HARDSTYLE

This hefty black-and-silver photobook with a plastic-sealed metal hardcover makes a bold statement about the stylists Peri Rosenzweig and Nick Royal, who fashion the looks for international pop stars. There are close to 200 pages, each generally showing one large photograph – often fullbleed – of a figure in portrait, close-up, posed or silhouette form. Many are wearing idiosyncratic designer clothing that at times borders on disguise, and the use of double exposure and, additionally, frequent overprinting (one photo in silver, one in silver and CMYK) apport to the images a blurry, multilayered appearance that creates a sense of constant motion. Although the recurring use of overlays shapes the book’s aesthetic, it does not feel repetitive; instead it is consistently employed in ever-new variations, so that complexity, movement and rhythm emerge as the guiding editorial principles. The occasional reappearance of individuals fosters mini-narratives that readers can discover for themselves. Certain layouts challenge the book format, with pictures awkwardly cropped or positioned; at times the portrait subjects, with their unconventional poses and gestures, seem to be fighting against the strictures of the book space. Conceived as a portfolio for stylists, the book contains minimal text elements, the typography of which is deliberately understated. The cover, featuring a thick metal plate with a plastic binding, adds to the strong statement being made, even if the liberal use of these materials raises some questions from an ecological perspective.

Editors
Peri Rosenzweig, Los Angeles (US); Nick Royal, London (UK); ORNAMENT – Marietta Eugster, Marc Asekhame, Zürich (CH)/Paris (FR)

Author
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Design
ORNAMENT – Marietta Eugster, Marc Asekhame, Zürich (CH)/Paris (FR)

Printing
Grafiche Veneziane, Venezia (IT)

Publisher
ORNAMENT – Marietta Eugster, Marc Asekhame, Zürich (CH)/Paris (FR)

ISBN
978-3-9526263-1-3