Bumper Shironuri photoshoot with POSE!

Shironuri Shoot - behind the scenes.

POSE studio are holding a Japanese exhibition in June and I got chosen to be the stylist! For the past couple of months we have been holding various Japanese fashion shoots, this one however I can honestly say was my most anticipated and enjoyable! ヽ(；▽；)ノ

The fashion featured this time is Shironuri, taken directly from the name of the white make-up used on our faces. Shironuri makeup is widely known as the makeup used by Geisha and Kabuki actors, however this fashion actually is very loose in how you want to wear the makeup with which style!
As seen from my previous blog posts,  I have tried shironuri before wearing plain white face paint, although the final product was nice, it was patchy.  Since then I have bought the actual shironuri makeup and wax from Kyoto and the difference is phenomenal! The wax has to be heated first and the makeup itself should be applied with a large brush and mixed with water, the makeup itself was applied by the amazing Emily Golding MUA!

 The styles we chose were very much influenced by the Japanese model Minori who wears shironuri in a very mori girl style, using real flowers and floaty clothes that have a very ethereal feel to them.
For the shoot I chose four models (Including myself) to do a season themed shironuri shoot.
The inspiration for this I took from 'A Midsummer's Nights dream' and tried to think about what the fairies Titania and Puck would look like.
I was winter and so had a frosty pale blue outfit with a light blue Pegnoir, eye shadow and lipstick, black flowers and floaty dress with white bloomers and high-necked lace shirt. Black leaves were also put in my hair and my fellow stylist Lewis Golland even stuck real bark to my face! thankfully he removed the ants first. o(≧∇≦o)

My friend Pixie_ Late, who I have modeled with many times before was the spring season, she wore a gorgeous floaty pink maxi dress and lacy blouse and pink peignoir, with pink lipstick, eyeshadow and blossom petals on her face. She looked absolutely stunning and managed to carry off the airy, carefree aesthetic of spring very well!

 

Autumn was by the lovely Rosina, Lewis had the idea of putting sticks intertwined in her hair to make them look like hairy antlers! It was hilarious watching her constantly bump into things and become unbalanced >__<
Her look was an ivory and brown themed co-ord, with a frilly blouse and brown embroidered scarf, walking around with the antlers she barely looked human!

Finally, summer was taking by my friend Danielle Wheeler, we dressed her in a gorgeous floaty chiffon dress, summery floral skirt and Vivienne WestwoodxMelissa winged sandals. The wig was Lioness by Geisha wigs and we filled it with flowers both real and fake and a fake floral crown. The balance of soft and vibrant colours went really well I thought! She deserved so much credit for spending the whole day in those shoes which were two sizes too big! eek!

Lewis made two sets for us with props, one being full of dead sticks and flowing white sheets, the other being a bright springtime set with a real ivy backdrop and props such as books. Stephanie Thornton was the photographer and needed a step ladder to shoot us bless her!
Her work is always amazing though, I can't wait for the final result, I know she'll make them all polished and otherworldly!

The shoot itself was one of the most successful I've ever done, the models were all very co-operative and everyone injected their own ideas into their outfits. The makeup artist did a wonderful job, the set guy made beautiful sets and I know the Photographer has some gorgeous shots! I can't wait to work with them all again~
I will do another blog post when the shots are all edited and a shironuri transformation video is coming soon!

Photographer: Stephanie Thornton

MUA: Enily Golding

Stylist: Me and Lewis Golland

Set: Lewis Golland

Models: Pixie_Late, Danielle Wheeler, Katie Carter, Rosina Stubbs.