DE AD Head
In gardening terms ‘Dead Head’ is the act of removing dead flowers from the plant so that it can continue to produce new ones. Dead heading prevents the plant from going to seed and will mean that it flowers for longer. During the month of August many of us have found ourselves embarking on a journey of dead heading; replacing old lifestyle habits for more humble and healing practices that bring us joy. A renewed interest in self-sustaining lifestyles becomes prevalent as the pandemic reminds us of the core requirements to a happy, fulfilled life. The tangible process of learning to live off the land and provide for oneself is embedded within our human genetics, resulting in feelings of fulfilment and closeness with the earth. This publication explores my personal desire for holistic living, driven by the recent Modern Victory Garden Movement, as well as the emergence of ‘Plantfluencers’ and Cottagecore within contemporary culture. Observing how others are adapting their lifestyles alongside me has proven that the longing to rebuild a bond with Mother Nature is now widespread within society. Rewilding our lives, from foraging to gardening, has become a priority as we move into a post-pandemic future that also carries the threat of a heightened climate crisis.
A August 2020, a Month of Deadheading
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The Trigg Point in Torrance, photography by Camille Lemoine
Healing
with
N ature
Scanned page from Resurgence & Ecologist Magazine
The Cornovirus is the Voice of the Earth
After being infatuated by Tim Walker’s still life ‘Rose, Clover, Daffodils and Thistle’ in British Vogue’s June issue, I dug a bit deeper into the meaning behind the image. The photographer had collected pieces found locally in Hackney and arranged them to represent nature’s forever source of beauty, initially inspired by a text sent to him by Satish Kumar. The 83-yearold editor and activist had written about how “living in harmony with nature is the very first lesson we humans, collectively, need to learn from this crisis”. I subscribed to Resurgence & Ecologist magazine in order to get my hands on his writing. This specific article is titled The coronavirus is the voice of the Earth and it beautifully reveals how going back to our ‘normal’ is no longer a viable option, and that focusing on the roots causes of the pandemic is the only way we can move forward. Pre-pandemic, we seem to have held onto the belief that as humans, we are immortal.
This summer has proved to us just how interconnected we are with nature, and how out of control we are going to get as the climate crisis escalates. In other parts of the world the devastating effects have already taken place. We are just too busy on our individualistic journeys through life to pay attention. We must start to dismantle our damaging mindsets and replace them with strategic actions. However, this will only be effective if we learn to truly respect nature first. Moving forward into my final year of university, I am questioning the purpose of my future work. I want to push important messages home using imagery. A photograph can touch you in ways that words often cannot, and as humans we need to be touched. We need to feel true despair, sadness and loss for our planet before we are able to properly commit to making change.
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Andy collecting Vegetables, Photography by Camille Lemoine
The Covid-19 Gardening Movement Not only does harvesting your own produce show resilience in a time of distress, but the act of gardening is beneficial for both your mental and physical well-being. During the pandemic I have become obsessed with the ‘Covid 19 Gardening Movement’ and have researched it in-depth, finding strong links to the Victory Gardens of WWI and WWII. Consumers are growing more of their own produce and enjoying the process that offers an escape from their virtual world. Moving into fourth year, I am keen to explore the theme of gardens further. Today, I began collecting old archive images of Victory Gardens in the UK. It was interesting to see the younger generation enjoying the act of gardening, something I have noticed more and more on social media today. I also noted that women were often dressed in pretty frocks even though they were getting dirty. Inspired by these archive images, I replicated some of them in a photography shoot using my boyfriend as the model (picture on previous page).
Scanned sketchbook pages, Photography by Camille Lemoine
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Portland Harbour, photography by Camille Lemoine
FO LK Tales
Whilst visiting my boyfriend who lives in Portland, Dorset, I had a lot of time on my hands to explore the island. It was during this time that I picked up the book Dorset Folktales for Children by Tim Laycock. Although this book is written for the younger generation, the beautiful illustrations by Zoe Barnish and alluring descriptions lured me in. Today I find myself going back and reading some of these stories, and wondering whether my own town (Torrance, Glasgow) is part of any ancient tales. I plan to research into this further, and potentially create some shoot concepts based on the ancient stories of my home. I also think it would be interesting to reference some of the mystical creatures that appear in this book within the styling or concept of future shoots. The history and culture of different places has always fascinated me. My sister studies folk music and a few years ago encouraged me to start singing folk tunes as a way to get back into practicing music. It was through these songs that I discovered a completely new culture. Since then this has heavily influenced my creative work, as I become increasingly more interested in old traditions and folklore. It all comes back to building an identity around the land you call home.
The Old Man of Sea by Zoe Barnish, Scanned Illustration
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The Auld Wives Lifts, Photography by Camille Lemoine
Our Track to the Stones, Photography by Camille Lemoine
The Auld Wives Lifts
After reading some Dorset folk stories, I dug into my own homes heritage and visited ‘the Auld Wives Lifts’. These three large pieces of grey sandstone are located an hour walk away from my house, on Craigmaddie moor in a natural amphitheatre on peat bog. Yew trees used to grow in a circle around the stones, and hallucinogenic mushrooms grow in the surrounding area. It is believed that the stones have long been involved in worship of some sort and have definitely been a place of pilgrimage for centuries. It is true that then visiting the stones, there is an eerie and unearthly feelings. Legend has it that three witches (from Baldernock, Strathblane and Campsie) carried the stones to prove their strength but the Baldernock Witch tossed her stone on top of the other two. Couples who were considering marriage used to try and squeeze through the gap in an anticlockwise direction; if they weren’t successful, the marriage was doomed. The rocks are covered in engravings including heads and initials, many that may be of Celtic origin. Visiting familiar places with new knowledge is allowing me to engage with my own heritage in new ways. I am excited to gain new perspectives as I continue to explore my community.
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Chicken and Duck Eggs, Photography by Camille Lemoine
R GO WN Home
As a family during lockdown we have grown a lot of our own food. Although we have always done this, having time off work allowed us to increase the amount of food we grew and really take the care of the garden. In August we are seeing the benefits with fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, snap peas, chard, courgettes and lettuce being picked almost daily. We also have chickens, duck and geese who lay eggs every day (as a vegan these are the only eggs I eat). Understanding how something is grown and then harvested has made me look at the fruit and vegetables that we buy in supermarkets very differently. Growing your own food means limiting a large carbon footprint and making sure no pesticides are used. But further than this, you begin to appreciate the time, energy and love that has gone into creating each bit of produce which in turn eliminates waste. I am keen to learn how to garden properly during these times and reap the benefits of the craft that I have been learning about.
Green Beans, Photography by Camille Lemoine
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West End Gardens, Photography by Camille Lemoine
Lockdown has turned people who depended solely on supermarkets into gardeners overnight. The threat of a global pandemic has driven many of us to anxiously buy excessive amounts of food, leaving supermarket shelves empty. People living in urban areas often don’t have access to any land, let alone a vegetable patch. Urban populations now account for the majority on a global scale, and this is only growing. After reading various articles including ‘How does your city grow? Lockdown illuminates urban farming and gardening’s potential’ on Rapid Transition Alliance I started thinking about the huge benefits of urban faming. Urban farming is not a new concept and is what took place across the world during WW1 and WW11. Football pitches, community flower beds and roundabouts (just to name a few) were all dug up to become ’Victory Gardens’ where
vegetables were grown to feed the community. Growing food locally has huge benefits from fighting against food poverty, improving public health, rebuilding communities and eliminating the devastating environmental effects of our current global food chain. I hope that this pandemic will force us to make these changes. Whilst meeting friends in the West End of Glasgow, I photographed the outside of people’s houses. Over the last few months this has become a habit as I learn more about gardening during lockdown. As I live in the countryside, I wanted to see how urban households were using their often-limited spaces. Many households have turned their front yards into makeshift greenhouses or more commonly, countless plant pots are used to decorate their steps with edible herbs and varying flowers.
Documenting Urban Gardens
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Dead Birds, Photography by Camille Lemoine
DE AT H
Whilst walking my dog I came across two dead birds on the road, presumably killed by cars passing by. That same day whilst driving home I also saw a large pigeon, dead on the side of the pavement. As humans we have been surrounded by a lot of death and suffering these past few months, but as things slowly seem to be going back to ‘normal’ I can’t help but fear for our fellow beings. As I have previously stated, the Coronavirus has highlighted how damaging human behaviour can be on the environment. During out ‘pause’ in lockdown we have seen a reduction in pollution and a partial recovery of the natural world. However, although these positive changes were widely celebrated by the media at the time, we seem to have conveniently forgotten the key lesson that we have learnt this summer, that we cannot go back to business as usual. These dead birds were a shocking reminder of this message. An image of something disturbing can stay lingering in your memory forever. I am constantly thinking about how I could produce work that creates change using
my creative skills set. Creating disturbing yet beautiful images illustrating what our future could look like is a project I believe that has true value. The majority of humans are selfish and need to be scared into caring. If people could see how disastrous the future will be -not just for nature but for humans too- then real changes could be made. Both of these photographs remind me of the book ‘Silent Spring’ by Rachel Carson which I am yet to read but have learnt about numerous times. It is an environmental science book published in 1962 documenting the harmful effects of the synthetic pesticide DDT on bird populations across America. The book caused an uproar and is thought by many to have sparked the start of the modern environmental movement. The book did lead to great changes, including the federal government finally banning DDT. Today visual media is where the majority of us consume information, so now more than ever imagery will be used to drive home important messages.
Dead Birds, Photography by Camille Lemoine
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Local Horses, Photography by Camille Lemoine
Horses& Healing Whilst visiting an old friend I took pictures of her horses. These mystical creatures are a massive part of my childhood and their healing nature has always intrigued me. I find myself turning to these sacred animals for solace once again as the weight of the pandemic still rests heavily on all of our shoulders. The emotional healing power of horses is a topic I have always felt inspired by. Through interaction with horses, Equine therapy has been proven to help with anxiety and depression, as well as people on the autistic spectrum. The book ‘The Horse Boy’ by Rupert Isaacson tells the true story of a family who travelled to the plains and mountains of Mongolia, the spiritual home of the horse, on an arduous epic horseback journey in search of a cure for their autistic son Rowan. I read this book three years ago, and it still resonates with me today.
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Wild Mushrooms and Geese, Photography by Camille Lemoine
Wearing Food
L’Amour Jacquemus SS21, Photography from Jacquemus
Wild Mushrooms and Geese, Photography by Camille Lemoine
Within the fashion industry we have seen many creatives play with food during lockdown. An article by I-D ‘Playing with your food is summer’s most detectable trend’ by Zoe Kendall details current artists and designers who are tapping into this movement. Jacquemus’ recent collection showed models wearing knives and forks alongside plates as accessories. It is interesting to see. How. Fashion is reacting to. The gardening movement in its own way already. This particular trend of playing with food reflects a lot my own work. The images below are part of a series for the online platform ‘Teran’ exploring the parts of my identity that are formed by where I live. As we grow a lot of our own food and I am surrounded by farms, naturally food came into play. Rotting bananas used as earrings and a string of threaded mushrooms with sheepskin were used in the second look. I am determined to continue using alternative styling choices moving into my final year as I refine my personal handwriting.
L’Amour Jacquemus SS21, Photography from Jacquemus
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In Season, Photography by Camille Lemoine
Women and Gardens
Today I created a still life made up of vegetables and plants assembled to resemble the shape of a vagina. Today, the UK has finally abolished period tax. This got me thinking about taboo topics such as menstruation that continue to affect the lives of individuals today. These images push to normalise the image of periods, whilst the natural materials used within the imagery reference the resilience women showed during both world wars as they purposefully broke into the horticultural world. Before the first world war women were not seen as serious gardeners. Many female magazines only allowed content on gardening to be published during the wars amidst the Victory Garden movement. Even then, publishing this information was deemed by some as ‘inappropriate’. Women were also expected to wear dresses whilst working outside, and propaganda portrayed females as a mere accessory to the garden. Whilst men were dressed in overalls and boots, women wore blouses and often heeled shoes. However, during these times of crisis women were able to slowly normalise the image of female gardeners whilst contributing greatly to the war effort.
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Trend Union Book, photography by Camille Lemoine
Interning as a Trend Analyst
Every Tuesday and Wednesday I intern at the fashion forecasting agency Fashion Snoops. The company is based in New York and during my semester studying abroad last year I worked within their small culture team. I am currently interning remotely with them as everything is online. My responsibilities include pitching and writing trend reports that come under the umbrella of contemporary culture, working on reports for clients such as Burt’s Bees and Timberland, attending company meetings and contributing my thoughts as well as additional varying tasks. I absolutely love working as a trend analyst and is something I would consider pursuing as a career moving forward. I am keen to apply this future-focused and conceptual way of thinking to image making. Today I pitched three ideas for the ‘New and Now’ section of the website and worked on some slides for the sustainability report commissioned by Burt’s Bees. The skincare
brand wants to understand the new macro and micro trends effecting their consumers and expect strategic plans for moving forward into the future. The image shown below is a slide that I created, exploring the micro trend of ‘Honouring the Elements’. When I first started at Fashion Snoops, adopting a clear and concise style of writing was challenging. However, today I feel excited by my improvements and am proud that my writing is left for the majority untouched by the editors. This experience is opening me up to the possibility of trend forecasting solely within the field of sustainability. Being able to direct brands towards environmental innovation would be extremely rewarding, and will be a sought after skillset progressing into the future.
Screenshot from Burts Bees project at Fashion Snoops, text by Camille Lemoine
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Shetland Islands,Toolbox, photography from National Geographic My Backyard Photography by Camille Lemoine
Resurgence Magzine, Photography by Camille Lemoine
Gardening in the Shetland Islands
In my July/August issue of ‘Resurgence and Ecologist’ an article about gardening in the Shetland Islands has helped me envision a brighter future. Global pandemics aside, locals have been concerned about the impact that climate change will have on food supplies for a while. One of the most remote places to live in Scotland, they already lie at the end of the food chain with their produce shipped from UK mainland. Penny Armstrong and Alan Robertson the founders of Transition Turriefield, the most northerly community-supported agriculture project in the UK, stated that they have noticed a huge increase in ‘folk wanting to grow stuff’. Due to the wet climate and strong winds of the island, many attend their training sessions to learn the ways of the land. Three invention of Polycrub, a hardy version of the polytunnel made from recycled piping from salmon cages and semi-rigid polycarbonate sheeting has helped extend the growing season by almost 100 days. Local shops also help crofters sell
their produce by adopting a flexible approach to take whatever they are provided with. These innovate solutions combined with the strong community spirit that exists in Shetland is part of what will make a more functional future. After reading this article, I dug a bit deeper online and found a vast collection of impressive and unique gardens all home to this remote island. According to an article on the Scotsman, doctors will prescribe nature (e.g. taking long hikes, cycles and gardening) as a way to help treat chronic illnesses. As someone who suffers from chronic pain and has a sibling who previously suffered from ME, this concept was particularly interesting. When I think back to my childhood (where every spare time was spent outdoors horse riding) I don’t remember suffering from the constant migraines and muscle pain that I do now. Of course, this could be largely due to a number of factors including having fewer responsibilities and pressures, but I wonder whether we really do lose a part of ourselves when we disconnect with nature.
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Jarman at Prospect Cottage, photography from Art Fund
Prospect Cottage, Photography by Art Fund
Powerful Gardens of the Past
Eager to understand more about the power of gardens, I purchased the book ‘Modern Nature’ by film director Derek Jarman (recommended by a friend) which I began to read today. Jarman discovered he was HIV positive and decided to make a wild garden at his cottage on the coast of Dungeness (one of the driest, sunniest parts of Britain, with an almost desert-like terrain). Facing an uncertain future, he found solace in nature and kept a diary of his plants during these years. Although written in the 1960s, many links can be made to society’s behaviour today as we witness the majority immersing themselves in the outside world (specifically in the form of gardening). One chapter in, and I’m already fascinated by the way he can portray his emotions through the mere description of a plant. Jarman lived in Dungeness from 1986 until his death in 1994, and the cottage has now been acquired by the Arts Fund, an arts charity.
Jarman at Prospect Cottage, photography from Art Fund Prospect Cottage, Photography by Camille Lemoine
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Gardening, photography by Camille Lemoine
Garden in times of
Crisis
In your Garden, photography by Camille Lemoine
During my time spent reading up on victory gardens, I came across the book ‘In Your Garden’. The author of this publication, Cecil Henry Middleton, was a British gardener, writer and one of the earliest radio and television broadcasters on gardening for the BBC. His show on gardening broadcasted in Britain during the 1930s and 40s and were specially related to the ‘Dig for Victory’ campaign during WWII. His radio and television programs were a huge success, and I discovered many people online reminiscing about his inimitable way of talking about nature. I purchased his book from an online second-hand book shop to get a glimpse of how the world of gardening communicated in the media during this time.
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Ceramics, photography by Camille Lemoine
Indulging in Touch
Today I found myself covered in clay and desperately trying to reshape my freakish mug on the pottery wheel. Our attic has recently been turned into a pottery studio, as my mum’s hobby progresses into a serious craft. Since the beginning of the pandemic I have been drawn to more tactile activities that engage the senses. Whether that be reading a book rather than a screen, taking long walks, swimming in lakes or revisiting arts and crafts. With the absence of touch as we learn to social distance many are in a sense, feeling starved of love. This explains the global rise in activities that are tangible in nature during the last few months. Touch starvation, alongside the loss of expression masked by face coverings, are
things we will continue to struggle with as a race moving into the future. After spending the afternoon on the pottery wheel, I decided to swap clay for my camera. My mum is considering starting up a small ceramics company, in order to fund the cost of her materials. This has given me the opportunity to create some content for a website and social media channel. I believe that the vulnerable reality of our society today has made consumers more susceptible to craftsmanship and the beauty of imperfections. In many ways, a perfect time to start up a local business!

The Pottery Wheel, photography by Camille Lemoine
Ceramics, photography by Camille Lemoine
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Maze Fields in Winfrith, photography by Camille Lemoine
As a result of the Black Lives Matters protests, conversations surrounding racism in our everyday lives are omnipresent. As a global trend for plants and natural healing arises, the exploitive and racist history of horticulture has been brought to light. We must continue to fight racism embedded into society and create safe spaces for people of colour to exist in equity.
Today I pitched an article idea that discusses the growing conversation surrounding racism and gardens. As brands respond to an increased interest in plants and horticulture, they must work to address the exploitive past of the gardening world and the modern-day struggles that people of colour continue to face. I wrote the report as a short piece to be uploaded onto the Fashion Snoops website under ‘New + Now’ section..
Deconolising the Garden, text by Camille Lemoine
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Food Meets Fashion, collage by Camille Lemoine
Food Waste meets Fashion
Inspired by creatives embracing the idea of playing with food during lockdown, I turned to vegetable and fruit waste to make some fashion mash ups. Merging something that is typically thought of as unglamorous (food waste) with contemporary fashion editorials gave birth to a wealth of colour, texture and unusual compositions. Creating multi-media collages like this often helps me generate styling ideas. In this case, I like the idea of eggs shells being used to create an armour or unusually crackly skin. I have also made note that by blowing eggs out of their shell to leave a hollowed oval structure -as is commonly done during easter- creates beautiful materials that I could construct a head piece out of. I am currently imagining a triangular party hat blanketed in neutral coloured eggshells, sitting graciously on top of a model who is standing bare foot in straw and holding a golden chicken. The styling in my photography work often creates a humour that also complements the natural world’s raw beauty. I look to photographers Tom Johnson and Harley Weir who also carry a light-hearted mood within a lot of their imagery. This exercise has given me a taster of how I could approach my concepts when embarking on the world of gardening for my graduate photography publication.
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Equestrain Brown, collage by Camille Lemoine
E
SA DDL Up!
Equestrain Brown, collage by Camille Lemoine
Equestrain Brown Styling Concepts, collage byJack Shanks
Today I pitched an idea I worked on last month for an editorial for SYN Magazine. The concept is titled ‘Equestrian x Intimate Brown’ which explores the colour brown’s overdue revival. Brown is among the most, if not the most, diverse of colours. There is no mood or atmosphere it cannot create: the luxurious brown of dark chocolate and coffee; the mature brown of leather; the calming brown of linen; the tactile brown of clay; the forgiving brown of blankets; the glorious browns of autumn alongside the conscious brown of natural materials. As sustainability continues to be the forefront of conversations, textiles will also be dominated by this colour, embracing natural and earthy undertones. This editorial focuses on juxtaposing the narratives ‘Equestrian Brown’ and ‘Intimate Brown’. The soft leather of boots and saddles, the sharp silhouettes of competition clothing and the soft textures of horses will be interlaced with softer connotations of the colour such as exposed skin, transparent layered fabric and tactile details of clothing. It is important to acknowledge the topic of inequality and race when discussing the colour brown within this concept. As a white privileged individual, I can never understand the experiences of people of colour. During this shoot, I will not attempt to direct their portrayal of their own thoughts and feelings and will focus on the narratives I have outlined above around the connotations of colour, allowing the model to respond to the themes. I wish to highlight the underrepresentation of people of colour and want to work with solely Black and brown models within this shoot. I also mentioned within my pitch that this was part of the concept before the beginning of the Black Lives Matter movement and was not a responsive after thought. I wanted to elaborate on this in my pitch due to the current political context. When discussing unexplored narratives surrounding the colour brown, the inequality and lack of representation of people of colour within the fashion industry could not and should not be overlooked. I made sure to also mention that I am continuing to learn and educate myself on these issues and wish to be corrected when needed.
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My Old Curtains, photography by Camille Lemoine
ES S ENT IAL
S T
Essential Living
It’s raining outside and my car has broken down. Although the majority of Scotland is no longer in lockdown, today feels similar to the early days of outdoor restrictions. During that partly lonesome period, myself along with the rest of humanity started questioning the meaning of Essential. I would asked myself: Which businesses are essential and who are their essential workers? What constitutes essential travel and which essentials should I stock up on? Although most commonly defined as “that which we cannot live without,” the term Essential is amorphous and evolving, often shifting to mean different things to different people. Before the pandemic, I was already on the journey of dismantling my consumer habits, opting to buy less but better. Having spent so much time in my home, I began to feel weighed down by the clutter and complexity of meaningless objects, and in turn craved simplicity and purity. Having been granted the gift of time, I have had the opportunity
to examine my true needs and what actually brings me joy. Today I decided to make some clothes and rediscover my love for sewing. Having started at Heriot Watt University on the Fashion Design pathway, I have always had a keen interest in pattern making and designing my own garments. I started by sketching out my design and creating some pattern pieces from various tops. I then used an old floral printed curtain to create my toile. Going through the process of making garments reminds me of how skilled the entire design process is. It is more valuable to invest in beautiful, unique and well-made pieces of clothing rather than purchasing from the high street. An amplified focus on fabrication, and increased honour for the elements involved in each product’s creation will be considered for each of my purchases moving forward. I am also determined to continue creating my own clothes as this is also a more sustainable and empowering act.
My garment being worn on a sunny day in Winfrith, England.
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Winfrith Cottages, photography by Camille Lemoine
Am I part of
Cottage Core?
The internet movement known as cottagecore, and other related -core aesthetics (grandmacore, faeriecore, farmcore) stem from a long and vast root system of nostalgia, celebrating a return to traditional skills and crafts such as foraging, baking and pottery. Today I watched some videos on Tik Tok of carefully curated indoor plant collections, daisy chain necklaces and herb growing tutorials. During lockdown, the cottage core aesthetic has definitely dominated my social media feed as I identify a growing number of similarities to the trend with my own life in the countryside. Over the past nine months, cottagecore has unfolded into a full-blown craze. Sustainability was a major influence, as the buzzword inspired eco-designs and alternative lifestyle habits. COVID-19 has also contributed to the trend’s recent growth. Social media platforms like Tik Tok are seeing incredible spikes in the use of #cottagecore and by choice individuals have opted for a simple life, forced to make their own amusement and become their own providers. Having the chance to discover the joy in slow-living during lockdown has been eyeopening for me personally. I have a newfound deeper appreciation for nature and its beauty, and I have a renewed interest in self-sufficient activities, from sewing to birdwatching. Reflecting on what this trend is driven by has helped me realise that my newfound perspectives are part of a wider community and overarching movement. One of the most notable things to consider about cottage core, is the freedom and vulnerability it permits. Traditionally LGBTQ+ people and people of colour have experienced hostility in regard to certain activities associated with the trend (e.g. gardening, hiking, crafts), but instead this aesthetic feels ‘progressive-rural’.
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GardenWindows, photography by Camille Lemoine
Plant
ING
As a result of watching Platfluencers on Tik Tok, I decided to join the house plant craze and grow some of my own. I have challenged myself to watch the plants as they grow every day, taking note of the subtle changes. As it is quite late in the season, I opted for Basil plant seeds and Pak Choi Purple Rain seeds that can be sown at any time in the year. Although the act of sowing seeds is generally quite simple it feels extremely therapeutic. Plant therapy might sound contemporary to modern day society, but it is actually an ancient tool that many indigenous healers have been using for decades. Engaging with plants can have a relaxing, peaceful effect on many people. For individuals struggling with mental illness and depression, caring for plants can generate positive emotions and help people gain control in their lives again.
E S E DS
Sowing
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Garden Centre, photography by Camille Lemoine
F L E X
Plants are the New Flex
Today I visited a local garden centre and bought a few plants for my room in Galashiels. As the majority of courses are planned to be online this year, I am keen to make the place I work, live and sleep in as peaceful as possible. These new purchases have definitely been driven by accounts on social media fully dedicated to their passion for greenery, and the aesthetic that it offers. Millennials are becoming increasingly plant-obsessed and these ‘Plantfluencers’ are becoming as big as beauty and fashion influencers. I think it is interesting that younger generations are opting for indoor greenery rather than harvesting vegetables outside. This could be due to smaller living spaces and a desire for an aesthetically pleasing Instagram feed, but I also partly believe it is due to our lives centring around a computer screen. Recent streetwear brand photography has also adopted botany-focused narratives, which adds to the existing hype of this plant movement. I recently found the book ‘Success with Indoor Plants’ lying around my house on a bookshelf which is filled with beautiful illustrations of varying plants, accompanied with detailed instructions on how to care for them. This book was published in 1979 and although the aesthetic feels slightly outdated, the content is perfectly in tune with society today. I find it exciting to be learning about crafts such as horticulture that were previously common knowledge to many of our parents and grandparents
Success with House Plants , photography by Camille Lemoine
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Bareback , photography by Camille Lemoine
Bareback , photography by Camille Lemoine
Today was the day of my shoot ‘Equestrian x Intimate’ for Syn Magazine. I booked out Meow Studios in Edinburgh and collaborated with stylists Jack Shanks and Lucy Procter, as well as make-up artist Chloe Rankin. I also contacted Savalas Models and booked model Rimka Puri. Building my own team and using industry resources has been valuable experience for me as a creative moving forward after graduation.
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Aretha Brown, photography by Atong Atem
In a moment of cultural, environmental, and spiritual turmoil, indigenous voices have been given the spotlight to provide wisdom and guidance for a way through. During my internship today I started writing an influencer report on this movement. Clients will use these reports to educate themselves on who they could collaborate with in the future. The Coronavirus has unveiled modern society’s former lack of spiritual knowledge, community resilience, and environmental concern, driving a desire for native values rooted in humbleness and restoration. Indigenous influencers on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram bring customs and expertise to a more mainstream audience, in hopes of preserving the sacrality of First People’s culture and the natural world. An entirely new audience online is discovering indigenous narratives, artwork, rituals, and healing practices. Further, community issues such as the traumatic history of colonialism, stolen land, and lack of resources have also been called to attention amidst the Black Lives Matter movement, as people speak out against systemic racism. Indigenous voices are using their platforms to educate their followers on the prejudice their cultures continue to face today, fighting for a more compassionate and equitable future on behalf of the earth and their people.
Indigenous Voices
Page 2 of the Indigenous Influencer Article, text by Camille Lemoine
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Plant Dye, photography by Camille Lemoine
In a world where the means of production are under greater pressure and scrutiny, designers will be looking to nature as both an inspiration and a responsibility. I believe that moving forward, brands will try to create more authentic narratives via up cycling and natural dyeing methods using garden or food waste. Tie dye as a trend has been extremely successful this summer, and consumers are now more comfortable with imperfections. I have been particularly interested in a company named ‘The Dogwood Dyer’ who forage, grow and process natural dye plants. This garden dyeing movement will be a direct result of the #cottagecore trend, as people are drawn to local living and garden-inspired narratives. An earthy palette also gives designs a humble undertone.
Natural
Dyeing
Using natural igredients to dye my clothes
I decided to test out the natural dyeing method on an old white t-shirt of mine. First, I placed elastic bands around the folded top to create the tie dye effect later on before making a fixture out of white vinegar and water. The t-shirt was then left in this liquid on the heat for an hour. My dye was then made up of brambles and homegrown beetroot which I left to simmer for over an hour. The t-shirt was then rinsed under water and added to a large jar with the dye to sit in for a couple of hours (as pictured). Finally, the top was then left to dry until I was able to wash it properly. The final result left a delicate purple hue on the fabric, with faint tie dye patterns. Being able to grow your own materials and then physically create the dye was an extremely rewarding process. Since this experiment I have plans to make various other dyes out of Lichen found on trees, turmeric and avocado skins. This is a resourceful and beautiful way to make use of food waste in the future.
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Losing Eden , photography by Camille Lemoine
L O S T
O T
Today I read the first chapters of my new book ‘Losing Eden’ by English journalist Lucy Jones. It is a beautifully written, research-heavy study about how nature offers us wellbeing. Learning about how integral the outside environment is to human health, from responding to microorganisms in fresh air to the immune boosting and anti-depressant qualities in the soil. After reading I went on a long hike into the forest, to feel and smell soil for myself again. I may have looked slightly insane, but the simple act of playing with the ground was strikingly refreshing. This book really brings to light the obvious; that human beings historically have always been deeply interlinked with nature, and as we travel inward both literally and psychologically, we are losing part of ourselves. This quote from the second chapter summarises this perfectly: ‘We have an evolutionary need to connect to the natural world for cognitive, mental, emotional and spiritual development, growth, meaning and fulfilment’. After only one day of reading, I have promised myself that I will go outside for a minimum of one hour a day into the wilderness if possible. I am excited to see what the rest of the book will explore.
Torrance Forest, photography by Camille Lemoine
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Torrance, Artwork by Camille Lemoine
An Offline Lifestyle
During lockdown many of us took to activities separate from our virtual lives. I was definitely part of this movement and found myself drawing more frequently again. I used to go to life drawing every Tuesday with my sister but after moving to university and leaving fashion design for a communication-based course I began to draw less. Many people have written about the positive effects that the act of pen to paper can have on you, from improved focus to a strengthened memory. Amidst a crisis however, I believe that people are craving more tactile activities due to the absence of human touch. We are filling this void with more humble activities such as sewing, cooking and gardening. This publication is a reflection of this, as my engagement in offline rather than online activities is visually much stronger. Although there is a wealth of culture available to us via the internet, the abundance of information available can be overwhelming and can leave us desensitized. Learning from other mediums such as books and conversation has been much more stimulating and inspiring for me during this period of my life. Moving into a future where humans are more connected to technology than ever before, I will need to find a balance that nurtures my need for real-life experiences as well as virtual ones.
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National Geographic Magzine, photography by Camille Lemoine
Reading National Geographic magazine outside today I learned that bugs are disappearing at alarming rates. Looking into the flower beds from my seat I spotted a Peacock Butterfly sharing a lavender plant with a Red Admiral. It was true that since my childhood when I used to go butterfly catching with my siblings, there is already a visible scarcity of the once common insects. The article explains the disastrous effects that the extinction of bugs could have on our planet as without insects to pollinate them, most flowering plants would die out. Most shockingly however, it has been studied that if humans were to disappear, that the earth would regenerate back to the rich state of equilibrium that existed 10,000 years ago. This information
has pushed me to continue learning more about the climate crisis and the harmful behaviour of the human race within all aspects of life. My auntie is a zoologist who specialises in moths and I plan to ask her more about this decline, specifically in Scotland. I think it would be interesting to create a photography series on the loss of bugs locally. Creative industries including fashion should definitely be made aware of the immense number of issues that the climate emergency is causing- not just problems directly relating to the arts. I also predict that as the absence of insects becomes more prominent, we will see a rise in prints and textiles that replicate the scales and patterns of these wildlife creatures as a form of nostalgia.
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Wonderful Things, photography by Tim Walker
Wonderful Things, photography by Tim Walker
As in person exhibitions are closed for the foreseeable future due to the Coronavirus, I have had time to reflect on the exhibitions I did manage to visit pre-pandemic. ‘Wonderful Things’, a long-awaited exhibition of photography by Tim Walker at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London is the most recent collection of work I was able to visit. The show is the largest exhibit of Walker’s photography to date where he created ten new series of photographs specifically for Wonderful Things, each one inspired by an object from the museum’s collections and archives. Walker was looking for objects that provoked an emotional response. “It’s about me finding a charged object that has illuminated and touched me, and then I’ve turned that into a world,” he tells AnOther in an interview. “Hopefully you come out of it feeling inclined to go and create your own worlds, articulate your own fantasies.” I was extremely inspired by this particular exhibition, as Walker’s imagery has a special ability to transport the viewer into their own fantasy land. I distinctively recall feeling energised and creatively recharged as I travelled through the various installations.
During lockdown I purchased the book that documents the exhibition, filled with imagery and interviews between the set designers, models, stylists and Tim Walker himself. Having an insight into the process behind these photographs has been extremely engaging. Walker works very closely with specific set designers and stylists to create the otherworldly feel within his work, highlighting to me the power of working within a functional creative team. His photographs remind me of our own capacity as humans to dream. Using unique subject matters and elaborate set designs, his work harnesses a fragile beauty that is impossible to recreate. Instead of trying to replicate how Tim Walker works, his photographs inspire me to follow my instincts when creating and to hold onto all the weird and wonderful ideas I may have. Considering my interest in gardens as a concept, his work also encourages me to capture the feelings of joy and magic I associate with wild places. ‘The Secret Garden’ and ‘Bridge to Terabithia’ are films that strongly remind me of his work as well as the feelings gardens can provoke.
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Leaving Home , photography by Camille Lemoine
Inside Fashion, graphics by Buisness of Fashion
Today I drove with my boyfriend’s parents from Glasgow to the Isle of Portland in Dorset, England to visit Andy (my partner). He is a windsurfer in the British Sailing Team which although exciting and pre-corona resulted in compelling trips abroad, it also means a long-distance relationship. The safety concerns surrounding public transport has made this even more of a challenge this year. However, today I find myself on route to see him, and my spirits are lifted by the act of travelling once again. Enjoying this brief moment of feeling as though things were slightly back to ‘normal’, I was quickly dragged back down to earth whilst listening to the Business of Fashion’s special edition podcast in conversation with Li Elderkoort. The Dutch trend forecaster says that the coronavirus pandemic highlights what is so terribly wrong with society, teaching us to slow down and change our lifestyles. She powerfully states ‘The virus, I think, can be seen as a representation of our conscience...‘. She goes on to explain that we have been granted the gift of time removed
from society, and that we must urgently begin to ‘rethink everything’. As a creative within the fashion industry and a citizen on planet earth, this includes me. How can I rethink my work? Are any of my approaches obsolete? What do I see as a valuable contribution to the field of fashion? These are a few of the many questions I have begun to ask myself. This conversation encompasses many of the thoughts I have been having over the last few months and has left me even more doubtful about the future I had previously so vividly imagined for myself. Instead, I am moving forward into what I believe will be a much healthier, and positive place that I want to be a part of. This will not happen overnight, and many parts of our society will negatively suffer along the way. However, I do believe more strongly than ever, that the coronavirus is the wakeup call we have been
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& Folklore
FUN GI
Whilst at a rare bookshop in Dorset, England I bought the book ‘Fungipedia’. An A-Z treasury of mushroom lore, this book has more than 180 entries—on topics as varied as Alice and Wonderland, chestnut blight, medicinal mushrooms, poisonings, Santa Claus, and waxy caps. Combining ecological, ethnographic, historical, and contemporary knowledge, author and mycologist Lawrence Millman discusses how mushrooms are much more closely related to humans than to plants, how they engage in sex, how insects farm them, and how certain species happily dine on leftover radiation, cockroach antennae, and dung. This purchase was influenced by recent conversations I have had about mushrooms during my internship at Fashion Snoops. As consumers become more susceptive to natural healing methods, fungi are a hot topic of conversation in contemporary culture and will continue to gain traction within brands.
Further than this, the approaching movement of reconnecting with nature has us more inclined to learn about our natural surroundings. Fungi has long been proven to be a key part of our ecosystem that interacts with humans in innumerable ways and is intertwined in folklore and ancient traditions. This book reminds me of the photography series by Viviane Sassen titled ‘Of Mud and Lotus’ which explores the relationship between traditional ideas of femininity (such as fecundity and transformation) and natural organisms such as fungi, lotus and dirt. The series is made up of a collection of abstract collages that utilise organic materials such as eggs, milk, flowers, fungi and natural dyes. Illustrating the strange and alluring beauty of mushrooms, these multi-media pieces test the boundaries of contemporary fashion photography.
Of Mud and Lotus, photography by Vivianne Sassen