April 2020

The lectures had a heavy theme of diversity and inclusivity. After learning about these it has become apparent that more people need to prioritise these within their practise, myself included. The lack of diversity in the fashion industry is astounding and although certain companies are improving, the rest of us need to contribute too. 

As a creative director I would address this via my casting, whilst being mindful not to turn it into tokenism. I think the key to diverse casting is just casting who you think would fit the idea, without any bias or pre-decided idea in mind.

Furthermore, with diverse casting comes a diverse hair, makeup and styling team. For example, if you have cast a woman with afro hair then the hair stylist would need the appropriate tools and experience with afro hair whilst the makeup artist would need to have the correct shades of makeup. It’s shocking how many companies don’t currently provide these basics as I intend to. For instance, I have a friend called Wisdom who’s quite a successful model, he’s walked for Missoni with Bella Hadid and is currently all over Times Square for Levi’s. However, when he went to model for ASOS last year, the hair stylist started tugging at his afro with her bare hands, she didn’t even have an afro comb. This is completely outrageous and to further emphasise it, imagine how ridiculous it would be if a professional hair stylist tried to brush your hair with their hands. I do not want to be like ASOS, and I hope no one else does, we want to be the antithesis of unaccommodating.

As a creative direction student, I am used to base my designs and creative outcomes on detailed and deep research into the chosen themes. All my work starts with learning about the theory behind design and desk research.

For better lives, I wanted to do something more practical, learn a skill which shows immediate results, so I chose make-up breakdown.

Besides the main themes of better lives, Diversity, sustainability and inclusivity, we talked about the principle of “The fashion mistake”, which means allowing the accident to participate in the project. Being a non-professional in make-up, this concept came in handy, as I was prone to make mistakes along the way of learning and creating.

I was interested in what we define as a “mistake” and why, so I deepened my research in this subject. The official definition of a mistake is “an act or judgement that is misguided or wrong”, although this didn’t give me an insight of who’s the judge of calling something a mistake. In the creative world a mistake is often something that is seen as aesthetically unappealing (keeping in mind that aesthetic values change over time and space).

In today’s western culture we see symmetry, smoothness and levelness as aesthetically pleasing. Interestingly enough, when googling synonyms for “even” words like “unwrinkled”, “undamaged” and “featureless” come up.

This inspired me to create my make-up looks around that subject: The beauty of mistakes.

While watching many of the Vogue make up tutorials on YouTube, I observed the different processes of various celebrities doing their makeup. I paused the videos at random points of the routine, capturing an awkward face in the moment the makeup is applied and not evened out yet.  I used these stills to recreate the make-up looks, filming myself while doing them in order to take similar screen-captures.

It was a fun project, a way not to take myself and the beauty world too seriously. I was open to all mistakes I would encounter, including them in my creation.

In these times of Covid19 especially, when we all have to stay at home, being isolated and restricted, it is important to create a fun space, where everything is allowed, including mistakes.

The main themes of Better Lives could not be more relevant to the climate of today’s fashion industry. Social responsibility, environmental sustainability, and diversity are all topics that must be addressed if we expect fashion as we know it to survive in the future. I appreciate how several of the lectures I watched both concisely informed and encouraged us to take action in ways pertaining to the previously mentioned pillars. This call to action is echoed outside of Better Lives, and is spreading rapidly throughout the entire industry. We at LCF are privileged to have the resources needed to educate ourselves about these issues, and to be surrounded by staff that are passionate about incorporating them into our curriculum. Since attending LCF for foundation last year, I have made many changes to the way I live and work, and the choices I make within my practice. Making positive change begins with taking the initiative to study the problems we are facing, as well as considering the ways in which we will personally take part in that change.

The topic of sustainability is one in particular that really captures my attention. I have learned so much about the importance of continuously supporting vintage and secondhand businesses, as well as smaller designers operating on a made-to-order basis or with recycled materials; all to minimize the overwhelming amount of pollution caused by fashion. However, a surplus of waste is only a fraction of the issues at hand. Unethical working environments are almost standard for the industry’s mainstream retailers, and projects like the Made for Change ethical manufacturing initiative mentioned in Claire Swift’s lecture are the type of creative solutions necessary in combatting some of the damage. Moving forward with my own project within my Better Lives portrait photography class, I am determined to carefully consider the clothing I promote in my outcome. I also aim to possibly collaborate with a local, ethically conscious brand. 

Diversity is another hurdle that the fashion world is struggling to overcome. Unfortunately, many fashion brands fail to properly consider cultural diversity in their work. Whether it be in the design itself or in ad campaigns, we still see misrepresentation time after time. In Cher Potter’s lecture on perspectives in design, she discussed a positive example of how brands can dig deeper to correctly pay tribute to non-Eurocentric cultures. This example was of The Sartists, an African collective of artists using their own creative ideas to propose streetwear collaborations on social media that reflect the identity of their fading culture (Potter 2020). The collective’s creativity led to collaborations with top brands such as Adidas and Stussy, exemplifying how social media can be used as a tool to learn about and discover new cultures straight from the source. Having access to global input and ideas from a diverse group is a valuable resource that needs to be capitalized on. In my work thus far in the Better Lives portrait photography class, I have been able to work with classmates from a variety of backgrounds, both in and out of the classroom. This collaboration has reinforced the idea that exposure to varied cultures and backgrounds can lead to some of the most informed and creative outcomes.

Potter, Cher. (2020) “Perspectives” [Lecture]. Better Lives, London College of Fashion, 14 February.

Throughout this Better Lives unit, I struggled to find the connection between the themes of the unit and my better lives project: Makeup. Even though to this day I am still uncertain I have found a way to connect sustainability to the work we are doing in my project class. During these difficult times, we have had to start online classes instead of physically going into university and therefore we have had to adapt to the resources we have access to in our homes. During my first online class, we were given two hours to create two makeup looks; one linked to a fashion mistake and one linked to imperfections. At first, I was rather startled as I had no makeup in my family home but when I started thinking more outside the box I found myself looking for reusable materials around the house. For example for my imperfection look, I used 2 feathers, that I had bought years ago for a party, some tape and a black marker. With these three simple materials, I was able to complete the task by creating an incredibly powerful makeup look. After my class I found myself thinking of how much I had learned. Instead of using materials that I would then throw away, I tried to adjust myself to my surroundings and go from there. I learned that there are many ways that you can create something beautiful by still being sustainable and conscious. When we had to share our final outcomes I was blown away by my peer’s looks and how they, like me, used completely sustainable materials and adjusted themselves to the circumstance. Another very strong theme that was present in this project lesson was diversity. All of our looks told a different story. None of us created a similar look. We all came up with diverse and intriguing ideas which made the whole concept even more beautiful. One-piece that specifically left me speechless was this girl that created a look by attaching balloons of different sizes and colors as well as party confetti wrapped around her neck and lips. I found it a very playful way of creating a makeup look without using any makeup at all. Again by being sustainable and using things that she found around the house. I think that Diversity and sustainability are the two themes that are the most present in my Better Lives project. Putting these themes in action has opened my eyes and made me realize how vast and diverse the community within LCF is.

Each of the lectures that I watched from the Better Lives series was successful in covering social responsibility, diversity, and sustainability through relevant examples centered around fashion and culture. These lectures allowed me to see past my personal work and assignments, and led me to consider how I could use my skills in ways that might impact more than just myself. 

Claire Swift’s lecture on social responsibility was the presentation that I resonated with the most. She focused on the many ways fashion is able to connect us, and discussed her own philanthropic work that she conducted alongside LCF students. I was absolutely blown away by the number of projects Swift was involved in. I immediately grew interested in her work with incarcerated women. Swift discussed several projects that she worked on in local British prisons. They each addressed outstanding issues within the fashion industry, while remaining centered around enriching tasks for the women to partake in. As mentioned in her lecture, only 9% of women leave prison having secured employment, while that statistic jumps to 25% for male inmates. Seeing this as an opportunity to use fashion as a solution, Swift started the project Making for Change in collaboration with design students at LCF. The students taught women in UK prisons sewing skills, quality control, and other important skillsets. This led to smaller fashion brands and designers employing these workshops to ethically manufacture their products. What I admired most about the Making for Change project is that it not only exemplifies taking social responsibility, but it also promotes sustainability through its ethical production means, while also finding a way to benefit a diverse and commonly overlooked demographic.

Swift stressed the importance of understanding that our practice as artists extends beyond ourselves, and can be used for something much bigger. At LCF we are given the knowledge and skills needed to create change, however it is up to us to take that initiative. This lecture was a huge eye-opener for me. I am beginning to wonder what more I can be doing at this level in my practice, and how I can begin incorporating social responsibility into every new project I take on. Learning how Swift was able to benefit many troubled areas in the fashion industry through one project was inspiring to say the least. It can be quite easy to be overwhelmed by all of the issues that the world of fashion has both created and perpetuated, and to begin underestimating our ability to correct it. Though taking action one project at a time is a slow process, it is a necessary one. I am grateful to Swift for all of the positive change she has helped make, and for reminding me that even as a student, there are so many chances to use fashion as a tool for change through every opportunity I am faced with, big or small.

Swift, C. (2020) “Social Responsibility” [Lecture]. Better Lives, London College of Fashion, 14 February.

The Better Lives themes covered diversity, social responsibility and sustainability, all of which had an influence upon my project outcome and personal development. We explored these themes in class using many different methods such as engaging in group discussions, creating mind-maps, researching historical references, watching documentary clips and further on – all with the addition of our independent research.

The Better Lives themes appear to be increasingly more important given the pandemic our world is currently facing; this global crisis is encouraging us to look at the bigger picture, by opening our eyes to see the failures within our societal structures and thus pushing us to strive for a change that would benefit the world as whole (rather than just those at the top). For example, we witnessed a rapid decrease in CO2 emissions as a result of nations in quarantine. This extraordinary occurrence forced us to acknowledge humanity’s impact upon climate change, by proving that we have the power to reverse the damage we’ve caused if we collectively prioritise shifting towards more sustainable and considerate lifestyles. Therefore, In response to the theme of sustainability and social responsibility, I ensured to create my second look using mostly second-hand garments. Second-hand / vintage clothing are perfect examples of how we can reuse garments that once belonged to someone else, in order to reduce the waste created by the production of new clothing, by contributing less towards the demand for these new goods.

My final outcome of the second masterclass had been inspired by a combination of the 90s rave and grunge subcultures, which was a concept my group had discussed previously in class that i wanted to expand on myself. Some popular trends in the 90s rave style that i had referenced in this look included fishnet, super cropped tops, chunky trainers and bright colours. On the other hand, the inspiration taken from 90s grunge trends included pleated skirts and the shade of black. As well as this, the look also incorporated references to sportswear, particularly inspired by the traditional tennis-player kit worn by female players; these references included the pleated tennis skirt, high knee socks, button up vest and trainers. 

The theme surrounding diversity had also influenced my decision making throughout this project, in regards to both my development and final outcome. The first masterclass consisted of us engaging in a group task, in which we had to style looks relating to our research on sportswear and youth subcultures. The concept of diversity held great importance within this styling task, as we strived to ensure that our looks were considerate towards various body types, in order to demonstrate the representation of different people in every shape and size. For example, we had created some looks which accentuated the models curves while others were suited to frame a more rectangular figure.

For the project of ‘Better Lives’, I chose the ‘Make-Up Breakdown’ class. While I have no interest in going into make-up in the future, I thought it would be interesting to step out of my comfort zone and learn more about the work that my future colleagues in the industry will be doing. From contouring to colour theory, I did learn a lot in these lessons that I didn’t know previously; and, upon exploring the ‘Better Lives’ themes with the make-up designs we created, I now realise just how powerful and expressive make-up can be. 

The lectures and the actual class I had regarding the ‘Better Lives’ unit had different themes. ‘Diversity’, ‘Power’ and ‘Empathy’ were the lecture themes, whereas the make-up breakdown themes were ‘Imperfections’ and ‘Fashion Mistake’. Instead of going strictly for one or the other, I mixed ‘Imperfections’, ‘Fashion Mistake’ and ‘Power’ together, deciding to portray the imperfect world that we live in through my make-up design. Despite ‘fashion’ being about beauty, it shows that fashion can be very ugly and that the industry causes a lot of pollution.

For this unit I wanted to try and push my boundaries by not only going out of my comfort zone, but to try and think outside of the box. Despite the unit being interrupted by the global pandemic, it has still managed to plant a seed in my brain that will help me with future designs and projects. That ‘seed’ gave me some food for thought, and in the future, I will certainly make a conscious effort to keep what we have learned in mind. No matter what I design now, I know that I will be thinking about the effects it could have on others. 

Not only do I know a lot more about the themes we discussed, but I also now know of the impacts that they have. Through the work I have discovered that we all have voices that we can use to make a change, and I’ve found that this is something that means a lot to me, as I always want to try and make a positive change through helping others. I’ve used my voice during this unit to express the themes closest to me through my work and will continue to do so for future projects. 

This shows me that, despite not immediately seeing it, I have made personal progress during the ‘Better Lives’ unit. Although I am not one hundred percent proud of what I have accomplished due to the ramifications of the pandemic and the toll it’s taken on my health, I know that I have done my absolute best, and at this moment in time, that is all I can do and continue to do. 

Featured Image: My final ‘Make-Up Breakdown’ design on ‘Imperfections’ and ‘Fashion Mistake’, inspired heavily by the pollution that the fashion industry causes.

MARÍA GONZÁLEZ – PÁRAMO

Before I attended my first better lives session on Emerging Technology, I was extremely unaware of all the existing different technological options that could turn the fashion industry around on a 360º turn. Even though me and mostly all of my classmates are millennials, we are amateurs to the world of coding, blockchain, bitcoin… We know how to work our iPhones and how to access runways, and shoots, nearby fashion events, Vogue youtube tutorials, etc,… yet, we are completely numb to the idea of advanced technology and the vast and remarkable influence it can have on the industry’s outstanding flaw’s such as: sustainability, diversity, equal rights in the work space… I have opened my eyes and seen the advantages of investing in technology in order to be able to control things that are overlooked by humans. VR has been a field in emerging technology which has always called my attention and I can recall wanting to know more about it a few times. In the sessions our teacher, Nick Almond, really opened my mind and talked a few times about Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Intelligence. Many ideas where starting to appear in my mind, and I was also making connections. Immediately, what came to mind was how one of my preferred sectors in the fashion world, runway shows, could be connected to AI, VR and the whole technological field in general. I had heard about young creatives at LCF creating computer designed models and runways in the past and was very interested and keen on seeing if this could be encouraged more and even practiced more. I wanted to reflect more and truly take the session’s information outside of the university room, so I started researching on the Internet in order to see what initiatives and actual projects where out there. Amongst my different findings, I found out that that there was had been many projects where designers would sell virtual online garments and gain a lot of money. On one hand, while this was an idea that excited me given its modernity and technologically advanced side, I was also a little disappointed considering that to me it looked like the hand knitted/woven/printed real life garments would lose their shine and value.
In my better lives project, Emerging Technology in the Fashion Industry, we decided on a final project which was about vintage trends and using data to analyse the needs in different focalised areas in order to produce the needed amounts and be more sustainable. Some methods we learned to use and explored where tools like google trends, social media options such as hashtags, google maps GPS options to situate where demand was coming from etc. I think overall, this project has opened my eyes to the infinite possibilities that lie within the use of technology and advanced engines. I believe that I will start to use these trend tracers in the future in order to find clothing to use in my shoots when using specialised garments so that I don’t contribute negatively by buying in shops and use garments that have already been worn. This could be one sustainable approach on my side based on what I have learnt throughout this project which is directly related to my field of study.

Better Lives has made me think a lot about social responsibility within sustainability. More specifically when taken in the context of fashion. Through the various lectures, the topic of consumer habits came up a lot. The lecturer showed us graphs and patterns which showed us how consumer habits have a great impact on the environment and how it’s up to us to take the first step in order to change/break these habits. Before these lectures, I was in denial of the fact that my shopping habits may have had an effect on the environment, or maybe I knew but I didn’t want to acknowledge it. Big companies like H&M, Topshop, Zara, and many more are mass producers of cheap products and use toxic materials to produce them which not only damages the environment but also creates an unsafe work environment for factory employers which produce and manufacture their clothes. I remember seeing a video a few years back from a factory that manufactures clothes for H&M collapsing and so many employees got injured. It scared me but I had never really understood that I was just as guilty as these big fashion companies which are fans of mass production, as I was giving them money by buying their clothes and giving them the opportunity to keep manufacturing their products the way they do. The Better Lives Lectures opened my eyes to a whole other part of fashion that I was completely oblivious to. I intend to carry on the theme of sustainability and social responsibility throughout my studies and making my part in breaking the cycle of consumer habits. Although, I do acknowledge that this might not be easy for everyone due to the fact that companies like H&M sell their products at very low prices and many people may have the option to stop buying from these big mass producing companies. This made me realize that there is a whole in the fashion market; we are missing rands that are economically friendly as well as environmentally friendly in order to reak consumer habits and do our part to help the environment. Sustainability and social responsibility are two of themes that have stayed with me the most throughout this Better Lives experience and I will continue to carry them on through my studies y incorporating them in my future projects when doing rand analysis or even in my personal life when I am looking to buy new products I will conduct my research before feeding an industry that is harmful to the environment.