Frock Me! Vintage Fashion Fair
an individual project for a visual communication design course, requiring two versions of an informational poster promoting the same subject, one incorporating a photography element, the other using only original graphics and illustration
Objective
design two cohesive informational posters promoting an event of my choice. one poster design required a photography element, and the other required only the use of original graphics and illustration. both poster designs must communicate a clear visual relationship as a series.
Client
class project, SMAD 332: Visual Communication Design, James Madison University
Target Audience
fashion enthusiasts and people interested in vintage and antique clothing, jewelry, textiles, and historical fashion
Big Idea
immersing visitors in the elegance and whimsy of decades past, Frock Me! Vintage Fashion Fair is more than just an event — it is a truly one-of-a-kind, authentic experience
Final Products
program used: Adobe Illustrator
Illustrative Poster Approach
the original illustrative design centers on a variety of vintage clothing, accessories, and antique objects that highlight the wide range of what visitors can find at Frock Me!; not just garments, but jewelry, textiles, and other collectible pieces. for this posters design, i aimed to elicit emotion from the viewers by capturing the events energy of the event and what it feels to attend.
Photographical Poster Approach
in incorporating a photo element, i was drawn to the idea of using a vintage-style dress form as the central visual, both to emphasize the event's vintage fashion focus, as well as reinforce the graphic and aesthetic cohesion of both posters. i used the head of the dress form to contain the event information in order to create a visually intriguing focal point and a balanced composition.
General Creative Approach
my general approach was to accurately capture what it feels like to attend Frock Me! Vintage Fashion Fair in person; its unique vintage aesthetic, its whimsical energy, and its wide range of authentic items. although clothing-heavy, the event offers more than just fashion. i chose specific pieces of clothing, accessories, and other various vintage/antique that best represent all the event has to offer.
designing one poster horizontally and the other vertically was an intentional choice meant to challenge myself to create two designs that felt cohesive as a series, regardless of the different orientations.
to tie the two designs together, i used the same vintage-style mirror as the main recurring visual element. staying true to the events identity, i designed the mirrors with an ornate, antique energy; the kind of "getting ready at grandma's vanity" feeling, or like a woman getting ready for a night out in decades past.
More About the Event
Frock Me! Vintage Fashion Fair was established in 1997 as the first vintage fair held in london, as well as the entire uk. it now brings together dozens of leading vintage and antique dealers from across the uk and beyond, with pieces spanning all the way from the victorian era to more recent pieces from designer labels. the fair has become influential within the fashion industry itself, drawing designers and costume departments looking for historical inspiration.