Emergency Assistance

I love it when bits of fiction become a sudden reality. The other night (during a meeting) I was called on by a superior to be on set in five minutes (well okay as soon as possible). Luckily my meeting was right next door to where I needed to be.  I had to emergency assist as the creative director I’m working with, Hayley Hughes of Fashion Hayley and On The Streets Of Sydney.com had her other assistant fall through at the last minute. Something about the flight being cancelled and then delayed twice. Poor girl. Anyway the call felt somewhat cinematic, as if I was Andy (Dandy) again. I hadn’t assisted in almost over six months but it was familiar to me and so I clicked into the role as soon as I got there. The shoot was a collaboration between Westfield Sydney and Vice Magazine Australia. With a funky theme to it – think looks inspired by different genres of music and their respective ‘styles’- it was fun to dress our young fresh faced models. One of them, funnily enough I knew from COFA. That’s Kit featured in the gray coat. Cute, no? The star of this cinematic ‘flashback’ however goes to the STAR assistant, Samnang Sou!

Thank you to Hayley Hughes, Vice Magazine Australia and Westfield Sydney for this opportunity.
Genesis M.

Day Dreamer

What is Dandy Sachs’ dream photoshoot? Well the answer is quite simple. An editorial for either Vogue Hommes Japan or another major fashion magazine that combines art & fashion. My dream as a future stylist is to constantly marry the two in my work. Today as I rested up for tomorrow’s surgery I was given the viewing pleasure of the behind-the-scenes Pirelli calendar shoot. The legendary Karl Lagerfeld married art and fashion to produce images that reincarnated the gods, goddesses and myths of Ancient Greece and Rome. I would one day love to work on something like this as the head stylist or maybe even produce something like this. This dream I’m not letting go of.

Notable in the video are Julianne Moore as Hera the Mother of the Gods and our own Abbey Lee Kershaw as Echo the Nymph who pined for Narcissus. The above image features Daria Werbowy as Artemis.

http://vimeo.com/17380083

Genesis M.

Rockin’ Dandy

At the start of this year I assisted my fellow first assistant (at the time) Marlies Meijlink on a music video shoot. Marlies was head stylist and naturally she asked me to assist. Having a great relationship both work and friendship with Marlies I agreed. The music video shoot was for an up and coming band known as Zenith Asp. The song would be their debut for their album to be released. And so it was in order that their first music video needed to me made. I recall how much of a great day it was and Dandy Sachs has a total weakness for rockers. Especially rockers with tattoos! The boys of the band were so sweet considering we were fashioning up their image. After months in the editing room and tweaking the video is finally here. Enjoy!

Besides outfits for the two different stage shows the boys each required different outfits and styles for their own plot.

Producer/Director: Dana-Lee Mierowsky
Camera: Matthew Horrex
Costume Designer: Marlies Meijlink
Assistant Costume Designer: Dandy Sachs (Genesis Mansilongan)
Stills Photographer: Markus van Driel

What do you think?
Genesis M.

Give Me My Life Back

I miss these days. Over the past two weeks I’ve been in and out of clinics, waiting rooms and next Tuesday a hospital surgery room. I wish I was on set or at the pre-fall resort wear presentations. Alas I’m not. Enjoy this year’s on set and fashion week memories.

Hoping I heal fast. I just want a stress free Christmas and to enjoy my vacation in my homeland.

Genesis M.

P.S. Was contacted by Prada Australia and its good news. Eager for March 2011, just need to get better.

Hair Raising Fashion

 

Ugh I am so tired. This weekend has been such a busy shooting weekend. Two shoots within the space of three days has taken a lot out of me and it’s my graduation exhibition tomorrow so I have to be very freshfaced. So this blogpost will be a very short sneak peek at what Dandy Sachs and Lenya did for Harper’s Bazaar Australia and its Styling Session contest.

The shoot started initially with some model drama but due to everyone’s amazing fashion connections, the altercation was fixed within the space of half an hour. After that first bump the rest of the shoot was smooth sailing or should I say smooth posing. With three very high-calibre models and a great team the shoot went extremely well considering earlier circumstances . Lenya was even bold enough to say that it was one of the best we’d ever worked on and I couldn’t agree more.

Due to some very strict rules I’m not allowed to post or publish online images I took containing the looks we shot. Doing so would automatically disqualify all the work we did today. Instead I hope you can enjoy behind the scenes pictures of our dressing room today and some of the looks we pulled from designers like Elliot Ward-Fear, Alpha 60 to stores like Regina Garde.

Photography: Jessica Klingelfuss
Styling: Lenya Jones
Styling Assistant: Me!!!!
Hair/ Creative Director: Mandy Kingsman
Make Up: Vanessa Collins
*Both photographer and hair stylist had assistants but I just can’t recall their names as of this moment.

Will keep you updated you on this as I have very strong feelings about this one.
Genesis M.

Just Observing

This weekend will be a very intense weekend for Dandy Sachs as a fashion assistant. This weekend consists of two major shoots. One for a music industry client and the other for Harper’s Bazaar Australia. It began yesterday with a shoot for Charmaine Bingwa

The look was a fusion of good girl grown up meets ‘fierce’ feminine forced to reckon with. So we sourced sweet and colourful cinch waistbelts with edgy, avant-garde dresses from an upcoming Australian designer. I managed to capture a few behind the scenes shots.

In the end Charmaine was very happy with the shots that she’ll use later on for media releases and such. And all the pieces that we sourced looked good and fit her like a dream. So success on the styling part. A good crew means a happy shoot and a happy shoot it was. As an assistant it is always so interesting to work with new photographers and new make-up artists and on this chance I did get to.

Photography: Christian Blanchard
Photographer’s Assistant: Josh
Styling: Lenya Jones
Styling Assistant: Dandy Sachs
Hair and Make Up: Sarah Tammer

Genesis M.

The Fear-ce

If you don’t know who Elliot Ward-Fear is then where have you been? As is the current trend of my blogposts, this one is about work. I mentioned previously that I would be assisting on a Harper’s Bazaar shoot. The shoot is this coming Sunday and Lenya sent me to work this morning. I was sent to the ‘Garment District’ of Sydney today (Kippax St) to source from MotherFather PR a few Elliot Ward-Fear pieces.Having viewed images from his current collection previously, I became very excited.

Initially I got a little lost trying to get there but was greeted by one half of MotherFather PR; Candice and the designer himself Elliot as soon as I found it. With nervous excitement I made my way to the rack. The emotion exploded there and then. From the cut to the colour to the avant-garde styling Ward-Fear’s fashion is the fashion of a very very cool tomorrow. I can’t wait for it to be shot on Sunday.

Here are some snaps from the MotherFather PR showroom:

How cute is Leigh, the MotherFather PR intern helping me take my happy snaps. Thanks cutie! Watch this space as I will be tweeting and blogging live from set on Sunday.
P.S. I was actually an intern at Romance Was Born when Elliot Ward-Fear was a design intern there too. Small fashion world, hey?

Genesis M.

Shooting With A Star

Team Dandy Sachs and Lenya Jones are a very busy team at the moment. Today was the meeting with singing and performing sensation Charmaine as we are to style her stills shoot for her album and upcoming music video. Think vintage with a Sixties feel and mix with that a Ritz like hotel and a very naughty video tape. For now that’s all I can say.

The meeting today was about the stills shoot which was to accompany her album and press shots. It began with an overview of the photographer’s treatment and then a location scout of various suites in the Observatory Hotel that would suit the concept. Lenya and I also discussed with Charmaine the styling and looks planned for the stills shoot. We’re thinking boyish femme/sports luxe. Stay tuned. Meanwhile enjoy some of the snaps from the meeting and location scout.

Genesis M.

You Better Work

What is my dream? To be fashion twenty-four seven. Now that art school is over I finally have the chance to do so. Dandy Sachs is Dandy Sachs again (always was, just a little occupied). Today Kristen and I went to Lenya’s for a meeting to discuss upcoming projects which includes working with some of my favourite designers and Harper’s Bazaar.

It was so refreshing to be in assistant mode again. When planning a shoot the first step is establishing the looks you want to create and then assigning which designers/fashion suits each look best. Once that is established you have to find the PR contacts for those designers/labels as it is from them that you will be able to source from. That’s what our meeting today was about and it’s always great having a dialogue about which designer/label is suitable. Kristen, Lenya and I all have different opinions and views on fashion so the discussion is always interesting. Ultimately we came to a conclusion and Lenya was happy with the decisions we came to. The shoot is in two weeks so now calling the PR companies and sourcing has to take place. Will keep you posted.

Also have something potentially quite exciting lined up. Fingers crossed as it involves a luxury boutique and the new Westfield Sydney. All I can say now is that the Devil wears (…).
Genesis M.

What’s In The Garment Bags?

Returns? Designer gifts? No but they contain designer clothes pulled from the Sweaty Betty PR showroom. Yes that’s right I got to source and pull for a photo shoot under my own name and not as an assistant. I spoke to Lenya today and she is very proud of me making my first steps of launching myself as a styling identity in the industry. The shoot is happening on Sunday. Follow me on Twitter and watch this space Sunday as all of it will be tweeted and blogged live.

How exciting! Stay tuned.
Genesis M.