Chloe Hill

My final blog post in the better lives project is to be a peer review. For this task I chose to comment on Chia-hsun Yu’s blog post 2: theme reflection. I chose this blog post to focus on as the theme of sustainability is the one in which I focused the least amount of time researching whereas Chia-hsun Yu has written mostly about sustainability. 

Chia-hsun Yu began with stating why they took such an interest with sustainability and it is a result of having already completed topics surrounding sustainability. They then went on to demonstrate how their previous research into the theme has changed their everyday life and design work by stating that they recycle regularly and urge others to do the same for the sake of the fashion industry and the environment. I really loved this point as they are clearly someone who is very empathetic and would have benefited greatly from the lectures we were given on each theme. On the same note as Chia-hsun Yu clearly already has prior knowledge of this topic I would have appreciated perhaps seeing their view on diversity or another theme in which they haven’t already researched. 

Chia-hsun Yu then went on to explain that during the lectures they thought a lot about what more they could do to help with the growing problem however continued to describe actions they have already taken. I absolutely love that they are clearly someone who already takes into consideration the theme of sustainability and I urge everyone to take their advice however I believe this task was all about how the new knowledge of each theme has influenced you and I would have liked to have seen more information on what they are going to do next.

Chia-hsun Yu continues by naming a few brands which have collections with sustainability in mind. To me this shows that they have taken initiative to research more about the theme after the lectures and briefings. They comment on H&M and Stella McCartney, encouraging other brands to do the same.

For me personally the task was all about learning about important themes and expressing how they have influenced us and how they will continue to do so in the future. Personally, I would have liked to hear about Chia-hsun Yu’s take on the theme of diversity and how they will be considering it as a factor in the future. Saying that Chai-hsun Yu clearly has vast knowledge and interest in the theme of sustainability so has chosen to focus on that theme accordingly as it may have been the theme which resonates the most. After reading their blog post I too was eager to be more mindful of our planet and to try and minimise my carbon footprint as much as possible. 

My aim at the beginning of this unit was to create a character who was grounded in their own ‘reality’ and I did this so by attending several hair, makeup and prosthetics lectures which broadened my knowledge on how to create different stage makeup looks and work with all ages and skin tones.

The character I essentially decided to design was that of an ‘evolved’ human. Given the current coronavirus crisis, I thought it may be interesting to imagine a world where we never recovered and the last few who have survived have ran out of non-essentials and man-made products. Due to this they have now had to reverted back to the earth and nature when it comes to materialistic items.

When it came to physical appearance, I drew a woman and her body hair and nails (both finger and toe) have completely grown out.  As the need for survival grew greater the need to withheld appearances grew dearer. As a direct result of this the hair has become long and matted and the eyebrows are now a singular eyebrow. Using techniques that I had acquired in a hair and makeup workshop I also drew the woman to have an old and wilted face. I chose to draw the character like this to not only present some of the skills I had learned during the better lives project but to enhance the physical struggle and tiredness. 

As far as material appearances went, I didn’t want to completely neglect the idea of costume so designed an outfit created completely from leaves and shrubs, allowing for the human form to still keeps its modesty. I also used the idea of flowers in the hair as accessories.  I understand that even in post-apocalyptic times we as human beings will still be looking for mates.

I feel that both my online lectures and practical workshops helped a significant amount when designing my character. The main focus of my design process was to create a character that is 100% sustainable. As Kate Fletcher stated the earth is rapidly increasing. I myself wouldn’t be surprised if eventually humans have to resort to a 100% sustainable lifestyle in order the save the planet so creating an ugly, dirty futuristic image was also used in effect to scare the audience into considering their consequences. 

This also plays on the idea of creating empathy in my design. The idea of creating a not-too-unrealistic futuristic version of a human being seemed like the ideal idea! I wanted my character to really hit home with the audience and to remind them to stay indoors and to love out planet. My character is so hideous I doubt that any observer would want their future family to live the way that my character does. 

The better lives project made me realise how desperately we need designers who are making a positive impact on the earth and who are considering the target audiences feelings and emotions. I wanted to ensure that with my design hopefully something positive could be taken from it and that I have created empathy between the character and my audience.

The better lives unit has allowed me to inquire into different themes revolving fashion design that I may once have neglected to consider. Although each theme has many subtopics the main three being; Diversity, Sustainability and Social Responsibility. Throughout the duration of the course I have made sure to watch as many lectures as possible in order to teach myself different ways of designing and how incorporating each theme into my design work can create better and easier lives for the buyer or observer. 

With regards to diversity, although I previously would have liked to believe that ‘designing for everyone’ would have been a theme that I naturally would have considered. Nonetheless through the course of my lectures and briefings I have come to realise that there are so many different aspects to consider. Having a range that is diverse isn’t as simple as a makeup brand having 30 shades or having a ramp where there are stairs. Human beings come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colour and each individual has their own specific needs and expectation of design. For example, in Laura Salisbury’s lecture on inclusion she touches on a Tommy Hilfiger range that uses magnets instead of zips. Granted this is a step in the right direction and now allows for handicapped or elderly people to enjoy and experience fashion where they once could not, Salisbury correctly states that these garments are not in fact completely inclusive as the garments are either completely open or completely fastened. They have not taken into consideration partial fastening.

as somebody who buys around 70% of her clothes on secondhand clothing sites or charity shops and who uses mostly reusable products, sustainability is a key theme in which I thought I was very mindful of. As Kate Fletcher stated in her ‘nature’ lecture; ‘fashion is enabled by nature and it is also limited by it.’  The fashion industry cannot continue to grow the way that it is. I hope that I will be able to get that percentage of second hand clothes to around the 90% mark and I definitely wish to switch to a completely reusable lifestyle. Whenever I am designing anything I will without a doubt be considering every single environmental factor within my design. I have learned that fashion and design cannot continue to grow in which it is. As designers we all need to work together in being mindful of our planet and out consequences. 

Which brings us to social responsibility. We as designers have a responsibility to ensure that what we create and put out to the world has only that of positive outcomes. It’s about not just thinking of one particular benefit but trying to step back and view the over all outcome. The better lives lectures and themes have opened up a whole world of design techniques and topics for consideration, in particular inclusion and empathy as these are two topics in which I had no idea had so much depth and different factors to consider. 

During the course of the ‘Better Lives’ project I have been exposed to various lectures and different ways of approaching fashion and its growing industry. Lorrain Gamman’s lecture on empathy is the one lecture which particularly took an interest with me. The study of ‘empathy’ is a topic in which I am already drawn too. I love the idea of improving the consumer market and extending the accessibility of the fashion world to as many people as possible.

Gamman quoted Fulton Suri (2003) In the need for ‘qualitive research to inform and inspire designers to create more useful and enjoyable things for people they may never have met.’ This particular quote resonated with me as to begin with I couldn’t see how qualitive data on an emotion could even be collected but also because there is a clear need for more empathetic research when designing for an audience; is what I’m designing actually useful? Would this look as good on a size 18 as it does a size 6? And so on.

Gamman proceeded to explain the user centered approach. This is an approach in which when designing for a specific audience the designer would immerse and ‘live the life of’ the particular target audience. This allows for the formation of empathy between consumer and buyer. The four phases being;

1. Discovery
2. Immersion
3. Connection 
4. Detachment 

As a creative student, in particular 3D effects, I consider myself a highly ‘hands on’ type of learner. I believe incorporating this technique into any design process in order to create empathy and understanding would be a step in the right direction towards understanding our social responsibility as designers and contributing more towards inclusion.

I understand of course there may always be ethical issues yet if the designer is always upfront about their intentions and no one in the study is at any point deceived I believe this is a brilliant was of working.

As the lecture went on Gamman highlighted some particular campaigns which aim to provoke empathy. One in particular being the ‘Is it my fault?’ exhibition in Brussels. To me personally this would be a correct way of portraying empathy in an exhibition as the ‘normal’ or ‘non provocative’ clothing is something in which everyone who witnessed the exhibition can relate to and understand. It successfully breaks down that imaginary barrier of ‘me or them’ as you come to realise it could have been anyone. 

An image of 81 Wang Deshun in Chinas 2015 fashion week was then displayed to which Gamman correctly stated ‘Are we to have empathy for age or for his beauty’ highlighting that the message is often lost.

Without a doubt I believe that incorporating empathy in design creates for better lives. When we as designers are creating products/garments it’s so easy to detach ourselves from who we are designing for. No one lives an ideal life and, in the future, I hope to always understand who I am designing for and empathizing with their needs.