Riah Ashantai Bent-stedford

About Riah Ashantai Bent-stedford

Posts by Riah Ashantai Bent-stedford:

BLOG POST 4- PEER REVIEW

⋅
Blog Post 2: Themes Reflection

Your post was a good read.  you can tell that you have touched on all the themes, sustainability, diversity and social responsibility. 

By attending and engaging in lessons, it seems that it has opened your views based on your practice and better lives, by gathering information from a journalist’s point of view, expressing specific insights on facts, numbers and source of information. Understanding that others obtain different amounts of knowledge from all fields. Being that you’re a public relations student, you know about target consumers, brand ethos, and brand aesthetic to where some brands like to falsify information. 

I agree with parts of statements made in your second paragraph, as it shows the relation on sustainability and some social responsibility. As an individual studying fashion styling and production, I am always engaged with opinions on matters like these. Brands choose to exploit on things that are trending, like  sustainability, diversity, and people of different shapes and sizes, to continue to engage with their target audiences, Which isn’t a positive outlook to have, especially if it’s for aesthetic purposes only, as they will continue to promote these examples, as they’re underrated. 

Diversity in the fashion industry has increased slightly, but they still have a way to go if they want more consumers. Looking into diversity is not just about colour, it’s about representation of where you come from.  from the darkest to lightest, there are so many shades in between that haven’t been recognised. People from the younger generations, they need to see a representation of their own so that they’re comfortable with themselves to know that they’re a version of beauty (not standard beauty, what-ever that is) regardless of sexuality, gender, disability, size or colour. And your example of the British Fashion council making their show gender- neutral speaks to my point. 

The fact that you have knowledge like this, enables you to be open with others, their own interpretation and what you deem to be right or wrong, and I believe that is the attribute to social responsibility.  

The point on sustainability has changed people views on what that actually means. I believe that covid-19 has taught others on how to be sustainable, especially with home items that can be reused, upcycled into something new, or create your own project, using their own creativity. I do believe it will make a permanent change for the better. 

I can see that better lives have impacted you on your thought process, understanding others and how you can change your ways of doing things with sustainability, diversity and social responsibility. Thinking about innovative ways on future projects, even collaborations with your peers which is giving you a healthy outlook on ways to work around this pandemic.

Liked Liked
No Comments

BLOG POST 3 PROJECT OUTCOME REFLECTION

⋅

Fashion activism is a depiction on what social change means, and what actions we can implement to make a point. 

As a collective, from Fashion Activism, my group was assigned to create a moving image for a brand, Nubian Skin, and adapt the approach with inclusivity. We started to strategize on what we wanted our message to uphold. Prior to this, we made steps to start our research on the ethos, brand positioning, aesthetics and target consumer on the brand. 

Finding out that, Nubian skin is a lingerie brand, by Ade Hassan, challenged the assumptions on the word “nude”. Which connotates that beige is a tone that blends with all shades, by Expanding the “one dimensional view” on blackness, creating undergarments for minorities. Therefore, made her more determined to cater to people of colour. 

Within my research of the brand, I notice that not all shades of melanin were being promoted, which concerned my views and the beliefs of Nubian skin. I believe that if you’re going to make a brand that is all inclusive, analyse and research each shade of colour to include your target consumer, so they can engage, interact and promote items that ranges for any person, regardless of gender/ colour/ disability or sexuality. 

Continuing to analyse the brand, we decided to gain as much knowledge as possible, independently, to put our own views on the brand, and how we could still keep the same values, but also make it more inclusive to all shades. Collectively, we wanted to Incorporate all of our skill sets (fashion styling, photography, illustration) to create a fresh, new approach to our interpretation of what the brand could be.  From brainstorms, to collages, it was our next step into figuring out what would be included in the moving image.

We created our home video, depicting transparency, diversity, sustainability and no form of discrimination. By changing the narrative of our moving image, we had a male (he/ him/ them) as the main visual. 

Due to my groups research, we evaluated that a males point a view isn’t promoted as much in mainstream media, which forced our ideas to form a new version of life involving a person that has no attachment with media, connoting that any gender, sexuality has a voice, emotions, and is capable of feeling vulnerable and can understand their strengths and weaknesses. 

It promotes a point of view on a person’s transition in life and forcing the viewers eyes to see that we are slaves to society because we uphold the norms/ values that society has set for us to be our norms. However, to the lack of support we get emotionally, for our mental as well as physical health. 

In this project, the outcome influenced by way of thinking. Be transparent with who you are and how you choose to work in groups, evaluate your own opinions and let others have their own, regardless of agreeing to disagree. The framework produced as a group made us gain trust within each other to listen, explore and obtain new knowledge collectively to make a piece of work that can relate to us individually. 

Liked Liked
1 Comment

  1. Ernest Abrokwah: My feedback is on RIAH ASHANTAI BENT-STEDFORD project outcome and personal development reflection. I think you reflected fully especially on…

BLOG POST 2- CREATIVE PRACTICE REFLECTION

⋅

Fashion is a mess! 

In every aspect including, the three principles through sustainability, diversity and social responsibility. 

The state of sustainability is to have the ability to maintain an eco-friendly balance and avoid throwing items that you can restate. 

Studying a creative practice (styling and production) has explored the narrative on sustainability, with introducing the pros and cons in aspects of fashion. Non- equal pay, inequality, child labour, biodiversity, climate change and chemical miss-use. 

I have learnt and educated others in ways to be sustainable. I show family and friends what I have created, by Repurposing any materials, including industrial bags, (use them as plant bags) to selling items online (eBay, Amazon, Depop, Asos marketplace). Also keep clothes as trends tend to repeat, hand me downs, charity shops, thrift markets, car-boot sales, garage sales. These are just some ways of re-introducing being creative with sustainability. 

The representation of class, diversity, unconventional beauty, brand ethos and synergy are the negative representations that have been board-casted through society. 

Being involved in the better lives project, fashion activism, has identified some of the prime issues increased as a result of the acceptance of negative behaviour. When working in groups, we analysed the reinforced images that have been placed as social gratification, these include misrepresentations of cultures, racism and classism, through advertisement. 

The lack of diversity in fashion establishments is still a problem. Noted that distasteful behaviour is accepted and not challenged. If elements of fashion can continue to profit from the negative publicity, it is not considered an issue.

 How do you adapt in any setting? Present your social norms and values to others? Then make a new framework of ethical and social responsibility?

Every individual has their own sets of norms and values, that can influence others to change their perception on social inequalities. One of the main ways in changing your environment is by helping your local community, partake in volunteering, diversifying by expanding your group of friends. Ensuring that it is inclusive to all ages, those are just a few examples of how to revive, and keep state of an open mind.

The best way to develop as an individual is to stay current and informed, engage in new conversations. Be confident in knowing that your opinion counts, that your communication is clear, enlightening and being heard by your audience. Your participation will be noticed, and everyone has the potential to learn something new. 

We have a voice, a way in which we live and choose to live. I have been exposed to such realities and analytical situations. That’s what makes us acknowledge our values, principles, and our identities. In life, being surrounded by so many different personalities around you, you start to take note and become aware of what you like from what behaviours you cannot tolerate.  

Fashion styling and production, with better lives, has continued to open my eyes to the three principles and how they have integrated into my learning. As a result, by being more sustainable with all items I own. I have contributed by buying vintage or recycling items, understanding other responsibilities by broadening my horizons, building new friendships both professionally and personally. 

Liked Liked
No Comments

BLOG POST 1 – LECTURE REFLECTION -Teleica Kirkland

⋅


The Rotation of Negative Representation in the fashion industry was something I was keen to understand. Teleica Kirkland gave a Better lives lecture on representation, which gave the open introduction to the chaos of what fashion has metamorphosed into. Possessed with the ideology that our aesthetics should be influenced by the European culture, society has clouded our minds on how much, our Representation plays a crucial part in our social lives. 

connotations on representation everywhere. Possessed with the ideology that our aesthetics should be influenced by the European culture, society has clouded our minds on how much, our Representation plays a crucial part in our social lives. 

The idea of Eurocentric values birthed colourism. In order to be attractive, you have to look a certain way to appease the target audience. These connotations stem from the entertainment industry, That have a range of celebrities which have embarked on new ways in promoting campaigns that focus on pills, dieting and doctors for “simple” surgeries to transform and indorse a new look to social media, broadcasting a fake reality.

  These celebrities encourage others to change their appearance, by creating campaigns/ advertisement to provide avenues for a vision of moving forward with acceptance that everyone is not the same. Being able to see the representation of yourself somewhere breeds importance for that individual.

The influence of European culture has destroyed the minds of others to not remember/ feel ashamed over their black heritage. Designers of black heritage have not had the privilege, exposure or welcome from the fashion community, but can be made fun of from other humans that don’t understand the level of racism a person of colour goes through.

In this world, woman that are light-skinned, that have European hair (wavy/ bone straight hair) are the ideas of the ideal beauty. This promotes a negative connotation to others that don’t have the look. This forces the target audience to look at a new form of beauty standards. Bleaching (including skin bleaching), dieting and surgery are the main persuasions in gaining popularity from young target audiences, by using celebrities. 

Negative representation has been problematic throughout history. The misrepresentation of black men, stereotypes, schools, Genders, disabilities, cultures have all been tormented, due to people being misunderstood, curious, angry or a bully over not understanding something that is not their norm.  It all revolves around a systematic Failure, that people don’t want to fix.

However, over recent years, due to social media, which has published more controversy in order to keep fashion alive, has been the weapon to capitalism. Racially insensitive imagery+ stirring controversy = money+ profit= more insensitive racial imagery.

Instagram Account , Diet Prada made a PSA in 2020. Designer Comme Des Garcon made a critical error at PFW 2020 when deciding to bring a stigma to cultural identity, by using white males wearing   cornrow wigs as a demonstration for cultural Appropriation, Racism. (2 years ago, was their first time casting black models for their shows) 

Racism, sexism, size discrimination, disability discrimination are the acquisitions of fashion. 

Rihanna counteracted that theory by providing strength in movement. Savage x Fenty 2019 show premiered the importance of inclusion for others, regardless of sexual orientation, size or colour. You should be able to see a version of yourself. It gives a sense of comfort to know that you have entered a space of a no judgement zone. 

Liked Liked
No Comments