Blog 1 – Lecture Reflection
The lectures that I have watched all successfully covered diversity, sustainability and responsibility. All the lectures allowed me to think about my skills in ways that might impact more than just myself.
A lecture “Culture” by Anna Fitzpatrick really grabbed my attention and challenged me the most. This is largely because it reminded me that we are living in a climate emergency and have LESS THAN TEN years as our window of action. We have to change things drastically. It is evident that the way we make and consume fashion respects neither people nor planet. This lecture aims to look at sustainability and culture concerning fashion. For a better understanding, I have decided to divide this lecture into two parts: the first part is about how cultures, habits and practices of fashion currently undermine or support sustainable future; the second covers a critique of consumer culture and the challenges it presents for sustainability. Anna discussed our current lifestyles and ideas, yet so many of them are causing huge social and environmental problems. Our role to create better lives is to recognize that there are limits to how we can live and operate because there are limits to our natural world and its resources. Therefore, consumer culture plays a vital role in how we present ourselves – our identities as well as our relationships with one another and with nature. It reminded me how closely fashion is linked to a culture of materialism and consumption.
Another lecture that I resonated with the most was Claire Swift’s lecture about social responsibility. She managed to focus on so many ways in which fashion connects us and discussed her work that she conducted alongside LCF students. Swift has been involved in so many projects and approached several collaboration theories and examples. One of them is Conscious Contemporary Craft that represents a complex, interconnected project involving staff and students at London College of Fashion, women at Downview Prison, and residents at San Patrignano, a recovery community in Northern Italy for young people dealing with substance misuse. These projects definitely addressed first-rate issues within the fashion industry, while remaining around enriching tasks for women to take part in. Claire reminded me that fashion can be a solution and social aspects are extremely important. Fashion can improve lives and increase well-being.
Both of these lectures stressed the importance of culture, social responsibility and sustainability in the fashion industry. Currently, we are given the knowledge and set of skills to make changes and contribute. I am beginning to wonder what more I can be doing at the current level of my practice and what am I trying to say to others with my work and creativity. More importantly, I am now understanding that collaboration can be a complex, multi-faceted and challenging environment which can take several years to get right. However, it is vital to not get overwhelmed by all the issues that the world of fashion has created. I now realise that I must start creating better lives and I am grateful to both lecturers for a reminder.