued, aiming to interpret the source garments and images through sound. Follow the project from its initial meetings and tests to the final interactive works below, as Brown guides you along via a series of intimate film blogs.

> Interactive

Last Updated Tuesday 14th November

When Synaesthete Nick Ryan looked at Nick Knight’s photographs of Nicolas Ghesquière’s lacy, diaphanous garments for S/S ’06 Balenciaga, he heard not just one sound in his head. He heard thirty-six. After working with an orchestra to capture exactly the right audio for each fabric or skin tone, Ryan then gave the tracks to Digital Artist Daniel Brown, who delicately married each sound with its respective part of the image. Use your mouse to unleash the full cacophony in Brown and Ryan’s extraordinarily beautiful, fashion interactive.

Click to view Interactive >
(Requires latest Shockwave Player)

> Nick Ryan on the Balenciaga Jacket

Last Updated Wednesday 7th June

After reaching a creative impasse in interpreting the sound of Nick Knight's image, Nick Ryan realised he need the actual garment to complete the score. We duly shipped the jacket from Paris and filmed this, Ryan's first encounter with the piece itself. Synaesthesia in action or just the natural, verabal response to an astonishingly beautiful fashion garment: the short illustrates Ryan's process of turning aesthetic observations into sound.

Click to see Nick Ryan on the Balenciaga Jacket >

> Gallery/Essay

Last Updated Friday 15th May

See Nick Knight and Jonathan Kaye’s source photographs of the S/S ‘06 Balenciaga collection starring Gemma Ward. Contains the unpublished shots that Nick Ryan and Daniel Brown are interpreting for the Synaesthesia project as well as the full editorial story printed in the Spring/Summer '06 issue of Pop.

Click to view Gallery/Essay >

> The Clothes

Last Updated Wednesday 5th April

Examine the dresses from Nicolas Ghesquière's Spring/Summer '06 collection for Balenciaga in detail in these Polaroids shot on an illuminated mannequin backstage at Nick Knight's shoot for Pop magazine.

Click to view The Clothes >

> Pre-production Meeting

Last Updated Wednesday 5th April

Nick and Penny met with Daniel Brown and sound designer Nick Ryan on 4 April 2006 to discuss the initial research informing the Synaesthesia collaboration and their plans for the project.

Click to view Pre-production Meeting >
(Requires latest QuickTime Player to view)

> Project Blog

More Pictures From Vienna

Politely omitting to say mine were rather, er, 'overcast', Nick Ryan has been in touch with some more pictures of the installation; some by him (here) and these ones by Wolf Leeb, the appointed conference photographer.

By Penny Martin, 17:13 Monday, 25 June

Click to read Blog archive >