Lecture Reflection- Blog 1
I approached the Better Lives lectures as a sceptic, I was unaware of the magnitude of change which still needs to be done by the fashion industry. I was most moved and inspired by the lectures Wellbeing given by Jekaterina Rogaten and Representation by Teleica Kirkland. We live in a monocultural and Eurocentric society, where thin, white, abled people are predominantly used in consumerism to sell to the masses. Kirkland commented in her lecture that “what this does to the social consciousness of everyone is to believe only one type of person can be and should be seen in everyday media. This then has repercussions on the people who don’t look like that.”
For Better Lives I am taking part in the Navigating Through Clothing project, in which we are exploring costume design for performance and re-interpreting characters from a given text. Approaching this project after listening to the lectures has given me a new outlook on how the costume design industry can make changes to help create better lives.
Rogaten in her lecture discussed how the lack of diversity in fashion consumption has led to eating disorders becoming common among models and that the “teen age group have the most apparent development of eating disorders”. This sadly is not shocking, the influence of this can also be felt in the theatre and performance world. In ballet “there is popularly believed to be an ideal ”Balanchine” body type for women, with the jobs going to tall, slender women with long necks, long legs and short torsos.” (Dunning, 1997). In my costume design project, I want to re-interpret characters which do not add to this problematic ideology and make a point of questioning the damage done by those in the industry.
Outside of the better lives project I am studying BA Fashion Imaging and Illustration, as a fashion illustrator and image maker it is important to also take accountability in ensuring the images made are inclusive and challenge the monocultural norms. Image makers such as Florence Given are using their platforms to make social change with their images. Given commented in an interview with Independent magazine that “we (women) are viewed as existing for male consumption in the media, which in turn reflects in how men treat women’s bodies in real life.” (Petter, 2019). This ideology reflects on those who cast women for modelling jobs or ballet performances, that only one type of body can be seen as beautiful or sexual.
References
Dunning, J., 2020. Eating Disorders Haunt Ballerinas. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: <https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/16/arts/eating-disorders-haunt-ballerinas.html> [Accessed 27 March 2020].
Kirkland, T 2020, Representation, lecture notes, Better Lives Unit FU001708, London College of Fashion, delivered 19 February 2020.
Petter, O., 2020. Meet The Illustrator Who Wants You To Dump Your Boyfriend. [online] The Independent. Available at: <https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/florence-given-interview-instagram-influencer-dump-him-illustrations-a9002236.html> [Accessed 27 March 2020].
Rogaten, J 2020, Wellbeing, lecture notes, Better Lives Unit FU001708, London College of Fashion, delivered 17 February 2020.