Leila Omar

As a fashion PR & Communication student, I often find myself studying campaigns, analysing projects, and planning brand launches. With that being said, I have noticed that photography is a vital source of communication from the fashion industry, which is why I chose to partake in contemporary portrait photography as my better lives project. I feel as though it is a gateway of communication between consumer and producer. Infact, it was through the lectures of photographers and their works’ impact that I was able to see the veracious power that a photograph can possess.

Coming from an Arab/Islamic country, I have always found comfort in magazines. They acted as an escape from my restrictive society and gave a sense of freedom and acceptance. This unit has allowed me to look into other photographers who are able to convey the same feeling to individuals with other diverse backgrounds. I was able to see how photographers have  different styles and approaches when portraying diversity through their works; from there I found an interest in looking past the surface of a photograph. I was inspired by Cindy Sherman’s ability to question the concept of identity through her self self-portraits. In each photograph she transforms into someone new through make up, costume and performance. To me, her form of expression speaks to everyone who has struggled to find their identity in society, which is something I struggled with when growing up in a closed minded society but with an open minded family. Similarly Hew Locke’s works are less apparent from first glance, to understand his work I opened my mind and looked for a deeper meaning. When discovering that he had imputed himself in his work to demonstrate “a world of his own creation”, I was able to interpret the work in my own manner. Ultimately, by studying their works, along with many others, I was encouraged to look into other artists I had previously studied and I was surprised at how differently I began to interpret and understand them.

Before switching to online form, we were given the chance to use cameras to test out different apertures, shutter speeds and ISO. I am grateful for this knowledge because it allowed me to understand the basics of photography. However, after coming back to Egypt, I began to take images with my iPhone, allowing  me to focus on composition and structure rather than lighting. Allowing me to take more risks with my photographs and be able to think outside the box like Sherman and Locke.

If you recall, I stated that within my course I often plan brand launches, the better lives project has inspired me to think outside of the box. Even the simplest photographs demonstrate creativity and purpose, thus I hope to be able to combine my knowledge on communication to create more creative styles within my works and campaigns. Studying photography has allowed me to see that photographers come from many diverse backgrounds, and their work expresses different things to different people. 

References

• (2020) ‘Better Lives, Performance in Portraiture’ [Lecture]. Better Lives, London College of Fashion, 24 February.

I feel that regardless of how hectic or simple the outcome of a photograph can be, it will always be able to portray a lot about where the photographer, the subject and all components in a shoot stand in a moment in time. This is what inspired me to choose portrait photography as my better life project, because photography is a vital source that can help promote sustainability, diversity, and social responsibility. These themes do not only comply extensively with my diploma in fashion PR & Communication, but also with the approach I hope to take throughout  my work. 

Undeniably, learning about the maintenance of sustainability will alter the way I work in the future due to being aware of the beneficial impacts of certain brands, materials etc. However, how can this knowledge be shared with consumers who are not studying at a concerned fashion school?  How can photography expose the effects of certain brands including the “fast fashion” industry that take limited actions towards this issue? I hope to spend more time looking into how I can change from within to promote sustainability, as I need to understand my footsteps as a consumer to be able to make a change. Especially, after seeing the beneficial impact that the COVID-19 crisis has implemented on earth, I am positive that there is a way to make that fashion industry more aware. 

Diversity is a term that I respect immensely because it affects my everyday life. Coming from an Arab/Islamic background, there have always been certain restrictions I obliged too in the fashion industry. However, these barriers are slowly starting to be limited and put aside through the fashion industry making a proclaimed name in the Arab world. Although I usually look at diversity from a PR/communication perspective, our lesson on portraiture within family and heritage, allowed me to see the way in which portraiture can promote diversity. For instance, the launch of Vogue Arabia was a milestone as photographers Inez and Vinoodh were able to communicate about fashion, culture and history all throughout the cover portrait of Gigi Hadid. This marked the historic way arab societies are making a mark on the western world after many years of being divided. I hope to work with a communications team that promotes this type of inclusivity. 

Nevertheless, I feel as though the fashion industry has a social responsibility to engage consumers in the ability to make a change. By change, I refer to our obligation to the world, our work, and ourselves. The better lives lectures a few weeks ago have broadened my perspective of what my social responsibility is and should be. For example, the ‘Nature in Fashion’ lecture demonstrated the divide of consumers and producers vs nature and who in order to maintain sustainability we must create a link to both. Learning more about brands and their approach on social responsibility have altered my future goals as these themes have now been embedded in my everyday life. 

References

• Morgan, P. 2020. Breaking: Vogue Arabia’S First Cover—Revealed. [online] Vogue Arabia. Available at: <https://en.vogue.me/fashion/debut-cover-vogue-arabia-gigi-hadid-march-issue/> [Accessed 16 April 2020].
• Fletcher, K. (2020) ‘ Nature’ [Lecture]. Better Lives, London College of Fashion, 12 February.

Despite watching many brilliant Better Lives lectures, none have managed to change my perspective and effect the way I view fashion in the same way that Laura Salisbury did in her Inclusivity lecture. Last term, my course focused immensely on inclusivity, diversity, and consumer demographic; this lecture touched me as it not only altered my perception on fashion, but also on many campaigns that I had previously studied. 

Salisbury, is currently focussing on garments and how they can enhance motor recovery of stroke survivors. She focused immensely on the way in which through her own work she discovered that a consumer profile we create will rarely ever serve us as efficiently as real people who fit the desired profile. The reason being, when we create a consumer profile, we ignore many factors that go into what makes our consumer who he/she is and that each consumer will likely differ. Rather than create a consumer demographic of, say, an elderly aged woman who suffered a stroke and needs a garment to help engage activity in her arms and hands, she was able to broaden her horizon and look into others who would use this garment. Nonetheless, rather than focus on a heart stroke survivors, she began to look at other individuals that had limited usage of their hands and arms such as (but not limited too); those with broken arms, hand pain or disease, the elderly, workers whose jobs require heavy lifting, parents and other people who experience this situationally. Salisbury was inspired by the extreme user circle which demonstrated that despite the center of the circle being the ideal consumer, the outer layers give more and more consumer possibilities. 

She showed me that by understanding the needs of fashion in relation to age, gender, culture and ability we will be able to sell a product to a wider range of people and allow it to be more inclusive through greater insights. For instance, because she is using smart technology it is assumed that her work will be sold to a limited niche market, yet surprisingly she was able to reduce costs for many (including to give to the NHS) by looking at those who use smart technology in her field. Ultimately, Salisbury showed me that when fashion focuses on inclusivity it is faced with several advantages. These include being able to give to a wider audience, serve the needs of more individuals, and make the product have less limited features. However, that is not to say that inclusivity also has a variety of limitations, this includes that when the consumer profile is less specific, there are more questions that must be answered and the fashion being sold will not suit everyone within the demographic profile. Salisbury has influenced my thinking in many ways, the two most important being; to be more inclusive and to always research not only the consumers of today, but also the consumers in the future and how to oblige to their needs.  

References

Salisbury, L. (2020) ‘ Inclusivity’ [Lecture]. Better Lives, London College of Fashion, 14 February.