Has any fashion item ever given you a trip down memory lane to the past, present, or future? It’s okay if you haven’t experienced such. Perhaps, it’s why Temidayo Johnson and The Styling Duo created this fashion film titled, Pink Noise.
The film embodies every thread that makes the fabric of society. That is, culture, politics, the environment, gender, music, art, fashion, and photography. It features models adorned in artistic pieces in an ambiance that gives you a time-machine experience open to different interpretations.
Let’s see for ourselves.
A Dive into the Fashion Film, Pink Noise
When Temidayo Johnson had the idea to create a fashion film, Andrei Esin and Onyeka “Kachi” Aniagwu of TSD studios were his best bet for the perfect storytelling. Together they worked with stylists and designers to birth this work of art.
The film opens with Greta Thunberg’s powerful speech at the 2021 Youth4Climate conference in Milan. You would think it was a revolution as young men dressed like soldiers, ran around a dancer, Mmeyene Moses.
Mmeyene donned a pink outfit. It comprised a long-sleeved bandeau top, layered wide-leg pants, and a colorful fringed hat; an attire that resembled a jellyfish.
Thunberg’s speech centered on the environment and the need for change. She also threw a jab at political leaders and this matched the aura of political imbalance the militant models evoked.
An excerpt from her speech goes:
“This is what we hear from our so-called leaders. Words that sound great but so far have led to no action…blah blah blah.”
As the intro progressed, the music became upbeat with snippets of Thunberg’s speech while the pink jellyfish model danced on. And that was how we left the palm trees vegetation to arrive at the beach.
The beach scene shows us beautiful svelte models adorned in white crocheted dresses playing childhood games and strutting by the beachside. To complement the tranquility of the waterside, soothing music fills the air.
This scene elicits a spiritual feel. I imagine a scenario of mermaids or goddesses dancing by the ocean and perhaps mocking the fleeting mortality of mankind.
Just when you begin to absorb the peace from the beach scene, the scene switches. We see different men in a box-like room donning modern, fashion-forward pieces of different genres.
A funkadelic dancer, Solomon Okoro, wears a corset top with Canadian sleeves, dark pants, drop earrings, an afro wig, and beads. His outfit enthralls me. And as I savor his look, more men come up.
One looks like a boxer in a ring, others wear jackets, coats, and some other wardrobe staples for urbane men. Each model’s outfit encapsulates men’s different fashion styles.
Take the one who wears a corset. He represents gender-fluid fashion enthusiasts who aren’t bound by societal definitions of what men and women should wear. Furthermore, the model with a jacket and a headset symbolizes lovers of men’s urban clothing and streetwear outfits. And the model who rocks a suit and a portfolio bag embodies the classic man who commands respect with his formal office wear pieces.
In addition, the film showcases culture. We see models dining and wining while adorned in different African cultural outfits. They include the Efik bridal comb, Igbo beads, Yoruba gele, Hausa/Fulani attire, and Zulu hat.
And to give us a feel of what ancient royalty felt like, a bodyguard fans them from behind.
Again, the music matches the scenery.
The Pink noise fashion film is indeed an embodiment of everything that makes up society. It isn’t a one-man effort as we have stylists, designers, models, makeup artists, and agencies to commend alongside its producers.
The film first showed at a private screening on 20th November 2022. And then it screened virtually on 25th November 2022. If you missed any of them, get a feel of the artistic experience by tapping this link to the replay.
Credits:
Director: Temidayo Johnson
Producer: Andrei Esin
Production Manager: Onyeka Aniagwu
Designers: The Keeper of the Wardrobe, Babayo, Udiahgebi, Studio IMO, Austrian Lace, Sisiano, Ugo Monye, Weizdhurym Franklyn, Katch, Mazelle, Ekikere, and Maliko.
Costume stylists: The Styling Duo Studios, Vera Iroka, and Ejiroghene Noble.
Agencies: Reivon, Mahogany, Pages, Rocks, Pro L, Edkol, Few, XA, Beth, and Naija Kulture
Hairstylist: Eveh Ogban
Makeup artists: Obidike Uchechukwu, Mary Fawole, and Sophia Okereafor.
