Did you ever wonder how an establish model or an up-and-coming “fresh face” gets cast in a runway show? It’s not a spur-of-the moment decision by casting agents or design house.
Venerable modeling agency Ford Models sends promotional packages to agents and designers months before show seasons in New York, London, Milan and Paris to keep its models top of mind. For the twice-yearly New York Fashion Week events, show packs are circulated in February for the Fall Fashion Week show and in September for the Spring Fashion Week show.
Agents and designers have highly developed aesthetic sensibilities, so the Ford Models show packs must meet exacting standards for color, texture and design: Crisp printing and images; substrates that have a luxe feel; and design elements that are striking and memorable.
highresolution was recently engaged to produce the agency’s show pack for the Fall 2016 New York Fashion Week show on a tight turnaround schedule. When we met to discuss the look-and-feel of the show pack, the agency wanted a unique outer package to hold the models’ headshots. The art department proposed a turned edge fabric box with a rigid, linen feel, and a flap that opened and closed like a manila envelope.
As these specs weren’t doable within their budget and production schedule. We suggested substituting Eames 120# Double Thick White Painting Canvas cover. Named in honor of designers Charles and Ray Eames, the surface of this vellum-finish stock feels like a gessoed canvas. We promised the agency that we would experiment with different methods to get the substrate as stiff as they needed it to be, and produce a prototype for their approval.
We ultimately mounted three sheets of the stock together to create a hardshell feel that felt like a piece of wood. Using a wide hinge score with extreme pressure, the flap of the package easily opened and closed without cracking.
Ford Models loved the prototype, and we turned our attention to the 20 headshot cards that would be slipped into the outer envelope, along with a cover card and a contact sheet listing the models’ booking agent and how to reach them. One of the models featured on a card is Jane Grybennikova, who has walked the runway for Giorgio Armani, Carolina Herrera, D&G and other top designers.
The agency also wanted the headshot cards to have a hefty, substantial feel. To achieve that, we mounted two sheets of 100# Mohawk White Vellum cover stock together. As the cards would be digitally printed, we placed a slight curve on the images in prepress to boost the contrast and detail of the photography.
We created a prototype along with test runs of all 22 cards for approval, and when the agency green-lighted the results we began production of the outer package by form-fitting its components for the cards it would hold, hot-stamping the agency’s logo on the front in copper foil, then die cutting and gluing the pieces to form the box shape.
We created a prototype along with test runs of all 22 cards for approval, and when the agency green-lighted the results we began production of the outer package by form-fitting its components for the cards it would hold, hot-stamping the agency’s logo on the front in copper foil, then die cutting and gluing the pieces to form the box shape. To finish the flap, highresolution created button tie closures attached with white eyelets. Copper thread that matched the foil stamping was used to tie the flap closed.
The headshot cards were then inserted into each package and the flap closed and tied. Finally, each of the 80 show packs we produced for Ford Models was individually shrink wrapped and delivered to the agency, which was thrilled with the quality of digital printing and quality of the overall packaging.
Images shot by New York-based photographer Bill Waltzer