Zain Ammar (Moh'D Nour) Balkar

I chose Sadikchaya’s blog post to reflect on because it’s very well written but also because it is something I can relate to on a personal level, thus making it so much more intriguing to me. It is very clear that she has understood all three Better Lives themes and was genuinely engaged in the lectures. Her interest in the topic of diversity parallels my interest in that same topic as well.

I can relate to her experiences with diversity and her thought process behind this complex concept as I am Arab-Circassian. Therefore, I have had my own experiences with diversity and cultural appropriation. Due to my interest in this topic, I dedicated my Better Lives critical design project to the same topic of diversity regarding religion and ethnicity. I was born in Jordan thus making me Arab. However, I am also Circassian (south of Russia), but I never had the chance to learn my language or even visit my home country. To most that seems like I do not fit the criterion of being Circassian, and I also do not fit to the criterion of being an Arab. So I have struggled with my identity for a while now. That is why her blog post is interesting to read and something I can relate to on a deeper level.

Overall your blog post was a good read, however I found it extremely thought-provoking when she mentioned that it “is fine to take inspiration from other cultures but as long as you understand and acknowledge the history and value behind it.” I do not think I could have phrased that sentence in a better way. I completely agree with what she said. I think that acknowledging the history as well as the value behind a culture is the most important thing. Each culture holds an enormous amount of antiquity and history behind it, that it is not reasonable for certain people to disregard that.

I enjoyed the personal feel to this blog post, I felt as though Sadikchaya really opened about how this topic has affected her. I also think that she showed a deep understanding of the three concepts that we are supposed to focus on. For further development I think that Sadikchaya can portray more examples of cultural appropriation in more depth, and that she could suggest possible ways in which conflicts within this topic can be overcome.

My Better Lives experience has been priceless. I have to admit; I was a bit concerned as to how this unit will go due to the current events that are taking place. However, in the end everything worked out the way I hoped it would. Choosing critical design, I knew I would learn about problems the world faces today, but that class has definitely exceeded my expectations.

After learning about wicked problems and their affects on people, I chose a wicked problem that was something personal, yet other people can relate to as well. I decided to focus on Islamophobia, specifically how media outlets spread Islamophobia rhetoric and how they have the ability to influence public opinion and create misconceptions. I spent hours and hours researching about my subject and trying to create a trailer that conveys the problem I am addressing; however, doesn’t solve it. I wanted people to view my trailer and understand the message I am trying to deliver. After creating multiple trailers and going through a prolonged trial and error phase, I finally created a film that I am genuinely proud of.

I initially started off with a different idea for my trailer, however due to the pandemic, I ended up changing that idea because it was not possible to create at home. Therefore, I had to go back to brainstorming in order to come up with another idea. I realized that I do not have the strongest skillset in improvisation and adaptation. I was so set on my initial idea, that I found it extremely difficult to adapt to the new situation that was taking place. However, I can honestly say that after this unit, I was able to improve in that area. It is not a big improvement but it is definitely a start.

When we had to share our trailers and explain the concepts behind them, I was overwhelmed by the amount of issues that are taking place in our world. Each one of the trailers my peers have created have had a big impact on the way I view the planet were living in. This unit has resulted in so much awareness and realization that is necessary in order to actually create change.

The aim of my project was to address the issue of the medias potential in molding the perception of Muslims on a mass scale in a global context. After thinking about the three concepts this unit stresses on, I can see a clear and evident link that cannot be overlooked. Diversity is essential. Moreover, diversity in the fashion industry exists but still has a long way to go. From what I have learnt from my own project is that social media is a huge and crucial platform that is used by a vast majority of people, therefore it has the ability to shape the public opinion on a certain topic. Therefore, if social media is used positively, to embolden and encourage the concept of diversity, then the fashion industry will get there steadily but surely.

The Better Lives unit stresses on three themes, all equally important, however two are interrelated. The way I see it is that sustainability and social responsibility go hand in hand. Major issues such as social disparities, environmental degradation and pollution are ongoing conflicts that our world faces. Can the fashion world ever be sustainable and socially responsible?

That’s a complex question that cannot be answered simply, or at all. It is no secret that fashion accounts to a large amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Buying clothes and then throwing them away is not exactly the most sustainable approach. The fashion industry is harming the planet in multiple ways. From textile production to plastic pollution, the fashion industry’s carbon footprint isn’t changing. Other than synthetic fibers being found in the deep seas, some of the biggest fashion retailers are setting up productions in less economically developed countries. Thus resulting in employees being paid poverty wages as well as weak environmental protection. This example portrays just how the fashion industry can disregard the major issues the world faces regarding sustainability as well as social responsibility.

The Better Lives themes made me realize how much damage is happening and the need for change. As fashion students, we have the ability to creative this positive change starting now, as well as in the future. Because the fashion industry has a huge influence on people, we are in the position to direct them towards more sustainable and socially responsible brands, while boycotting others.

The pandemic we are facing right now has taken us by storm and has flipped our world upside down. We do not know to what extent this pandemic is going to end up changing the fashion industry, but as off now, people are purchasing more items online, fashion stores are closing and fashion events are being cancelled. The world is already seeing a change in its O-zone layer. Certain cities are shocked by the results of what’s happening. The silver lining in this all is that the pandemic is helping our world heal. After this drastic change, people are becoming more aware that things need to change in order to help maintain our world’s environment without damaging it further. Certain designers even stated that the fashion industry needs to slow down in terms of production and that things need to change.

As a fashion public relations and communications student, I strongly believe that we have the ability to show the world what matters and what should be focused on. I need to focus on using my voice positively, showing transparency all the time about brands and their impact on the environment. This topic will push me to work with influencers and brands that have the same ethical views on certain subjects, thus also choosing the right people to deliver the right messages to the world. This is such a complex subject in which I will use primary and secondary research in order to hopefully create change in the future.

House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee (2019) Fixing Fashion: Clothing Consumption and Sustainability. United Kingdom: Available at: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmenvaud/1952/1952.pdf (Accessed: May 4 2020)

Sustainability, diversity and social responsibility are vital concepts that should be considered within every industry. Although they are not ideologies that are easily grasped, the Better Lives unit successfully discusses these three concepts in relation to the fashion industry. Specifically, the lecture about power addressed major points revolving around the fashion industry, not only today but throughout history as well. The lecture discusses the evolution of fashion in relation to social roles such as politicians, musicians and even royalties. Whilst listening to the lecture, there was one predominant question in my mind: How can we make the fashion industry more equitable?

It is no secret that the fashion industry is massive due to the fact that fashion is a tool used by people to define themselves and their identity. It is a powerful tool used to influence people and is believed to encourage people to express themselves and show their individuality and uniqueness. However, after viewing the lecture, it became evident that the extent to which the fashion industry plays a role in shaping our identity, rather than allowing us to create our own identity, is thought-provoking. The lecture discusses the influence of social media influencers as well as advertisements. Jullia portrays the extent to which consumers are affected by what is exhibited around them by marketing powers. The fashion industry is able to unconsciously affect societies worldwide into disregarding our true identities, thus conforming to the restrictions they place for us.

Moreover, it is mind blowing to think about how wealth is distributed within the fashion industry. They are the CEO’s of massive companies that are presented to the world in order to deceive consumers into thinking that the majority of the people who are involved in the fashion industry earn a good amount of money ever year.

However, with the knowledge gained by extensive research displayed in the lecture, it is evident that this is not necessarily true and that a concealed issue lies behind the false façade. An example mentioned in the lecture revolves around Ivanka Trump’s fashion brand and how she shut it down after boycotts from consumers due to the workers in the factories being paid a poverty wage and women’s rights were violated. This example connotes to how wealth is not being shared equally. Only a tiny minority at the top are actually benefiting from the system that produces goods. Furthermore, throughout the lecture, the huge gap between the people at the top and the people at the bottom is shown.

I really enjoyed the lecture and the points discussed throughout, I found them fascinating as they allow an individual to take a deeper look into the fashion industry and to question what could be changed. Better Lives allows us to educate ourselves about the issues within the industry in order to create an improved version. The revelation about the details in the industry revolving around the power distributed alerts us as fashion students and shows us the need to create change.