I love creating moodboards. I remember even the first one I created, far from perfect, with Kate Moss in an unnatural position and a little inaccurate color consistency.
As an editor and creative consultant, very often I create moodboards: I like to have in front of me anything that encourages the flow of thoughts. I think the visual stimuli are a very important part of the mental process.
How do you build a moodboard? It is something quite intuitive and immediate actually, once one has learned a simple method.
- I begin by choosing a concept, which in this first stage of processing is always rather vague and ethereal, often based on non-even fashion cues. It is not so unusual that the concept is born around innovations or socio-economic events that have nothing to do with fashion, such as the election of Donald Trump for president of the United States, which has strongly influenced the work of many designers, including Demna Gvasalia. In short, we translate the social change in the world we live in and analyze the impact on fashion and trends.
- Divide the concept into two smaller trends, usually to figure out what might work for the target you have in mind, and for the market. Each trend should be able to stand on its own – it should be very distinct and should be able to recognize clearly in the moodboards.
- Log out is always helpful. The eye has a much wider capacity compared to a computer screen and taking a walk is always useful to unlock ideas. The vastness of the Internet is something to definitely take advantage, but when it comes to moodboard I find that helps to step back and also look to the offline world.
- For me it’s all a matter of research. You should never be afraid to dive deep into a topic and get lost: the best mood boards are the result of an open mind. The important thing is not to start having already decided the final result. You’re on the road but you should not already know the destination. I love photography magazines and my favorite tumblr have a mileage list. Find inspiration in art and fashion. Some of our moodboards, for example, include Portuguese tiles images in reference to the burnout effect and pictures of the plumage of tropical birds that lead to a dyeing technique that gives iridescence to silk.
- How do you know when it’s finished? Unfortunately there is not a valid answer to this question. When it is finished, you understand. Up to that point, it just seems to be missing something.
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