Blog Post 2 – Reflection on Themes and Their Future Influence

Styling, put simply, is the art of making clothes look good on the body. Commercially this is used to sell product, making these garments look their best on a body shape, that you most likely as a consumer you can identify with. In this blog post, I will be discussing the power play that consistently shifts around between brands and consumer, as well as the environmental implications that undoubtedly occur when a brand is continuously attempting to sell more product, and how I am to tackle this theme of sustainability through a stylist’s eye. 

When placing myself into the role of a stylist, I initially think about the existing way in which stylists operate. Often way more looks are requested to set than necessary. This offers the stylist choice, although timings and editorial briefs usually only permit and require one or two complete looks. This of course presents the challenge of waste and complex logistical work, with increasing effects to the carbon footprint of the finished shoot. When approaching masterclasses within the Better Lives course, I will carefully consider what pieces would be transversal enough to work alongside other sportswear pieces brought in by other group members. This also in my opinion feels like a more ethical approach to promoting garments; using the mentality of ‘look how many different ways this garment can be worn’. This ethical power is held by the stylist, as they conceptualise and create these looks. However often enough the brand/magazine has to meet certain advertising expectations and therefore these commands can be seen to come from above all creatives working on the editorial. It’s at this point we, as consumers, we must really debate the necessity of these new garments that we are being sold from every angle. The real power here, as we know lies within the consumers’ pockets. 

Within whatever medium I happen to be working in, it’s important to remember who is leading and driving the discussion. Who is really carving the path for the future of the fashion industry? Through my creative direction, and my business acumen, I would like to think that when working with or for a brand, the product or service that is being marketed and effectively sold has the greatest possible amount of consumer agency. I see It that both parties should have equal power when influencing and consuming. Without clarity and a general mission statement that aims to tackle these huge sustainability issues, the work cannot feel genuine within a modern society that should not just superficially care about the environment.

Therefore, when thinking about the more immediate future, I would like to enact this mentality within my next styling masterclass, and how as a stylist in these unprecedented times I will really consider how the viewer/consumer of my work is left feeling. The Better Lives project brief looks at how the outside world more often than not, becomes a part of the inside of fashion. The sportwear element to this brief has also become exceptionally prevalent, as we now live in a time where exercise has become one of very few forms of escape permitted from the confinements of one’s home. I’ll be thinking about what this will mean for the evolution of sportwear and how these restricted times are influencing dress and style.