blog post 2- themes reflection
The better lives unit has allowed me to inquire into different themes revolving fashion design that I may once have neglected to consider. Although each theme has many subtopics the main three being; Diversity, Sustainability and Social Responsibility. Throughout the duration of the course I have made sure to watch as many lectures as possible in order to teach myself different ways of designing and how incorporating each theme into my design work can create better and easier lives for the buyer or observer.
With regards to diversity, although I previously would have liked to believe that ‘designing for everyone’ would have been a theme that I naturally would have considered. Nonetheless through the course of my lectures and briefings I have come to realise that there are so many different aspects to consider. Having a range that is diverse isn’t as simple as a makeup brand having 30 shades or having a ramp where there are stairs. Human beings come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colour and each individual has their own specific needs and expectation of design. For example, in Laura Salisbury’s lecture on inclusion she touches on a Tommy Hilfiger range that uses magnets instead of zips. Granted this is a step in the right direction and now allows for handicapped or elderly people to enjoy and experience fashion where they once could not, Salisbury correctly states that these garments are not in fact completely inclusive as the garments are either completely open or completely fastened. They have not taken into consideration partial fastening.
as somebody who buys around 70% of her clothes on secondhand clothing sites or charity shops and who uses mostly reusable products, sustainability is a key theme in which I thought I was very mindful of. As Kate Fletcher stated in her ‘nature’ lecture; ‘fashion is enabled by nature and it is also limited by it.’ The fashion industry cannot continue to grow the way that it is. I hope that I will be able to get that percentage of second hand clothes to around the 90% mark and I definitely wish to switch to a completely reusable lifestyle. Whenever I am designing anything I will without a doubt be considering every single environmental factor within my design. I have learned that fashion and design cannot continue to grow in which it is. As designers we all need to work together in being mindful of our planet and out consequences.
Which brings us to social responsibility. We as designers have a responsibility to ensure that what we create and put out to the world has only that of positive outcomes. It’s about not just thinking of one particular benefit but trying to step back and view the over all outcome. The better lives lectures and themes have opened up a whole world of design techniques and topics for consideration, in particular inclusion and empathy as these are two topics in which I had no idea had so much depth and different factors to consider.