Blog post 4

When I was reading some of my peers work at the SMC blog, it felt almost impossible to choose one for a review, with so many interesting options and posts to choose from. But there was one, which really stood out for me- Elanka Jiang’s 3rd Blog post on Styling and sportswear project outcomes. As I am a Styling and Production student, it was fascinating for me to read an experience from a different perspective- someone who is interested in different fields, like creative illustration, wanting to experiment with designing and sportswear.

Elanka writes about the variety of styles being talked about throughout the lectures, from subcultures to streetwear. She discusses how informative the lectures were, being given different styles, designers, stylists, which could be used later as inspiration for the projects. It is mentioned how it was suggested to the students to consider Better Lives themes in their outcomes, and therefore they have been introduced to some sustainable brands, like Adidas. Elanka Jiang clearly understood the lecture delivery well, taking inspiration from it and actively using it further in her project.

It is mentioned that during the first masterclass, students had an option to bring in their own clothing and/or materials and then create looks with the use of them, which is an active method of bringing the Better Lives theme of sustainability into the classes. I feel like a really important part for Jiang was stepping out of her comfort zone and deciding to model. Modelling can definitely develop one’s confidence and bring out a new experience of being on the focus, so I’m glad to hear that the masterclasses and the project in general had brought some new experiences for Elanka. She later mentions how as a Canadian Chinese person she appreciates the opportunity to model, because of lack of representation in the media, which makes the whole experience stronger and powerful. The styled looks were well thought out, touching upon redefinition of femininity, as well as a streetwear inspired look. 

Additionally, because of the final looks being unorthodox and against gender stereotypes, another important theme of Better Lives, diversity was moved. The idea of showing different body types fits well into this unit and makes a really engaging styling outcome, especially for a person, who is an illustrator and decided to experiment with styling. In conclusion, Elanka Jiang’s blog post was very inspiring, when it comes to a creative and original use of Better Lives themes throughout her project journey. It has enabled her to gain more knowledge on designers, stylists and subcultures as well as more confidence through the experience.