Robbie Spencer - Stylist

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[VogueGirl8910]

Digital Edition Dazed & Confused via Mat Cyruss

 

[VogueGirl8910]

Dazed & Confused July 2013
Mad Fur It
Photographer: Jeff Bark
Models: Joanna Tatarka, Marta Dyx & Leonna Binx Walton
Styling: Robbie Spencer
Hair: Shingo Shibata
Make-Up: Inge Grognard



Digital Edition Dazed & Confused via Mat Cyruss

 

[VogueGirl8910]

Dazed & Confused July 2013
Young & Restless
Photographer: Richard Burbridge
Models: Kremi Otashliyska, Gryphon O'Shea, Anmari Botha, Maria Bradley, Kayley Chabot & Maria Loks
Styling: Robbie Spencer
Hair: Rutger
Make-Up: Inge Grognard
Nails: Honey



Digital Edition Dazed & Confused via Mat Cyruss

 

[Marc10]

Robbie's Dazed

Since its inception Dazed and Confused has been one of the standards by which other magazines are judged. The Dazed look – that instantly recognizable blend of innovation and edge, has spawned imitators, but none that can match the original when it comes to style and wit. With the launch of the July issue Dazed begins a new era of creativity. Led by fashion director Robbie Spencer, the London glossy breaks new ground with content that pushes the visual envelope and dares to inspire and provoke. The dazzling 30 page Paolo Roversi cover story is a near mythic exploration of “trash fashion” that reveals the extraordinary quality of discarded objects.

Finding the beauty in the unexpected is one of Robbie Spencer’s specialties; throughout his illustrious career he has continuously taken fashion into the realm of art with unorthodox styling, creating some of the most memorable imagery in recent memory. In this Models.com exclusive preview, he unveils his plans for Dazed’s future, the inspiration behind the astonishing cover story and just what keeps him excited about fashion.

What does your new position as fashion director entail?
Under my direction, alongside Creative Director Chris Simmonds and Editor Tim Noakes, I intend to build on the visual language we have developed as a team over the past three years. My goal is and has always been to create and commission memorable imagery, as well as unifying the Dazed aesthetic for both print and digital.
As Fashion Director I intend to bring a youthful enthusiasm to the pages of Dazed, working with a new fashion team as well as new contributors. This marks a new era of Dazed and I am excited about what we can achieve together.

What made you want to work with Paolo on your first issue as fashion director?

It was a real privilege to work with Paolo on my first issue as Fashion Director of Dazed & Confused. I felt like he was the perfect component in capturing the rawness of the issue’s “trash fashion” theme while also producing some beautiful and almost couture-like imagery. I felt like together we were able to create a real statement of intent using some of our favourite girls: Kati Nescher, Vanessa Axente, Marie Piovesan and Ondria Hardin.

What do you feel this new era of Dazed represents?

Since the beginning, I would like to think I have brought a strong aesthetic and youthful philosophy to Dazed. I am excited to mix young and established names, something that we do so well. I am interested in building on our fashion vocabulary.
We are in an era where a magazines’ print future is uncertain. I believe the only way to make secure a future is to continue to inspire the industry and our readers through our visual language. Each issue needs to be collectable and book-a-zine like. Fashion magazines need to have impact and poster appeal. I like the idea of our readers ripping out fashion images from the magazine and putting them up on their bedroom walls. I used to do this as a teenager, and I feel like magazines still need to have that. Every image should be the product of interesting collaborations, a mix of young and established names, art photographers, legendary fashion photographers, up and coming photographers, young London talent, and contributors on a more international level. This mix is the DNA behind Dazed.

I am also very excited to be Fashion Director of Dazed Digital. For me, the website and magazine are one. We work as one team across both platforms, and as we launched Dazed Digital so early, we are lucky enough to have secured such a strong following. Each strengthens the other, and exploring the creative possibilities between print and digital platforms is something I have always been very interested in and want to continue to develop.

How would you say the magazine has evolved and changed over the years?

The magazine has changed dramatically over the past eight years. I joined Dazed before the online side of fashion really took off. We were still faxing sample requests! I have seen the rise of Dazed Digital – we launched the site very early on – and I feel like this is the most exciting time where we can create crossover content rather than compete with each other.
We have such a strong family and legacy of amazing talent that have grown through Dazed. It is bit like a school where you train and develop your skills. We have such an amazing alumni and family of contributors. It has always been a hub of creativity and nurtured some of the most talented stylists in the industry: Katie Grand, Katy England, Alister Mackie, Nicola Formichetti, Cathy Edwards, Bryan McMahon, Karen Langley, and Katie Shillingford, to name a few. Jefferson has always been so encouraging and supportive of young talent.

When was the first time you worked with Dazed?

I have been a part of the Dazed family since I started working in the fashion department back in 2004, while completing a BA in Fashion Journalism. Immediately, I could see Dazed as a really creative platform. The career of Stylist/Fashion Editor seemed really appealing. I liked the way you could create images and that the tool for a stylist was clothing. You could see that it was a place where you could find creative expression, but also quite clearly a pathway to a career. I think my dedication to Dazed has enabled me to progress through the ranks and develop my visual language through the pages of the magazine.
I initially studied art. I’m really interested in history and if I hadn’t joined Dazed then I probably would have done a History of Art degree. I would like to think that all my work has that element of historical reference to it. Even if you don’t necessarily see it in there, it’s important to me that it has some kind of context, art reference, or historical reference.

Can you talk a little bit about the main story and the idea behind it?

The shoot was inspired by the recent punk resurgence such as the ‘Chaos to Couture’ punk exhibition is currently on at New York’s Met Gallery. I wanted to resort back to the DNA and ideologies of the punk aesthetic, taking the AW13 focus on raw materials and turning the collections on their head, crushing them up and setting them on fire. The shoot consists of beauty portraits, nudes and more extreme anti-fashion /recycled fashion looks over thirty pages featuring Kati Nescher, Vanessa Axente, Marie Piovesan and Ondria Hardin.

The Trash Fashion issue is all about taking discarded materials and crafting them into couture-like iconic images. I felt the image of Kati Nescher wearing Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci and a burning paper stole created by London CSM graduate Luke Brooks was a great sentiment for my first cover as Fashion Director. I like the idea of a magazine cover in flames.
Elsewhere in this issue, I have shot with some of my favourite photographers including Jeff Bark. We shot a Fendi AW13 special turning Joanna Tatarka, Marta Dyks and Binx into NY Fendi fur punks. The new faces from Hedi Slimane’s Saint Laurent AW13 show – Gryphon, Kremi, Maria Loks, Maria Bradley, Anmari – feature in a grunge inspired beauty story shot by Richard Burbridge.

What keeps you excited about fashion?

I love the fact that everything keeps changing; the creative possibilities are limitless. You can have an idea in your head and with a lot of hard work and communication end up realising it as a printed image. I love collaborating with inspiring people that I can identify with and share a mutual understanding with and passion for creating a great image. Photographers such as Ben Toms, Hedi Slimane, Mario Sorrenti, Paolo Roversi, Richard Burbridge, Jeff Bark, Pierre Debusschere, Collier Schorr, as well as other collaborators such as set designer Janina Pedan and make up artist Peter Philips. I find it so inspiring to work with someone with an art as opposed to just fashion.

I think in fashion imagery it is important to suggest ideas and make people think. You want to inspire the industry as a stylist. Especially as the industry is so driven by commerciality, you want to feel like you’ve given something back. I want to have a lasting legacy, to be remembered for making something special. The idea of performance in fashion and art in fashion is very important. It’s very easy to succumb to the commerciality of it all, but you have to keep pushing ideas and keep doing things that surprise people to feed the industry creatively.

It’s really amazing when you get a student from some provincial town messaging you saying how much it’s inspired them, or you get a note from someone like Miuccia Prada saying they loved an image you made. You get a lot of satisfaction out of that because you feel like they’re actually seeing it and that you are connected in some way, and that they actually felt something. A few photographers and a few designers still do that in their work, where you actually feel something in what they’re doing. It’s more difficult with a stylist, because they don’t actually own an image. You just create an image, but you don’t necessarily have ownership over it; you’re just a team player in it. It would be nice to actually own the image you create. Maybe someday I will start photography!

models

 

[VogueGirl8910]

Dazed & Confused May 2013: Catherine McNeil by Jeff Bark


Divine Comedy
Photographer: Jeff Bark
Models: Catherine McNeil, Ning Lu, Noma Han, Sung Jin Park, Bettina Murota, Cole Bleu Kwiatkowski, RJ, Samantha West & Shingo Shibata
Styling: Robbie Spencer
Hair: Recine
Make-Up: Lisa Houghton




Digital Edition Dazed & Confused via Mat Cyruss

 

[VogueGirl8910]

Dazed & Confused May 2013
Fierce Creatures
Photographer: Lina Scheynius
Styling: Robbie Spencer




Digital Edition Dazed & Confused via Mat Cyruss

 

[VogueGirl8910]

Dazed & Confused March 2013
Photographer: Jeff Bark
Model: Nastya Kusakina
Styling: Robbie Spencer
Hair: Rick Gradone
Make-Up: Lisa Houghton



Digital Edition Dazed & Confused 03/2013 via Mat Cyruss

 

[VogueGirl8910]

Dazed & Confused January 2013
CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION
Models: Athena Wilson and Yuri Pleskun
Photographer: Collier Schorr
Styling: Robbie Spencer
Hair: Holli Smith
Makeup: Maki Ryoke


streeters.com via MartiniKiss

 

[VogueGirl8910]

Dazed & Confused January 2013
Dark Innocence
Cinematography Martin Rinman
Edited by Inessa Tsulimova
Photography Fumi Nagasaka
Styling Robbie Spencer
Grooming Sharin at Link Details
Models Adam and Peder at Nisch Management, Daniel, Hugo, Kimie, Martin at Stockholmsgruppen
Photographic Assistant Hannah Richter
Styling Assistant Ulrika Lindqvist
Retouching Color One NYC
Special Thanks To Jane Glandal, Meghan Scott, Hjalmar Klitse
All clothes Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane SS13 menswear



dazeddigital.com via navyvelvetbowtie

 

[VogueGirl8910]

Dazed & Confused June 2013
"Animal Haus"
Models: Frederic Meijen & Louis Steayaert
Photographer: Ben Toms
Stylist: Robbie Spencer
Hair: Mark Hampton
Makeup: Thomas De Kluyver



dazeddigital.com

 

[VogueGirl8910]

V #83 Summer 2013
Beauty And The Bling
Photographer: Richard Burbridge
Stylist: Robbie Spencer
Models: Xiao Wen Ju, Yumi Lambert & Sung Hee Kim
Hair: James Pecis
Makeup: Peter Phillips
Manicure: Sophy Robson


glossynewsstand.com via Marc10

 

[VogueGirl8910]

VMan #29 Spring 2013
'COLOR CORRECTION'
Ph: Kacper Kasprzyk
Styling: Robbie Spencer
Model: Mattias Hok
Hair: Shon
Grooming: Thomas De Kluyver



issuu.com via Flashbang

 

[Flashbang]

LONDON, United Kingdom — Robbie Spencer has put bugs and butterflies on models’ faces and sticky food on their bodies. He has dressed nonagenarian Iris Apfel in bold, floral print coats from Comme des Garçons and transformed Daniel Radcliff into a zombie.

Along the way, the 29-year old stylist, who was recently appointed fashion director at influential youth culture magazine Dazed & Confused, has helped to create some of fashion’s most striking editorial imagery for the likes of Vogue Italia, Vogue Hommes International, AnOther, V and The New York Times T, as well as working with brands including Topman, Diesel Black Gold, Neil Barrett and Raf Simons.

“I work on so many different levels — show styling, or consultancy, as well as putting Dazed as a monthly magazine together and contributing to various other titles — that I almost have to put a different helmet on for every different job I do,” he says.

Spencer hails from Swindon, a town in the West Country of England. As beautiful as he found the stretch of countryside between Oxford and Bath, “I knew soon-off that the type of creative profession that I wanted to explore just would not happen in that kind of place. I knew I had to leave as soon as possible. But I was fully aware from a very early age that fashion is a really tough profession to get into. I knew from the start that I had to start early and start doing internships.”

At the age of 19, Spencer came to London to pursue his studies and completed a degree in fashion promotion, with a focus in journalism, at London College of Fashion. But he earned an equally important education at Dazed & Confused, where he scored an internship and began assisting a formidable group of mentors, including stylists Alister Mackie and Nicola Formichetti, while he was still a student.

“I started at Dazed assisting on the fashion team and gradually got more involved. As the team changed its dynamic, the younger members of the team gradually gained more responsibility. And when Nicola Formichetti became fashion director, things changed quite quickly,” he recalls. “Dazed has been a school for me, for a lot of people, it’s a place where so many amazing people have come out from since Jefferson [Hack], Rankin and Katie Grand began the magazine together. They all used it as a sort of training ground and are still part of this extended family.”

Spencer initially envisioned a career in the art world. “I wanted to be a curator, spatial designer or set stylist,” he recalls, “but I was very keen on making it work in London and quickly getting a job and a career. I saw fashion as a way to do that while remaining creatively fulfilled. In fashion, it’s quite easy to progress quite quickly if you have something to give and you have the right people supporting you.”

But Spencer’s art background has had a powerful influence on his approach to styling. “I approach styling from an idea of executing an image or executing a space, as opposed to purely from a clothing standpoint,” he says. “The more I got involved with Dazed, I realised that clothing is actually a tool that you use to create an image or to tell a story.”

But what exactly does Spencer do?

“This is what I try to get across to my family every time I see them, especially my grandma. It’s really hard. People often don’t know that there are so many people involved in the making of an image and of a magazine and even if they knew, they wouldn’t have a clue what all these people actually do.”

businessoffashion.com

 

[Flashbang]

....

At the most basic level, Spencer’s job “is to source clothes and interpret them into an image. But it’s also about inspiring your readers and trying to educate or enlighten people to new ideas. The term fashion stylist is very broad, you can be everything from a wardrobe coordinator for a film or music video or celebrity, or more of an art director considering the execution of an image, not just the outfit someone is wearing in it. It really depends on how involved you want to be, clothes are a tool for a stylist, but I prefer to consider the whole construction of an image.”

The job can be as exhausting as it is exciting. “It’s really varied,” says Spencer. “A lot of it is travelling — Milan, Paris, New York — and a lot of it is shoot dates, a lot of it is prepping for the shoot dates.” These days, the newly-minted fashion director also spends a lot of time in the Dazed office “trying to get my emails down from 600 to 10.

“A huge amount of styling or being a fashion editor is production and organising,” he says. “And a big part of this job is communication, you have to be a great communicator and make sure everyone on your team understands the image that you’re trying to make. I have to be able to communicate the idea that’s in my head to the entire team or it won’t work.”

“For editorial, everything is dictated right after the shows; we have a big meeting where we feedback things that we saw at the shows that inspired us. What did something a designer showed remind me of, what was the historical or art reference. You contextualise the shows and then you interpret them in your own way.”

Indeed, Spencer’s job is not about blindly disseminating a fashion designer’s point of view, but about adding his own. “You want the designer to be pleased, but you also want them to think ‘Oh, I didn’t think of it in that way, or that’s an interesting way of shooting it.”
Designers, in fact, are often pleased with the unexpected ways in which Spencer reads and reconfigures their collections. Last year, after seeing a cover Spencer shot with pieces from her collection, Miuccia Prada was so smitten she sent a box of special sweets; “they were these amazing pastel-coloured sugared fruits, a delicacy in Italy.”

To achieve the conceptual depth his work is known for, Spencer is fond of sourcing ideas and collaborators from other disciplines. “As soon as I come back from the shows, or if I’m prepping a shoot, the first thing I do is develop this body of research, moodboards and references. The connections often come from outside of fashion and I love collaborating with people that are far removed from the industry because it brings a new perspective to a fashion shoot, and that’s what transforms an image into something else and takes it to another dimension.”

Of course, photographers are a fashion director’s most important collaborator and Spencer has worked with an impressive list of accomplished lensmen, including Hedi Slimane, Mario Sorrenti, Paolo Roversi, Richard Burbridge, David Armstrong, Karim Sadli and his boyfriend, Ben Toms. “I generally start by pairing a photographer with an idea I have, then set up a meeting with them to suggest the idea and get their feedback and then we kind of build on the idea together, figure out the team, models, hair, make-up, set designer and begin the process of realising the idea and turning it into a fashion image.”

“What frustrates me most is that people think its an insignificant profession or when people think it’s trivial because its clothes. Of course you’re not saving lives but at the same time you’re doing something that has a value and inspires people. Fashion influences everything, it’s so much more than what people think it is. It’s so culturally driven, but people don’t realise it, they think it’s just dress-up.”

So what advice does Spencer have for those aiming to break into styling?

“You need to start super-early and you need to learn as much as you can on the job, as well as study. There is nothing compared to that hands-on industry experience where you learn around the people that are doing it, because that way you also learn how to behave and how to look at things through other people,” he says.

“I think the idea of assisting over recent years has become a bit devalued, the culture recently is people feel they don’t need to assist, they think they can just do their own thing and instantly be a stylist. But you have to be respectful of the people who came before you, you need to learn from someone and be in the right environment to understand how the industry works and how to communicate. Then you take from that, and you go and find your own point of view on it.”

businessoffashion.com

 

[MartiniKiss]

AnOther Magazine Fall / Winter 12.13

Photographer: Richard Burbridge
Model: Patricia Van Der Vliet
Styling: Robbie Spencer
Hair: James Pecis
Make-Up: Peter Philips
Nails: Gina Viviano


exacteditions via Mat Cyruss

 

[MartiniKiss]

Vogue Italia August 2013
Photographer: Richard Burbridge
Model: Tilda Lindstam
Styling: Robbie Spencer
Hair: Recine
Make-Up: Inge Grognard
Nails: Honey


lekiosk via Mat Cyruss

 

[MartiniKiss]

Dazed & Confused September 2013
Photographer: Angelo Pennetta
Celeb: Elizabeth Olsen
Styling: Robbie Spencer
Hair: Duffy
Make-Up: Frank B.
Nails: Tracy Lee



Digital Edition Dazed & Confused via Mat Cyruss

 

[MartiniKiss]

Dazed & Confused September 2013
Photographer: Josh Olins
Stylist: Robbie Spencer
Hair: Shay Ashual
Make-up: Maki Ryoke
Manicure: Myrdith Leon-McCormack

Model: Kirsten Owen

Source: Visual Optimism (visualoptimism.blogspot.com)

 

[Melancholybaby]

AnOther Magazine Fall Winter 2013-2014
Photographer: Daniel Jackson
Stylist: Robbie Spencer
Hair: Rutger
Make-Up: Hannah Murray
Manicure: Rica Romain
Model: Iselin Steiro


visualoptimism.blogspot.com via meidude