Reflection 2 – Themes Reflection
Attending the Better Lives lectures on social responsibility, diversity and social responsibility as well as working on Fashion Activism project made me consider the importance of it to me as a fashion student. It made me reflect on myself as an individual interested in fashion as well as someone who will be working in the industry one day. Before even starting the Better Lives unit, all of the Better Lives topics were always considered and discussed during my Fashion PR and Communication lectures. Therefore, since coming to London College of Fashion I understood that it is a very significant part in fashion industry.
During the Fashion Activism classes we had before the spring break, our tutors Melodie and Karolina introduced us to what it means to be Creative Director and introduced us to the brands that connected to the Better Lives topics. One of the examples was Nubian Skin brand that creates nude lingerie for women of colour. The founder of Nubian Skin Ade Hassan noticed that the selection of nude lingerie made by other brands does not consider women of colour and therefore decided to create this inclusive brand. This is an example of what we as fashion creatives could do in order to bring more diversity, fairness and sustainability into the fashion industry.
As a Fashion PR and Communication student, I need to always keep in mind the three parts of Better Lives unit. Currently, all the projects I am working on are only based in university. However, once I am working all the choices I make can have an impact in the development of future industry. One of the main things what I think about when making the connection with the Better Lives themes and my creative practice is the importance of looking into the brand or the client. Already now when doing the university projects and researching different brands, the main points I look into when I come across a certain brand is to what extent it is sustainable, diverse and social responsible. After I have the answers to those questions, I already have my opinion on the brand and then I can choose whether I support it or not. I think this is very important to remember this when I start working in the fashion industry because then I also choose whether I want to work with that client.
It is also important to note the changes due to the coronavirus. Everyone is now in a situation they have never experienced and there is an unknown of what will happen. However, this situation made us all think of more creative ways to do the things we could have done easily before. It led our society appreciate simple things. The coronavirus crisis also had a huge impact on fashion industry and I think there is a very positive side to it. Only due to this the fast fashion slowed down, people started rethinking fashion weeks and made the consumer reconsider their habits. The current situation in the world regarding the Covid-19 crisis showed that it is especially important to consider the themes discussed during the Better Lives unit.