Esther Nieto Canales

I chose Maciej Knas’s blogpost in which he reflects about the themes explored during  the Better Lives Unit. I enjoyed his blog post because he examines his preexisting relationship with the themes that have been discusses during the course of the unit. He has always been aware of the issues and had some sort of general idea of its implications. I suspect that this is similar to many of the other students experiences. He looks at how the unit has not only brought more knowledge and awareness around issues such as sustainability, diversity and inclusivity but most importantly how we are able to incorporate them into our practice while we are students but also in our professional careers. Being aware of the issues we face is a starting point, however finding out how we can minimize these and how we can incorporate it into our work is another thing and this is something that the unit seeks to teach us and that Maciej has appreciated and so have I.

I also enjoyed the way in which Maciej shows his thought process and his true engagement with the topics covered as he really focuses on how he can use his image making to bring by a positive change for everyone. A realization that shows he has truly understood the messages that we have been discovering throughout this unit. His assertion that ‘the future relies on conscious individuals’ is something that I profoundly believe in, as we as individuals yield a lot more power than we are made to believe and we cannot shy away from our power to be a positive force for change. The future of the industry is in our hands and we need to be more open minded and forward thinking to make sure that it is an industry that we can feel proud off and that focuses on limiting its negative impacts while amplifying its positive impact on society.

For my Better Lives project I did messaging fashion. This was a PR unit, which being a journalism student I found very interesting. I realized that journalism and PR are very related and I found exploring the relationship between both areas of communication to be very useful. We had to create a campaign for a brand in which we incorporated social corporate responsibility. It showed us that instigating positive change is very compatible with economic growth. We got assigned a brand and had to choose a charity that would complement the brand’s ethos and then develop a campaign that would result appealing to the brand’s audience.

The outbreak of coronavirus during the making of the project changed the way in which we approached the campaign. In order to be sensible with the issue at hand and the current global climate we made our campaign 100% online, creating a campaign that was entirely online but that could still have a very large reach. In the end our group decided to host an online auction via Instagram live using influencers and media outlets to bring exposure to it. The garments auctioned were to be archive pieces, ensuring that no unnecessary waste or pollution would be generated during such difficult times. It made the campaign sustainable and of little cost to the brand.  The charity chosen specializes in providing women and children that find themselves in abusive households which is an issue that has been exacerbated by the outbreak of the virus. It was very interesting to think of ways in which we could bring a beneficial outcome for a brand while at the same time giving back to society.

The fashion industry is often tainted negatively and it can feel a bit disheartening, however this kind of project proves that things can be done differently and that the industry finds itself in a moment of change in which it is striving to become much more just.

The Better Lives Unit has made me question what it is that I wish to achieve from my professional career. As an individual we have a vast amount of life paths we can take and choices we can make. As human beings we are all interconnected with each other and with the planet we inhabit. I believe that for this reason we all have a responsibility to give back and encourage constant development.

There is an undeniable climate crisis that we all face as a whole and the fashion industry plays a large role in it being one of the most polluting industries. Throughout my professional career I will try to encourage a more sustainable approach as well as making lifestyle changes that will benefit this. The Better Lives unit has also made me very aware of my privileged position in society and that my reality is nowhere near the same as many other people’s and for this reason I hold a responsibility to give back and help others that have not received the same opportunities as me.

I definitely believe that personal realization and feeling satisfied with one’s job is in part, largely due to a feeling of being useful to society and instigating some sort of change that one can feel proud of. By simply being born into society we are filled with certain ideals and a way of life that we can often forget to question and tend to simply accept, however we have the opportunity to explore the world as deeply as we can, to inform ourselves and come to our own conclusions. We have the opportunity to question what we have always been told, we can make the choice of challenging what we don’t agree with and put ourselves in uncomfortable positions.

We get to choose what kind of life we want and what we expect from it, we can choose to help and get involved or live superficially. The issues raised in Better Lives has increased my awareness of the world around me, but most importantly it has showed me that as an individual, not only do I hold responsibility but that I also have the means to help.

I found the lecture on culture extremely interesting. For a long time I have been questioning the relationship between the consumerist society in which we live in and how it can almost be incompatible with nourishing our human souls and needs. The way in which we determine our personal value, our position in society, the way in which we establish and show that we have achieved our goals is all done through materialistic statements. It is a topic of great complexity because the current economic system allows for greater freedom and higher standards of living but at the same time it is a system that always has us longing for something that is unattainable. This is specially true with fashion. The way in which we dress is highly symbolic as it is used to establish our socioeconomic position, it can often show our aspirations and our hopes.

We are a society that relies on materialistic goods to be fulfilled, to feel a part of something. We have sacrificed our enjoyment of life and what it has to offer in order to work long hours and as a result be able to buy more. My generation has been brought up in a way in which we don’t even question if we agree with this trade off in which productivity and efficiency rule our lives and determine our value as individuals. However, if we take a step back and look in, it seems ludicrous. One does not have to adhere to these standards and the fashion industry can be a medium that can urge people to question this. Do we really need to cave into fast fashion, do we need a Rolex to prove that we have made it, and more importantly do we have to wreck our planet in order to satisfy ourselves in such a superficial way?

Instead of continuing to fall into this intricate net of consuming like a headless chicken we should try to consume in a way that supports culture, artisan work and that is kind to our planet. Consumption is a necessary evil and so is our current economic system but by changing our lifestyle habits we can have a big impact and shape society so that it can truly meet our needs. It is a matter of putting thought into what we do, being more generous and in touch with ourselves. We don’t have to blindly follow this consumerist culture but we don’t have to avoid it completely, we simply need to shop contentiously remembering that everything is interconnected and every decision we make has a consequence on many other aspects of life.