Blog post 3 – Project Outcome Reflection
Never before have the better lives themes been more apparent and relevant than during recent COVID-19 times. At the start of the six-week projects, I was able to attend the first ‘In and Outside of fashion: sportswear’ styling masterclass at Lime Grove just as normal, where I could interact with my fellow peers, as we styled and dressed one another in our own garments with on-hand guidance from the styling tutors without any social distancing. Now, we’re all having to work remotely from home, taking part in the masterclasses online. It has been incredibly weird for me especially, as I’ve had to move out of London, and am now living back in my parents’ house in Rossendale, 225 miles away. Having to adjust to learning in this environment has been difficult, and I’ve struggled with having my independence taken away. However, I am fortunate that my parents are both key workers, so they have a stable income so can provide for the family. In terms of social responsibility, I am leaving the house less as I don’t have to shop for my own essentials and I don’t have to travel to visit my parents anymore, therefore I am at far less of a risk of spreading the coronavirus to vulnerable people in the community.
All this means I haven’t been able to meet with many of my friends so we’ve had to be inventive; we cannot go out on a Saturday night to dance in clubs as we normally would so online interaction to appreciate music has been our alternative. The ‘Hacienda’, an old (now shut-down) club in Manchester that was famous during the Acid House scene (my chosen subculture for my sportswear styled look) was revived by numerous DJs coming together during an international live stream, performing sets from their own homes on the 11th April 2020. I facetimed my friend Cerys from my bedroom; we both listened to the live stream whilst drinking and dancing with strobes to recreate a club environment the best we could. After this, we worked together to style a number of sportswear looks by using sustainably sourced vintage garments from our wardrobes that were either donated by older family members or bought from second-hand stores. I collaged my items together with hers to create full outfits; I was only required to produce one look, however because of my great interest and collaboration with a friend, I thought I’d include all the looks we came up with. Running with the better lives theme of diversity, all the items of clothing are unisex so can be worn by anyone, with many items being intended for males that both me and my female friend own. This better lives project has helped me think more innovatively to create work, and use what limited resources I have to hand whilst still being responsible regards sustainability, diversity and social responsibility by working from home, social distancing to keep the community safe, whilst still collaborating with other creatives online.