Cover Alex Villaluz’s ‘Delirious Dissidents’ showcases an alternative approach to fashion photography (Photo: Alex Villaluz)
Alex Villaluz’s ‘Delirious Dissidents’ showcases an alternative approach to fashion photography (Photo: Alex Villaluz)
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Paris-based Filipino photographer Alex Villaluz is on a quest to find the middle ground between art and fashion
A small space nestled along Chino Roces set the stage for Delirious Dissidents, an exhibition of works by fashion photographer Alex Villaluz that showed for two days only, over the weekend of August 16.
Born in Japan, Villaluz grew up between New York and the Philippines. Now based in Paris, he has returned to the motherland to seek inspiration for his next project and, of course, to debut his presentation from 2011 to 2012 entitled ‘Red/Flowers.’
These works have been kept in the dark for nearly 15 years. And Villaluz was never keen on having his work exhibited. He’d never thought this series would see the light of day beyond the confines of his studio. “I wanted to create images that did not promote the fashion industry’s beauty standards,” he said.
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Above This particular series, entitled ‘Red/Flower,’ was shot outside New York City from 2011 to 2012 (Photo: Alex Villaluz)
This particular series, entitled ‘Red/Flower,’ was shot outside New York City from 2011 to 2012 (Photo: Alex Villaluz)
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Shot on the outskirts of New York City, ‘Red/Flowers’ takes place amidst gravel, train tracks, and other industrial collateral. They are centred on glamorous, faceless models interacting with their surroundings, leaning on stray freight shipping containers or splayed across a truck’s oversized wheels.
They’re decked out in billowing bright red and cobalt garments, wielding handfuls of flowers. “I like the idea of veiled figures. It’s more about clothes and less about sexualising the models—beauty without identity.” For Villaluz, this particular exhibition is considered a departure from typical constraints in his commercial work. It delves deeper into his personal inclinations, allowing him to explore his work outside the fashion industry’s standards. “I sought to create images that manifest emotions and evoke feelings through colour, composition and light.”
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Above Villaluz focuses on highlighting colour and composition in his work as opposed to a model's looks (Photo: Alex Villaluz)
Above ‘Red/Flower’ features veiled models posing against an industrial background on the outskirts of New York City (Photo: Alex Villaluz)
Villaluz focuses on highlighting colour and composition in his work as opposed to a model's looks (Photo: Alex Villaluz)
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As an artist, Villaluz is drawn to the concept of void and space, often juxtaposed with playful framing. It’s a tug-of-war between complexity and simplicity, an act he describes as “organising chaos.” Though his search for the middle ground between art and fashion is a quest he continues to undertake, Delirious Dissidents validates the existence of the concept.
He considers the Manila audience’s reaction to his body of work. “I consider [this series] to be more along the lines of fine art. I’m curious about how local artists will respond to it,” he says.
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About
Julianna has been interested in leading a literary life since she first read Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess at eight. Before working with Tatler, she was an archive intern at The Center for Fiction in Brooklyn, New York. She is a textbook Pisces who devotes most of her spare time to her crochet projects, watching classic films, and going through her never-ending pile of unread books. She studied creative writing, global literature and art history at Sarah Lawrence College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2022. Toni Morrison, Nora Ephron, Clarice Lispector and Jia Tolentino are among her all-time favourite writers.
Work
Julianna writes about fashion, beauty, sustainability, and the arts. She is always keen on conducting interviews with talented women who are changing the game in their respective fields.
For event invites and story leads, hit her up at julianna.cabili@tatlerasia.com
