Lecture Reflection #1
The Better Lives Unit has enlightened me on how fashion can be beneficial for social and democratic movements. One lecture particularly showcased this new view of fashion and stood out within the first week, this was the ‘Collaboration’ lecture ran by Claire Swift. This lecture made me realise fashion is more than just a way of expressing a persons individuality. The lecture focused on inmates in HMP Downview as they were set to work in a miniature-scale textile factory. Fashion was not only conveyed as a recreational activity, it was also a gateway to a better life for the inmates after their prison sentence. The impact that the fashion industry can have on these women is monumental. Not only will it ensure the women acquire qualifications to work in a trade outside of prison, but it also gives them a better value of life, as well as, the opportunity to work in a trade they wouldn’t have necessarily chosen had they not had the chance to pursue it. This project also pushes the women to think/act in a more creative way, tackling subjects such as female rights by making vibrant banners for marches. This demonstrated that fashion is so versatile and is constantly being moulded into more innovative ways to serve a specific purpose.
Another lecture that proves fashion can be developed into an alternative purpose was the ‘Democracy and Activism’ lecture lead by Lucy Orta. In this lecture Orta describes fashion not only as iconography used to express an individual’s identity, but it can also have utility. Orta, a designer, used her knowledge in fashion design to create clothing for the homeless that can also function as a shelter during the devastating effects of the Gulf War in 1990-1991 Paris. Orta explains that the salvation army at the time had bags of clothes being donated that were sat in a basement to rot. This is where Orta got the idea to start recycling clothing to make new designs from otherwise useless material. The potential these clothes had created a wave in fashion, soon designers started to become more aware of the materials they were using to design clothes. This contradicts the universal idea that the best design is the newest and trendiest materials, which opens up people to the idea that sustainability in fashion can create more revolutionary designs, due to different materials having different ways of hanging off the body. This promotes more innovative ways of cutting, shaping and sewing garments to fit the body, as well as, prompting designers to use more sustainable sources to acquire materials. In conclusion, the better lives lectures have taught me that fashion is conveyed as an ever-evolving medium, in which people can utilise to help inspire and aid a community.