Blog 2 – Themes Reflection Task

Since being introduced to the Better Lives themes this unit my outlook on the work I want to produce has already changed. At first, I did not see the purpose of the unit and how it would benefit our studies. But soon realised how crucial it is not only for our studies but for our development into the industry in the future.

The better lives themes have resulted in me exploring further the impacts that the fashion industry has on the environment and our society. I realised too that the focus is so often on the bad impact that the fashion industry has, that all the good is just overlooked. There is no denying it the fashion industry has a lot to fix, but we must also credit those who are already fixing it. There are many brands that are moving to more sustainable production methods and many who are making sure they are inclusive in the models they represent. In terms of models I look up to Savage x Fenti’s casting, they include every colour and body type.

Sustainability was probably the theme I was most involved with prior to this unit. I have always been anti fast fashion and pro second hand. Subsequent to all the lectures however, I found that I am actually a lot most passionate about fair representation and equality, this is not to say that all themes aren’t equally important. The problem of representation and misrepresentation is one that I realised I overlooked quite a lot. It is actually a theme that is especially important for me, being a woman of colour. Even though I did not think much about it before my feelings towards it have escalated quickly and I now have almost a feeling of anger when I see misrepresentation in the industry. This both in the case of the variety of people represented in the media and the credit that people should receive for their work or culture.

As a photography student one of the most obvious ways to help represent is by photographing a range of people not only the once that fall under the mainstream beauty standard. I would love to be able to take this further and also represent these people’s cultures, values and beliefs through my photography.

I never found it important for my work to have a story or a meaning, and to a large degree I still don’t think it necessarily needs to. However, I now feel more motivated to come up with concepts that can help make the industry better.

Overall I am super grateful that we had this opportunity on being educated on all the Better Lives themes. I am certain that they will influence my future practice in a positive way and make me more conscious in my decision making when it comes to putting out work and working with other creatives or brands. Hopefully I can make other people more aware of the changes that are needed in this industry through my work.