An editorial cover shoot for In Retrospect Magazine, created in collaboration with Beyond Retro to mark the 30th anniversary of Pretty in Pink.
The project used the film’s visual language as a starting point, drawing on 1980s styling, youth culture, fashion portraiture and character-led group dynamics to create a celebratory magazine feature without simply recreating scenes from the film.
The finished feature appeared in In Retrospect Magazine #06, Spring 2016, bringing together cover imagery, editorial spreads and character portraits.
Role
- Creative direction
- Art direction
- Cover concept
- Fashion and portrait direction
- Styling direction
- Beyond Retro collaboration
- Image selection and sequencing
- Magazine presentation
Anniversary concept
The shoot was built around the 30th anniversary of Pretty in Pink, using the film as a shared cultural reference rather than a fixed template.
Working with Beyond Retro gave the feature access to vintage clothing and styling cues that could carry the anniversary theme, while the direction focused on attitude, pose, colour and group dynamics. The result sat somewhere between homage, fashion editorial and magazine cover story.
Character portraits
The portrait sets extended the anniversary idea into individual character moments, giving each look its own attitude and visual rhythm.
Some images leaned into the recognisable high-school and teen-film language of the source material, while others pushed the styling into a broader fashion editorial space. Together, they gave the feature more range than a single cover image could carry.
Behind the scenes
The production images show the shoot taking shape on location, from styling and make-up to lighting, direction and set-up.
They also capture the practical texture of the day: the improvised corners, working space and small adjustments behind the final editorial images.
Victorian Secrets was an independent publishing house specialising in Victorian and Edwardian literature, biography and cultural history.
M Keller Creative Studios was commissioned to design the complete book jackets and artwork for two biographies: The Perfect Man, the story of pioneering bodybuilder Eugen Sandow, followed by Hope & Glory, a biography of the celebrated contralto Clara Butt.
Both designs drew on the visual culture of their subjects’ eras, combining historical imagery, period-inspired typography and decorative illustration to give each book its own identity while maintaining a shared visual character across the publisher’s biographical titles.
Role
- Creative direction
- Complete book jacket design
- Cover artwork and illustration
- Typography and lettering
- Historical visual research
- Image selection and treatment
- Print-ready artwork preparation
The Perfect Man – Eugen Sandow
The first commission for Victorian Secrets was the complete book jacket for The Perfect Man, a biography of Eugen Sandow, the pioneering bodybuilder and physical culture icon.
The design drew on the visual language of late Victorian advertising, combining period-inspired lettering, decorative flourishes and historical photography. The resulting jacket reflects the theatricality of Sandow’s public image and the era in which he became a celebrity.
Hope & Glory – Clara Butt
The second commission for Victorian Secrets was the complete book jacket for Hope & Glory, a biography of Dame Clara Butt, the celebrated British contralto.
The design drew on Edwardian portraiture, decorative typography and historical sheet music, reflecting Butt’s career and the visual culture of her era. A restrained palette and period-inspired ornament brought these elements together in a jacket that complemented The Perfect Man while giving the book its own distinct character.
A body of cover art, release direction and supporting promotional design for Lumenessence Records, developed across several artists and titles. The work extended from individual record sleeves and packaging to posters, adverts and other promotional material.
The designs shared a loose but recognisable visual language, drawing on hand-drawn marks, distressed textures, collage, photography and abstract forms. Each release took its own direction, shaped by the character of the artist and the music.
Role
- Creative direction
- Art direction
- Cover artwork
- Release identity
- Poster and advert design
- Image treatment and collage
- Layout and print preparation
Sketchie
A connected run of release artwork using sparse drawing, paper texture, red mark-making and rough physical detail to build a raw, handmade identity across several releases.
Backini
The Backini releases took the visual language in a more colourful, playful direction, combining illustrated figures, collage, found imagery and layered textures. The artwork extended across record sleeves, packaging and promotional material, with each design developing its own character while remaining part of the wider Lumenessence collection.
Wider release artwork
Further covers, record sleeves and promotional artwork developed for different artists and releases, each exploring a distinct visual approach.
