BLOG #2 – Project themes
The better lives project consisted of 3 core themes which were diversity, social responsibility and sustainability; all of which have impacted my thinking and changed the way I aim to work in the future.
Firstly, the theme of diversity has encouraged me to take on an active approach towards ensuring my casting includes a diverse range of models, expanding across different groups within society. Diversity within casting is incredibly important as it contributes towards the representation and inclusivity of different people, which can often correlate directly to the self-esteem and mental well-being of those who are often left under-represented in fashion and media. For example, presenting disabled models in my fashion photography may help others who are disabled to feel more secure about their position in the fashion world, as they become more represented in the context of beauty and fashion. Furthermore, diverse casting enables the audience to feel more accepted, as it helps to deconstruct the linear beauty standards that (still) exist within the fashion world today, which suggest that the ideal beauty type is thin, white, fully-abled, and tall.
Secondly, the theme of social responsibility has taught me to use my work as a platform which drives change and encourage others to be more socially aware themselves. The concept of social responsibility suggests that us an individuals are responsible for our actions are therefore obliged to perform roles in which benefit society as a whole. These actions include the other two themes mentioned, which are diversity and sustainability. If each of us promoted and demonstrated more diverse and sustainable actions, then both our society and culture would be a better off – whether this be globally or nationally.
Lastly, the theme of sustainability has (further) encouraged me to ensure that my work follows a sustainable pathway, by considering the great impact that fashion has upon our environment and finite resources. One piece evidence supporting my reasoning for promoting suitably fashion is that “1kg of cotton is created using and average of 10,000-20,000 litres of water” and “800,000 tonnes of wasted produced by UK clothing”. These statistics alone demonstrate just how unsustainable the fashion industry is currently, without even touching on the global scale of impact. Therefore, we should ultimately be moving towards sustainable alternatives in order to reduce this impact that fashion and consumerism has on the planet. Due to this, I shall now be striving to avoid any inclusion of fast-fashion products in my work as much as possible. As a result, I shall be advocating for alternatives such as vintage garments and other sustainably made or high-fashion. In turn, this should hopefully encourage my audience to follow a similar path by choosing sustainable options over the other unethical alternatives.