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For this first blog on Lecture Reflection I chose Jekaterina Rogaten’s lecture on Well-being. As the lectures are Better Lives through fashion I found I had to really think about the way I applied their teachings to my chosen industry. However I feel more connected to Rogaten’s look at how consumer well-being is affected by fashion choices and our awareness of its construction in expression of sustainability and positivity. 

Rogaten starts off introducing the topic with, “Having more plusses in your life than minuses can improve your mental well-being”.  She then goes on to talk about the psychological grounds of how others may contribute to your well-being and happiness, but that you are the only person able and responsible for raising your well-being and happiness. I feel this is important in any industry and as a make-up artist I would be in direct contact with individuals that are preparing to perform. I would be responsible for contributing to their well-being and allowing them to relax before a performance. 

“Some people talk about well-being as absence of ill-being so if you are not depressed or anxious you by default have some level of wellbeing. People like me say that being at zero does not mean you have well-being or that you are flourishing”. I’ve come across these views and I agree with the latter. My own experience shows being okay doesn’t mean I am prospering. 

Something that Rogaten said struck me, “We are living in a highly materialistic culture, and there are psychological aspects of it – of why at the moment we don’t experience as much well-being as we could have experienced”, continuing that in the UK we are considered quite a well off country and yet there are significant issues with people’s mental health. As we are all in isolation during a crisis, well-being and mental health is more important and we must do what we can to promote it. 

I realised how using sustainable materials and products within my industry would allow me to practice in a way that improves my own mental well-being as well as other’s. This is my reflection on a section of the lecture about how smart fashion and conscious fashion can promote positivity in an individual’s mental health and welfare. Choosing products from brands that are environmentally friendly over ones that are wasteful is not only for yourself but is helping a cause making more positivity in your well-being. 

Mental well-being is very important to myself and the lecture has enabled me to take a better look at how the products I employ and the way I conduct myself can better the well-being of my performer. This lecture made me think not only how I could be someone who contributes to other’s well-being but also how to maintain and increase my own. Without my own well-being and mental health being looked after and improved I can not undertake the tasks that help others.

1

Understand of how different fields can influence the fashion field “Fashion isn’t just about clothes, it’s about the trends ,it’s about the now” “Technology allows us to do things couldn’t do before” Technology is not just electrical equipment, it’s innovations in previous methods that make that method easier. “It’s the realisation of knowledge into action” The idea of affordances Technology has to be understood to be able to use it and for the masses it has to be not complicated and easy to use as technical understanding is not universal The better life is a lecture on how technology can influence fashion was able to change my thinking and understanding of how the different fields of technology can influence fashion and not just through basic incorporation of technology within production, such as 3-D printing or the advancements used to transport clothing, It can also be used to analyse and understand market trends as well as improve sustainability through limiting over production and creating more transparent company models. “Fashion isn’t just about clothes, it’s about the trends ,it’s about the now” It also made me change the way I thought about technology in general as instead of being just electrical equipment it can also be described/defined as innovations in previous methods that make set method easier. Technology also makes us be able to Do you things we were unable to do before thanks to new innovations and understanding of how different aspects of things work. New technology is coming out all of the time however no matter how useful is it may not be adopted by the masses due to its complexity and inaccessibility as technology needs to be understood in able for it to be used by the widest range of people, and a large amount of technical understanding is needed at the start of most technologies Meaning that her understanding is not universal and therefore get forgotten over time, good example of this is 3-D printing which was invented in the late 60s but was deemed too expensive to use until recent innovations have made them widely available to the public. Perspective is also a very important part of this lecture as technology is the realisation of knowledge into action however not everyone has this knowledge to create new technology which also brings in the idea of affordances. This idea is that the same object can be used for different things by different people which relates to technology as the same piece of technology can be used by different industries and practices for very different reasons however the quote technology does not have to change to do this, a good example of this is the Internet as it is the technology that is why they available, relatively easy to use and the information on it can be used in almost any area of expertise.

2

The themes brought up in the better lives lectures made me think about what we do as consumers can affect large companies in different ways, as well as affect the way that the companies produce materials and how sustainable that is.

During my lecture about blockchain technology, I was given the example of a major clothing company such as Primark or New Look and how they manage to produce clothing that is cheap for the consumer to buy. However, these companies are quite unethical due to the way their products are manufactured as to have priced this low they will need to pay the minimum for labour and materials just so they can make a profit. This lecture got me thinking about all the stages that go into making products and how many companies are involved, as well as the power that a consumer has and my thinking surrounding that. 

With the example of Primark, it would start at the fields where the material is grown for the manufacture of a shirt, for example.  This would then need to be taken to a processing plant and in just that stage there’s the labour of the farmers, the transporting of the material, all resources put into factory work such as water and electricity, and more workers’ labour.  This also made me think about responsibility within the fashion community and as a business and how companies that employ unsustainable tactics should be held accountable and also ways that these companies can change so that they produce a more ethical sustainable and environmentally friendly products.

My solution for this problem was to implement an unalterable directory of events that take place during the production, such as transport and labour costs put into the material so that companies would have to acknowledge what goes into making their products. However, I was informed that this is very hard to do due to a multitude of factors.  Primarily the fact that it’s very difficult to implement anything that can’t be altered and that can be proven to be true.  This is where the lecture deviated into items such as Bitcoin, as it has an immutable currency factor that allows it to be proven and therefore used as a workable currency. 

The closest thought I had to something that would work was probably having all the production stages at one facility, this would include the growing, manufacturing, and central hub of the business.  Also having an automated which would minimises the need for labour so that the process could be as efficient as possible, also use as little resources as possible and it is recorded due to the need for the machines to be imputed-upon.

Overall this Alexa has made me think about the wider impact that certain companies have on our environment, on the fashion industry and how it can reflect badly upon that company and also other clothing brands when a materials origins cannot be proved.

3

For my better lives project, I was investigating how blockchain technology can be implemented within the parameters of the fashion industry. This would improve the lives of both the retail workers, and the process in which clothing is created. Meaning customers see a more sustainable process of creating clothing. An example of this is Marks and Spencer’s clothing, sending out a wider message to the customers enabling them to be more aware of where their material is sourced from, and the process of labour in which it is made.  In this blog post, I will explain how the better lives themes have influenced my outcome and my personal thinking throughout the project.

For my better lives project, I was focusing on the system that would track the progress of the making of clothes; using the theoretical blockchain technology ideas, questioning if they could improve both the lives of the worker and creating an more accessible knowledge of where material is sourced from, and whether it is sustainable or not. To do this, I used the better lives themes as an influence, focusing on the outcome of the project, creating hypothetical technology which would enable me to question whether companies fulfilling their social responsibility, such as sourcing their products from sustainable method. It is their responsibility as a brand and company to provide honest and correct information about where they source their materials, brands should be transparent and strive to have the least damaging effect on the environment, something brands are not currently doing.  Sustainable materials, and more sustainable methods of creating clothing would also help, if companies are completing their social responsibility it would also reduce the carbon emissions produced by the fast fashion industry. We need to begin to make brands accountable for the lack of sustainability within their company. Beginning to generate profits to put towards more sustainable efforts, such as, sustainable crop rotation for cotton used in shirts.

One of the problems I ran into during this project was looking into diversity. As instead of this being a targeted project on diversity within the fashion industry, I took a more technological route, exploring sustainability within the rapidly developing fast fashion industry. 

I believe that this project has improved my personal development by getting me to think about the ways in which the companies that I purchased from and put my money into use my money. As well as how they create the products, buying fabrics that are not sustainable. This project has made me more socially aware of what I am purchasing. It was also made me question the integrity of companies, due to both their pricing and their business model. It has made me look deeper into different companies and made me think more critically about them.

4

For my final better lives blog post,  I will be reflecting on Maisie Henderson’s first blog post in which she talks about how a better life lecture had influenced her thinking on the topic of representation, specifically within the areas of fashion and mainstream culture. She begins discussing the idea of representation in media, as well as the idea of the monoculturist marketing. She began her blog post by breaking down what the context of the lecture was, and the key points illustrated within it. Discussing how they can be applied to both people in fashion and mainstream media. She also mentioned how these themes have influenced her thinking and knowledge, specifically in the areas of the better lives themes: diversity, sustainability, and social responsibility. Reflecting and interacting with the themes, meeting the assignment brief.

 When she goes into detail about the specific points of the lecture, she has focused in on the concept of “using one type ethnicity, one body type, one ideal type of person to sell products and set the ideal standard for the individual person”. Making the point that this can lead to self-hatred within minority demographics. Maisie’s blog post covers the better lives themes when talking about diversity.  She says about the “introduction of euro-centric culture and the idea of focusing on European culture and history” as this excludes a wider world view, therefore, portrays European culture as prominent in both media and society. Excluding other ideals and cultures which is a none diverse way of thinking. While reading this I was surprised to find out that there were practices such as skin bleaching and other forms of treatment given in places that have media with a very European centric media. I was shocked to find this is considered normal, leading possibly to dysmorphia.

Maisie also talks about out social responsibility of those that prosper in this eurocentric culture, such as the millionaires and companies that promote it and profit of it. She believes that they should be held accountable, as the representation of people of colour in the media reflect how people act and think.

She then goes on to analyse how this can link into cultural appropriation, and how large companies such as Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs have used this in their brand and how it can be insensitive. However, she does not talk about the sustainability issues that this could cause which would have added more weight to her argument.  She could have talked about the way in which different areas are affected both economically and culturally and how this is unsustainable in the idea of a social hierarchy and the idea that identity can be influenced through the media and can change quite rapidly. This also links into the notion that areas with lower income and more affected by media with the idea of a model minority.

My fashion background began with up cycling old garments into new at the age of nine. My favourite pieces include two dresses made from T-shirts and a bomber jacket made from scrap denim. I present my pieces on my Instagram-> @joccoaatheato.

Now since uni started I haven’t had much time for my own projects, but the Better Lives unit has reminded me of the importance of up cycling and protecting the world from fast fashion as much as I can. The Better Lives unit inspired me to use my free time in quarantine to make new things out of old and to reach out more on my Instagram as it’s my social responsibility to teach as many people as possible the negative impact that fast fashion has on the planet. 

On top of this, the reminder of the importance of sustainable fashion and my social responsibility has led me to draw most of my designs for class as recycled garments. Up-cycled garments are now at the forefront of my mind whenever designing. Be it for class or for my own projects. I personally like to gather inspiration from rubbish materials. Using their textures and colours to influence my designs.  

I’ve also been looking into selling my own recycled garments online. This will provide me with some income from a job that is beneficial to the planet. My plan is to continue pushing forward with this project of mine with more force than before to do my part for the planet. It is my belief that as more up-cycling retailers begin popping up, the public eye will shift towards a more environmentally friendly fashion sense. 

Even if half of consumers move to up-cycled fashion, the strain on our climate will be significantly lightened. 

Sustainable living to the best of one’s ability is extremely important to me as the planet’s climate and pollution rate are one of my biggest concerns. It is up to us as Better Lives students to not only impact the people on this earth positively, but the earth itself too. I truly hope that everyone else in this unit has realised the importance of their social responsibility to improve our planet as a group despite our differences. 

After watching a number of better lives lectures, and even attending some, the lecture that caught my interest the most was the Katelyn Toth-Fejel’s society lecture. Katelyn stated, “Dressing is considered as a social act.” and this immediately got me think why did she say so I started thinking to myself that do we not dress up for ourselves? Cause that’s what I always thought that we dress up well to please ourselves and not others. That’s when she quoted Hughes, Michael and Carolyn J. Kroehler (2008), “Each of us is a social being. We are born into a social environment; we fully develop in to human beings in a social environment; and we live our lives in a social environment. What we think, how we feel, and what we say and do all are shaped by our interactions with other people.” And that’s when I started understanding that we human beings are a part of a social environment where we are in some way or the other being judged by the society and somewhere we judge others too and this is usually influenced by our interaction with other people and in my head I thought that maybe this could be one of the reasons why Katelyn said that dressing up is reflected as a social act. 

Further in the lecture she explained that dressing is a social act where we create and express identity and this is communicated by aesthetic taste, beauty or sex appeal, wealth, status or belonging to a certain social group, religion, ceremony or ritual etc.  and this further explained that why do we dress up in a certain manner and how different communities dress up differently. 

With clothes catering to different sets of people in the society with different needs, fast fashion was formed, and this became a problematic factor not only to the society but also to the environment. Fast fashion means cheap clothing which is affordable to the masses as these clothing’s are not very expensive, people tend to underutilize them, and they are thrown away, which creates a lot of unwanted waste. I myself know so many people that shop clothes from primark and just wear it once in a social environment and then never wear it again as it has been seen by the masses and it cannot be repeated again, and that is because they fear of being judged to repeat their clothing. I learnt about this when I moved to London to study. Back in India I would say most of us over utilize clothes, by first wearing them ourselves till the time aren’t worn out and then they are passed to our house helps or those in need or else they are used as a cloth to clean floor or platforms. 

Katelyn quoted Daniel Miller who stated that “people dress in ways also to spread joy, care, and safety, to express anxiety and caution.” She explained that safety could be interpreted as the need to be dry, warm or comfortable. Which made me understand that not all dress up to cater the needs or the expectations of the society, they dress up to cater the needs of themselves and their comforts.

REFRENCES

Hughes, Michael, and Carolyn J. Kroehler (2008) Sociology: The Core. 8^th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Toth-Fejel, K. (2020) ‘Sustainability and Society’ [Lecture]. Better Lives, London College of Fashion, 19 February. 

At the bidding stage of this unit, I entered Messaging Fashion as a first choice because it was a topic I had very little to no knowledge about. I’d always had admired people who have the skills on the business side of the industry. In my mind, workers in public relationships are the backbone of the industry and are crucial to have in your contacts. So having an understanding of what they do felt essential.

As part of our project, we had to create a PR campaign for the streetwear brand from Amsterdam, Patta, in partnership with the Patta Foundation. It was a given, with the foundation they initiate projects in aim to inspire youth to entrepreneurship, to be the role models of the next generation.

I must admit that I was rather dubious, at first, whilst brainstorming with the other two group members, I felt the brand was too clean, overall superficial. Despite their values being love and hobby, the idea of sneaker raffles didn’t sit right in my mind. I decided to have a chat with them in person at their London store in Soho. It met two staff members who immediately altered my judgment, they almost made it feel like it was a family business. They had kept the mindset they had from the very first instances of the brand, it was about preserving what the founders Edson Sabajo and Guillaume Schmidt started back in 2004.

In these unsettling times, we decided that our cause was going to be a fundraiser enabling us to give back to the NHS. In response to the theme of loneliness in the face of COVID – 19, we made an event based on both YouTube and Instagram – the idea was to organise a mini-festival. Something that could bring people together on a large scale yet in the safety of our homes.

Choosing a diverse and inclusive lineup was very important to us, from alternative rock to folk, so as to attract all types of audience members. I think it’s important to note that we took the risk to display to an audience that was most likely to have never have heard of our brand. We kept in mind the power that music could have in these times of distress.
We also held one to one Instagram live conversations between the musicians and a few lucky followers so they could share their passions and take advice to their future/ongoing careers.

During our presentation, we received a comment saying that she and her family were big fans of one the bands we listed, that if it were to collaborate with Patta they’ed be interested into getting to know the brand better. It was an immense relief to us, as the final project we presented was far from what we first intended to do due to time zone and the language barrier.

I have through about how all this lectures are going to impact my work from now on.

Thinking about Diversity, Sustainability and Social Responsibility through these two weeks has definitely open my mind towards the future an what actions I can take to raise awareness towards these themes. I have also come to the realisation that I had never put much thought about how these factors affect the fashion industry and our society. As well as realising that I am part of one of the biggest, most influential industries in the world and that our reach on society is immensely. All of these has definitely put some pressure on me, and what I can do to better myself, my work and the industry itself.

As a Hair, Makeup & Prosthetics for performance student I immediately thought about the environmental problems my own sector creates. With the constant waste of products and the uses of chemicals. On the other hand I thought about how it affects the personal well-being and why it can be so positive but at the same time so negative without the proper representation of beauty standards.

Nowadays I believe the fashion industry is becoming conscious of these problems everyday. Creating and designing alternatives of clothing that are ecological and helpful to the environment as well as representing different beauty standards to influence younger generations positively and not in a unattainable way.

However i can’t help but wonder if it is enough, as it seems that the balance between positive and negative representation is still very equal, at the same time I wonder what I can do to make sure it leans towards the positive side.

What I have come to understand is that even if the fashion industry is more conscious, my own sector still lacks of this positive reinforcement and I believe it is of the most importance that it is recognised by the major brands.

Some businesses have made important environmental changes reducing plastic and paper in their products such as Lush, use recycled materials like Aveda or giving back to the planet by donating money which every purchase, becoming sustainable brands. However most major brands are still associated with negative connotations, and i wonder why they don’t raise awareness to this important environmental crisis. At the same time I would like to see more representation of a normal beauty standard. While in fashion we see more and more body shapes, cultures and sexualitys, the beauty 

sector its still predominant an impossible standard of perfection with heavily edited pictured of the beauty products on the face of models.

Better lives has taught me to use my creativity to help and raise awareness in which I believe important. That it is my responsibility to live sustainable and to share my ideals of diversity and environmental responsibilities with society.

I will support more smaller sustainable fashion and beauty brand from now on and try to make my friends and family aware of them and their benefits. As well as showcase in my work a diverse and different approach to beauty and the use of its products.

Upon reading Iris Choi’s second blog post entitled ‘Blog 2: Themes reflection task’, I gathered a genuine and actualized sense of understanding but also willingness to learn more and acknowledge past ignorance, with regards to the better lives themes.

This can be seen in the opening sentences when Choi expresses how she was unaware of how the better lives themes could affect the fashion industry prior to starting this unit.

Choi identified problems within the industry as shown when she wrote “In the long run, if we do not make changes to our lifestyle, irreversible damage will occur.” The clear and concise statement illustrates she has an intelligible understanding of the theme ‘Social Responsibility’ as she is presenting this statement to not only herself but everyone reading by utilizing the inclusive pronoun ‘we’. This word selection allows everyone to feel that they too are responsible for the potential outcome of the future; in addition to that, they also feel they are a part of the resolution.

I also noticed that Choi covered the Better Lives theme of diversity by mentioning that magazines continuously utilise models that an agenda of perfection, which wrongfully, encourages many to “ pursue one kind of body shape unconditionally.” I think her use of the adjective ‘unconditionally’ is very effective as it relays the dangerous extent to which any are willing to go to, to achieve standards pushed and marketed to them.

Being more diverse allows plenty of people to feel seen and well represented which can deviate from anyone feeling extreme pressure to fit into a certain box the industry has created. This issue is one that Choi has explained fully. Furthermore, she has delineated the repercussions clearly for others to comprehend. “. People may do things to affect their health such as losing weight by taking illegal pills. Body shaming become a serious problem. Our society is not inclusive enough.”

This indicates, again, that she is not only aware of the unjust on goings but also that it must be changed to inspire positive and practical change for future and upcoming creative’s. This links both themes of ‘Social Responsibility’ and ‘Diversity’ in a productive manner.

C hoi goes on to highlight the importance of sustainability; another one of the three Better Lives themes. I specifically thought it to be very ethical and moral of her to suggest some ways she could implement sustainable living into her life. “I would like to stop consuming fast fashion brand products and support sustainable minority brand.”

Additionally, she also thought of a catchy slogan she could utilise to raise public awareness “Repair, Rewear, Relove” Moreover, she took it a step further by thinking of strategies that would strike a chord with Gen Z to get them involved. This considered strategy shows Choi has really thought about how to reach differing demographics and please her customer base, all whilst enforcing the theme and key messages surrounding sustainability. This stipulates a proactive approach.

From analysing this written piece it is clear how much progress has been made since commencing the better lives project. It is also plausible to say that she not only has a clear understanding of the themes but has transparent and innovative ideas on how to execute them into her own practice.

Better Lives was introduced by multiple lectures throughout two weeks that reflect on three different themes. Diversity, Sustainability and Social Responsibility.Many of these lectures have impacted my mindset greatly and made me reflect on the issues they communicated and how I can, as an individual and one of the future generation of the fashion industry contribute with my creativity to raise awareness.

Many of these lectures have impacted my mindset greatly and made me reflect on the issues they communicated and how I can, as an individual and one of the future generation of the fashion industry contribute with my creativity to raise awareness.

I have enjoyed multiple lectures that have made a great impact on me some of them are: Nature by Kate Fletcher, Empathy by Lorraine Gamman and Representation by Teleica Kirkland.

However the one I have enjoyed the most has been Well-being by Jekaterina Rogaten.

I wanted to talk about this lecture because of then impact it has on my daily life and those whom I love

I deal with my well-being daily as many do, and it isn’t always a positive part of my life as I suffer with depression.

I had never consciously thought about well-being in the way that Rogaten suggested. Never making a clear connection between fashion and psychology, and how this two apparently seem so different but work hand in hand.

I learnt through this lecture the difference between Hedonic and Eudaimonic well-being. The first one correlating more to the fashion industry while the latest has more to do with oneself and self acceptance. It is possible to enhance both however Eudaimonic is more sustainable. As well as fashion consumption and production. How these sectors affect both costumers and employees creatively and their well-being, and how the fashion industry can be harmful sometimes for both. For example the representation of body shape and lack of diversity or sweatshops.

Clothes and fashion create an identity and it can be used as a creative process to increase personal well-being. However how do we draw the line between consumption and well-being as the increase of this will decrease the satisfaction you obtain ultimately becoming a vicious cycle. I have learnt to categorise the Eudaimonic well being needs on a pyramid and how clothes and fashion could be represented as well in this hierarchy of needs.

Rogaten explains how and only when you reach satisfaction you can care about ethics & environment.

I thought this statement is profoundly interesting as my other two favourite lectures fall in this categories: Empathy and  Nature. After some thought I have to agree with Rogaten as it has become clear for me that without taking care of oneself you cant truly take care of others.

Fashion linked to psychology is a subjective judgement on what makes you happy, it being for humans created by humans and it becomes a way of looking at sustainability as a lease or filter in which you look at the fashion industry.

I believe that representation and acknowledgment of well-being in this industry is essential for consumers and employees. It is my duty as part of the future generation of the fashion industry to make sure it is always developing, and reinforce it with positive psychology through creativity to reinforce wellbeing as much as possible and raise awareness of its importance.

Rogaten, J. (2020) “Well-being” (Lecture). Better Lives. London College of Fashion. 19 February 2020

As a Fashion Journalism student, I wished to take up a pathway for my Better Lives Project that supports my current practice and Messaging Fashion naturally became my selected choice. PR and Journalism are mutually dependent on each other – better explained as two sides of a coin. They are both distinct but cannot exist without each other. I better understood this relation after understanding a PR’s creative’s role in depth.

After introducing us to the discipline of PR and Communication, the tutors of Messaging Fashion allocated us a fashion brand and a cause that the brand will respond to. Divided into a group of peers across different disciplines, we had to evaluate the brand values and develop a social responsibility initiative around this cause that is authentic to the brand. 

Of all the suggested brands, I chose WALES BONNER. This eponymous label was founded by a Central Saint Martin’s graduate and addresses the politics of identity, sexuality and race with a sense of multinationalism. After analysing these values, my group came up with a variety of ideas on how we can select a cause and shape our campaign. 

I had found myself inclined to the concept of Gendered Pronouns for a long time. It fascinated me that something as miniscule as a pronoun can have a profound effect in shaping our identities. Knowing the correct usage of pronouns is a definitive way to respect and acknowledge a person’s gender in everyday conversation. I pitched in this idea to my group and we all reached a mutual consensus that this is a good cause that aligns with our brand’s values. Sophia and Leigh, our tutors for Messaging Fashion, seemed to agree with our decision and encouraged us to research further in this direction and develop this idea into a campaign. 

I was fortunate to be part of a group where everyone was motivated and contributed to this project which made working collaboratively a fruitful and enriching experience for everyone. Furthermore, the multitude of perspectives from all my peers challenged our strengths that resulted in a strong project outcome. Working remotely and keeping each other posted through different time zones proved to be a challenge. We overcame this by distributing equal work amongst ourselves and using WhatsApp, Instagram and Google Slides to work effectively. I undertook the responsibility of writing the Press Release for our campaign – #SayItRight. From selecting the relevant fonts, penning the words concisely, deciding the press release’s date, making it look visually appealing to ensuring that the brand’s message is conveyed to the targeted audience, I found this process very rewarding. The skills I picked up during this unit helped me advance my expertise as a journalist. 

I always believed that I was at my most efficient when working on individual projects. However, working in a group allowed me to understand the importance of collaborations. Amidst a global pandemic, we often struggle to think creatively due to lack of inspiration from the outside world. In a group, accountability increases which further motivates us to complete work on time. I also found the constructive criticism and guidance from my tutors and peers very beneficial. To conclude, working collaboratively and accommodating everyone’s inputs in the project helped in its successful completion.

Image Credit:

Taanya Garg (2020)

Blog Post 4: PEER REFLECTION 

I chose to comment on Emily Marin’s project reflection post, her chosen Better Lives topic was ‘Makeup Breakdown’. I found it interesting that her main university course is Makeup and Prosthetics for performance, but she wanted a ‘new angle’ during Better Lives. I find this displays her true love for the art of makeup, that she is open to exploring all areas of such. 

Emily discussed how she struggled with the new online learning approach to studies, something I found myself feeling similarly about. Like Emily I too am I hands on learner, so the changes brought about by the Corona virus have been a hard adjustment. However, despite her struggles, Emily managed to persevere and went on to produce great work. The unreasonable levels of perfection Society can often promote are truly awful. Yet Emily acknowledging this, created her own unique piece of art, straying from Social Medias ideas of beauty.  

Whilst I was able to form a mental image of Emily’s fantastic work, it would be even better to have had an image included, this way we could see the final product. It would have been interesting to include images of the work in progress, to link with her written thought process. In the latter part of her blog, Emily reflects in the diversity in her group, describing it as a ‘great learning experience’. I for one, wholly agree with this, Better Lives has provided such a terrific opportunity to meet students of all backgrounds. 

Overall, Emily provides a great insight into her Better Lives journey, she has not shied away from addressing problems that were encountered along the way, which is to be admired. Emily shows great awareness of current matters in the media and is not afraid to combat them. Her reflection provided an enthused read, it made me reflect upon my own work and how it could be improved.