Portfolio

a m y elliot t EDITORIAL | COMMUNICATION | DESIGN

port /fol io. amyelliott4@icloud.com +447940230195 amyelliott.co.uk

hello!

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who is

AMY ELLIOTT? A I am a 22 year old Fashion Communication graduate currently based in Newcastle upon Tyne, and am keen to begin my

career in the industry. I am currently available for employment and/or freelance work, and am open to opportunities that will allow me to utilise my broad skill set as part of a dynamic and talented team.

I am perceptive individual who is often inspired by current events, taking a conceptual and critical approach to featuring them in my response to a variety of briefs. My final major project, for example, is a newspaper publication titled Zeitgeist (page 10), which is a response to the current climate of political unrest, featuring articles on a range of subjects including political and social issues. My motivation is driven by a strong belief system, which has resulted in the theme of feminism featuring throughout much of my work. I have thus produced two publications centred on the subject, most notably my recent project ‘Femmehood’ magazine (page 05). Femmehood aims to empower and inspire the upcoming generation of female creatives, profiling empowered and independent females embracing success in their respective creative fields.

My experience outside of university interning at Jules B and Sheer Luxe has given me invaluable experience using CMS software and assisting on shoots, whilst giving me the opportunity to hone my writing skills for a targeted audience through writing SEO for all new stock, managing social media and blogging regularly. This is a skill I continue to work on now, via my own blog. This, along with additional examples of my work, can be found at amyelliott.co.uk.

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editorial journalism / p. 05 femmehood magazine / p. 10 zeitgeist newspaper / p. 16 diversity now

photography / p. 21 diversity now / p. 24 femmehood magazine

research / p. 27 dissertation

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public relations / p. 31 dr martens e-pr strategy / p. 34 dr martens promotional fashion film

entrepreneurship & branding / p. 37 start-up business enterprise

trend forecasting / p.41 trend publication

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chapter 01 / editorial journalism // FEMMEHOOD MAGAZINE

EDITORIAL COPY & LAYOUT | PHOTOGRAPHY | JOURNALISM | COMMUNICATION | WEBSITE DESIGN

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RESPONSE ‘Femmehood’ magazine & website exploring modern feminism through journalism, photoshoots and 4 interviews with inspiring and empowered females.

See opposite for manifesto.

BRIEF

To view the full publication, visit amyelliott.co.uk

You will explore graphic trends and styles, contemporary visual imagery and journalism, printed, online and filmic. This knowledge will then be applied to the production of a fashion and style related output.

Your work ought to be a reflection of your personal taste and style, and contain only images that you have captured, art directed or styled yourself.

from the editor

FEMMEHOOD magazine aims to inspire, empower and invigorate the young millennial woman.

FEMMEHOOD discusses the social and political issues that touch the females of today, to ignite discourse and plant the seeds of change in the minds of progressive and thoughtful individuals. We profile inspiring and empowered girl boss females who are embracing success in their respective creative spheres through independence, strong mindedness and sheer talent. We provide a platform to both inspire the future creative minds of today, and to celebrate the current creative talent the young British female population has to offer.

This is is a celebration of what it is to be female, to be independent, and to have a strong, unapologetic opinion; this is FEMMEHOOD. NUALA CONVERY

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chapter 01 / editorial journalism // FEMMEHOOD MAGAZINE

Saturday, November 5th 2016

‘Feminism’: the buzz word of the last few years

which began its reign on the timelines and Twitter headers of pop culture in 2014. A word once synonymous with negative connotations of manhating, the F word has now been granted entry to the hallowed halls of pop culture fame.

There has never been a better time for women in pop culture than there is right now, with Theresa May occupying 10 Downing Street and Hillary Clinton days away from potentially becoming the first female US President, girls may just be about to rule the world (shoutout to Beyoncé). But these aren’t the figures young women are idolising or posting pictures of captioned ‘Queen’ onto Instagram. That space is occupied by the Beyoncés, the Rihannas and the Kardashians of the world.

Most recently, we have seen Lina Esco’s ‘Free the Nipple’ movement blow up, with support from the likes of Miley Cyrus, Kendall Jenner, Naomi Campbell and even Orange is the New Black star Matt McGorry to the tune of millions of Instagram likes. Topless protests have taken place from LA to Brighton beach as women have dared to bare parts of their bodies which Instagram would like to pretend don’t exist.

The real turning point was Beyoncé’s performance at the 2014 VMAs, when 8.3 million people tuned in to see their Queen B standing in front of a backdrop of words taken from Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED talk, We Should All Be Feminists. One hundred foot-high pink letters spelled out the word ‘feminist’ in block capitals as Beyoncé sung ‘Flawless’, and an academic movement was borne into the mainstream. When Adichie gave her talk in London in April 2013, it was heard by a small group of African thinkers and academics. In 2014, the same words were brought to an audience of millions thanks to Beyoncé’s performance and went on to wallpaper Facebook and Twitter profiles across the world. This is one step further than the ‘girl power’ of Destiny’s Child and the Spice Girls; this is saying a little more. It’s not, ‘girls stick together to stand up to men’ this is ‘women stand up and fight for equality’.

Andi Zeisler, author of We Were Feminists Once however prefers to call this ‘marketplace feminism’.

The modern self-labeled feminist, Zeisler argues, is binge-watching Orange Is the New Black while courts continue to lock away women who were simply defending themselves against an abuser.

Her book club read Girlboss, but she has no idea that domestic workers are organising for better legal protections in her own state.

Whilst many pop culture ‘feminists’ may not fit the bill of a traditional feminist or be out on the streets protesting for justice and equality, they may just be opening a gateway to widespread conversation that leads to something more substantial. If this is the way to plant the seeds of empowered equality in the minds of millions of young women, who are we to complain?

“It’s not my revolution if I can’t dance to it” said Emma Goldman; a phrase which rings true literally (music wise) and figuratively - if we weave feminist values into much-loved sources we instil them into the hearts of millions, rather than the select few hardcore supporters who live and breathe activism.

Sure, we want all women to stand up and fight for equality, but not every woman is willing or able to do so; perhaps this new breed of watered-down feminism which keeps the access bar quite low is the answer to begin the moulding of young minds.

Or as Ann Friedman succinctly puts it, “get people dancing, and it’s possible to pull them into harder, more meaningful activist work.”

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chapter 01 / editorial journalism // FEMMEHOOD MAGAZINE

Wednesday, November 9th 2016

Post-election, the previous article appears just

to be the glossy surface of America’s attitudes towards women. A projection of the educated millennials mindset, which rests unsteadily atop a pile of deep-rooted resentment belonging to the majority of the electorate. The US election dug deeper under that surface and revealed the true, ugly nature of the nations thoughts to the tune of Donald Trump smugly accepting his new position as President of the United States.

The glass ceiling of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City became the perfectly ironic setting where thousands of dreams of hailing first female President of the United States were shattered on the night of November 8th. Hillary accepted her loss with the same grace and dignity that had defined her 18-month campaign, and delivered a heartbreaking speech to re-inspire her disillusioned supporters. She acknowledged, “we have still not shattered that highest and hardest glass ceiling, but some day someone will and hopefully sooner than we might think right now”.

The most poignant and re-blogged statement was addressed to, “all the little girls who are watching this, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams.”

events forgotten in polling stations whilst the fact that Clinton was a former Senate and Secretary of State who had stood strong for her country during two wars cast aside? Why were Trumps bigoted, sexist and xenophobic views dismissed because Hillary was ‘an untrustworthy warmonger who couldn’t use email’?

Trump’s campaign found its ground in the quietly resentful thoughts of the individual who watched an immigrant ‘take their job’, and in the locker rooms where talk of grabbing women ‘by the pussy’ was considered nothing more than a joke. Whilst we as a society consider ourselves progressive, and these instances nothing more than anomalies which existed in the realms of the uneducated and underdeveloped, we overlooked the fact that these individuals make up a considerable group of the electorate. A considerable group who panicked at the thought of a woman stepping into their carefully cultivated, all-white male territory, and voted for a racist, xenophobic and misogynistic billionaire who resides in a gold-plated tower as the 45th President of the United States.

What was it that persuaded America to elect Trump over arguably the most qualified individual ever to run for office? Was it him bragging about grabbing Jill Harth ‘by the pussy’? Was it him announcing women should be punished for exercising their right to free will? Or was it him vowing to ban Muslims from entering America? Why were these

Human beings are emotional creatures; and in the face of fear they act without rationality or logical thought, caring not for the consequences that will become the harsh slap of reality when their conscious brains eventually kick in. All it takes is a ruthless demagogue to recognise and exploit this fear, and ride its wave to victory; and this is what the electorate found in Donald Trump.

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EDITORIAL COPY & LAYOUT | PHOTOGRAPHY | JOURNALISM | WEBSITE DESIGN | COLLABORATION

ZEI TGE IS T NEWSPAPER PUBLICATION & WEBSITE P

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RESPONSE ‘Zeitgeist’ is a newspaper-style quarterly publication and website which aims to cover the issues that matter to the 18-30 year olds - the issues that they feel are underrepresented in mainstream media. See opposite for the concept in full.

BRIEF In this module you will explore, develop and execute a creative Fashion Communication concept for a specific target audience, writing your own project brief.

Research and write a project strategy, showing how you would execute this project, outlining logistical aspects, budget, timetable.

Mastermind a creative promotional campaign to launch your concept, and create final outputs that embody your concept.

View the publication, and creative/ promotional documents in full at amyelliott.co.uk, and visit the website at zeitgeistweb.co.uk

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chapter 01 / editorial journalism // ZEITGEIST NEWSPAPER

CONCEPT

who we are, what we’re about zeitgeist noun

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the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time.

Zeitgeist is to be a liberal commentary outlet and journal of opinion, written by and for a progressive audience.

We intend Zeitgeist to be a catalyst inspiring small actions for wider change. The aim is to hook the 18-30 year old demographic into reading newspaper-style print publications.

The print element, in contrast to the traditional newspaper, covers the issues with a longer lifespan, for example, widespread and ongoing issues and think pieces. The first issue will focus on politics.

The online element exists as a stream of content fulfilling the role of informing readers of daily news and trends with a short lifespan.

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ZEITGEIST

Zeitgeist sets itself apart by maintaining integrity and challenging the status quo, offering thought-provoking analysis of the social, cultural and political issues that are shaping our world.

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chapter 01 / editorial journalism // ZEITGEIST NEWSPAPER

SHOCKED BY THE SNAP GENERAL ELECTION ANNOUNCEMENT? YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN. WHAT DOES IT MEAN & WHAT’S NEXT? On Tuesday April 18th, in a statement outside Number 10 Downing Street Prime Minister Theresa May called for a snap General Election on June 8, going back on repeated promises not to.

Whilst Theresa May going back on her word shouldn’t come as a shock, this announcement blindsided many. May had explicitly stated on numerous occasions that there would be no election. Even just a few weeks prior to her announcement on April 18th, May’s spokesperson said: “There isn’t going to be one. It isn’t going to happen. There is not going to be a general election.” The only thing that is certain in the case of Theresa May is a pattern of dishonesty and inconsistency.

It should never be a mistake to trust your prime minister to speak truthfully, however, in May’s Britain, this is now commonplace. It should come as a shock that an event our prime minister promised wouldn’t materialise, is now happening by her hand. However, in Britain’s current political landscape, it comes as less of a shock each time May goes back on her word; it’s almost expected. If May going back on her word did come as a shock to you, it really shouldn’t have.

Please let me draw your attention to the fact that May was the remainer who reinvented herself as a hard Brexiteer, for partisan self-interest. May was the leader who allowed her chancellor to break a key Tory election pledge on national insurance, only to U-turn when the betrayal became impossible to argue for because of her small majority. She also said that now wasn’t the time for a Scottish independence referendum because of the instability it would cause, and then motioned for an unnecessary general election. She announced a pause on the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station and then – under pressure from China’s regime – U-turned. This is a woman of unashamed partisan self-interest. This is not the leader we want or need. We need a selfless, relentlessly hard working leader who will not bow to pressure from fellow high powers, who will not get into bed with the Rupert Murdoch’s of the world.

This, we can find in Jeremy Corbyn.

Corbyn is a exceptionally hard working MP who passionately fights to protect the poor and vulnerable, seeks to protect the NHS, wants to nationalise natural monopolies and take back publicly financed utilities that were sold off to investors at a pittance, aims to stem the flow of capital from the poor to the rich, and campaigns tirelessly to seek diplomacy over war. Perhaps most threatening of all about Corbyn is he wants to stop corporate tax breaks, close down overseas tax avoidance, and stamp out wage inequality. This makes him hugely unpopular with the wealthy elite.

You may think ‘this all sounds great, why does he get so much bad press?’ - because he represents the biggest threat to the right wing ideology and stability of the super rich – the same people who own our national media a.k.a. the likes Rupert Murdoch (owner of the Sun, Sun on Sunday and is the man behind Fox News, BSkyB, News Corp, etc.), and Lord Rothermere (owner of the Mail, Mail on Sunday, and the Metro). Both live abroad with their billions, and would stand to lose out if Corbyn were to be elected.

Their defence is a Corbyn smear campaign. Manipulate how the public sees the threat via mass media, and their voting behaviour will follow suit.

Don’t let the pieces fall so easily into place for these people, don’t allow yourself and those around you to be manipulated to serve the interests of the 1%. When you read, read critically and with awareness of potential agendas behind the words.

A perfect example of right-wing press manipulation of Corbyn’s image was reflected when the Labour leader turned down tickets to the opening game of the Rugby World Cup in 2015. The press and high profile MPs alike slaughtered him. The press claimed he had ‘snubbed’ the invite to the opening ceremony. Boris Johnson was quoted saying “This is turning into a national joke…Come on Jezza: Scrum down for England.”

What wasn’t widely reported was that Corbyn had prior commitments, ‘scrumming down’ to meet with his constituents, the people he was elected to represent and serve. He sat down for a private meeting with one of his homeless constituents to listen to her issues, as well as a full to the brim waiting room of others who had turned up to his weekly constituency meeting. So, whilst other politicians were quaffing down the free hospitality in the premier VIP seats, Corbyn was doing what the public elected him, and pay him to do.

A London School of Economics study into how Corbyn is represented in the media found that only a pathetic 11% of all newspaper articles about him bothered to accurately state a single one of his actual policies. In the hard-wing Daily Mail and Express that figure was 0%.

The responsibility for actioning the change in direction for this country does not lie upon your shoulders - that is for Corbyn and his team. Your responsibility is allowing these changes to be set into motion. In short, your only responsibility here is to vote. It is your greatest weapon against a hard Brexit, a dishonest Theresa May, and a self-serving government. If you want a government which fights for a Brexit deal that puts jobs, the economy and living standards first; and stand for a Britain run in the interests of the majority, not the elites, then you know what to do.

What does this snap election mean?

It means we as an eligible electorate have a sacred opportunity to alter the future of our country, of ourselves, that we should - under no circumstances - waste. It means a chance to oust an untrustworthy, lying partisan concerned only with serving herself rather than the country she leads, from the helm of Great Britain. It means we can change the path we’re currently on. All we have to do, at the bare minimum, is vote. The eligibility to do so is your human right, but you can only do so after you register. Over 100,000 under 25s had registered just days after the election was announced and you must become one of that growing number.

You can register online, taking only 5 minutes of your time, at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

Don’t put this on your mounting to-do list for ‘tomorrow’, do it now !!!!!!

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chapter 01 / editorial journalism // ZEITGEIST NEWSPAPER: STRATEGY

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EDITORIAL COPY & LAYOUT | PHOTOGRAPHY | JOURNALISM | STYLING | CREATIVE DIRECTION

DIVERSITY NOW! IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALL WALKS BEYOND THE CATWALK & I-D MAGAZINE FINALIST A

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RESPONSE My chosen issue in response to the brief was ‘Gender’; thus my article focussed on feminism, questioning its authenticity in the fashion industry. My article was shortlisted for national competition Diversity Now! in association with All Walks Beyond the Catwalk & i-D magazine, and was voted as one of two Journalism finalists in the overall competition.

BRIEF To propose, research and write a thought-provoking and topical 900word long-form print article aimed at the engaged, media-savvy i-D audience. The article should feature fresh and powerful writing, offering an original angle and opinion on one of the following issues: Age, Gender, Sexuality or Body Image, and how diversity in these areas is represented or not, within and by the fashion industry.

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chapter 01 / editorial journalism// DIVERSITY NOW!

Excellent in many ways. A true callto-action tone of voice, intelligent approach, clear opinions…a stimulating read.

diversity now! vote for the best fashion student work of 2016 Fashion students across the UK have shown i-D and All Walks their talent. Now YOU must vote for the Diversity NOW! People’s Choice award winner.

Journalism Amy Elliott, BA (Hons) Fashion Communication, Northumbria University

“An industry that holds ‘perfection’ next to godliness is naturally dominated by aesthetics and the pursuit of the ‘it’ girl. These concepts and their accompanying suffocating pressures on women, not to mention the issues of misogyny and hyper-sexualisation that go with them, are the very things that feminism pushes against. Can feminism and fashion authentically go hand in hand?” Read full article.

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What is FEMINISM? The Oxford dictionary defines it as ‘The advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes’ whilst Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie defines it as ‘the social, political and economic equality of the sexes.’ Young adults questioned by us generally agreed on ‘equality for women’.

All pretty straight forward, all pretty similar, all good. Right? So why do some recoil from women who proudly proclaim themselves as ‘feminists’, and why do others roll their eyes and simultaneously check out of the conversation at the mention of the word ‘feminism’? Equality for all humans, great!

What’s so repulsive about that? Oh, right because it’s not socially acceptable to so boldly question the gender binary.

“The reason people have a problem with the word is that they have a problem with the movement that says women are going to speak up and take what is rightfully theirs…Until sexism no longer exists, which means until we no longer need feminism, whatever you call it is going have this problem”.

For those who think the war is won, that men and women are equal, and Emily Pankhurst did her job; I suggest you look around you to see the abundant evidence glaring from all corners of everyday life that it is not.

The reasons for people’s avoidance of the feminist movement are murky. All of those we quizzed on the issue said they support sexual equality, whilst only 78% identified themselves as feminists. My maths skills may be a little rusty but these figures don’t add up.

Tampons and sanitary towels are taxed, and considered ‘a luxury’ for women; whilst an item men use most days, razors, (alongside unequivocal life essentials Jaffa cakes and pitta bread) are considered essentials, remaining untaxed. The message here could not be clearer: the needs of women do not equal the needs of men. As plainly stated by UK Labour politician Stella Creasy, ‘That isn’t by accident, that is by design of an unequal society’.

The only conclusion that can be drawn is that people have a problem with the word ‘feminist’.

86% agreed that the word ‘feminist’ is scary to some. Why? ‘It challenges the gender norms we are comfortable with’, ’negative portrayal in the media’, and ‘misunderstanding of meaning’ due to stigmas synonymous with the word such as ‘man hating’ and ‘anger/aggression in pursuit of superior female rights’. Then why not just change the name? We turned to seasoned feminist activist Caroline Criado-Perez to shed some light on the issue:

Another example, probably sitting in your phone right now, is Instagram and their stubborn policy on censoring women’s nipples.

Any picture uploaded showing the nipples of a woman is instantly taken down. As for men’s?

100% user friendly, shockingly. And the censorship doesn’t stop there. Photographer and feminist advocate Petra Collins posted an image from the waist down wearing bikini bottoms, and unlike the 5,883,628 bikini images on Instagram hers depicted her unaltered state – an unshaven bikini line.

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chapter 01 / editorial journalism // DIVERSITY NOW!

S CAR E Her account was subsequently deleted.

Rihanna received the same treatment when she dared to post her topless magazine cover from the French ‘Lui’. Censorship of women’s bodies is simply another form of silencing and perpetuation of the belief that women’s bodies, in their unaltered state, go against the norm of what is ‘acceptable’. Ever looked at a hair removal ad and wondered why the smiling women were dragging razors up and down their unnaturally smooth legs? You’re not alone.

So how does the fashion industry fare on the feminism front? Well, not great. Cast your eye to the top of the luxury fashion brand pyramid and you find overwhelming male domination within creative director positions, from Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel to Olivier Rousteing at Balmain. Why do we so widely accept men telling women how to dress? Sure we have the likes of Phoebe Philo, Diane Von Furstenburg and Vivienne Westwood to shut up the critics who cry ‘sexism!’, but female designers have yet to be recognised on a par with their male counterparts in the industry. Male designers have taken home the CFDA Womenswear Award 13 out of 18 times, whilst a woman has never won the Menswear Award.

Whilst this may come as a shock to some who believe the industry to be progressive and diverse, Criado-Perez begs to differ, stating ‘we can expect these sort of statistics whilst women continue to only make up 13% of news headlines’. We need look no further than the examples of Rick Owens ‘human backpacks’ and Karl Lagerfeld’s headline

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grabbing ‘feminist’ march to support this statistic. Whilst Lagerfeld’s example appears to promote feminism, we have to ask the question - is Chanel just paying lip-service to a trend?

Is this display purely to gain column inches, and therefore sales, rather than the designers desire to promote feminism? Lets not forget Lagerfeld’s comments on Adele being ‘a little too fat’ and that it is ‘not acceptable for women to be overweight’.

Change is coming - there is undeniable evidence of it - but what the feminist movement needs is for the conversation on women’s rights to be kept open, and inclusive. It is not a closed conversation for men-hating lesbians with degrees in gender studies, nor is it a conversation exclusive to women. Men are to have an equal right to aid the progression of the movement. The UN Women HeForShe campaign, famously championed by Emma Watson, is paving the road for this new thread to the conversation, aiming to engage men and boys as agents of change for the achievement of gender equality. Any individual who supports the equality of rights across both men and women is a feminist. There is no dress code, no ‘no uterus, no opinion’ rule, no makeup ban; just come as you are, but be ready to

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chapter 02 / editorial photography // XX/XY MAGAZINE

BRIEF You are to propose, research and produce two original photo shoots to be included in a 12-page mini online magazine. Both should reflect and enhance the subject matter you are exploring and develop visual ideas from the section* of the Diversity Now! brief that you are focusing on. *My chosen section was ‘Gender’.

has multiplied its interpretations with a neoliberal bent of “build-yr-own feminism”. We think of it as a lens rather than an embodiment, a way to interpret the world that combines with our other beliefs and modes of seeing.

Feminism has reproduced some pretty shitty dynamics of power–white supremacy and transphobia, most significantly–and we’d prefer to not align ourselves with that. However, it is also worth noting that as two white cis girls, we are often implicated in that kind of feminism, and benefit from its trendiness.

HAG COLLECTIVE Do you identify as feminist? We reject feminism as an identity and would prefer to think of it as an ideology or practice. We align with some feminist beliefs, but feminism’s current trendiness

MODELS: KAREN CHAN, YURIKA CRAWFORD, KIM CHEESEMAN & KYLE SPIVEY // PHOTOGRAPHY, CREATIVE DIRECTION, STYLING: AMY ELLIOTT

To be female is…to identify as female.

Picture a feminist on your head. What do you see? Peanut butter, paper towels, toilet paper, frozen fruit, cheese, yogurt, milk, eggs, bread, zucchini, garlic, onion, lemon, lentils, rice

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shoot 01 / non-binary sk-n.

A photographic exploration of body parts that have no discernible gender

BRIEF Your work ought to be a reflection of your personal taste and style, and contain only images that you have captured, art directed or styled yourself. We are not looking purely for high street level works and hope that by investigating cutting edge Fashion Communication concepts that you can aspire to a high brow, high fashion aesthetic.

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chapter 02 / editorial photography // FEMMEHOOD MAGAZINE

An exploration of stripped back femininity influenced by contemporary fashion

MODEL: EMMA DAVIES // PHOTOGRAPHY, CREATIVE DIRECTION, STYLING: AMY ELLIOTT

shoot 02 / un-done.

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chapter 03 / research // DISSERTATION

PRIMARY RESEARCH | ANALYSIS OF CURRENT EVENTS | INTERVIEWS | ACADEMIC WRITING

WH AT M AKES A GLOBAL FASHION CIT Y AND WILL LONDON SUFFER AS A RESULT OF BREXIT? DISSERTATION DOCUMENT

RESPONSE An examination of what it means to be a ‘global fashion city’, and how the referendum vote in favour of ‘Brexit’ could potentially affect London’s status, and esteemed reputation, as a global fashion city. Primary research was conducted in the form of an online survey and interviews with figures placed in the education sector of the fashion industry.

BRIEF Identify and propose a challenging Fashion Communication research project that is a mature, realistic response to the contemporary design world. You must select an exciting focus and develop it into a rigorous project with significant findings, that will be presented as a professional research document.

To view the full document, visit amyelliott.co.uk

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London is one of, if not the, central place globally for fashion design (Laub, 2016)

Introduction The referendum which determined the future of the UK’s membership in the European Union (EU) was one of the most contentious issues of 2016. On June 23rd, the British electorate voted for a ‘Brexit’ - meaning the UK was to withdraw from the EU after being a member for over 40 years. The withdrawal is set to have a profound effect on many industries, including fashion. An industry which contributes “£28 billion ($37bn) to the UK economy” (GDN Online, 2016) per year, the British fashion industry is a vital component in maintaining the country’s economy and presence on the international stage.

This dissertation examines what it means to be a ‘global fashion city’, and how the referendum vote in favour of ‘Brexit’ could potentially affect London’s status, and esteemed reputation, as a global fashion city. The objectives of this dissertation are five-fold. Firstly, it aims to identify what factors make a global fashion city,

and second, to then chart how London became a global fashion city. This leads to a definition of Brexit, and subsequently the EU, before examining the potential ramifications for the British fashion industry as a result of Brexit, paying particular attention to flow of immigration and its importance to fashion education. It will then be discussed whether London’s reputation as an innovative and diverse fashion capital will suffer as a result of the Brexit vote, before moving on to what the future may hold for the British fashion industry in the aftermath of Brexit, and to suggest recommendations as to how institutions and brands may navigate the post-Brexit landscape in order to protect their outputs (graduates or profits). Taking all this information into account, this dissertation will illustrate how Britain’s withdrawal from the EU could compromise London’s current status as a global fashion city and the reputation it holds within the international community.

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chapter 03 / research // DISSERTATION

Conclusion In order to answer the question ‘What makes a global fashion city and will London suffer as a result of Brexit?’, this body of research has identified the production of world-class talent from educational institutions as a characteristic common to each global fashion city, the focal city of this research being London. With this in mind, the biggest potential threat to the British fashion industry is the effect that postBrexit regulations will impose on flow of immigration.

Immigration is a force the industry relies on heavily for talent and workforce; both of which contribute to the success of not just the British fashion industry and its acclaimed reputation, but to the UK economy.

“Immigration has been a feature of the development of most major fashion centres, particularly London” (Breward and Gilbert, 2006, p. 9), and tighter laws, alongside the loss of funding for organisations such as the BFC and the CFE, combined with the scrapping of lower tuition fees for EU students, could result in the flow of international talent into Britain being majorly compromised.

A considerable number feel this will inevitably impact London’s reputation as being a “open and modern, progressive and forward-thinking” fashion capital (Andersen, 2016) as the Brexit vote and the antiimmigration connotations that accompany it appear to contradict this statement. However, many in the industry are optimistic and have made conscious efforts to assure Europe these are not the values the industry holds. Among those is Paul Smith, who has spoken out on the issue, affirming, “Without question I am loyal to Europe” (Porter, 2016). Bearing in mind the fashion

industry is one “that only exists because it accepts the idea of constant change” (Business of Fashion, 2016), and the fact that it has overcome major threats to its survival in the past, such as the 2008 credit crisis, it has proven to be a resilient and flexible industry with the ability to bounce back from decline. Navigating the post-Brexit landscape may not be simple, but it is achievable. Experts have stated that there needs to be an emphasis “on the ability to hire talent from overseas. Keeping red tape, customs, duties and tariffs low and simple” (Business of Fashion, 2016), to avoid deterring talent elsewhere. The industry can lobby the government to ensure their concerns are heard, and the government in turn could consider adopting a strategy similar to non-EU member Norway’s, who remain in Europe’s single market and the Schengen passport-free travel zone. This approach could solve both tariff and visa concerns whilst maintaining the UK’s vital relationship with Europe. Other options for brands include increasing product prices, sourcing UK-produced goods, setting up offshore distribution facilities and bonded warehouses.

There is no question that Brexit will affect the British fashion industry, the extent of which is unknowable at this point, however an industry that “ contributes some £28 billion ($37bn) to the UK economy” (GDN Online, 2016), will of course be taken into consideration when the time comes for Brexit-imposed laws to be created.

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04 public/ relations.

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chapter 04 / public relations // DR MARTENS

CONCEPT

GENERATION

|

BRAND

ANALYSIS

|

LAUNCH

PLANNING

|

STRATEGY

O-PR AGENCY WITH DR MARTENS PROMOTIONAL E-PR STRATEGY D I G I T A L

M A R K E T I N G

RESPONSE

BRIEF Create an integrated PR campaign proposing a new artistic collaboration for O-PR client Dr Martens, to promote the ‘More Than Just a Boot’ campaign to increase sales of shoes other than the classic 1460 boot. You must engage with local cultural tastemakers in a Dr Martens territory of your choice.

Dr Martens teams up with the street artist responsible for the David Bowie mural in Brixton, Jimmy C, to create an exclusive line of shoes in tribute to Bowie. The collection will compromise of 2 unisex (spring line) shoes, adorned with illustrations designed by Jimmy C, which will pay tribute to and represent the iconography of the late David Bowie.

This campaign focuses on the London territory, with the Carnaby Street store at its epicentre. To view the full proposal, visit amyelliott.co.uk

#drmartensxdavidbowie 31

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chapter 04 / public relations // DR MARTENS

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VIDEO SHOOTING | FILM EDITING | CONCEPT CREATION | STYLING | CREATIVE DIRECTION

DR MARTENS PROMOTIONAL FASHION FILM D I G I T A L

P R O M O T I O N

BRIEF Create a 90 second fashion film promoting a new artistic collaboration for Dr Martens, to integrate seamlessly with the E-PR strategy (see previous page).

RESPONSE 90 second film promoting my campaign #DrMartensXDavidBowie, exploring the mural painted by artist Jimmy C in Bowie’s beloved hometown of Brixton, and Carnaby Street which houses the store this campaign focusses on. To view the film in full, visit amyelliott.co.uk

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chapter 04 / public relations // DR MARTENS

Imaginative and innovative approach to the brief that steps outside the ideals of the typical Dr Martens customer. Very good use of aural and visual signifiers that help to enhance your concept.

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05

entrepre /neur ship.

36

chapter 05 / entrepreneurship // BLACK ELEPHANT LACE CO.

BRANDING

|

MARKETING

|

SOCIAL

MEDIA

|

COMPETITOR

RESEARCH

BLACK ELEPHANT LACE CO. AWARD WINNING START-UP BUSINESS

RESPONSE Identified niche target market who identify as ‘sneakerheads’, collecting trainers and constantly looking for new ways to individualise their footwear style. Enter Black Elephant Co., offering rope laces in ten different colour ways embedded with unique ‘3M’ reflective material.

BRIEF

Awarded ʻBest Business Proposition 2016/17’ by Northumbria Graduate Enterprise.

Identify and develop a business idea in a group of 5/6 members. Proceed to start trading and run a legitimate start-up business.

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rope lace

company

Mission statement

Target market

Our mission is to supply accessories to allow affordable personalisation of footwear for fashion conscious customers.

Vision

students currently enrolled in higher education in the UK

Our vision is to see people walking down the street wearing our product. We aim to contribute to the evolution of the rope lace trend by allowing customers to ‘breathe new life into their old kicks’.

£5.00 price per unit

t

arke

et m targ

66%

s

nial

en mill sneak

said they would buy rope laces

niche

erhea

ds

U.S.P

Laces

Laces

£900

Bo)les

Bottles

S,ckers

Stickers

Postage bags

Postage bags

Thankyou cards

total investment

Thankyou cards

Trade show

Trade show

Domain name/site

Domain name/site

Our Unique Selling Point is our packaging. The reusable plastic bottle with metal-look lid is a premium alternative to the plastic bags and paper boxes of our competitors packaging. The finished product is far more ‘Instagrammable’ and gives our brand a polished, more professional feel.

12/11 04/11 Hit 100 Facebook likes

Sourced a complete product

23/12 Hit 100 online orders

30/11 Website launch

2016

Black Elephant

Aim to do 3 market stalls before the end of the year

Introduce 10 new styles

2017

@blackelephantlace 38

@BlackElephantLC

chapter 05 / entrepreneurship // BLACK ELEPHANT LACE CO.

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06 trend/ forecasting.

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chapter 06 / trend forecasting // TREND PUBLICATION

TREND

FORECASTING

|

RESEARCH

|

PHOTOGRAPHY

|

ADOBE

SKILLS

|

DESIGN

TREND PUBLICATION

RESPONSE Identified two trends within chosen sector of fashion; ‘See Now, Buy Now’ and ‘Blurred Lines’. Illustrated through creative writing, original photography and images edited by myself.

BRIEF

To view the full publication, visit amyelliott.co.uk

Conduct research on behalf of design consultancy ‘Household’ customer experience design agency. Your objective is to collect and interpret your own trend research, creating an inspirational Trend Publication aimed at your choice of industry sector from Fashion, Lifestyle, Food & Drink or Travel. Identify two trends that you believe will impact your chosen industry and give equal weighting to each trend.

NEXT both trends in greater detail

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» G

SEE NOW, BUY NOW

Clickbait Luxury

The current fashion system and its annual show calendar have hit breaking point. Designers are over worked and their creativity is running on fumes. Forward-thinking fashion houses Burberry, Vetements and Tom Ford are leading the pack in providing thoughtful solutions to this hot issue. The current fashion calendar, as it stands, dictates that designers must churn out four shows per year; women’s and men’s Spring/Summer and women’s and men’s Autumn/Winter. Whilst at first glance this makes logical sense, if you dig a little deeper, the timing of the calendar raises many questions. Spring/Summer collections are shown in the September of the previous year, whilst Autumn/Winter collections walk the runways during fashion week in February - this leaves a exceedingly large window between collections showing and dropping on the shop floor - this delay is a marked disconnect for consumers.

shows, shown in-season. Form follows function, with Spring/Summer collections making their debut in June, and Autumn/Winter collections in January. The seasonless nature of these future deliveries may birth alternative names for collections, as the ‘Spring/Summer’ and Autumn/Winter’ tags gather dust and grow stale. Preproduction allows the savviest of brands to sell directly from the catwalk; the clothes walk from the runway and into luxury branded paper shopping bag with see now, buy now availability. Consumers can live stream the show and acquire new items for their wardrobe instantly with a simple click. The physical store and the show fuse seamlessly into the ultimate 21st century experience.

Any outfit captured by the consumer’s eye will become instantly shoppable via advanced technology; this encompasses magazines, live shows, Internet imagery or even a well-dressed pedestrian on the street in real time. Luxury fashion is now instant.

Ever ahead of the curve, Burberry is paving the future path for the fashion calendar and the way brands present their collections to consumers. September will see seasonless men’s and women’s collections sweeping the runways side-by-side, which is the new framework they will spring forward from. Collections will become immediately available online and in-store, meaning the savvy millennial consumer can get their hands on the latest runway-fresh creations as soon as they see them.

This is the birth of the See Now, Buy Now trend.

Extravagance prevails as a decreasing show frequency demands a spectacle in order to tap into and linger in the consumer’s psyche. In a world where the millennial consumer is bombarded with information and imagery on a daily basis, the products that stand apart from the noise are the ones which the consumer invests their precious time and currency in. Think brights and iridescents bouncing off feathers, regal silks and the most intricately embroidered textures. Millennials want it all and they want it now, at the ends of their fingertips…and that’s exactly what they’re going to get.

Moving forward, the fashion world will experience widespread distillation of the runway calendar; Burberry and peers are the snowflakes triggering the avalanche.

Men’s trousers will walk the same path as women’s dresses, which may condense further into genderless collections that will be seen gracing the backs of both genders. Four annual shows become two bi-annual

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chapter 06 / trend forecasting // TREND PUBLICATION

ABOVE: Luxury fashion goes instant.

BELOW: See now, buy now will see luxury fashion become available for purchase straight off the catwalk.

ABOVE: Would you like fries with that Chanel bag?

SUMMER COLLECTIONS IN SEPTEMBER?

THAT’S OUT. WE’RE SHOWING THEM IN JUNE. ABOVE: In season deliveries part I: Matthew Williamson and Vetements Spring/Summer in spring.

OPPOSITE: The internet has rewired media, upending the traditional relationship between companies and consumers. Passive audiences are a thing of the past, the modern consumer is active in the media multilogue.

BELOW: 1. Feathers, silks, iridescent and glitter represent the extravagant, attention-stealing garments designers will produce to stay in the psyche of consumers once they condense show frequency from four per year to two.

2. The store and the catwalk merge to become one.

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BLURRED LINES

The Future is Wearable

Technology is a phenomena already deeply imbedded in our lives, with its colossal development being the defining characteristic of our era. Our lives spin on its axis and it has few spheres left to conquer; one of which is fashion. The future will see the seamless integration of technology and fashion, with the two concepts becoming indistinguishable as they exist on the surface of the same being.

Technology will become clothing, and clothing will become technology.

Technology will serve it’s consumers faithfully as it enhances all aspects of life, from promoting more successful workouts, to allowing us to shop in virtual reality spaces. Sportswear will reap huge rewards from the progression of the Blurred Lines trend, with products allowing users to track heart rate, muscle usage and subsequent muscle growth data.

The future will also see the birth of ‘v-commerce’; a concept allowing consumers to shop via smart eyewear unlocking garment purchase directly from live streams of catwalk shows as they are experienced from a first-person viewpoint, alongside shopping in virtual marketplaces which allow the consumer to effectively ‘walk around’ and closely examine potential purchases.

The birth of 3D printing will have a profound effect on the course of future apparel design, and it’s implementation will continue to grow and then explode. 3D printed garments will mirror architecture in angles, curves and structural features never before possible with just fabric alone. Novel materials will take on the appearance of whatever mood the prosumer (proactive consumer) is in, with flexibility allowing malleable fabrics to take on the

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appearance of unconventional garment materials.

A dress that has the appearance of being made of ‘water’ or ‘ice’ is entirely possible in the future.

The fashion show will inevitably become highly experiential as technology enhances not only the clothes themselves, but also their capabilities and role in the overall catwalk experience. The roles of designer and consumer will merge, the simple facilitator being 3D print software. Clothing will take on the characteristic of being downloadable, with the times of waiting 3-5 working days for the doorbell to ring with your delivery long forgotten.

Lack of choice becomes a solved issue as the savvy consumer designs a garment that fits exactly into their specifications.

The phenomenas of tech and human life tangle and intertwine, with technology forming a definable part of our identities. Our clothing exhibits who we are; just as technology will as it advances, becoming tailored to the individual. This is the Blurred Lines trend.

chapter 06 / trend forecasting // TREND PUBLICATION

BELOW: 3D-printed garment construction will draw inspiration from and mirror architecture.

BELOW: Flexible, mesh-like fabric will be constructed to form waves, angles and structural features.

ABOVE: The growth of wearable technology is only possible if the garment is desirable; tech must meld seamlessly into garment design. Form follows function.

BELOW: Are we wearing tech or is tech wearing us?

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thank you. amyelliott4@icloud.com +447940230195 amyelliott.co.uk

AE