Aitoty Dossaeva

For the final blog post, we were asked to review peer blogs and see how they interpreted the Better Live themes. It was interesting to look through the different posts because I realized that not only did everyone understand the themes differently, but they also came up with very different ideas to express their thoughts on the topics. The blog I chose to reflect on is written by Annabel Jones. She is my peer in my PR course as well as the Fashion Activism course, and in her third blog post, she reflects on how her group used these themes to create a moving image for their assigned brand.

I thought it was a good idea to review a peer from the same course because since our points are very similar, it is much easier to see the commonalities and differences between her interpretation of the themes and mine. Firstly, I thought it was fascinating that she and her group decided to use Tik Tok as an outlet for their moving image. She talks about the fact that the reason they chose to use Tik Tok was not only because their brands target consumers, Millenials, and gen z, find it popular, but also because of the strict restriction quarantine has put on them due to COVID 19. They were placed in a position where they couldn’t come together in person, and realize the idea that they initially had. I connected with that, because my group went through the same struggles. We were all put into a position where we were spread out in different countries and time zones, which meant that we also had to let go of our original idea, and come up with a plan B. 

I also really liked the fact that the group highlighted the themes of sustainability and diversity in their video. Annabel mentions that they were assigned the brand Triad, a second-hand store that can be found across London. Since it is a second-hand store, they prioritize sustainability as well as reusing and recycling clothing. And while there could have been many different ways of interpreting these themes, their group decided to do something very unique and fun. In the video, you can see that the girls are all wearing different outfits, which are all based on their family member’s clothing pieces. Whether it be a vest, or coat, or jeans, they all came up with their unique way to wear the pieces. I thought that was so fun to watch, especially since outfit videos are very popular on Tik Tok. I also loved that they highlighted their individuality, and made it easy to see the range of diversity their group had. 

Overall, I think that their group did a great job reflecting on the themes through their video and that Annabel did a great job learning more about the Better Live themes as well as creative direction. She makes it clear at the end of her blog that she enjoyed the experience, and that she looks forward to doing it again.

Coming up with a concept for a moving image while simultaneously being thousand of miles apart was an interesting experience for our group. We were randomly placed together without really getting a chance to get to know each other, and still, we had to come up with a way to create a unique representation of the assigned brand. After going through something like that, it brought us close together and helped us create something that not only represented our individual talents and backgrounds but also clearly showed how we saw the brand BODE.

BODE is a luxury fashion brand that focuses on sustainability and individuality. The pieces, like dress shirts and shorts, while seemingly very simple and banal, are actually very unique. The brand plays with a lot of textures and colors and does all of that using sustainable materials and historical techniques. As stated on their site “, Each piece tells a story and is tailor-made” (About, 2020), and that is precisely what we wanted to focus on for our moving image. We all wanted to tell our own stories by using our surroundings and utilizing the only resources we had during the quarantine, like the clothing in our closets, the views outside our windows, and of course, our laptops and cameras. 

After analyzing the brand, we figured that our outfits and the “mood” that we created for video should reflect the key themes of the brand, which are nostalgia, diversity, uniqueness, and simplicity. The brand plays a lot with the idea of masculinity and femininity, so we all picked an outfit that we thought resembled the brands pieces, and each combined that with a video of our landscape. The inspiration for the video came from the “Facetime Photoshoot” trend that has recently been going around social media. I saw a video by a photographer from my home country, where he filmed a model on facetime, and used a vintage effect. I loved what he created, and offered the idea to the group. We filmed separately, and then sent the videos to be edited by my group mate Nizatelle. With her combination of effects and the music we picked, we created a feeling of “romance” and “springtime” that we don’t get to see much anymore in modern campaigns. 

I enjoyed working with the girls in my group and really admired their commitment to putting their everything into this project. I also loved that I got to share a little piece of my heritage in this video. In my video, I am using a traditional blanket called a Korpe (Fig.1), as my background. It’s created using an ancient patchworking technique that has been used in my country for centuries. Since BODE is known for its patchwork, I thought it would be interesting to show how this technique is used in different cultures. In our case, the sewing together of different materials represent the heritage, history, and strength of a family and village, which is later passed on from generation to generation.

OUR VIDEO: https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/9f02aab6-a5fd-4c4b-a979-a00108f338a2

BODE New York. 2020. About. [online] Available at: <https://www.bodenewyork.com/pages/about> [Accessed May 5 2020].

Figure 1:  Inform.kz. 2019. Кокшетауские Мастерицы Установили Мировой Рекорд, Сшив Корпе Длиной 11 Км. [online] Available at: <https://www.inform.kz/ru/kokshetauskie-mastericy-ustanovili-mirovoy-rekord-sshiv-korpe-dlinoy-11-km_a3547452> [Accessed 10 May 2020].

Thankfully, because of social media, sustainability, diversity, and social responsibility have become some of the most talked-about topics in the world. People are slowly realizing that in order for us to survive on earth, we have to come together as a community, accept our differences, and start taking care of each other and the environment. But these issues haven’t just impacted our everyday lives, but have significantly changed the fashion industry for the better. Today, consumers are expecting brands to be completely transparent and don’t support the ones that don’t align with these morals. And while in the beginning, I wasn’t sure about how I would feel about this unit, I have learned a tremendous amount and have been influenced to see the fashion world from a different perspective. 

While I knew that the fashion industry was always struggling with these issues, especially with sustainability and diversity, I have recently noticed that things are taking a turn for the better. Personally, as a fashion PR student, it was fascinating to see and hear the different perspectives of the lecturers. Hearing their ideas has helped me create an image of what I want to see happen in the future, not only for this industry but also for me. While I try my best to incorporate and focus on these central themes daily, after hearing the lectures, I realized that I could put even more work into educating myself and others on these topics. I think that after growing up surrounded by a very diverse community, and spending my life studying alongside a wide range of people coming from different parts of the world, I forgot that not everyone comes from such a unique background. I was spoiled with the ability to explore and learn many cultures and see how much our actions are impacting the environment, and started taking certain things for granted. So after learning so much during the Better Lives unit, a personal goal of mine is to start putting in more effort into being more socially conscious and to share the same morals with the people in my surroundings.

And while I have learned a lot about myself and my personal goals, I have also learned a lot about how I want to incorporate these important topics into my future professional life as well. Studying and working in fashion PR, means that I will get to interact with diverse people and business, but in order for me to succeed in my endeavors, and be happy with the work I plan on doing, I have to make sure that I only work with clients I respect. Working with brands that have ethical production and respect their workers, and do everything they can to be socially conscious is important. And while making a morally correct choice is sometimes harder than it seems, I now know for myself that I can make that choice, and create a better life for myself and others.

While some would say that art and science are two completely contrasting forms of expression, psychologist Dr. Jekaterina Rogaten says otherwise. In her lecture on Well Being, Jekaterina proves through various theories, that fashion and psychology relate to each other in more ways than one. By explaining how psychology plays a role in different areas of fashion, and how consumers and industry professionals experience well-being in different ways, she shines light on important issues within the fashion industry and explains how we, the future of the industry, can make things better. 

After watching several lectures, this one caught my attention not only because it was incredibly informative, but also because it was fascinating to hear about how fashion affects our daily mood and motivations. We have known for a long time that fashion is one of the biggest forms of self-expression, and that the way we feel on the outside affects how we feel on the inside, but why is that? According to Rogaten, it has to do with several things, one of them being a concept called positive psychology. Positive psychology is the study of the aspects that contribute to one’s happiness. Some of these aspects are the realization that we are responsible for our own happiness, a positive environment, and social relationships. Surprisingly, another element that contributes to both our happiness and stress is choice. While choice is seemingly something that everyone strives to have, Rogaten explains that it can also have a negative effect. That’s where the concept of paradox of choice comes in. Without realizing, doing small things like picking out an outfit or choosing what to buy causes us stress that over time might cause repreccutions to our well being and mental health. This was interesting to explore because it opened my eyes to the fact that as a consumer, this paradox, in addition to the constant hedonic treadmill cycle, is the reason I am affected so much by fashion. By not being able to make a choice, I continuously fill that gap with the need to find other options, that would make me happy. Without realizing, I have been contributing to the issue of consumerism and several other sustainability issues, which I am now very much aware of.  

By explaining the different types of well being, Dr. Rogaten has also helped me realize that in order to succeed in the fashion business, I have to consider all different views and aspects of both the Hedonic and Eudaimonic well being. By creating a balance between the superficial and psychological, and a web of support, trust, and loyalty, I will be able to contribute to the happiness of both my colleagues and my customer base. Like the quote in the presentation stated, “Clothing affects the mind” (Bernard, 2012: Vogue), and my goal is to make sure that it affects it only in the best ways.