Fiona Chernavskaya

Blog post 3 – Fiona Chernavskaya FSP Yr1

Throughout this unit I have learnt a great deal about each of the themes and although at times struggled to come up with ways to develop them in my work due to the ‘stay home’ policy, I now have a clear understanding of the importance of the unit topics. Having this knowledge now, I can take the opportunity of this difficult time to think of ways I can apply the 3 themes in the future, as well as use the resources I have available at home to mock up impactful ideas and concepts.

In my group of ‘Messaging in Fashion’ we were put into groups and assigned a brand name. Our brand was Zaful; An online fast fashion ‘one stop shop’ for trendy, edgy and daring apparel. The brand is based in the UK but has over 128 suppliers worldwide, which may not be the most sustainable strategy but they claim to have built reliable partnerships with their providers which allows them to keep prices lower and quality higher. Zaful aims to reduce their footprint by using water based screen printing inks and encourage customers to live an eco-friendly lifestyle. These they are constantly working on for a more sustainable future. Right from the start we recognised Zaful’s marketing technique and audience demographic, labelling it as; low priced items for the younger generation of social media users.

Zaful’s strategy was to use influencers to promote their clothing on instagram, as well as advertise their website on pop up ads. Just by looking at their instagram page, the theme ‘diversity’ would be the last to come to mind. Their choice of models usually fit a clear mold; slim, fit, tanned and edited to ‘perfection’. There was little to no representation of plus size, darker complexion or other unique models/influencers. Therefore the message they were sending out to their followers and potential audiences was not a socially responsible one, their female models dressed in barely-there beachwear could even be seen as objectifying. Their website also didn’t have as wide of a range of plus size wear, many of the garments being less revealing and ‘sexy’ as the smaller sizes, linking back to lack of providing for a more diverse audience. We decided to use this as a focal point for our group project. 

We chose a charity called Young Minds to collaborate with as we thought the target audiences were similar, in the sense of being younger and most likely to have some form of social media that can influence their daily life. Young Minds focuses on providing resources for their viewers such as helplines, updates in press releases and other mental health support, reminding all of us that even during this pandemic, various help is available. It urges their audience to become involved in any way they can, whether it’s to join discussions on their socials or become an activist for the charity. 

Our group wanted to focus on improving Zaful’s messages about body image and positivity, which Young Mind’s also happens to have a section of their website dedicated to. A young Zaful shopper is bound to be exposed to images of ‘flawless’ bodies and faces on social media and this is where Young Minds can come in to help with the potential impression this could have made on a younger person. The charities wide range of resources creates a safe space for the affected and could help Zaful improve their brand image to be more socially responsible and diverse. 

We concluded that this strategy in combination with continuing to advertise on instagram and collaborate with a wider range of influencers while sticking to their brand identity will help Zaful grow in an ethical way. The final presentation captures all of our ideas and individual contributions as we aimed to improve Zaful’s growth strategy and overall brand image.

Blog post 2 – Fiona Chernavskaya FSP Yr1

For the first theme of diversity, the main idea I have for the future is careful thinking of my use of models. A wide range of models is extremely important, because it makes fashion more accessible and relatable to customers worldwide, for example the range could include; models with prosthetics, skin conditions or disabilities as well as different sizes and ethnicities to showcase inclusivity. Recently gender queer models and trans representatives have also been sent down runways and we love to see it. One contestant on project runway season 18, Nancy, has shown throughout the competition her talent as an all inclusive brand. I was moved to see her making detachable skirts ect for a model in a wheelchair, proving her talent as a designer to make clothing more versatile. Perhaps I could take some inspiration from this and plan a shoot around the models, and think of ways to capture their story and highlight issues in the industry that they have faced. In collaboration with a photographer/ graphic artist and the unique models themselves we could create something more than a buzzword. 

This also made me think of the messages of social responsibility I want to put forward in upcoming shoots for potential viewers; would using a sustainable designer much as Marine Serre for the styling in combination with a beach/river setting send a subtle message of climate change to the audience? How will different lighting, accessories and models allow me to accent the issue further?

Climate change has been highlighted by many brands in the past, for example Stella McCartney in the Winter 2019 Ad Campaign. She upheld her commitment to sustainability with most garments made from upcycled materials, and sent out various messages with her use of colour, model range and location in the green hills of wales. This is an example of an obvious nod to worldwide issues without even having to explain it, but there are other ways of showcasing social responsibility in a narrowed down way. In the past shoot I’ve tie dyed/ bleached garments for my model to wear, basing the colours around green, blue and pink and orange, to represent the global issues of climate change. I thought this idea was both imaginative and the idea of customising old garments is also sustainable, so for the future I think I’ll base a whole project around this, awareness and creativity. 

Leading onto the theme of sustainability, I have lots of ideas to expand eco friendly ideas into the future, taking inspiration from the lectures as well as online articles and individual brand research. The last project we did was ‘sustainably radical’ and that gave me an opportunity to collect both factual and virtual ideas on sustainable brands, artists, stylists, campaigns, shows ect.. And now that I have so many potential plans, I can begin to piece together more collaborative projects. As most brands are beginning to transition to different versions of sustainability it’s important to encourage and highlight their strengths, pushing them forward towards a future where we can replenish what we take from the earth. 

Blog Post 1 – Fiona Chernavskaya FSP  Yr1

The intro on Diversity lecture taught me how much that aspect of fashion can impact it’s audience, and how important it is to send out this inclusive message to younger generations. Fashion is a ‘visible and creative medium’ that can use diversity to push forward into a future without discrimination; Despite the equality and diversity act in 2010 (UK) there have been examples of big influencial brand such as Chanel using a greater percentage of white models on their catwalks, a specific example being the Fall 2014 show set in a supermarket. 

The video we watched in the lecture where models were questioned about diversity, one of the quotes impacted me; ‘Diversity is a buzzword with not much action.’ This leads me onto the idea of collaborating and achieving the 3 main themes. The lecture on collaboration taught me of Tuckman’s theory and how important it is when working as a team to have a brainstorm of ideas, normalising them and in conclusion performing them as the ideas come together. With the help of this we can assure that diversity becomes a norm and a reality worldwide rather than a buzzword lingering in the back of people’s minds. An example would be environmentally conscious designer Vivienne Westwood collaborating with David Sims on a campaign representing punk and rebellion. By including different subcultures in their work they are advertising inclusivity and diversity, and even though they are going way back to Vivienne’s punk origins, the idea is fashion forward. 

An introduction to social responsibility and the project of setting up 5% of women in prison in the UK for training and ethical manufacturing was inspiring to hear. The lecture gave me factual information about the hardships women face in prison as well as knife crime (Arts against knives project) and how to make something positive out of it. 

A sustainable designer such as Bethany Williams, some members in San Patrigano’s drug habilitation wove book waste into her fabrics (by hand) in 2019, where she would also donate some of her proceeds. Some of her other fabrics like jersey cloth is made by female inmates in Sutton. I admire designers that put social and ethical responsibility before profit and benefit for their brand, Bethany’s work sends a message through her clothing and its bound to be heard by the broader audience. 

Sustainability has also been a buzzword on everyone’s tongues. Bigger brands have been claiming to move forward in the sustainability region but then recent stories still emerge e.g. Burberry burned £28.6 million of their unsold items back in 2017, instead of putting them on sale or donating, they chose to maintain their expensive image. 

The general definition of sustainability is; to improve quality of life and simultaneously project/ enhance the earth’s life and support systems. The lectures on sustainability and nature taught me that although certain brands like Stella McCartney campaign and introduce new customers to the sustainable lifestyle, there’s plenty of individuals who will turn to big brand names that mass produce with excess waste and use unethical labour. The idea that all fibres impact natural systems in some way, whether it is natural (e.g. organic cotton) or artificial (e.g. acrylic) is a scary one. I am a huge believer in buying second hand garments on appliances such as depop, where you can find vintage, unique pieces. Whenever I can I incorporate those items along with things I scavenge in charity shops, as well as hand me downs from family members into my styling work. I try to avoid fast fashion brands which are notorious for following trends and create the most waste, and try to be as sustainable as I can in my work but there is always more room for future improvement. That’s why the story of Rapa Nui as an example of a society that exhausted their island of resources with failure to see the devastating consequences is important to learn about. For younger generations the Lorax cartoon is fun and educational, teaching from a young age that over exploiting our environment will prove to be cataclysmic. 

In conclusion, the lectures gave me general knowledge and awareness as well as interested me to look into brands and collaborations as inspiration for future work. I learnt how crucial it is to preserve our environment and how incorporating diversity such as subcultures, ethnicity and sexuality but also beliefs and disability ect. Something I look forward to learning about in depth for the future.