Dissertation proposal by Lizzie Clarke

LEVEL 3 Dissertation proposal N0581703

elizabeth clarke

co nt en ts

01-02. preface 03-04. introduction 05-20. spending ourselves INto a global crisis

21-32. DOES THE FASHION INDUSTRY DISCRIMINATE? 33-36. references

37-40. appendix

PREFACE

F P C

GRAPHIC DESIGNER PR AND EVENTS EDITOR

With the final year of my communication degree vastly approaching, I am faced with the challenge of reflecting on the past two academic years, assessing the skills I have learnt and my strengths and weaknesses. I believe selfevaluation is exceedingly important, in addition to objective evaluation from others and is often is the gateway to improvement. My work has improved drastically in comparison to last year; however, there is still room for progress and I intend to focus on broadening my skills over summer in preparation for third year. When evaluating my strengths and weaknesses based on past feedback, it became apparent that my strengths lie within ‘the big idea’ and ‘execution’ stages of the FCP triangle. When set a task, I enjoy the process of brainstorming and exploring various ideas, bouncing off my own, and others imaginations during group work. I then become engrossed in thinking up an execution for this idea, and often forget to illustrate my development and thought process down on paper, in order to make it clear to others and those who are marking my work, how I got to the final stage and why.

execution Moreover, the areas that I have enjoyed and feel confident in that we have explored this year include, photography, art direction, publishing and editorial work. My ongoing goal is to not compare my work to others and focus on developing my own style, as I believe I am happiest with my work when I have injected my own personality and character. In addition to this, I recognize that I must boost my skills when approaching the ‘branding’ side of a concept. I understand that in any career within communication, branding is essential and the basis of promoting the tone of voice. I often struggle with delving deeper into a brand past the design and concept stages, therefore next year I will be making a more conscious effort to work on aspects such as primary research and consumer profiling.

creative concept

the big idea

context

PHOTOGRAPHER JOURNALIST CREATIVE DIRECTOR

introduction

By filtering through my interests and relating back to the FCP triangle, I have established two topics that intrigue me. In this report I will be discussing the increasingly vital and current issue of sustainable fashion, why this has become such a pressing issue, and the effects it is having on our people and planet. Challenging controversial topics like this and debating the cause, is one of the ways that we can slowly start to resolve the issue, and this is why I will be exploring and delving into the core of the subject. For my second proposal topic, I will be analysing the notion of discrimination in the fashion industry and society. Focusing on social class and disability representation, I hope to challenge the subjects and explore the root of the issue. By researching these two chosen topics, I aspire to gain a more transparent understanding of the nature of the subjects and illustrate this clearly through my writing.

SPENDING ourselves INTO A GLOBAL CRISIS.

Fig. 1

veryone has heard of the term ‘fast fashion’ at some point, whether that be fleetingly or in depth. However, it is a subject that is easily swept underneath the carpet as we cannot physically see the destructive effects it is having, not only our planet, but also our people. We merely focus on new and ‘must have’ micro trends that are being churned out every few weeks at a low cost, that we may either never wear, or throw out in a non-eco-friendly manner within just a few weeks of owning. The movement to promote sustainable fashion is by no means an ‘anti-fashion’ argument, it is simply encouraging people to become more conscious consumers and recognise the strain of fast fashion and what effects this will have on our future.

Fashion icon Vivienne Westwood has been known to speak out against the crisis ‘buy less, choose well and do it yourself’ [The fashion 411 interview, 2012], Westwood’s theory of buying less and keeping clothes for a longer duration, in effect would decrease waste and mass production of clothing. In relation to this, there has recently been a message spread across fashion and lifestyle bloggers such as ‘Inspioue’ and ‘Sammi Quinn’, encouraging their readers to minimize their wardrobes and keep a ‘capsule wardrobe’. This consists of only owning a certain number of items, good quality and long lasting, that you love, therefore causing you to not shop to excess and becoming a conscious consumer.

08 ‘C

ambridge University study shows that in 2006 people were buying a third more clothes than in 2002, and women also have four times as many clothes in their wardrobe than they did in 1980’ [Ethical fashion forum]. This statistic illustrates to us the vast pace that the industry is moving at, but where did this all begin and how did we get here? In the 60’s we were immersed in subcultures, from the punks to the skinheads, everyone was very much set in their ways of dressing, a much more simple choice of what to wear on a daily basis in comparison to modern day. Globalisation grew rapidly in the 80’s and 90’s, and this paved the way for cheap brands to transfer their labour production to the developing world, which cost them a fraction of those in Europe, and in effect gained much more profit for the business.

HOW?

Along with the growth of technology and the widespread hard work from under paid workers, we are now in a position where manufacturers are able to turn a sketch to a garment and deliver it to the shop floor as quick as two weeks. “Price pressure is already driving some companies to turn a blind eye when subcontractors choose unsafe factories, putting reputations on the line and risking the lives of workers. Now, that's an unsustainable model. It's bad for business -- and it's bad for humanity.” [BOF, 2013].

Fig. 2

IMPACT

Fig. 3

“F

ast isn’t free, someone somewhere is paying” (Katie Fletcher, Textile consultant) Low pay and poor conditions in factory’s are extremely common in countries such as Bangladesh. With the minimum wage equating to just £41 per month, it is known for factories to pay their workers even less. Fast fashion is one of the main contributing sources of the problem. There is a constant demand for new clothes & upcoming trends, this encourages competition within brands & therefore poses an immense amount of pressure upon the garment workers. “Buyers pressure factories to deliver quality products with ever-shorter lead times. Most factories just don’t have the tools and expertise to manage this effectively, so they put the squeeze on the workers. It’s the only margin they have to play with.” (Oxfam report, 2004).

These poor conditions were brought to light in 2013 when Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh tragically collapsed, leaving a devastation of 1,134 dead and over 2,500 injured, along with hundreds missing. This was the worst industrial accident to ever hit the garment industry with brands such as Primark, Mango, Matalan and many more said to be linked to the factory. This brutal incident just shows that we need to take into consideration where our clothes come from before we buy.

Fig. 4

12 Fig. 5

Fig. 6

3 years on what have we learnt from this disaster and what are we doing to prevent any more tragedies? On the 18th â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 24th April 2016 a non-profit UK based team created a global â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;fashion revolutionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. This movement was implemented through online hashtags #whomademyclothes, along with events and meet ups all over the world [Visit www.fashionrevolution. org to get involved or find out more]. This team of activists continue to fight for sustainability within the industry and promote the message of conscious consumerism throughout the world through social media platforms and hosting events each year. We need to reverse this domino effect and all do our bit for fair fashion, and by this in years to come we could be seeing drastic changes being implemented. Fig. 7

ENVIRONMENTAL F

urther effects of fast fashion include the environmental factors. ‘UK consumers send 30kg of clothing and textiles to landfill each year and that 1.2 million tonnes of clothing went to landfill in 2005 in the UK alone.’[Ethical fashion forum]. The amount of products that we make and resources we use outweigh the amount we can actually afford to produce. With the un organic and synthetic materials we use, along with harmful and toxic dyes, produce a large source of deadly carbon emissions. We are simply running our planet into the ground by using up all of our resources unnecessarily. “The fashion industry produces 2million tonnes of waste each year, 2,1million tonnes of CO2 and 70million tonnes of water.’[Minute MBA, 2013]. In response to this, small but positive changes are being made as 300 retailers have signed up to be a part of ‘Sustainable clothing action plan (SCAP)’. This plan includes producing, selling and disposing of waste without harming the environment and only working with countries with strict labour fairness regulations. Although these changes are small, if every individual does their bit, we can make a huge difference.

Fig. 8

THE CONSUMER THE

ECO

ENTHUSIAST

This group of consumers are conscious and ethical when it comes to purchasing their clothing and other items in life, they may also choose to be vegan or vegetarian. They are not swayed by cheap prices of items and try their best to be aware of a brands ethics and production sources before investing. In the other aspects of their lives, they may support political parties that promote similar views such as green party or labour. Vintage and charity is their preferred choice of shopping as they respect that clothes can be recycled and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always have to be bought brand new to be on trend. They may follow bloggers such as Mika Francis who promotes the sustainable lifestyle of cruelty free food and clothing.

18 I

POSSIBLE OUTCOMES

n anticipation for next year, over the summer I’d love to practise and experiment different types of campaigns to raise awareness of sustainability within the student community. My initial idea was to create a number of activities/ promotional platforms, such as setting up stalls/ distributing leaflets and spreading the message of fast fashion, emphasising the harm it is causing on many different levels. However, I think a better alternative is devising a whole campaign with recognisable logo’s and hash tags that students can get involved with and become a part of the team at ease. The aim of the campaign would be to try and raise awareness of the harm the garment industry is currently having on our world and what we can do to resolve this. Through my own experience and through speaking to others I understand that people tend to brush off environmental based campaigns with labels like ‘tree huggers’ etc, a lot of people tend to think that it is a criticism of how they live their lives, due to conscious consumerism not being considered as a normal everyday practise. For this reason, I propose to set the tone of voice of the campaign as a relaxed, friendly and fun vibe. To achieve this, once the campaign has gathered a number of contributors and members, it would be great to organise an event. The event could be the kick starter of the campaign in order to raise more awareness, and in true student style it could be held at a bar, and have different activities going on (along with drinks and music). Different people from the environmental and fashion societies would be invited, along with first and second year fashion students, in the hope that we could influence them to research further into the cause and possibly base their dissertation on the matter. In conclusion, over the summer I propose to contact the fashion revolution group, and ask them a few questions regarding the topic, look out for any upcoming events that I would be able to get involved in and research further into the topic.

CONCLUSION I

n conclusion, how can we resolve the issue of spending ourselves into a global crisis? The Earth is our home, we all have a responsibility to look after it and the people within it. We can make these changes by becoming more conscious when purchasing clothing; -Try to look at where your clothes are made, look at what the materials are to make sure theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re environmentally friendly. -Purchase from fair and sustainable fashion brands such as; miss green & Bamboo. -Purchase vintage clothes. -Support smaller and more local designers; focus on buying quality over quantity.

Fig. 9

DOES THE FASHION INDUSTRY DISCRIMINATE?

Fig. 10

“C

asting directors would send out notices to all the modelling agencies in the city, saying 'no blacks, no ethnics' — we don’t want to see them.” [Bethan Hardison, BoF, 2015]. It is no doubt that diversity in the media is a hot topic in current day. Although the industry is making huge leaps towards a more equal representation of normality towards the public, I still think further topics need to be explored and challenged. Today we’re reading and seeing a lot regarding diversity within race, age, size and gender, this publicity is amazing and will hopefully be passed on to the next generation and improved further. However, topics of diversity that I have seen being discussed less so, include disability and class, and this is why I aspire to delve deeper into these topics throughout this essay. I will be grasping my research from both subjective and objective angles, inputting my own experience along with the views and opinions of others within my findings.

CLASS DIVISION I

remain sceptic of Kanye West’s philosophies and recognise that some of his outlandish statements can be perceived as hypocritical, however, during his speech at Oxford University in 2015, he raised a valid point of which I agree entirely, “They think we’re done with racism. What about elitism? What about separatism? What about classism?”. As a fashion student, I recognise that fashion is one of the largest industries in the word, and this is why I pose the question, why is diversity such a problem? The industry has almost devised a hierarchy of importance, placing the lower sourced income consumers at the bottom of this hierarchy.

I recently read a sociology article written by ‘Piyali SUR’, which sums up my views on the matter impeccably, a long winded yet important reference when considering this topic - ‘Teen girls from privileged socio-economic backgrounds having access to first world fashion ideas and practices through the internet and popular media, consume and present themselves in ways that express their distinct “costly” taste. These children ‘do difference’ along class lines by wearing branded clothes, global branded products and discriminate against girls from less privileged backgrounds who are held in content for their “inferior” taste and style. Teen girls from lower socio-economic backgrounds with limited buying capacity feel deprived and inferior in relation to their bodies which may have long term effects on their identity. The feelings of inferiority gets multiplied if combined with socially constructed undesirable physical traits. The global political economy of fashion industry reproduces hierarchies of inequality around ‘habitus’ and ‘taste’ where body is the central mechanism through which difference in terms of class is performed.’ Although this is written from a perspective in India, I think it sums up the domino effect of the fashion industry perfectly. We are promoting this elitism image to adults and children, which is a desirable yet (in some cases) un realistic, which in effect can be considered as oppression, making the consumers feel negative towards themselves through ‘propaganda’, and therefore leading them to purchase more in order to reach a ‘goal’ image.

DISABILITY REPRESENTATION

n years to come, I truly believe that we will look back at the hypocrisy of the media’s representation of society and laugh. Although it appears that people with disabilities are minorities, there are over 10 million in the UK alone. ‘There are currently 1.3 million disabled people in the UK who are available for and want to work.’ ‘There are over 6.9 million disabled people of working age which represents 19% of the working population’ [DLF, Shawtrust]. As the fashion industry is so massively powerful, once people with disabilities begin to be recognised in the media and on the catwalks, the rest of society may become more accustomed to hiring people. I myself have epilepsy, which barely impairs me in the workplace in comparison to others. However, I find myself inclined to leave this fact about myself out of applications, and avoid telling people due to the fear of being penalized for it, and this should not be the case. ‘In 2008, 19% of disabled people experienced unfair treatment at work compared to 13% of non-disabled people’ [Gov.co.uk].

Fig. 11

28 In 2015, uproar was caused when interview magazine presented a cover shoot, photographed by Steven Klein, showing Kylie Jenner posing in a wheelchair, wearing S & M style clothing. Although the magazine proclaimed there was no intention to offend, people did not take kindly to the shoot. "Why is it acceptable for an able-bodied model to be featured in a high fashion shoot in a wheelchair she doesn't need? Yet it isn't deemed acceptable for a disabled model who does need a wheelchair to be featured in a fashion magazine." [Gemma Fletcher, BBC]. Fig. 12

In response, in 2015 4 campaigning disabled models set up a petition to demand that ministers address the “blatant disablism” within the fashion industry. The four women are a members of ‘Models of diversity’, a campaigning group which wants the fashion industry to use a more diverse range of models. “I think a whole demographic of society is being completely excluded. People are growing up with this idea that disabled people aren’t normal, they aren’t part of anything. That is so damaging. The modelling agencies say they can’t take on a disabled model because they won’t get the work, and the brands say there aren’t any disabled models on the books of the agencies.” [Jay, director of MoD]. By this discrimination, the industry has failed to meet the regulations of the legal obligations under the Equality Act, and MoD rightly intends to address and turn it around.

Fig. 13

“

People just expect that you're not going to give a shit about how you look because you are disabled! You don't have to exist in a so-called ‘perfect’ body to enjoy clothes, to feel good about yourself and the way you look. – Cat Smith

“

Fig. 15

n a more positive note, there is change being implemented. There are agencies being created searching for people with disabilities and trying to break them into the media such as ‘visABLE agency’. Along with this, last year Diesel released a campaign called ‘reboot’, the campaign starred Jillian Mercado, a 28year old model and fashion blogger who is a wheelchair user with muscular dystrophy. Mercado is signed to agency IMG and has taken a bold step when it comes to the representation of people with disabilities in fashion - “I want to be that role model for my younger self who obsessed over magazines but didn’t see anyone like her.” In addition to this, 18 year old Madeline Stewart who has down syndrome, was booked to walk at the 2015 New York fashion week, after a social media campaign was started by her mother in order to get her recognised as a model.

Fig. 14

POSSIBLE OUTCOMES

oreover, I do not yet have a set idea for an outcome regarding the topic of diversity, however, I have a few brief ideas that I am excited about and I intend to develop. Linking in with my love for journalism and print, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d love to curate a number of articles, seeking stories of experiences of discrimination, travelling round photographing and interviewing people. With this information, I then would love to send the articles into a number of magazines/ online publications to gather their opinions, or create a zine project out of them. The idea of this really excites me because I believe once I gain a clear understanding of what I want to do; I will be able to combine all of the forms of communication I love (see preface) into one project. In order for this project to be a success, I need to improve my literature skills by reading and practising over summer, along with expanding my general awareness on all forms of diversity.

BIBLIOGRAPHY SUSTAINABLE FASHION

Ted talks. 2016. A solution for a sustainable fashion industry | Fredrik Wikholm | TEDxGöteborg. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=eTHsMtcpg_Q.

Alex Riley. (2013). BBC Three - Secrets of the Superbrands (Fashion). [Online Video]. 3 February 2016. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd7lfcnlb9c.

The business of fashion. 2013. Op-Ed | Fast Fashion Winners and Losers. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/opinion/op-ed-fast-fashionwinners-losers.

Andrew Morgan . (2015). The true cost . [Online Video]. 3 February 2016. Available from: https://www.netflix.com/search/the%20true%20cost%20. Be More with Less. 2016. How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe - Be More with Less. [ONLINE] Available at: http://bemorewithless.com/how-to-build-a-capsule-wardrobe/. Corporate Knights. 2016. Global 100. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www. corporateknights.com/reports/global-100/. Environmental issues. 2016. Fast fashion. [ONLINE] Available at: http://fastfashion. weebly.com/environmental-issues.html. Fang Ma . 2012. A Theory on Fashion Consumption . [ONLINE] Available at: http:// www.sciedu.ca/journal/index.php/jms/article/viewFile/1945/1021. FashionRevolution.org. 2016. FashionRevolution. [ONLINE] Available at: http:// fashionrevolution.org/. Jordan Harper | Nivelo | www.nivelo.co.uk. 2016. Fast fashion, “value” fashion | Ethical Fashion Forum. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.ethicalfashionforum.com/theissues/fast-fashion-cheap-fashion. KATE WOOD. 2015. 8 Reasons to Rethink Fast Fashion. [ONLINE] Available at: http:// www.lifehack.org/articles/money/8-reasons-rethink-fast-fashion.html. Minute MBA by OnlineMBA.com. 2013. The Business of Fast Fashion. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhkBfbwCzxc. OnlineMBA. 2016. The Business of Fast Fashion. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www. onlinemba.com/blog/business-of-fast-fashion/. Quartz. 2016. H&M’s “sustainability” report hides the unsustainable reality of fast fashion — Quartz. [ONLINE] Available at: http://qz.com/380055/hms-sustainabilityreport-hides-the-unsustainable-reality-of-fast-fashion/.

WRAP, SCAP. 2016. Sustainable Clothing Action Plan. [ONLINE] Available at: http:// www.wrap.org.uk/content/sustainable-clothing-action-plan-1. YouTube. 2016. Vivienne Westwood talks eco friendly fashion - YouTube. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQaPlyLNNXg.

DISCRIMINATION Abstract: Children, Gender, Class and Fashion in Kolkata: An Intersectional Analysis of Discrimination (Third ISA Forum of Sociology (July 10-14, 2016)). 2016. Abstract: Children, Gender, Class and Fashion in Kolkata: An Intersectional Analysis of Discrimination (Third ISA Forum of Sociology (July 10-14, 2016)). [ONLINE] Available at: https://isaconf.confex.com/isaconf/forum2016/webprogram/Paper73674.html BBC News. 2015. Kylie Jenner row: ‘A wheelchair is not a prop’ say disabled models - BBC Newsbeat. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/ article/34982952/kylie-jenner-row-a-wheelchair-is-not-a-prop-say-disabled-models. Balance Diversity. 2016. Balance Diversity | Time for change. [ONLINE] Available at: https://balancediversity.com/. Dazed. 2015. Is this 2015’s most important model signing? | Dazed. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/25999/1/is-this-2015-s-mostimportant-model-signing. Dazed. 2016. Is disability fashion’s forgotten diversity frontier? | Dazed. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/25948/1/is-fashion-finallybecoming-inclusive-of-disability. Disability News Service. 2016. MoD targets ‘blatant’ discrimination in fashion industry. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/mod-targets-blatantdiscrimination-in-fashion-industry/. Gov.uk. 2016. Disability facts and figures - Publications - GOV.UK. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/disability-facts-and-figures.

Madeline Stuart. 2016. Madeline Stuart - Model with Downs Syndrome. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.madelinestuartmodel.com/. Models of Diversity — Welcome to our website!. 2016. Models of Diversity — Welcome to our website!. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.modelsofdiversity.org/. The Business of Fashion. 2016. Between the Catwalk and the Consumer: Fashionâ ™s Growing Diversity Gap | Intelligence | BoF. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/intelligence/between-the-catwalk-and-theconsumer-fashions-growing-diversity-gap-2. The Huffington Post. 2015. Kanye West Rails Against Class Divisions. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/03/kanye-west-oxford_n_6793482. html.

IMAGE REFERENCES FIG 1 - Greta Eagan, (2014), Wear No Evil: How to Change the World with Your Wardrobe [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0762451270/ ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0762451270&linkCo de=as2&tag=stylebizarre-20&linkId=TKVNUPT5QQ4BT7FB FIG 2 - Greg Wilson, (2014), 1970s History of Dress [ONLINE]. Available at: http:// www.gregwilson.co.uk/ FIG 3 – Atish Saha, (2013), Rana Plaza: Four Days in April [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.vqronline.org/photography/2014/04/rana-plaza-four-days-april FIG 4 - Atish Saha, (2013), Rana Plaza: Four Days in April [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.vqronline.org/photography/2014/04/rana-plaza-four-days-april FIG 5 - All walks, (2015), All walks [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.allwalks.org/wpcontent/uploads/2015/04/IMG_0030.jpg FIG 6 – Fashionrevolution.org, (2015), FashionRevolution [ONLINE]. Available at: http://fashionrevolution.org/get-involved/ways-for-everyone-to-get-involved/

FIG 7 - Fashionrevolution.org, (2015), FashionRevolution [ONLINE]. Available at: http:// fashionrevolution.org/get-involved/ways-for-everyone-to-get-involved/ FIG 8 - unknown, (2014), Qz.sustainability [ONLINE]. Available at: http:// qz.com/380055/hms-sustainability-report-hides-the-unsustainable-reality-of-fastfashion/ FIG 9 - KATEE HUI, (2015), Conscious Consumption [ONLINE]. Available at: http:// katee.org/conscious-consumption/

FIG 10 - The Business of Fashion. 2016. Between the Catwalk and the Consumer: Fashionâ ™s Growing Diversity Gap | Intelligence | BoF. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/intelligence/between-thecatwalk-and-the-consumer-fashions-growing-diversity-gap-2. FIG 11 – DAZED, Nick Knight and Katie England , (2015), DISABILITY IN FASHION [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/ gallery/20297/0/disability-in-fashion FIG 12 - JOHN PRING, (2015), MoD targets ‘blatant’ discrimination in fashion industry [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/modtargets-blatant-discrimination-in-fashion-industry/ FIG 13 - Steven Klein, Interview, (2015), Interview cover shoot [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.eonline.com/uk/news/720295/kylie-jenner-sparksbacklash-for-wheelchair-in-interview-magazine-defends-against-media-scrutiny FIG 14 - Photography Inez & Vinoodh, (2015), ‘We Are Connected’ SS14 Campaign [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/ gallery/20297/5/disability-in-fashion FIG 15 - Madeline Stuart. 2016. Madeline Stuart - Model with Downs Syndrome. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.madelinestuartmodel.com

APPENDIX PRIMARY RESEARCH IDEA 1. Fashion features editor at Dazed digital was conducting a snapchat Q&A, therefore I took the opportunity to ask her her opinion and tips on sustainable fashion and this was her reply; “Sustainable fashion is something I’ve really began to care about recently, I recognise that it’s hard to be 100% ethical but there are small things that you can do like buying second hand clothes, recognise you don’t need to buy as much as you do, I have so much in my wardrobe that I never wear. A good way to do it is asking whether you can imagine yourself wearing something at least 30 times, and if not, do you really need it” This gave me an interesting insight into what a person working in the industry feels towards the subject, and how aware they are of the matter.

Noting the amount of second hand clothes in my wardrobe compared to newly bought in order to self reflect and realise the reality of my wardrobe, Results showed the majority were newly bougnt, allowing me to recognise that I myself need to make a change in buying habbits,

METHODOLOGY METHOD STREGNTHs weeknesses future Snapchat Q&A with Dazed fashion features editor.

Reviewing my wardrobe, assessing second hand and newly bought clothes.

It gave me insight on what people higher up in the industry think about sustainability. The way she said it almost made me think it is becoming a trend which is interesting. The form of video chat is much more easier to asses peoples opinions as appose to email. Good to know on a subjective basis before writing my essay. It helped me with the perspective i wanted to take my essay and how I also want to reflect this in real life buying patterns.

Gaining one to one Proposed; gather experiences as appose people who have to second hand online. A experienced discussion would reveal discrimination more than say a focus and begin a group because peoples discussion on opinions and stories different opinions spark off eachother and resolutions. (spontanious).

it was only a snippet of an opinion, there was not enough depth. Too brief.

Did not analyse the research any further, e.g I shouldve looked at brands and what this means.

May be hard to organise and time consuming. People may not be very up front and forthcoming about their experiences.

An interview with someone in the industry, with thought out and planned questions that will give me accurate insight. Maybe a skype call or face to face. Expand and further analyse the findings and also asses other peoples wardrobe to gain a clearer understanding. If they were willing, the people involved could contribute articles/ creative work to the zine/ campaign.

cartograms INNOVATORS

drivers

impact

consequences

future

- Political parties. - Capsule wardrobes being more common.

- The trend of vintage and second hand shopping.

- New laws being enforced to eliminate un fair and low pay labour

- Rising awareness of global warming.

- Fast fashionbrands being bashed in the media consequently H&M brought out their ‘sustainable’ fashion campaign and ethics. - Designers such as V Westwood promoting sustainable fashion.

- Certain designers being labeled as ‘sustainable designers’ and therefore setting it as a trend.

- The tragic event of Rana Plaza. - The rise of veganism (ethics going hand in hand).

- Awareness on social media regarding the main culprit brands of fast fashion. - Fashion bloggers spreading the word - starting trends. - Fashion revolution campaigns and events begining all over the world.

cartograms INNOVATORS

drivers

impact

consequences - Awareness being raised, collections being specifically made for people with disabilities & in consequence being accepted and recognised more in the fashion industry.

- Public figures such as Kanye West discussing diversity.

- Madeline Stewart who has down syndrome walking in NYFW.

- Diversity promoters in the media e.g chanel 4 and ID. - Petitions being started to enforce discrimination laws.

-The Kylie Jenner by Steven Klein causing controversy in the media and offense to the public, driving them to stand up and do something about it.

- Jillian Mercado - a wheelchair user, appearing in a Diesel campaign.

future

- The media representing people in diffrent forms and from different backgrounds and re define the meaning of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;normalityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

ELIZABETH

CLARKE