So this week (and for the next two weeks) I am working at Harrods magazine, where I am covering someone who is heading off to get married. I thought her position was Fashion Editor. Turns out I was wrong. The cover is for a prop stylist/production job and has resulted in one of the most random weeks of my life. Today’s post is a tribute to my crazy first week at Harrods Publishing.
Day 1 – Hoovering fake snow from a giant toy lion. You have to see it to believe it…
Day 2 – I had to oversee a shoot for The Ultimate page in the mag. This meant watching as 2 grown men created a model of Harrods. Out of tiny magnetic ball bearings. Seriously! They’re called Nanadots – http://www.thenanodots.uk.com/ – and they’re the next big thing in tiny construction. Think Lego, but with ball bearings. They have a cult following apparently. I made a cute little necklace as they built a mini Harrods.
The magnetic field in the balls is super strong
2 grown men + 2 hours + 52,000 tiny magnetic balls = £58k sculpture of Harrods
Day 3 – based in the office. Today I had to find a disused airfield to use as a location for a photoshoot. Within the M25. No mean feat especially with a limited editorial budget. Whilst researching online I stumbled across this amazing old airbase in Germany. I want to do a fashion shoot here one day. The colours are awesome.
Wittstock Airbase in Germany
(taken from http://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/2010/11/abandoned-aircraft-airfields-airbases-airport-terminals/)
Day 4 – a day of prop sourcing, which varied from searching for 20 orange traffic cones and a chequerboard flag for a car shoot, to sourcing vintage theatre lights and old lanterns for a Home Theatre backdrop for a kids shoot. Where to start? Prop houses (companies that lend props for a fee) are the answer. There are plenty of these, but on Friday I used www.themetraders.com for the car shoot props and www.stockyard.tv & www.farley.co.uk for the lanterns and lighting. Take a look. You can find almost anything.
Images taken from www.stockyard.tv
This has literally been the most random week ever. On Monday I have an induction in the store – all staff have this, even if you are not employed on the shop floor. I have been informed that this day is a tour of Harrods that includes grooming guides (I kid you not, there is a grooming area near the staff entrance complete with mirrors and strong lighting) and a history of the store. I will let you know what next week brings…
Main holding image courtesy of Harrods Publishing http://www.harrodsmagazine.com featuring the cover of the current/September 2013 issue.
Stylitz 