lecture notes
Diversity and representation within fashion notes.
representation and diversity within the arts is about seeing people from a diverse range of backgrounds whether that be from the LGBT community, different body aesthetics and ethnicities.
designers, artists, photographers and all other creatives should strive to correctly and sensitively represent all types of people from every community. Throughout history ‘Eurocentric’ beauty standards have been promoted and exhibited throughout the world through imperialism, colonialism and the media. Western media/ideals pushed worldwide. It is important more-so now than ever before because people need to be educated on how different people live their lives. Through the promotion of Eurocentric beauty standards has lead to people, especially the youth, believing that only one type of look is deemed attractive by society. (This being skin colour, physical build, hair, size and placement of facial features, dress)
Media is guilty of exaggerating these non-Eurocentric beauty while portraying minorities. example given on presentation is Djimon Hounsou, where he is standing against a white background and possibly the editing or lighting of the photograph accentuates his darker tone of skin. Our responsibilities as practitioners is to not continue upholding and building the negative stereotypes created by creatives before us.
Frantz Fanon’s ‘Black Skin, White Masks’ explores the desire for perceived necessity of the black person to adopt the behaviour of the dominant white culture as a way of being accepted into society and their self hatred being spurred on by society. The Model Minority is a fallacy that suggests there are south and east-asian minorities within asian communities that are considered to be ‘white adjacent’. they are considered to be well integrated in terms of education and employment. In a research paper, by Dr Yae, she has stated that ‘this construction as a model minority needs to be contested as it a radicalised discourse that masks inequalities and racism not to mention that it also suggests that all south and south east asians are the same.’ This is also seen through black entertainment culture when an artists (normally musician) amasses wealth, popularity and fame, their perceived social status and class is elevated in the eyes of society.
Examples of the negative effects of Eurocentric beauty ideals being pushed.
Black and Asian women skin bleaching // Black women straightening naturally curly hair
I found the segment about ‘The Model Minority particularly interesting because I, a half Japanese and half English boy, have been treated as white adjacent even though my physical asian qualities are prominent and noticeable on my face as well as being privileged enough to grow up in nice areas and attend good schools I have seen the positives of ‘the model minority’ however people who I have met who are of the same mix haven’t seen the same privileges that I have. There are often variables such as living in different areas, going to different school etc however I find Dr Yae’s assessment of the ‘the model minority’ to be somewhat entirely accurate.