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Reflections on how the Better Lives themes might change how you work in the future
The Better Lives themes have definitely opened my eyes more to how the fashion industry is doing. It has made me realize that as a fashion photographer, I have a responsibility to talk about diversity, sustainability and social responsibility in an open way and try and use it in my work to make others aware of what that means. Before this my motivations in the industry were to show the beauty and the fun in fashion. But if we are not careful there will be nothing beautiful or fun left of it. There will be nothing good to show only lies. In the future I want change those motivations of mine.
First, diversity and inclusion are two very important things. And I don’t want to photograph people just for the sake of trying to portray everyone. That will never be possible and we are not defined by our skin color or our body size. I want to portray people for the beauty that they have within, the culture that they carry has to be celebrated but it is not all that they are. I want to peel the mask that society gives us, the boxes we are put in and make diversity something beyond gender, color or size, but person and soul.
Secondly, sustainability. As I am not a designer, I won’t be able to actually make sustainable clothing like they talked about in many of the lectures. But I can do things personally and in my practice. Personally shopping second hand is something I have done for a long time, it makes the experience more interesting and you know that you are able to find something unique. As for my practice I am already being pretty sustainable. I take a lot of self-portraits in mine and my mother’s clothing, constantly styling the same clothing in different ways and re-using it. How that will work in the future, I’m not sure. But I think I would be interested in shooting archives and celebrating timeless frocks.
And finally, social responsibility. Living in world that is becoming more selfish every day, people think more about how to have their own career and do the things that are on their bucket list. And don’t get me wrong, I don’t think that there is anything wrong with having your own ambitions, I think it’s great. But sometimes, it is the only thing on their mind. And we have to think more in a community sometimes. Does what I do have a good impact on the ones around me? And what is my contribution?
And I believe that if I keep asking myself these questions from time to time, I believe that will help me be more conscious of the ones around me.