After reading over a few of blog posts, I have chosen to peer review Eleanor Renwick’s Blog 2. I like how she clearly states and summarises the 3 main topics and outlines what she aims to do in her blog post. She then proceeds to give a clear definition of her first case study (Diversity) and raises the qualms that people have with this specific topic. In her third paragraph she uses Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty as an example of a company that is promoting diversity and catering to the make-up needs of the under-represented communities within media and society. Eleanor’s fourth paragraph detailing her role as a creative is concise and she is acknowledging her social responsibility however she doesn’t give example of how she could, or has done this in the past. She then addresses and gives examples of how she can be more sustainable in her own practise. She then references an article from Depop and Farfetch then outlines the general argument of the article which I thought showed genuine interest and further research in the topics at hand. Then in her conclusion she summarises her responsibilities and how she is going to bring these new topics with her in the future. Overall, two of the topics discussed had a very good real world examples and explanations with them and her paragraph about Social Responsibility was the only one lacking them. It comes across that she has learnt about the topics throughout Better Lives.
Project outcomes and personal development in Better Lives Module.
I initially chose the make-up section of Better lives because seeing as I don’t wear make-up I haven’t had the chance to learn what and how to do different make-up looks. Also I saw this as a chance to make me a stronger photographer because if I am able to achieve a certain a certain level of prowess in make-up then it’ll be easier to do shoots as I won’t have to organise to have a make-up artist unless I am doing a more extravagant shoot. I started off this process by learning how to do a ‘Smoky Eye’ make up look this was initially challenging for me because even though I had painted before I hadn’t done make up looks. Using this application technique I applied a translucent layer of white then blended in purple eyeshadow to it to create a slight gradient from the inside of my face to the outside. Then using purple jewels I recreated a cluster of lavender leaves on my face. I then tried to use the gems to create the stalk however this made the image unclear so using eyeliner I drew the stalk. I liked the overall simplicity of this look however the left side of my face looked to empty so I created another lavender plant and had this one higher up and leaning in. I did this to create the effect of them leaning towards the sun as well as it nice framing my face. My inspiration for using lavender comes from their qualities as a natural remedy whether that their ‘antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, which can help to heal minor burns and bug bites.’ or what I primarily use them for, treating insomnia and restlessness. These stresses have become more apparent throughout quarantine so I though it fitting to make them the theme of my make up look. From my Better Lives lectures and personal research I am going to try to continue making and not throwing away old garments along with not shopping from unethical companies. Having parents who are also in the creative industry and being raised in a household that promoted and believed in sustainability within the arts and everyday life has helped me be a more responsible practitioner.
I remember, at the beginning of last year, applying for my place in the Fashion Photography course, this Better Lives unit was one of the main things I was looking forward to. I was finally going to have some insight on what the big names of the industry were talking about, their jargon. The terms diversity, social responsibility and sustainability were, at last, going to be part of my everyday vocabulary.
Progressing through anything in life my motto had been “knowledge is power”. Now, how do I tune my knowledge to its full potential? In order to puzzle out what kind of impact you want to have as a fashion practitioner or artist in general, I believe it is primordial to be aware of what has impacted you – what has shaped you. Listening to all these lectures has rapidly put that idea to the test.
For a while, I’d been going through my lecture notes in hope to find a guiding thread throughout my interests. Frankly, that was quite hard, as my mindset was filtering my research. I was looking to completely shift the way I worked, remodel who I was as an artist. Then it occurred to me, that that wasn’t the reason these lectures were given to us. Simply, these are essential supplements that our craft needs. Preparing us the be the change that this world needs.
It still amazes when I realise that the people that I sit within in class and I are next up in the industry, preparing to take on the roles of the individuals we admire or completely dismiss. I see Better Lives as a provider of tools to repair and support the industry, an ancient frail structure, but mostly materials to build a new and durable one.
Reflecting on Sustainability, Diversity and Social Responsibility within my own practise.
After rewatching and listening to my recent Better Lives lectures I encouraged myself to honestly assess and consider my responsibilities as a creative. In terms of my own practise and how I have explored and taken into account the theme of ‘diversity’ I have an ongoing project called “SUSURO” in which I make clothing inspired by traditional Japanese techniques and more modern streetwear inspired patch-working then photograph models wearing these pieces. I try to predominantly use mixed race models focusing on my friends and peers who are half Japanese mixed with another half. This casting idea spoke strongly to me because although the amount of mixed race (half black and half white) models is significantly increasing, the representation and use of models who are ‘wasian’, ’measian’ or blasian (white and asian, middle eastern and asian (oriental) and black and asian) is barely changing in east asian countries such as Japan and South Korea. Throughout the aforementioned project I cast my friend who was half Japanese and half Nigerian and another who was Chinese and french. I had cast street twins who were also of Nigerian and Japanese descent however i wasn’t able to use them. The idea of this shoot was to empower and promote this quite often under represented mix and I believe that I was successful in doing so.
Previously I wasn’t well versed on the importance of Social Responsibility within fashion however after my lectures and further personal research and reading into the project, a quote from the New York Law Journal stood out to me. ‘The relevance of social responsibility to brand valuation for investors and other stakeholders is increasing exponentially year after year’ consequently it became apparent that as creatives we are our own brand and our reputation is of the utmost importance to our career. Ways I have implemented social responsibility into different parts of my own life vary from making sure to recycle and by free range organic food items to cutting down the amount I buy clothes and shoes and completely stopping going to fast fashion retailers. I have practised sustainability for many years by mainly making my garments out of fabrics found at charity shops or bought from smaller sellers on online marketplaces as well as, before throwing out an old pieces of clothing, seeing if can rework or mix it with another piece so that I can continue to wear it. An example of this is a hoodie that I made for a previous project where I had a hoodie that was too short so combining it with another hoodie that I grown out of, I sewed them together then patchworked different t-shirts from when I was a younger to make a new hoodie that was aesthetically pleasing and still held a lot of sentimental value for me.
Diversity and representation within fashion notes.
representation and diversity within the arts is about seeing people from a diverse range of backgrounds whether that be from the LGBT community, different body aesthetics and ethnicities.
designers, artists, photographers and all other creatives should strive to correctly and sensitively represent all types of people from every community. Throughout history ‘Eurocentric’ beauty standards have been promoted and exhibited throughout the world through imperialism, colonialism and the media. Western media/ideals pushed worldwide. It is important more-so now than ever before because people need to be educated on how different people live their lives. Through the promotion of Eurocentric beauty standards has lead to people, especially the youth, believing that only one type of look is deemed attractive by society. (This being skin colour, physical build, hair, size and placement of facial features, dress)
Media is guilty of exaggerating these non-Eurocentric beauty while portraying minorities. example given on presentation is Djimon Hounsou, where he is standing against a white background and possibly the editing or lighting of the photograph accentuates his darker tone of skin. Our responsibilities as practitioners is to not continue upholding and building the negative stereotypes created by creatives before us.
Frantz Fanon’s ‘Black Skin, White Masks’ explores the desire for perceived necessity of the black person to adopt the behaviour of the dominant white culture as a way of being accepted into society and their self hatred being spurred on by society. The Model Minority is a fallacy that suggests there are south and east-asian minorities within asian communities that are considered to be ‘white adjacent’. they are considered to be well integrated in terms of education and employment. In a research paper, by Dr Yae, she has stated that ‘this construction as a model minority needs to be contested as it a radicalised discourse that masks inequalities and racism not to mention that it also suggests that all south and south east asians are the same.’ This is also seen through black entertainment culture when an artists (normally musician) amasses wealth, popularity and fame, their perceived social status and class is elevated in the eyes of society.
Examples of the negative effects of Eurocentric beauty ideals being pushed.
Black and Asian women skin bleaching // Black women straightening naturally curly hair
I found the segment about ‘The Model Minority particularly interesting because I, a half Japanese and half English boy, have been treated as white adjacent even though my physical asian qualities are prominent and noticeable on my face as well as being privileged enough to grow up in nice areas and attend good schools I have seen the positives of ‘the model minority’ however people who I have met who are of the same mix haven’t seen the same privileges that I have. There are often variables such as living in different areas, going to different school etc however I find Dr Yae’s assessment of the ‘the model minority’ to be somewhat entirely accurate.
I decided on “Navigating Through Clothing” with Jessica Curtis for my Better Lives project. This unit aimed to broaden your knowledge on a selected subject, which was alongside mixed students who are studying at SMC in their first year. I was pretty nervous about studying with students who I did not know beforehand, so I was very relieved when I saw Jess when I opened the classroom door the first time.
In the first week of class, we were given a handout of Hansel and Gretel and our objective was to design one character from the story. When we went through the narrative together, Jess told us the key points of reading performance texts. She told us to be aware of the character’s physical features, time periods, places, smells, and the weather. She also told us to ask questions like “ What does the character say about themselves” and “What do others say about the character?”. Being able to answer those questions would help our understanding on the portrayal of the final character design.
While I was reading the text, I felt Hansel and Gretel were both suffering from hunger, because of a famine. Even though they were physically weak, their hearts and spirits reminded me of a “fighter figure”.
During the second week of class, we made a visit to the British Museum and the National Theatre. There I was able to get some inspiration for the character design. At the National Theatre, they always have a small costume exhibition which has the costumes for different plays that were performed there. There was a costume that intrigued me, it was a massive body padding, made by a duvet and covered by the cloud suit. This costume was used in “Mr. Gum and the Dancing Bear (2019)”. When I made the body padding suit, we were required to buy poly wadding sheets, which consists of thick cotton to build the padding. The idea of using a duvet really inspired me to use more sustainable or second hand materials if the outcome or the effect is the same.
In the British Museum, at the British Iron Age section, I was fascinated by a bronze helmet and shield from 350-50 BC that was found at the river Thames. These object made me recall the Hansel Fighter’s figure. So I used it in my final character design.
For Hansel, I decided on a hungry, under-fed fighter. I also wanted to create the opposite of that for when the witch feeds Hansel. To do that I incorporated body padding, to make Hansel look a lot fatter because of all the food that the witch fed him.
The first step, while approaching the character design was to draw the main character and the other character’s relationship, to understand their objective mutual relations. I also researched the story’s background (Why did the author write this story, what was the time period, what is the age of the characters etc).
From that, I thought that the helmet and shield that I saw earlier were associated with Vikings (there was no detailed description at the object itself). So I went to the JORVIK Viking Center in York on the 7th of March to figure out how Vikings lived and what kind of materials they used for the clothes they wore. Surprisingly, I found out that they figured out skills for dying garments with bugs, vegetables, and other natural products.
I also visited kilt shops and fabric stores in Edinburgh on the 14th of March to research more about different Clan’s tartan for the character design. It was a great opportunity to see various tartans and the history of it.
I also visited kilt shops and fabric stores in Edinburgh on the 14th of March to research more about different Clan’s tartan for the character design. It was a great opportunity to see various tartans and the history of it.
From my primary and secondary research, I created collages for the task. The moment Hansel was hearing his parents dialogs while sitting in front of the door. I quite enjoyed making the collages, although my final character design wasn’t as good I envisioned it in my collages. I went back to my hometown in the middle of spring break because of this pandemic. After I departed I realised that I left my drawing material in London, so I had to use my iPad which I’ve never really used for this kind of work. That was a massive challenge for me, and I should have trained myself in doing more design work on it.
While I was attending the online lectures I realised that I forgot to decide on the performance type. As a performance course student, this is an unacceptable mistake because we always create designs that associate with different performances.
To conclude, even though this project mostly overlapped with what I’ve learned at block 1, it also let me reconfirm the processes of making characters again and it will be helpful in my future work. I can learn from the mistakes that I made, and apply that knowledge and experience in the rest of my career.
Lorraine Gammon’s lecture on ‘Empathy’ illustrates the need for empathy within the design industry by showing powerful examples and explaining the need for user focused design to enhance the experience of consumers. One must really understand audience for which you are designing and have passion for it but also the ability to detach and provide unbiased critiques to progress the work. Social responsibility in design means confronting difficult issues and make the public more understanding (e.g. Highland Rape collection by McQueen, The Is It My Fault? Exhibition) or create inclusivity for an overlooked/excluded demographic.
A particular example that I found very relevant is the designs created by Harriet Harris, Graeme Brooker and Angela Luna. The designs were centred around function and multi-purpose to help a group that does not instantly come to mind when thinking of fashion; Syrian refugees. The different designers created wearable coats/clothing that could also transform into sleeping bags, tents or even floatation devices. This is inspiring as it is both innovative and necessary and supports the idea that art should make a change in the world rather than just exist as a decoration. Artists should be activists. This is also referred to in the lecture by Lucy Orta on ‘Democracy and Activism’ which elaborates on many artists such as, Maja Bajevic or Francis Alÿs, who are constantly questioning political and world affairs with opposing moral stances to highlight inconsistencies and make people think more deeply about the world around them.
Social responsibility is a very current topic, especially during the unprecedented state of the world during the Covid-19 pandemic. Though many negatives have arised with the spread of the disease there has been an increased sense of community particularly in regards to the NHS. Anyone with a sewing machine, particularly those in creative industries seen sewing PPE and scrubs for NHS as a collective effort to support the staff for their brave work even though the government should be doing this not the people. Hospital scrubs are not typically very fashionable but with the efforts of the fashion community in the UK, there has been a certain flair and individuality added to the donated scrubs. Not only does this show a greater inclusivity in design but also shows the seizure of power from government stockists, showing the empathy of the people can be greater than that of government organisations.
Personally, I love the way in which Melanie Jansen has used her own perspective of being a person who communicates with others as the inspiration for her character. It is easy to tell from her detailed description of the internal struggles many with mental illnesses face that the subject matter of her character design is truly well informed, making it all the more believable and relatable to the topic of personal identity.
I’m glad to see that Melanie decided to construct an identity that varied from “traditionally attractive” forms by focusing her creativity on an average-looking middle-aged man. Shining the spotlight onto people like this is what I believe is much needed from our media, rather than merely making background characters or personified jokes out of this age range of men that aren’t donning abs or sporting perfect skin. The fragility that exists behind masculinity is a topic that should be much more widespread, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Melanie’s representation of this.
Through the lectures and classes I have partaken in during this unit, I have learned significantly more about what it means to represent people. How this can impact societal views and influence new waves of acceptance due to the capability of creating fictional beings that the public somehow relate to and/or sympathise with.
To me, the coronavirus outbreak has demonstrated more than anything the lack of care that our conservative government has for the people of this country. With months of reports from other affected countries to respond from, their complete disregard of the threat of the virus hitting the UK is what I believe has lead to us becoming the worst hit country in Europe. Ministers stand at a podium praising the NHS as though they haven’t spent years abusing it. They treat our country as a business with complete disregard for human wellbeing, merely showing concern and making flashy Churchill-esque statements whilst the cameras are rolling in order to keep the votes rolling in. I chose to reflect these beliefs of the establishment’s ill-treatment of those without a booming media presence in my character design.
The Louisiana Cigarette Man lives by New Orleans, a mile or so from Cancer Alley, an area by the Mississippi river that houses multiple industrial plants. He is an African American man of low income and has spent his life in relative poverty. Every morning, he sits on his deck chair at the front of his house and smokes a cigarette. Over time, and without him noticing, toxic fumes from the plantations neighbouring his low-cost home have mutated his anatomy to form one with his chair. As well as his respiratory system warping to form multiple mouths within his beard, each functioning only to smoke cigarettes.
Such emphasis on cigarettes is brought upon by my understanding of impoverished people feeling so overlooked that they give up on the idea of bettering themselves. Instead turning to drink, drugs and gambling for short-lived bursts of satisfaction which ironically seem to place money back in the pocket of the rich man. Betting shops and pubs make up for a large quantity of businesses along poverty-stricken areas where I live in Liverpool.
Although the subject matter is quite dark, I wanted to counteract the grittiness with more innocent and creative aspects inspired by Studio Ghibli. For this reason, the beard is shaped like a cloud of smoke and the face is comically wide. I did this because we are often more heavily impacted by lighter forms of media. A film intended for children is likely to teach a more impactful lesson than a horror film (excluding Get Out), so I created aspects of the Louisiana Cigarette Man that were digestible and visually appealing. After all, he’s a victim not a villain, he needs to be loveable.
The themes of sustainability, social responsibility and diversity are ones that I was familiar but not entirely engaged in. There is definitely a greater need for all creatives to consider these themes more in their practise if we are to develop the fashion/art world without causing further detriment.
There is far greater depth in diversity than just picking people of different races, sizes and abilities to represent a brand – there must be an active way to design for all. A great deal of fashion, in particular, deals only with the aesthetic side of design and sometimes the functionality but a lot of the time, it is not common to design a garment or product that can actually be useful in many ways or cater to the needs of those outside the typical sphere of consumers such as those who are homeless, physically impaired or mentally impaired. There is a great number of consumers who do not fit the customer profiles of many brands and are forced into buying normal items despite their situation requiring a more specified product. This encourages me to consider greater functionality and to spread more awareness through my work. Furthermore it inspires me to reach out to more atypical audiences and try to create a more inclusive piece of work that could potentially help alienated or forgotten communities.
Social responsibility and sustainability also go hand in hand with this as it is impossible for us to all continue the way we are working without changing as it is seriously harming not only the earth but its inhabitants too. In order to not cause further damage to the environment and people who are being exploited for our ease, I will definitely aim to work in a less wasteful way and also, directly not buy into faster alternatives when gathering materials, garments or anything needed for a shoot. Realistically, it is not worth it to be wasteful or harmful when you could make something far more interesting and creative by working with what you already have.
In conclusion, although these are terms I was already familiar with, the lectures have really inspired me into seeing diversity, social responsibility and sustainability as more of a necessity rather than an option to consider when creating work. The project has opened my eyes as to just how much improvement is needed within the fashion industry and how it is up to us, the upcoming generation of creators, to change it. Moving forward, activism for these topics will definitely be a priority for my personal work but also for collaborations I may take on in the future as we need to create an industry that is more conscious, meaningful and inclusive.
