Blog Post #2
This is part two of my blog portfolio for the Better Lives unit: as a student on the Hair, Make-up and Prosthetics for Performance course, I admit that I struggled to find much relation between the object of my study and the contents of most of the lectures. They were surely interesting and thought provoking, but, when faced with the question: “how will the information given during these lectures alter your own fashion practice?”, I am unsure about how to answer as I would not consider hair and make-up artistry to be “fashion practice”, especially not for performance.
After re-reading my notes on the lectures and trying to make some sort of connection with them, I considered the main points, for example, inclusion and diversity. In my case, I will be working with performers that I don’t get to choose. It’s not my job to cast inclusively, so the best I can do is know how to deal with all different skin tones and hair types, to make whoever I work on feel comfortable and welcome in my chair.
The other point that I relate to, on a personal, as well as business-related level, is the aspect of sustainability in my practice. In Nina Stevenson’s lecture, she was speaking more about sustainability in our current world, where we’re facing a climate emergency that the majority of the big institutions aren’t taking seriously. Before I started studying at LCF, I was one of those people that believed “me changing my actions won’t do anything to stop the climate crisis, so there is no point. Change won’t happen unless the world’s leading corporations decide to change, as they are the ones doing the most damage anyway”. In a way, I do still believe this, but I’ve also come to realise that if I don’t make a change, then what’s even the point? If I don’t even try then what does that say about me? Am I not willing to make changes to my own life, so at least I can say that I did my part?
In my personal life, that has meant, for example, me becoming a vegetarian: something I have always known I wanted to do, but I was put off by my family, who are all still devoted meat-eaters, who are still struggling to accommodate my choice. The next step for me will be becoming fully plant-based.
In my practice, however it will be a bit more of a struggle. Since day one, our lecturer, Steven Solomon, has taught us that the number one rule of make-up artistry is to know how to carry out the proper health and safety practices. A lot of this depends on having disposables in your kit to prevent cross-contamination between clients. Then there’s the question of the makeup itself and trying to source it from ethical and sustainable brands. For now, all we can do is take responsibility and become the change, by doing our best to cut down on unnecessary disposables, especially those that are one-use plastics or make-up wipes.
6th May 2020 @ 5:12 pm
BLOG FOUR : PEER REVIEW, GEORGIA ENGLISH BLOG POST 3
https://1920betterlivessmc.myblog.arts.ac.uk/2020/04/19/blog-post-2-6/
For this last blog, I thought It was a good idea to make a feedback after reading someone else’s blog. Indeed, I think we can’t make a real conclusion when we are talking about sustainability, diversity and social responsibility because it’s still evolving. However, this is while listening others and debating that we can find effectives solutions.
For this peer feedback blog, I chose Georgia English’s blog 2 as I recognized myself in her words. She is a student on Hair, Make-up and Prosthetics for Performance course and struggled as I did for finding a link between her project and the Better Lives themes. After focusing on how she could make connexions, she found good suggestions. For me, the main issues in the cosmetic and hair field are the products we use. There is still a big diversity and ethical issue, a lot of brands have a very limited colour palette or are not matching for all type of skins.
I know, like the fashion industry, it began to change. For example, Rihanna and her collection Fenty beauty offers a huge variety of products for all women with different skins colours. I ordered last week from the new French brand Typology a range of organic cosmetics based on my type of skin. You fill online a questionnaire and answer questions about your skin, your allergies, smells that you like…
In her blog Georgia insisted on the fact that she couldn’t clearly see how she can’t make the world change if she change her lifestyle. She felt insecure about how she can have an impact and how her choices are defining her. I think this is a behaviour we all had younger but I hope while evolving and go further in your projects you will see the importance of including values in you work. I think your artistic work defines you and it need to reflect who you are and what you think.
Even if you can’t change the world by yourself, not accepting to give credit to brands which have no values and if you feel concerned about it will help you to evolve in tomorrow’s world. At the beginning, include sustainable, ethical and diversity values were a way of being different, after it was a trend but it will be essential in the future of the industry. Cosmetics products are still tested on animals, contain a lot of toxic elements, is a big waste in terms of packaging… there is a lot of progress that need to be done in this field.
I hope this Better Lives themes will help Georgia like it helped me to realize how these themes are important and why you need to include them in your vision if you want to follow the evolution of our world. We are in a critical situation and people who will no take this in account may have a disadvantage.