Vancouver Fashion eZine - Online Fashion Magazine

Liz Dungate, self-described "slashie", brings extensive experience and intelligence to her work. An Art Director by trade, she has logged in hundreds of photo shoots that range from business concepts to creatives for portfolio or magazine submission. Her function on set runs the gamut from creative director, art director, producer, wardrobe stylist, hairstylist, makeup artist and fashion designer, to set and props stylist. "I really enjoy the flexibility to step into different roles and to collaborate with talented people".

Always an artist, Dungate began working in sketchbooks and painting with oils at a very early age. Even as a child there were small signs of her future direction. "When I look back…I played with Barbies to make clothes. I made them furniture, I made them homes, I made them clothes but I never played like Barbie's going out on a date and meeting Ken. In my Barbie world they had no lives. They got dressed and they became mannequins. So there it was. I was art directing scenes..." Theatre called her at one point, as did Fashion Design (she designed 3 seasons of her own clothing under the name "Gatée"), but Graphic Design is where she earned her degree. In her current role as Art Director she helps clients to achieve a strong conceptual idea to showcase their project and original photography is an important element, a visual hook unique to each client.

Many creative shoots both fashion and commercial have been with photographer Fred Fraser. They met while working for the same graphic design company and after a couple of years doing corporate projects together made the decision to collaborate on some personal ones. What followed over the next several years was the opportunity for them to experiment with hair, makeup, lighting, composition, set design, etc., and evaluate what worked and what didn't. "In many ways I'm glad we did all a lot our experimenting before there was the on-line thing…we had our moments". The partnership endures to this day and there is occasionally a desire to revisit and improve on a few of those earlier concepts, but time and space are always an issue.

The most fulfilling role for Dungate is that of Art Director. "I am passionate about trying to come up with novel ways of expressing classic visual concepts…It's our modern day way of expressing new art…it's of the moment, it can have a theme, it can tell a story." The elements should not be a jumble thrown together, each part must be an important piece that adds to the whole. Inspiration can come from something as small as a prop and it is a constant search to find what is needed. She admits to being a "magpie" and frequents thrift shops looking for unique items. Scouting must also be done for the model(s), wardrobe, extra props and location. Always at the forefront is ensuring that the underlying concept has integrity and that the is image cohesive.

Liz Dungate's artistic influence will continue to be felt in Vancouver's corporate world and on the local fashion scene. Check out some of her latest work in the October issue of 180 Magazine http://180mag.ca/0710/dungate/dungate.html or at her website at www.lizdungate.com.