Jia Hui Lim

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Blog post 4: Peer Review Task

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Blog 3

I was immediately attracted to Raquel’s concept design and its backstory as soon as I saw it. I have only concentrated on one theme throughout this Better Lives unit and that is sustainability. She mentioned that there would be an anxiety feeling floating in the air if the topic sustainability were to be mentioned. I could not help but wonder why because I did not have the same sentiment as her.

It is really interesting to see another person’s opinion on the same topic. Her point of view was a real eyeopener for me because I would have never linked mental health with the 3 themes given. It showed me a different way to comprehend the 3 themes.

In her description for the character, she mentioned about a vaccine creation that allows people to be aware of their own mental health condition by having obvious coloured pigmentations displayed on the facial features. I think it is a hyper realistic idea that could actually be invented (someday). Many of us tend to prioritise our physical wellbeing over mental health issues just because the latter is not something we can all ‘see’. Having this vaccine could raise more awareness for mental wellbeing and also create a society where people with mental health issues could be assisted promptly.

I like how she used the word ‘fragility’ to describe the makeup look to seem as though it could be scratched off easily and that represents self harm which is usually a method to show distress. She gave us an example of her character with blue and purple pigmentations on the nose and cheeks area. I think the placement of the makeup really brings out her character’s design because the nose and cheeks areas are the most prominent parts of the face. It draws you in and makes you wonder why. It saddens me when she mentioned that the pigmentations can only be seen by the character and invisible to others. This is stated to match with our actual life’s oblivious society. Just like I have mentioned in the second paragraph, people are likely to dismiss one’s mental health issue or take no notice of them because mental illnesses are often not presented physically.

Reading Raquel’s sentiments has not only given me an opportunity to think differently about the themes, it has also taught me a valuable lesson which is to reach out to those in need. Her character design’s backstory drew me in and made me want to educate myself on the controversial side effects our industries have caused, be it knowingly or unknowingly. She has ingeniously taken all 3 themes into account and created a character that could be realised as a mental health awareness campaign.

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Blog post 3: Project Outcomes and Personal Reflection Task

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The first practical lesson taught by Steven Solomon was the first time I truly understood how the Better Lives unit come in handy with the Hair & Makeup industry. Prior to this, I had no idea how the 3 themes from better lives is going to apply in the ‘Developing a Character’ project. Steven kindly broke down the themes for us and it was so much easier to work with.

In the first practical lesson, I was introduced to some products that were often used in the makeup industry and how each of them are useful and sustainable in its own way; for example, using gelatin is more inclined towards the sustainable approach rather than using silicone because gelatin can be melted again and reused for other projects whereas silicone is just a one-time usage. It is true that gelatin is a more sustainable option to use but its production does produce water waste, even if it is responsible for just a tiny fraction of the environmental impact. This makes me wonder if there is even a 100% sustainable process throughout the whole product life cycle and how the time is ticking away as we try to achieve that 100% sustainable product. This puzzled factor led me towards my conceptualized design. 

In present day, the natural ecosystem has always been the provision, regulating, supporting and cultural services for the human beings. In our daily lives, we take advantages of the natural ecosystem without so much as giving back or considering the consequences that will be present later. I chose Sustainability- ‘Ecological Balance’ as my focused theme and character’s inspiration. My character was developed with a mindset that our Mother Earth has eventually succumbed to the transgressive activities humans have created. The character that I have created is a vision of a human form transitioning into a lifeless grotesque form where the tables have turned- the human body now serves the nature, almost as if it was sucking the life out of the body. I have painted my character as though it was part of nature; green mosses and tree-like features. I am trying to envision a world where humans would give back to nature. While designing this character, I realized that I have contradicted myself along the way. I could have used any computer program to draw out my character or repurposed newspaper/ magazine to create my design. Instead of using a more sustainable alternative, I have chosen to use a blank piece of A4 sized paper.

It is so easy to feel a thing and to do another. The Better Lives theme(s) made me realise that as a human being, I have very little knowledge on our natural surroundings and consequences our actions have produced along the way; as a student, I still have a lot things that I need to educate myself and change for the better. 

References

Our Commitment to Sustainability (2020) Available at: https://www.inditex.com/documents/10279/249245/Dossier_JGA_2019_EN.pdf/1664de2f-ca77-3a40-2b78-cace74c06c82 (Accessed: 10 May 2020).

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  1. Sol Ruiz Bastida: https://1920betterlivessmc.myblog.arts.ac.uk/wp-admin/post.php?post=4015&action=edit

Blog post 2: Themes Reflection Task

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Among the 3 themes, I would like to exclusively focus on ‘Sustainability’ in this blog post and reflect on how this particular theme might change my work ethic in the near future. I am never seen as that girl who decks out in beautiful pre-owned garments; vintage or thrifted. Guilty as charged, I have actually never been to one, with the exception of dropping off donations. It is not that I put on airs or despise the idea of wearing someone else’s’ garments. Truthfully, I just can’t seem to wrap my head around the fact that I could be wearing a dead person’s outfit. This might sound spoilt, but I am probably one of the last few people to get on board with sustainable fashion because I am so used to be able to get hold of the non-sustainable materials in a blink of an eye. But all the lectures on sustainability has got me thinking of our beautiful Mother Earth and the disturbing impact fast fashion has taken upon it. 

At this moment, I can see myself venturing into the fashion scene upon graduation. Sustainability in fashion is a hot topic right now, and I might jump on the bandwagon and be involved in eco-friendly fashion. Eco-friendly materials will also be considered throughout my academic years in LCF. Because of how niche the market is, and costly sustainable products can be, I think it will be a great challenge for me to think out of the box and create something with limited resources or even discover new alternatives. This could be an opportunity to push my creativity limits instead of sticking to what I was originally been exposed to. 

Having said that, I do not think that I will single out using real leather or fur entirely, for my creatives. In my opinion, sustainable fashion has a long way to go and to get everyone on board with it is not that easy. I do not believe in going cold turkey and eliminating all the least eco-friendly materials because like I mentioned above, not all sustainable products are budget-friendly and as a student, I probably would not have ready money to spend on. 

For every flower bloomed in a floristry, there will be stale flowers and plants unsold. For every processed poultry, there will be feathers remains. So, I would take my very first step towards sustainability by using materials like byproducts. With adequate research, I believe I can get the same satisfactory quality and also promote sustainability in my work by using byproducts. As the fashion industry proceeds to change every now and then, it is heartwarming to see a fashion trend like sustainability spreading awareness and educating people like myself.

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Blog post 1: Lecture Reflection Task

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In the lecture, two keywords were brought up: environment and sustainability. Before attending Kate Fletcher’s lecture (5) on Nature, the meaning of the word ‘environment’ to me was just a synonym for the word ‘habitat’. It did not occur to me that our habitat; our natural environment is falling into a slow but impactful ruin by the glamourous fashion industry.

The natural environment has always been a great inspiration and motivation for designers. It saddens me that this creative notion will eventually lead to a negative impact on the environment just because of the various chemicals we used or the waste we produced to realize our creativity. David Attenborough, a great natural historian, once made a note of caution, saying human can create destruction to the global ecosystem without realizing (Attenborough, 2019). It took me years and this lecture to realize how important Mother Nature is to the fashion industry and how fashion is not reciprocating by taking more and more. The speed of fast fashion increases the production of pollution which it might seem harmless to someone who likes to buy off the rack to keep up with the fast fashion trends. However, in a long run, it will be a problem if our habitat were to be so polluted that humans can no longer live in the said environment.

To me, fashion could create better lives if the industry were to take one step behind and minimize the production of clothes. With influence from Fashion Revolution, a fashion company that brings environmental awareness into action, fashion could be seen as a building campaign to protect the natural environment.  

The other keyword ‘Sustainability’ was a word that I came across every now and then in this Better Lives unit. Sure, I do have my fair share of knowledge and understanding what eco-friendly fashion is. What I did not know was that this 6-syllabus word could have a great influence in the fashion industry. This lecture makes me think of all the materials that I have used before to create fashion pieces or art. Realizing that I have a play in damaging the natural environment has brought awareness in me.

I started to think of the different materials and production I can use for my future assignment. For instance, I have been researching and playing around with a 3D printing pen. It works like a glue gun and creates shapes by heating up a poly lactic acid (PLA) plastic filament. It is a plastic that is biodegradable and has a lower melting point that does not produce harmful fumes. By using biodegradable materials in the fashion industry, I believe it can be a reminder for Fashion to give back to Mother Nature. I have taken a chance on believing that there will always be an alternative material for fashion or any arts to reduce the production of pollution while also ensuring that quality and beauty of the work. 

References

Guardian Wires. (2020) David Attenborough Warns Of Damage Humans Can Do ‘Without Even Noticing’ Available at: https://newsvideo.su/video/10158315 (Accessed: 10 May 2020).

Joseph, F. (2020) What Are 3D Pens And How Do 3D Pens Work? Available at: https://3dinsider.com/what-are-3d-pens/ (Accessed 10 May 2020).

Morgan, M. (2020) The Fashion Industry Emits More Carbon Than International Flights And Maritime Shipping Combined. Here Are The Biggest Ways It Impacts The Planet. Available at: https://www.businessinsider.sg/fast-fashion-environmental-impact-pollution-emissions-waste-water-2019-10?r=US&IR=T (Accessed: 10 May 2020).



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