Hors D'Oeuvre
All photos Monica Menez
At a time when the divas and the daaaarlings of fashion can only strut in the confines of their four walls, and fabulous clothes are relegated to racks, it leaves us pining for a life sartorial. Peacocks should not be seen through a screen, they should be sashaying the streets with an authoritative air. Fashion is about art, escapism and even a touch of naughtiness. So if that's what you are looking for, you've come to the right place. Welcome to the world of Monica Menez, the award-winning photographer and filmmaker who celebrates those who live for all things fashion fabulous, and who love it, just that little bit too much!
Menez's work explores fashion from a fresh perspective, not taking itself as seriously as perhaps its muses might. There is a whiff of Wes Anderson with the stunning, carefully composed visuals. Still, while the imagery is meticulous in its art direction and tonality, it is tempered by the tongue in cheek sentiments of its subjects - reminiscent of the shock value and humour of John Walter's flavour of transgressive cinema. Both the photographs and the films blend every day with editorial. Expect the unexpected, from a female perspective and all with a flourish of fetish!
Monica Menez, the Stuttgart-based artist, found creativity early, experimenting with art, graphics and fashion design, before settling on photography and film. Her first solo show was in 2001, and this led to her work being exhibited worldwide. With several awards for photography under her belt, she went on to receive accolades for her cinematic work. In 2011 she was awarded “Most Creative Concept” for her film “Precious”, followed by the ASVOFF 5 Award in 2012 for “Best Art Direction” for “Hors D’oeuvre.”
“Expect the unexpected, from a female perspective and all with a flourish of fetish!”
“The finale was the ‘photoshoot’ in my bedroom”
We asked Monica to tell us more about her unique work and her creative process:
Where did your love of fashion come from?
I was always really interested in fashion and have loved high heels as far back as I can remember. Even as a teenager, I dressed up with my friends, styling ourselves and putting on make-up. The finale was the "photoshoot" in my bedroom. We wanted to look like our favourite stars from the 1980s and thought we looked unbelievably "cool". When I look at the old photos (and there are hundreds of them), I notice that they were actually the beginnings of my photography today.
You explored various other mediums before settling on photography, what was your journey once you found your calling?
I completed professional training to become a photographer, assisted advertising photographers and then ventured the move into self-employment. Precious actually started off as a photo project. While I was working on it, I realised that it was hard to express the story I wanted to tell by means of photography. In order to finish the project, I had the idea of filming the scenes. I enjoyed the final result so much that I decided to continue my work in this field. So the reason why I started making fashion films was rather coincidental.
“The basis of my creative work process is a massive collection of data and images, which I have compiled over the course of time.”
Tell us about the inspiration behind some of your works.
Sometimes I have flashes of inspiration, and other times I have to rack my brains. The basis of my creative work process is a massive collection of data and images, which I have compiled over the course of time. For example, there are old photographs and fashion shoots, which I like because of the colours, or certain pieces of music, which express certain moods. Inspiration can basically come from anywhere. For example,
I got the idea for "Hors d'Oeuvre" from music research for my first film "Precious". I came across a piece of music in the style of a funny tango, which inspired the idea of a woman dangling from the ceiling, moving her feet in time to the music. The idea was developed over a year resulting in "Hors d'Oeuvre" at the end.
Tell us more about your creative process.
Creativity is hard work. It starts with a vision that has to be visualised. The collected material helps me with this, and I review it, compare it to the idea, select from it, recompose it and place it on mood boards. I then show these to my team so that they can get a better idea of the look or visual realisation of the concept. New ideas and visions result from this discussion, which are then at some point so developed that they can be realised. The important thing is: the idea must be right and capable of inspiring my whole team. That's a huge challenge. I then start to fine-tune the mood board, which shows the colours, set, clothing etc. We often realise that we have to have the right clothes made specially, for example, the lilac-coloured dress from "Precious" or the green dress from "Hors d'Oeuvre". Or props have to be ordered from abroad. A long lead time is definitely crucial.
We love your use of colour and your style of art direction, how do you achieve these?
I prefer subtle colours like pink, mint or nude shades in my photo spreads and films. However, colours can also be controlled in post-production, although this is significantly easier in photography than in film. With "Hors d'Oeuvre", for example, I worked with a filter that simulates the Technicolor look. My visual language is very minimalist and colour-coordinated. Unfortunately, though, locations are rarely like that ... It is, therefore, usually easier to build a set. Unfortunately, this is more expensive, though ...
Who would you love to work with in the future?
My dream client is one who gives me free rein and trusts my ideas.
And with the desk licking, whip cracking, feminine and visually stunning surrealism that defines Monica's unique, playful style, we say, sit back, relax, and trust her implicitly..... you won't be disappointed.
