Research Book 5502DFT Fashion Communication and Promotion FASHION MATTERS Megan Rue
Research Topics
After being given the task to write a dissertation, I decided to create a mind map of ideas for potential topics that I could explore. The topic that interested me the most was social media. I chose this topic as I feel it has a broad range of approaches I could explore and discuss including use in advertising and positives of social media as well as the negatives. In addition I feel as though it will be a topic that will work well to fit with fashion communication which I intend to study in the future. Therefore, within my dissertation I will look into the use and effects of social media within fashion on body image.
BROADER CONTEXT TITLE: The influence of media (particularly social media) within the fashion industry on body image. THEME: body image and social media. Historical context:
body image before social media
Social context:
Body ideals, eating disorder gratification
Economical context:
Technological context:
Related philosophy, movement ( art, social):
figures/online sales through social media of clothing Diet Pills, Celebrity endorsements link to increased sales Rise in social media apps, different social media apps and the difference in effects on body image. E.g. is Instagram worse for body image compared to Pinterest. Social media hashtags e.g. #effyourbeautystandards, Body positive movement, Dove Campaign, The What's underneath project
Other design influences: artists ( sculpture, photographer, architecture): designers ( textile, fashion, graphic, …): music influences:
Jodi Steel – body image art, Scarlett Carlos , realistic Barbie, Peter Lindenbergh
Chrissy Teigen Fashion Model – refuses to edit images,
Meghan Traynor – photoshopped music video
Date
Action
5th
• •
12th
•
Start Photoshoot research to catch up on work I missed when absent. Finish writing the draft of all chapters of Dissertation
•
Finish all photoshoot planning and magazine layouts for each page Pick and write articles for Magazine
19th
• •
Finish all Research book tasks missed Complete 1-2 Photoshoots
26th
•
Edit Photoshoot images and pick Fonts for Magazine
2nd
•
Start to construct magazine
9th
• •
Finish Magazine Add photoshoot images and selection to research book with evaluation
16th
• •
Edit Dissertation Based on feedback of draft Send off Magazine to be printed
23rd
•
Work on research book
30th
•
Finish off anything that needs doing , add overall evaluation of brief and outcomes Print off Dissertation Hand in Digital Research book and Magazine
• •
After Completing some initial research into my topic and looking at the task ahead, I decided that I needed to create an action plan in order to help me best manage my time and ensure that I was staying on track for the deadline given the amount of different elements to the brief. Initially I have hoped to have done my photoshoot before the 12th however, I had not done enough research into my topic to know how I wanted my shoot to look therefore this will be done in the later weeks. Hopefully if I work towards this plan every lesson making sure I do all of the tasks set weekly I will not fall behind on my work and it will allow me to complete each part of the brief on time.
FASHION MAGAZINE ANALYSIS Fashion Magazines • Dazed
• AnOther
• ID
• Interview
• Vogue
• Allure
• Seventeen
• Cosmopolitan
• Paper
• Fashion
• Elle
• W Magazine
• Company
• Pop Magazine
• Harpers Bazzar
• Love Magazine
MAGAZINE ANALYSIS Wallpaper Magazine – Wallpaper is a lifestyle/interiors/travel/art and architecture magazine. The colours used within are often more toned down or muted, the magazine gives off a more sophisticated feel. It is aimed at men and women aged between 25-35 who are career driven professionals who may be minimal. The magazine contains a wide range of content including interviews with business people and industry influencers as well as interior imagery and case studies on new artists/building. They do include some Ads/Editorial campaigns in the beginning that are also fashion related. The layout is fairly minimal with the same consistent types of pages running throughout. There are often full page or double page spread images with the written journalistic content in small columns of 2-3 per page. The fonts were kept consistent throughout with a bigger eye catching title for the editorial or article that followed. The fonts were not too quirky as this would not be fitting with the intended audience or the magazine. One of the campaigns included within Wallpaper was for Chanel. The campaign used black and white imagery and displayed clothing from the collection that was appropriate and would appeal to the intended audience and age range of Wallpaper magazine. This is therefore effective as it will attract the customer to the brand. The clothing within the editorial was practical, stylish and high end. They also used an older model to fit with the clothing and audience. This is an effective editorial therefore as it fits with the magazine and has been adapted to suit the audience of the particular magazine, they changed the editorial campaign used in ID magazine as their audience is different.
FASHION MAGAZINE ANALYSIS MAGAZINE ANALYSIS ID magazine – ID is a fashion and culture magazine. The colours within the magazine are either very colourful mixing colours and prints or the opposite and are black and white. The audience of the magazine are young adults aged between 20-30 who are quite rebellious and free spirited. Content within the magazine covers art, fashion, social issues, culture, music and people. The magazine is full of editorials throughout and is primarily image based using full image pages or double page spreads, some pages are smaller images over 2 pages almost framed by white space. The magazine does contain several articles throughout the break up the editorials covering topics related to the overall theme of the issues. The articles are often very heavily text based with 1-2 pages of constant text in 1-2 columns. The articles often have either a big title in a bold font or a big quote to start. The magazine also includes case studies and interviews with models/artists/designers about the theme of the issue to put forward the perspective and views of the sort of age range reading the magazine and to start conversation. One Editorial Campaign within the magazine is for Saint Laurent. The editorial spreads across 3 pages and has black and white imagery of mainly headshots with little garments being shown in the shots. The audience is young adults aged between 20-30. This editorial was very interesting as it used different paper from the rest of the magazine to make it look and feel different. It was more of a card and also, instead of being fully black and white, it used a metallic ink/foil instead of white to highlight the faces and writing within the image. This helps to catch the readers attention through texture and the metallic offering an almost 3D look to the images. The images fit with the more playful and rebellious magazine and do not give too much away about the clothing therefore making the readers research more about the brand.
FASHION MAGAZINE ANALYSIS MAGAZINE ANALYSIS Harper’s BAZAAR – this is primarily a fashion and beauty magazine although it sometimes covers topics such as health, travel and home style. It is aimed at women aged 20-35 who are more sophisticated and professional. They use more colourful and bright editorials to catch the eye of the reader. The articles within the magazine are very well written, most of the artilces are shorter sticking to one page, however some are slightly longer. In addition most of the articles have images inserted within the columns to break up the text, unlike the other two magazines I have looked at. Quotes are often picked out of the text and blown up at various points to catch the readers eye immediately as they are flicking through the magazine and draw them in to continue to read the full article. The magazine also includes, case studies, interviews and articles about more lifestyle tips and buys. The images within the magazine are all very colourful and presented mainly on full pages, with a lot of the editorials being displayed on several consecutive double page spreads. However, some images are in the centre of the page with white around. The magazine does not use any blank pages.
MAGAZINE ANALYSIS – INSPIRATION FOR MY MAGAZINE Although I have previously analysed ID magazine, I decided that this was the magazine I wanted to base my style of magazine off of as it is the sort of audience I will be targeting. Therefore I decided to do a more in-depth analysis of the magazine, looking more at the style of writing and lay-out and the style of the visuals used as well as the location, styling, poses, props used within. The audience of this magazine is young rebellious men and women aged between 20-30 who are into social and political issues and are aware of what is going on in the world. They are influencers and set new trends and push boundaries. They like more ‘indie’ and rock music and often go to concerts. The magazine consists of mainly imagery with key articles and interviews throughout with or about things related to the theme of the issue. The photos within are a mix of full sized or double page spreads with some that are smaller images with white space framing them. The articles written within the magazine are all very informative yet written in a friendly and almost personal way with the writers often including their personal experiences within the article. They often start with an big title at the top of the page in a bold font. The fonts are not too quirky and are easy to read. 2 columns of writing on the topic follows the title and often spreads over 2 pages. Interviews are laid out in a similar way except in place of the title there is a quote from the interviewee. Some pages within the magazine are just phrases or quotes or questions over a double page spread in large bold font. This really catches the readers attention and The models have a mix of natural make-up or more adventurous make-up that is bold and colourful. The models a very natural and the poses are quite playful or natural, not overly posed nor do they tend to do weird angles with their body. The locations vary, with some indoors and some outside depending on the theme and shoot. The styling is always more quirky or bold in style, very few of the outfits are minimal. Props are occasionally used but mainly as something to lean on or sit on rather than as an object to hold. I will use this magazine as influence and inspiration based on their target market and the fact that it is a magazine that talks about issue most main stream magazines avoid as they may be considered too ‘controversial’. Considering my topic I feel as though this therefore is the most fitting magazine.
TARGET MARKET
MY CUSTOMER BASE I am choosing to target mainly women aged between 15-25 who struggle with body image issues, may feel insecure or feel pressured to look a certain way. I have chosen to target this group of people as they are the main age range that have grown up with more social media platforms therefore they are more likely to be the ones affected by how social media distorts images. They are people who are fashionable and love both designer and highstreets stores such as Topshop, Chanel, River Island, Zara as well as shopping online. They read magazines such as Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Elle and other mainstream magazines. They are social people and are influenced by social opinion both in person as well as the opinion of others online. They like to spend their money on superficial items such as make-up, clothes and nail varnish in order to stay up to date with trends and make sure they fit into societal norms. The aim of my magazine is to target a more mainstream type of consumer and attract their attention to a sort of magazine that they may not usually be drawn to as it goes against societal norms based on the content I will include with the topic of beauty standards. This should give my consumer a more open mind about the topic and help change their views and boost their self esteem through the imagery and articles.
INTERVIEWING THE TARGET MARKET As a part of my magazine I wanted to include an interview with someone from my target market group to get their opinion on the use of Photoshop within fashion and their views on body image. The aim of this interview was to gain a better understanding of how fashion could improve in terms of the content they use within their media campaigns as well as using this to support my dissertation views by getting real and honest opinions on the topic off those who are most effected. Below is the written version of my interview: To what extent would you say that fashion social media campaigns plays a role in how you view yourself? You wish you were almost famous so you had the access and money to get the best stylist and hair and makeup people so that you could look as glamorous as the models so it almost makes you feel as though you don't look as good as you could. How often do you use filters or edit pictures you post of yourself to social media? And Why? Every Time, to make yourself look better. They are just there as an option so I use them. It is easy and there is access so you just think ‘why not?’, if I can get rid of that spot and make myself look more tanned then why not. What is your opinion on brands use of editing images to change models appearances? To an extent it is okay to get a better image and give supermodels the image of being perfect but they have taken it too far and retouching is becoming too extreme and unrealistic. How do you think social media could be used to boost body image? More celebrities need to stop allowing themselves to be photoshopped to show their fans that they have flaws too and more realistic images should be used, nowadays even selfies are edited, it isn't just in fashion anymore that things need to change. What is your opinion on the use of hashtags on social media to promote certain body types? (e.g. #goals, #thinspo) I think it is wrong, the images that the tags are used for are photoshopped, you will never look like that as it isn't real, I think that's half the problem, these images brainwash you into thinking this is how you should look because the tags used are so popular you feel as though that is what society classes as right, it just makes you feel worse about yourself. So based on that, do you think that using models who are unedited and more representative of the general population within social media would benefit our self esteem and body image? Yes, I think it would make girls feel more comfortable in their own skin and realise that not everyone looks a certain way and that is okay.
This has helped me to better understand how social media is effecting young women and teens and I have decided to also include this interview within my magazine as I feel it would be an interesting conversation piece for the magazine readers to see honest opinions on the topic and highlight the issues teens feel are important.
FASHION INFLUENCERS MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT ON BODY IMAGE THROUGH MEDIA As part of my magazine, I wanted to include small case studies on people within the fashion world who were trying to make a positive impact on fashion and body image. Therefore, I looked at a few different well known fashion influencers to see how they were making an impact, as well as seeing if I could find any information on the kind of response they have received to measure how effectively they are helping to change how fashion media is used. Peter Lindenbergh Lindenbergh is a fashion photographer and cinematographer famous for redefining beauty definitions in fashion through using unretouched images in his work. He is best known for his simple portrait work, characterised by a minimal, post modern feel. He has photographed the likes of Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford and Linda Evangelista. Through his photography he aims to present women in their purest state, with models wearing hardly any make-up to enhance the authenticity of the woman and highlight natural beauty. “how surrealistic is today’s commercial agenda to retouch all signs of life and of experience, to retouch the very personal truth of the face itself?” Lonely Lingerie - Lonely is a brand founded in 2009. The brand has always promoted women embracing their differences and perceived flaw. As part of their social media campaigns they created the ‘Lonely Girls Project’ in which they photographed women from different walks of life who were different sizes and shapes to show off their collections. The campaign celebrates flaws and see the beauty in our differences. The concept has since taken off, with women around the world taking to social media to share their real images and stores using the hashtag #lonelygirlsproject, allowing women to feel empowered in their own bodies. Working against fashion brand marketing norms, the brand is helping to promote positive body image and empower women to take back their own bodies. With celebrities such as Lena Dunham getting on board with the campaign, the message is reaching more girls, promoting natural beauty. “By shooting all women; every size, shape, nationality and age - the beauty of the female body is shown as it is, and the way it should be. No retouching, no frills. Just great real women.” Harry Were (Photographer) Chrissy Teigen – A well known model who has appeared on the covers of magazines such as Sports Illustrated. In 2015 the model used social media to post an unedited image of her stretchmarks and bruised legs with the caption ‘Stretchies say Hi!’. This post was the first of what would later result in Chrissy announcing that she would never again edit images of herself on her social media. “They are actually changing the shape of their body and everybody else nobody can compare to that when you’re fixing yourself so much. It's so unfair” - Chrissy Teigen
DISSERTATION RESEARCH
I found this website to support my topic as it provides a range of facts about how media does affect and contribute to eating disorders and or body image issues. Therefore some of these facts will be applicable with my work. However, this does not talk specifically about fashion or fashion media therefore it may not be the most relevant source to use within my dissertation, but it does give good evidence and a overview of general media influence. Interestingly it also talks about the issues surrounding men and body image which is something I had not really considered and therefore something I could look into for my dissertation.
DISSERTATION RESEARCH – MODEL LAWS
From this article I found that countries are now binging in new laws to stop models who are underweight or considered unhealthy from taking part in fashion shows. In addition brands are also ensuring that models are eating before shoots and shows. This is proving to be a step in the right direction to try and discourage eating disorders within industry. However, it does raise this issue of ‘Skinny Shaming’ as we are now putting laws against skinny people. This links with my works as it is showing that the industry is moving towards not allowing models who have big social media followings to walk in shows as it may influence their followers to look like them. In addition it highlights the issue if they are needing to bring in legal action to try and resolve the issue.
DISSERTATION RESEARCH
When looking at different promotional strategies of other brands to include within my dissertation I found the Novita Campaign of 2007. The campaign links well with my work as it shows that the industry at this point was still using models as dangerously thin as Isabelle Caro within catwalks and campaigns. Therefore this campaign used her in a different way, not as a model to show the clothing but to show what can happen when you take trying to achieve modelling and body ideals to the extremes. This campaign shows the harsh reality of the industry when thin is what brands are looking for. This also links with my work as it is body photography which given the fact that it was eventually banned shows that this form and style of photography can be very impactful.
DISSERTATION RESEARCH
This website was very interesting for me to look at as although it did not link directly to the use of social media within fashion, it did talk about eating disorders and how Instagram specifically is working towards making their site safer in terms of the content young girls can access regarding body image. For example Instagram have made certain terms such has #thinspo unsearchable. This is something that links with my work therefore as it is a positive way of using social media to deter eating disorders. This mention of hashtags also has given me the idea to create a page within my magazine, possibly and article or digital art piece on hashtags, however it will be more related to fashion. I feel as though this will help relate to my younger audience more and make the more serious message a bit more fun and interactive if I have hashtags to go with the magazine.
DISSERTATION RESEARCH
When considering people who have influenced social media in a positive way I looked at model Chrissy Teigen who is helping girls to feel better about themselves by no longer posting pictures of herself on her social media that have been edited. This fits with my concept for my collection as I will not be editing any of the images within my magazine, also I may include a case study of her within my magazine to show girls that famous models have flaws to such as her stretch marks mentioned in the article in the hopes of altering girls perceptions of beauty.
DISSERTATION RESEARCH
This article I found really informative in terms of body image information and how it links with the fashion industry. It has some interesting points on beauty ideals and how unattainable they are. I also liked some of the quotes within this article and thought that they would be useful within my magazine to support my points. In addition it talks about some models from many years ago suggesting that this issuer has been apparent and evolving for a while and only recently are people standing up to see change.
DISSERTATION RESEARCH
Lonely Lingerie is a brand I have been following for a while on social media. They are a brand I feel is working well to promote diversity when it comes to women, beauty ideals and bodies. They do this through their adverts and campaigns that promote strong, real women that have been untouched and unedited. This links with my magazine as I have the same sort of idea for my magazine. In addition, they are growing more and ore within the fashion industry and gaining recognition for doing this and promoting new beauty ideals. therefore showing that there is change happening and positive body image is something the industry is recognising and working towards.
DISSERTATION RESEARCH
I looked into this brand to analyse as they are a brand that uses unedited images in their campaign and also includes women of real sizes. This shows that women are positively responding to the campaign and sales have increased as they are becoming a brand that is more relatable and inclusive therefore women are gravitating towards them more. In addition the using celebrities within their campaigns also may add to the brand being more recognised as people who are fans of the celebrity will be more likely to find the brand and become a consumer. Partnering with an eating disorder association also ties in with my theme as it shows that brands are becoming more conscious and aware of the issue of eating disorders within modelling and the fashion industry. This links with my theme as it shows that fashion brands are using media and social media to promote better body image among women and young girls and therefore change is slowly happening within the industry.
YOUYUBE – 18 COUNTIRES PHOTOSHOPPED ONE WOMAN TO HAVE "THE PERFECT BODY"
Although this video is not specifically related to the beauty industry, I felt it a necessary part of my research as it shows that the definition of beauty is very different around the world. Therefore, what we see in mass media although photoshopped as it is, is not representative of global beauty standards, but of those of the country the magazine is published in. This also shows that a lot of countries set their beauty standards to women who are not as thin as the fashion models the industry uses. Therefore, may be something that should be changed in order to make the industry more representative of different types of women and heir shape.
EMA CROMPTON
When considering potential ideas for my photoshoot I knew I wanted to do body photography to capture natural imagery for my unedited shoot. Therefore, I decided to research body photography and found Ema Crompton, a fashion stylist and photographer based in Manchester. Her Project Skin I found very inspiring to me as she too has photography of the of the body in its natural state. In an interview Crompton stated that the inspiration behind this project was “to explore body consciousness as it is an ongoing issue…Everyone needs to learn to love themselves a bit more! After all, the skin we have is ours, imperfections and all..” This links very well with my work as that is the aim of my magazine and therefore is something that I would like to use as inspiration and a reference point for my photography and shoot when doing my magazine. I feel as though the neutral background really highlights and places focus on the body and I feel as though the light and shadow areas add interest and tone to the images. Something I could try to do within my work.
Literature Review
FASHION COMMUNICATION
What is fashion communication? Communication is the exchanging of information through writing, speaking, visuals or other mediums. In terms of fashion, communication is used to convey or promote certain brands/products. This is done through mediums such as photography, film, digital media, performance, music, advertising and journalism. We see fashion communication online, in magazines, in journals, fashion films, advert campaigns, social media, fashion blogs, exhibitions and fashion catwalk shows. Designer Analysis – Rodarte A/W 2016
This Designer collection has a very dark, moody, eerie and mysterious vibe to it which is communicated through various aspects such as the colours used within the collection, the hair, make-up and attitude of the models. However, the frills used on the garments also gives the collection a slight feminine feel adding an almost androgynous vibe. The hair is quite simple but looks almost effortless and not too overdone. The makeup is fairly simple and muted with a strong dark black lip as the statement piece. All of the models have a very relaxed feel to their bodies but with a strong facial expression throughout the catwalk show adding to the moodiness of the collection.
PROMOTIONAL STRATEGY ANALYSIS
What is a promotional strategy? A promotional strategy/strategies are used in marketing. They are methods of advertising and raising awareness of the brand to your target audience. The aim of promotional strategies are to boost sales, increase brand loyalty and awareness, promote and differentiate new products as well as giving customers information about the product and/or brand. Included within promotional strategies are a number of things including: the brand logo, colours, slogans, brand message, the audience and concept.
United Colors of Bennetton
This is a promotional advertisement for the brand United Colors Of Bennetton. The message behind this brand is equality and that we are all equal and all bleed the same blood, as seen by the use of the same looking heart just with a different label of skin colour. This conveys the message of stopping racism and discrimination based on skin colour. This promotional material also fits well with the name of the brand as it promotes unity. The plain background adds to the focus being on the simple yet powerful message behind the brand, therefore helping to communicate the image effectively. This is proofing the brand as it is quite a controversial topic and therefore will get people talking about the brand and therefore increase interest and buzz around the brand.
PROMOTIONAL STRATEGY ANALYSIS Equinox
Equinox is a gym brand who has continually shocked people with its controversial advert campaigns that are often unrelated to fitness but instead comment on social issues. This strategy is particularly effective as it makes you look into the brand to find out what it is about. The tagline makes it more relatable to their brand and suggests committing to your fitness goals. This style of branding conveys the message that they are a brand that will go against social norms on subjects considered taboo. They use these adverts in their online campaigns, on their website as well as their own magazine therefore using both traditional and contemporary forms of advertising and promotion. This imagery conveys a rebellious side to the brand that makes it almost exciting and you want to be a part of it.
PROMOTIONAL STRATEGY ANALYSIS Diesel
Diesel is a clothing brand. They advertise through both traditional and contemporary channels to reach their target market such as through magazines, billboards, social media. This advert coveys the image and message that the brand is fun based on the models poses and facial expressions, it also shows that the brand is more open and could be seen to be suggesting that the brand is inclusive of all people; race, gender etc. They deliver the message that the brand is friendly and can be worn more casually. They have kept a consistent denim blue colour throughout the advertising to suggest that this is a big part of the brands identity. The use of the hashtag in the bottom of the image suggests that they want to and encourage interaction with their customers on a more personal basis through using the hashtag on social media. The font of the logo is bold but not too big to detract from the message.
PROMOTIONAL STRATEGY ANALYSIS
Levi's
Levi’s is a well known clothing brand famous for its denim jeans. They advertise in various ways such as through social media, billboards, online campaigns, in magazines as well as fashion film. This particular advert was also made into a short fashion film. The film shows the core value of the brand and shows the brands roots which was originally for workers. The tag line ‘whatever the work may be’ also highlights this and shows the authenticity of the brand. It is this feeling of more personalised clothing and authenticity that has created its loyal customer base. In addition the use of the bright red easily recognisable logo on top of the black and white cinematography makes the brand stand out more making it more memorable. This conveys the image of the brand marketing their product to the working class market suggesting that their products are suitable for all situations whether it be hard work or just casual day wear making it more accessible to all. This is therefore an effective campaign and promotional strategy as they make sure that their brand logo stands out along with using a tag line that people can associate with the brand.
PROMOTIONAL STRATEGY ANALYSIS
After analysing other campaigns and their effectiveness and strategy, I decided to analyse a campaign which covered my topic in some way. Surprisingly there were many campaigns to choose from. However, I went with the Dove campaign. Dove Campaign for Real Beauty This brand used women of all shapes and sizes to promote their brand through both traditional and contemporary channels of promotion such as videos, billboards, magazines, workshops and other forms of advertisement to show that everyone has real beauty. The aim of the Campaign is to celebrate the natural physical differences of all women as we are all different and encourage them to feel more confident, happy and comfortable in their own skin. This conveys my issue as the aim of my magazine is to promote more real representations of women in media advertising. In addition the idea of showing women in their natural state is something I wish to also promote as it will encourage us to love and accept ourselves so we don’t feel as though we have to resort to extremes such as restrictive eating or surgery to feel accepted and happy. Figures show the success of this campaign as sales have risen to $4 billion today (2014) from $2.5 billion in its opening campaign year in the US. Reference: Skene, K. (2014).
MY PROMOTIONAL STRATEGY CONCEPT/AIM I will be creating a range of images of body parts that are unedited. The aim is to capture real aspects of the models body that photographers and magazine editors would usually retouch, for example, stretchmarks, scars, freckles, visible veins, clothing marks, tattoos or other perceived ‘flaws’. The images will be shot both on a normal camera and a polaroid. The key concept is to show these flaws/imperfections within the image so that women can see real bodies and feel as though the images are more representative and relatable. This should hopefully make women feel more confident in their appearance, no matter what the circumstance, angle or lighting and stop the comparisons we make between our bodies and those that are in fashion magazines. MESSAGE The main concept and message behind my magazine is embracing your body as it is, without the filters through using the unretouched images. I will shoot some of the images on a polaroid camera as these images are more authentic and real, they are typically not edited as they are instant and not digital, therefore I feel as though this will help better convey the message of real bodies. For my shoot I will be using photographer and creative Ema Crompton as a reference point to influence my shoot as I feel her photography is relevant to the topic and the aesthetic would fit well for the more serious tone of the issue. I will not be editing any of the actual images used as I feel even small changes such as brightness, etc. would take away from the point of the message. The articles I will include within my magazine will be interviews as some pages that promote better body image such as creating case studies on brands that are promoting this. The idea is that this will encourage women to see the positive side to body image and encourage change. I decided to call the magazine ‘BARE’ as I felt this would help convey the message of more stripped back and honest imagery therefore in keeping with my concept. AUDIENCE I will be aiming my magazine campaign at women and teens aged between 15-30 who are more likely to be interested and active on social media websites such as Facebook, blogs, Instagram and Twitter. Therefore the ones who are more at risk of being affected by media's portrayal of body image. They are individuals who perhaps feel unhappy with their body image and those who are constantly reading fashion magazines and social media websites such as blogs and fashion news sites to stay up to date with the latest trends. I have chosen to create a zine as this is something that can be accessed by my target market both digitally and physically therefore allowing me to use social media to my advantage to spread a more body positive message in a way that will reach my audience.
ANGLES AND POSES
For my shoot I want to use a range of different body angles and poses in order to show the body in ways it may usually not be seen. For example, close ups of arms, collar bones, necks etc. The poses should be quite natural and relaxed so that the shoot does not look too staged. Some angles will be more straight on when taking the photo and others will show the side of the body for example to almost distort and make you question what the image is.
MODEL SELECTION
When choosing what models I was going to use, I wanted both male and female models. Even though the magazine is aimed at women, the issue is still applicable to men, although extreme body dissatisfaction/ eating disorders in men is less common or talked about. As seen from the images above, I want to find models who are comfortable showing parts of their bodies others perceive as flaws, that would usually be edited out of imagery for fashion campaigns. For example, freckles, natural skin tone fluctuation, blemishes, dark under eyes, tattoos, protruding bones, moles etc.
LOCATION PLANNING
In terms of location, I want to keep the background pretty simple and minimal so not to detract from the body. Therefore I will be using places with clear white/plain background colours. I will be using the photo studio within my college as well as possibly shooting in a bedroom with white walls and natural lighting or on the bed itself, to show the model in a more natural setting.
PROPS/STYLING/HAIR AND MAKE-UP I will not be using any props for this photoshoot as it is just pictures of the body. This also means that I will not need to style my models with any particular clothing although, I will make my models wear nude tops/underwear so that they feel comfortable and not overly exposed. I will be using nude coloured clothing so that if it gets aught in the image the clothes are still skin coloured and therefore do not deter from the message behind the photos. In terms of make-up, my models will not wear anything so that they look as natural as possible to better communicate the concept. This will also make the models look more relatable.
MAGAZINE LAYOUT PLANNING
PHOTOSHOOT CONTACT SHEET
PHOTOSHOOT CONTACT SHEET
MAGAZINE PLANNING
Layouts I chose these layout styles as after analysing some popular magazines and their layouts I found that these were the ones that were most commonly used as well as some that were not as commonly used in order to give me a diverse range of layouts that would be more visually interesting. I chose to have some pages blank f they were next to a full page image to give focus to the image and also add some pause and drama to the page. I also felt as though these were similar to those used in ID which is the magazine I will be taking inspiration and reference from when constructing my magazine. Photoshoot After organising how I would arrange my images and articles onto the pages of my magazine I then looked through all of the images I had taken both on the camera and polaroid and began the selection process circling all images that I intended to use in my magazine in red. I chose these specific images as I felt they were the strongest and the colours within the images all worked well together and were aesthetically pleasing. Some images, although still fit the concept, the colours were too dark or blurred, especially on the polaroid, or the background was not clear and there were creases in the backdrop therefore they could not be used unless I were to edit them, defeating the purpose of the shoot. Overall, I am happy with how the images turned out and feel they capture my aim for the shoot and magazine well. I intend to group the polaroid's together and photograph them. This photo will then be the one used for the magazine, some will be photographed on their own or scanned in individually and then placed into the magazine.
FONT SELECTION
When deciding on the font I wanted to use for my magazine, I selected a range of fonts I felt might work for my topic. I looked for fonts that were fairly minimal and bold, I felt a more quirky font would not be as suitable for the topic and more serious tone of the photoshoot. After reviewing all of the fonts listed, I also did a peer review with those within the age range of my target market to see which fonts were most popular and if they felt they fitted with the concept of the magazine. From this I chose the 3rd font down. I chose this font as I felt that it was the most modern and contemporary which would fit well with my topic as social media is quite a modern tool used in fashion therefore I wanted my magazine to be more contemporary to appeal to the target market. In addition I felt the more minimal font style fitted well with the title of the magazine.
MAGAZINE PLANNING – QUOTES PAGES For my magazine, I wanted to include a few pages with quotes on next to images. I decided to look at a range of quotes related to body image and then pick the ones I felt best fitted with my concept, imagery and audience. Below is a selection of quotes I feel would work well for my magazine and concept. I will not use all of these quotes, I will pick the ones I feel work best with the image they are next to.
“There is nothing wrong with your body, but there is a lot wrong with the messages that try to convince you otherwise” – Rae Smith
“You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful.” - Amy Bloom
“Take care of your body. Tt is the only place you have to live.” – Jim Rohn
“There is no way to have a wrong body”
“Beauty is about being comfortable in your own skin. It's about knowing and accepting who you are.” - Ellen DeGeneres
“If tomorrow, women woke up and decided they really liked their bodies, just think how many industries would go out of business.” – Dr Gail Dines
“Place your value as a person above your size, shape or weight. Your dress size is no more important than your shoe size” – Julie Parker
“How I feel about myself is more important than how I look. Feeling confident, being comfortable in your own skin – that’s what really makes you beautiful” – Bobbi Brown
My aim for including these quotes is to make girls realise that there are people out there who do recognise that you are beautiful no matter what and you do not need to look like a supermodel for people to see you that way. This will help to convey my message more and promote the topic.
MAGAZINE PLANNING PAGES In addition to having quotes and articles within my magazine, I wanted to create a more visually interesting page to display words relating to my concept. I considered a range of idea including a full page of bod related words, a crossword, a model holding a page with these words on. However, I then re-evaluated my concept and decided that I wanted to focus on the use of social media for this page. This lead me to research different tags used on social media sites that were promoting positive body image. I then found a few websites with data on the most used/top hashtags used on social media sites related to body positivity. I found that the most popular hashtags included: #EffYourBeautyStandards, #BodyPositive, #CelebrateMySize, #HonorMyCurves, #PlusIsEqual, #ImNoAngel, #AlternativeCurves, #AllBodiesAreGoodBodies, #BodyAcceptance, #LoveYourLines, #LoseHteNotWeight, #EndBodyShaming Dalessandro, A. (2015). I then used some of these hashtags to create a column of them to give readers some body positive phrases and maybe encourage them to use them to spread the message and link it to the magazine.
OVERALL EVALUATION Overall, I am pleased with how my magazine turned out. I feel as though the dissertation gave me a stronger understanding of the topic and all of the different viewpoints on the topic therefore giving me a lot of options for content and image style when constructing my magazine. I feel as though the research book allowed me to better plan and prepare for when I made my magazine as I had a large amount of research to refer back to and reference as well as allowing me to test and trial various aspects of my magazine such as font and layout. This process allowed me to make more informed decisions as I had trialled different options and could clearly see and evaluate which worked better for the concept and which would appeal to the target market the most. The photoshoots were done in a way that looked professional, even those taken on the polaroid. I feel as though the mix of both polaroid and DSLR photography allows the magazine to look professional whilst feeling more personal with the polaroid images. I feel as though this choice allowed the concept to come through more strongly as polaroid's are photos that can not be edited, whereas if I took a photograph on my phone or a camera you can edit it quickly and easily within minutes f taking it. Therefore highlighting the idea of unedited and more raw imagery. From my peer review (who is also in my TMG) and feedback I have found that the magazine displayed the human body in a unique way and they liked the use of positive quotes. They felt the ‘BARE’ brand came through strongly given the use of unedited images therefore matching the promotional strategy well. The pages were well presented with well laid out articles. She felt that the magazine target more unique people who often pushed fashion boundaries. She felt that the editing I used for fonts and composition worked well and complimented the images. However, if I were to improve upon my work in any way, I may try to manage my time better, keeping up to date with my research book so that I do not fall behind or miss out important parts of the development process such as the test shots as this may have helped to make my photoshoot better and give me a wider range of poses and angles to use. In addition I may try more to add more articles with more factual information in to make the magazine more educational.
RESEARCH BOOK BIBLIOGRAPHY Blanchard, T. (2016). Peter Lindbergh: ‘I don’t retouch anything’. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2016/aug/07/peter-lindbergh-i-dont-retouch-anything-adifferent-vision-on-fashion-photography [Accessed 14 Jan. 2017].
Colon, A. (2016). #AerieREAL Proves That Body-Positive Ads Can, In Fact, Spike Sales. [online] Refinery29.com. Available at: http://www.refinery29.com/2016/03/105576/aerie-american-eaglephotoshop-free-aeriereal-campaign [Accessed 25 Jan. 2017]. Dalessandro, A. (2015). 11 Empowering Body Positive Hashtags That Inspire Us To Love Our Bodies And Everyone Else's Too. [online] Bustle.com. Available at: https://www.bustle.com/articles/79764-11empowering-body-positive-hashtags-that-inspire-us-to-love-ourbodies-and-everyone-elses-too [Accessed 29 Jan. 2017]. Gamble, I. (2016). How should we tackle fashion’s body image issues?. [online] Dazed. Available at: http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/30205/1/how-should-wetackle-fashion-s-body-image-issues [Accessed 25 Jan. 2017].
Gervais, S. (2013). Does Instagram Promote Positive Body Image?. [online] Psychology Today. Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/power-andprejudice/201301/does-instagram-promote-positive-body-image [Accessed 14 Jan. 2017]. Goodtherapy.org. (2015). Body Image. [online] Available at: http://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/issues/body-image [Accessed 27 Jan. 2017]. Kaldwell, K. (2015). Chrissy Teigen reveals why she shared her stretch mark picture. [online] Mail Online. Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3054214/Chrissy-Teigen-revealstruth-stretch-mark-picture-ll-never-use-Photoshopping-apps-again.html [Accessed 25 Jan. 2017]. Mair, A. (2014). how the fashion industry affects the bodies of young women | read | I-D. [online] I-D. Available at: https://i-d.vice.com/en_gb/article/how-the-fashion-industry-affects-the-bodies-ofyoung-women [Accessed 7 Dec. 2016]. National Eating Disorders Association. (n.d.). Media, Body Image, and Eating Disorders. [online] Available at: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/media-body-image-and-eating-disorders [Accessed 30 Jan. 2017]. Reitman, P. (2015). Cosmetic surgery and social media influence in 2015. [online] Dermatology Times. Available at: http://dermatologytimes.modernmedicine.com/dermatologytimes/news/cosmetic-surgery-and-social-media-influence-2015 [Accessed 29 Jan. 2017]. Sisley, D. (2016). Lena Dunham models for unretouched lingerie campaign. [online] Dazed. Available at: http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/32558/1/lena-dunham-models-forunretouched-lingerie-campaign [Accessed 25 Jan. 2017].