Review of Louise Nabridnyj’s Blog 3
For my project, I chose the In and Outside of Fashion: Sportswear Fashion Language and Sub-cultures project and so I wanted to review one of my peer’s blogs who did the same project. Whilst looking through many, I found Louise Nabridnyj’s third blog and first wanted to review it because of the amazing photographs.
I thought that her use of photography really enhanced the detailed discussion of the Better Lives themes, such as diversity in relation to various sub-cultures; social responsibility in improvising accessories and using material found at home rather than going out to the shops to buy new things during the pandemic; and sustainability in up-cycling old or unwanted garments.
Her discussion of diversity when talking about the first physical masterclass was interesting. She talks about how she mixed different fashion trends like normcore with sportswear by using uncommon garments and accessories, such as a bra on top of a t-shirt and dress which evokes the feeling of a sports bra. I noticed a lot of creativity in her project outcomes, which is very exciting as it shows an ability to be proactive in a range of disciplines across the fashion industry, not just in one chosen degree subject.
The final paragraph, where Louise talks about how she is rethinking her purchasing habits is my favourite part of the blog post. She cites how, “I can upcycle and swap my unwanted clothes with friends, instead of constantly making unnecessary new purchases.” Personally, I have never upcycled my own clothes. I often send mine to charity shops when they are out of use, but after reading this blog post, my mind has been changed. I would like to experiment with being more creative with my clothes to make new, practical garments. I was especially stunned with how Louise was able to make four items out of “a single pair of unworn trousers”. She linked her activity to the theme of social responsibility and sustainability, which worked very well.
Although I loved the blog post, I would have liked to hear more about how she plans to implement the three Better Lives themes into her practice in the future alongside the information about how her mind has been changed in regard to her personal life. Her response showcased a very resourceful attitude toward styling, and I loved the styled looks she created, but I would have enjoyed reading about her degree subject and how Better Lives has informed that aspect of her field.
Finally, the main thing that stood out to me from Louise’s blog post was her self-efficacy and resilience. During COVID-19, it was not easy to conduct a styling masterclass all on our own, but Louise not only achieved an incredible outcome but also communicated it very eloquently in her blog. I think her efforts and successes should be commended during these challenging times, as her abounding curiosity to delve further into styling made these tasks seem effortless.