DIONNE LEOW | An Exclusive Interview

An Exclusive Interview With
DIONNE LEOW
By José Jeuland

Fashion Portraits

Born and bred in Singapore, Dionne is a Fashion Photographer turned into a Creative lead.
Graduated from LASALLE College of Arts in 2019, she studied fashion media, majoring in fashion photography. In addition, she started assisting media production and freelancing while studying her final year. Through her experiences, Dionne produced a successful final year project of MRestyled, which is still represented by LASALLE today in the form of a 248-page hardcover brand booklet after two years of Dionne’s graduation.

As a freelance creative, she worked hard to gain experiences through various roles in production as a producer, director, photographer, assistant, and many more versatile roles to put her skills to great use. Today, she’s signed with COCO Creative Studio as a Creative Lead & Photographer and works hand in hand with Jose Jeuland and his personal works while building COCO Creative Studio & Space.

“I wanted to build an office setup, the catalog shoot was pretty much simpler. All I had to do were to source props and spray down water on the paper props to make sure it crinkles. Details like these were important; it didn’t matter if it didn’t feature the crinkles in the final photo. However, the campaign shoot was much more labor-intensive, I had to get three of my creative peers to move two wooden office tables to the classroom, and it wasn’t easy.
In addition, the project was on a budget. Thus it required a whole lot of deal-making and I-O-Us. After all, it was worth it.”
– DIONNE LEOW

José Jeuland: Hi Dionne, it’s a pleasure to interview you. Can you give us an introduction about yourself?

Dionne Leow: Hello, I am Dionne, I have been doing fashion and art photography & direction for close to four years, and I am currently represented by COCO Creative Studio as a photographer and a creative lead. Through the use of my humor, most of my works have hints and touches of humorous ambiguity. Honesty and curiosity are important throughout all my works and productions; I believe that everyone has something to learn from each other, and we should always lend a helping hand.

J. J.: How did you start your photography journey?

D. L.: My dad. His interest in photography influenced me when he told me stories about his experience with analog cameras and how his dad had an interest in photography. He still keeps all his analog cameras, and it always sparks joy when I open up the dry box to see all his cameras.
My dad was the one who bought me my first camera, I remember looking through the newspaper listing, and we saw that there was a Nikon D3100 for a really good price, the next day, we went down to the store, and he bought it for me as a birthday gift.
However, my interest in photography grew immensely when I was 15, my high school volleyball coach introduced me to the world of various digital cameras, and I was in awe.
A few years later, I bought the Nikon D90, and I have been using it for years through my works.

J. J.: You went to “Lasalle College Of The Arts, “one of the top institutions in Asia. What program and diploma did you pursue? How was the journey like? What was the most interesting and the most rewarding workshop? Coming from such a reputable school, is it easy to find jobs opportunity?

D. L.: Going to Lasalle was the best decision I ever made; it was tough, but it was worth it. I never knew the art scene was with infinite influence till I met my year three classmates.
I pursued and graduated with a Fashion (Media) Diploma, where I studied how media in the fashion industries worked. Through these lessons and lectures, it applied to all kinds of media we see today.

I repeated my foundation year in Lasalle because I had no interest in the beginning as it entailed courses such as sculpting and drawing where all my peers had talents.
I felt inferior to everyone, as if I didn’t belong in the art school. As soon as I finished repeating my foundation year and I joined a new class of year two students, things got interesting.
I wanted to be in school every day because I got to focus on fashion as a topic. I learned many things that I dislike and like. For example, I know that copywriting isn’t my thing; I don’t have patience for it, nor do I have a flair for it. I don’t have much flair for women’s styling and not much interest in women’s cuts. Still, I do have a deep interest in menswear because the average men believe in “function over design,” and designers are seen to add detailed designs to their apparel and subtle enough to be worn on a daily basis.
Things do change, and I am excited about the future; however, I am extremely happy about where I am because I am living the dream of what I have always wanted to be – in the creative scene. My best year was my final year in Lasalle, presenting my best work, MRestyled, as my final year project. Through my knowledge and experiences freelancing and learning in school, I pulled everything together, worked on the project, and gathered a couple of classmates to assist me with the production. The deliverables were simple: create a mock fashion business idea, a printed catalog video, and visuals for marketing plans.

However, I pushed further and produced a 235 x 320, 248-page hardcover brand booklet covering the entire project, which was done in less than ten days. I remember thinking to myself, I did everything required, and all I am expected to produce is an A5 20-page catalog book? It wasn’t going to fly with me. “This might be the last time I get to do what I want and own it.” So I went big.
It got pretty intense, and during my final presentation, I remember my five lecturers looking at the book with confusion and awe. Finally, one of them said, “Dionne, did you consult with us on this?” I said, “no. Because for once, I wanted to do something that showed my worth of work and to wrap up my final year in Lasalle”. Soon after, one of my lecturers told me that the school wants to buy the brand booklet from me as an example for the rest of the students. So the last I heard, it was shown to the degree students in Lasalle. And I am extremely proud of that.
In a way, it was my first achievement as an art student that I hold close to my heart to this day.

Upon graduating from Lasalle, I tried applying for many jobs as a photographer and as a photographer’s assistant; however, no one knew my works, and the market was high in the competition. So I turned to work as a personal shopper in whisky and tobacco at DFS duty-free for close to nine months, and through working there, I was still freelancing on and off, assisting my peers in their works.
When Covid-19 hit, and DFS had already closed down in Singapore, my dad told me to apply for jobs that make me happy. And that was important to me. “Do what makes you happy.” So I started embarking on a journey of applying and working for companies as a photographer and a creative designer, today, I am represented by COCO Creative Studio.
I speak for my own journey, and I would say post-graduation was tough. It didn’t matter that I came from a reputable school, especially in the creative industry in Singapore, everyone cared about my portfolio, and soon I learned that I had to keep creating, crafting, and experimenting. We were competing with a competitive market that was already small; however, I kept on going, and that’s what got me to where I am today.

J. J.: How will you describe your photography? Could you share with us about your photography series on your website? Especially the one under Book 1? Was it for a project?

D. L.: I would describe my works of photography as a mix of fashion and art influence. Storytelling is essential to me. If not, I will be doing it for the sake of doing it. Most of the works that I have done are influenced heavily by my group of peers, where gender fluidity is important to them and beauty is subjective. Within us, we alternate different roles for each other whenever one another needs help. Sometimes all I do is be their Gaffer or simply assist them on set. My works, in general, used to be cleaner and commercialized; however, ever since working with them who practices total opposites of me such as maximalism, kitsch, and unconventional styles, I get to learn much more even after graduating from school. This group of people is important because it’s a never-ending cycle of struggling together on set and learning new things. No one knows everything, and the urge to be excited to help just in exchange for free food says it all about their own works. Through these experiences, I am able to broaden my knowledge in the art scene, which will continue to grow, and even I can’t wait for my own future’s work.

On my website, I have two different categories: “Book 1” and “Collection.” Under Book 1, it features all general works done for clients and peers, and under Collection, it features my personal work that I have done recently, and I am hoping that this page grows more soon.

J. J.: It seems you have various setups, styles. Was it long and complicated to produce it?

D. L.: Depending on the project, some setups and/or styles can take two days for planning and sourcing. However, some productions can take up to two intensive months of planning and research and another one to two months of sourcing.
For example, MRestyled.
I do only have ten months of school, that doesn’t mean that I have more time. We still had to work on other modules and submissions while working on our final year project, and it was practically every man for themselves; I was creative directing, photographing, and managing the project. My total timeline for planning the project took about three to five months; casting took almost a month because I was extremely specific about what kind of model I wanted. I remember going through many agencies and open calls, and I almost settled for a talent I didn’t want.

Because I wanted to build an office setup, the catalog shoot was pretty much simpler. All I had to do were to source props and spray down water on the paper props to make sure it crinkles. It didn’t matter if the crinkles don’t show up on the final photo; details like these were important as they build a narrative for me and my talent. However, the campaign shoot was much more labor-intensive, I had to get three of my creative peers to move 2 wooden office tables to the classroom, and it wasn’t easy.
In addition, the project was on a budget. Thus it required a whole lot of deal-making and I-O-Us. After all,
it was worth it.

I apply this mindset to most of my works, and I would want to continue practicing this mindset and values. Sometimes planning is easier than setting up, vice versa. Side note, no one really talks about “tearing down.” Especially when half of your props and set is on loan from separate sources, and you have to do the returns yourself, that is the difficult part of the project.

J. J.: You also have an exciting series, “Tomorrow’s Tuesday Comma,” could you tell us more about this work?

D. L.: “Tomorrow’s Tuesday Comma” is one of my most recent personal works, and it was shot after Singapore’s lockdown due to Covid-19. I developed the idea when I went for a morning walk alone at Coney Island, and I remember just smiling. I never was an outdoors person nor someone who loves nature, but after shooting in the studio or indoors for close to 4 years, it made me appreciate nature even more.

“I need to start shooting again” – That’s what I thought to myself while on a long peaceful walk, and about a month later, I gathered my creative team to come down to help me on the shoot day.
Why the title? Everyone dreads Mondays. However, Tuesdays are longer because it’s not a mid-week, and it’s neither here nor there. When I was working in a Brokerage firm while schooling, I remember always dreading Tuesdays. Every conversation on Tuesdays is “Wow, it’s only Tuesday, long week to go.” And it’s especially a long day on Tuesdays. The entire concept is derived from the title, where all I want to do is show this group of boys who just want to have fun.
The key shot was through the odd props such as traditional electronics in the sea and standing in full clothes while being soaked.
Sometimes in life, we do things that we don’t usually do. Everyone has their quirks and perks; it made people question my work and made me question my work.
But isn’t that what art is for?

• to create conversations.
  After producing Tomorrow’s Tuesday Comma, I remember putting my portfolio together and I started intensively sending out my portfolio to various different companies, agencies, and clients. It was inspiring to be able to create again, especially in a different environment.

J. J.: Where do you find your inspiration from?

D. L.: I am a visual-heavy person. Through other creatives & artists’ works, I find inspiration. However, developing my inspirations is often through conversations and brainstorming. Many ideas I had developed and/or heavily change in direction after discussing more ideas with my creative peers.

I don’t exactly get much inspiration from visiting a museum, music, or movies. However, I get loads of inspiration from short films, documentaries, visual artists, and magazines. In general, magazines and postcards are a great way to get inspiration too. Sometimes, I might not even like the prints or works in the book, but the binding, paper quality, or printing quality are so impressive and inspiring that I will just collect them.

There is no wrong with getting inspiration from Pinterest; I do that too, especially if I feel uninspired or don’t exactly know where to start. It’s a user-friendly search engine and heavy visual platform.

J. J.: What will be your next photography project? Could you share it with us?

D. L.: The next project that I have been working is called Us, Tomorrow. Another “tomorrow.” It’s dreamy, imaginative, and arousing just the thought of it. Things could go south easily, but things could also turn for the better. The concept of Us, Tomorrow will be a developing project for life as there will be various different smaller production under Us, tomorrow. It represents unity, teamwork, and love for each other. The title itself represents plans for “us,” a future for “us.”

J. J.: How do you see your career in the future?

D. L.: Exciting, emotional, and inspiring. I see myself being in COCO Creative Studio for a few years and then moving on overseas. Relocation is definitely something I am open to but not forever. Whether I continue as a photographer or a creative lead is unsure, but I will continue working in the creative and arts scene. My big dream is to relocate to Iceland or Switzerland, where I will be able to experience more nature and witness the different seasons.
There are many things I would like to do in my career; however, it all depends on what the future holds. Being flexible as a person is crucial; if another Covid-19 situation were to hit us again, we all have to start getting creative in our tactics.

Ultimately, wherever I am, my goal is to be back in Singapore and give back to the arts community here. Either through teachings and knowledge, financial means, or just influence.

There is an idiom in Chinese 饮水思源, in translation “when you drink water, think of its source,” meaning to always have gratitude for your blessings and don’t forget where your happiness come from. I would say Singapore has grown to be more receptive to the arts community than six years ago. People here are now aware of the different positions in production, arts, and the creative world.

Website: www.dionneleow.com
email: dionne@cococreativestudio.com
Instagram: @dionneseries