Task 11/12- Summary

I have thoroughly enjoyed the Research and Communications module and looked forward to attending the lectures each week. I find them incredibly informative and have encouraged me to consider going on to study fashion from a more academic perspective in the future.

Throughout the tasks that we were asked to base our writing on a topic of our choice (tasks 1 to 6) I purposefully based mine on something I had previously had very limited or no knowledge on. Although this did make completing the tasks more of a lengthy process than necessary it has resulted in me having a much greater general knowledge of fashion, designers and artists. I have really enjoyed this aspect as I know feel better prepared in all areas of Fashion and Textiles. One of my favourite discoveries is the well known Japanese designer Issey Miyake – I now know far more information about the designer behind iconic designs.

While I have found hurdles to jump during some tasks I have learnt a great deal throughout.

Although I had learnt to reference correctly previously I found going through it and properly understanding the method broken down very useful during the tasks three and four. This was also very useful for when researching for my projects in practical areas.

I’ve found that my range of types of sources has grown throughout the module. While I do still use the internet predominantly I use it to find reliable sources in the form of journals, archives, online magazines and newspapers. I have also increased my use of research through using books. I had previously found this time consuming and tedious however I now know how to use the library effectively through Webcat. I also know that in many cases the information provided  through books is in great detail and reliable so it is worth going through the process.  Research and Communications has led me to gain confidence in using the library so I have also used it to order a book from the Hartley library for one of my practical projects.

Despite enjoying the module there are areas I have struggled with and would like to improve in the future. The most prevalent being my time management, this is an aspect I find challenging in all subject areas. I enjoy writing and am able to do it to a standard I am proud of when I have the time to do so. For this reason it is a shame that at times I have had to do tasks within a limited time and I am concerned that the quality of the writing may have been compromised.

I have also struggled with staying within the word count limit provided per task, I find choosing the most salient points and disregarding others difficult. I believe this also means that the structure of my writing is compromised as I lack the word count to write satisfactory introductions or conclusions. I aim to improve this in the future.

The task I enjoyed most was that based on ethics, particularly as it linked to feminism- a very hot topic with a lot some interesting opinions. As previously mentioned I have found this module extremely beneficial and stimulating and look forward to learning more next term!

Task 9/10-Ethics

Response to Duncan Quinn advertisement

Duncan Quinn’s advertisement image used in 2008 is controversial and found disturbing by many observers. The image raises a number of social issues- particularly from the feminist theory perspective. Some of the choices made by the photographer create cause for concern in terms of morals and what the company perceives as acceptable.

The image shows a fully clothed man dressed in a formal suit standing upright and looking directly into the camera with a smug smirk on his face. In contrast the woman pictured in the left of the photograph is sparsely clothed wearing lace lingerie (which has sexual connotations). She is lying on the bonnet of a car with little of her face visible and is not making eye contact with the camera.

The contrast between the outfit choices for the two models is cause for conversation enough however the most distressing aspects of the image include the use of the tie (one of Duncan Quinn’s best known accessories) being used to strangle the female, held taught by the male. This shows him controlling her while she is animalised and belittled to less than human. Moreover, the unconformable position of the females hand and manner in which her head is leaning back suggests that she is not conscious giving connotations of a rape scene. If not unconscious the woman is certainly subservient to the male while he is on control which is also an unhealthy depiction of any sort of relationship.

The issue with these aspects of the image is that the violence of the man and submissiveness of the woman is not only normalised by being featured in an advertisement but is also glamorized as it is being associated with luxurious and expensive items meaning they may become aspirational.

By associating luxury items with this image the promotion of domestic abuse and rape culture, against women in particular, continues as does inequality of the sexes and oppression. As Duncan Quinn only sells to men the feature of a woman is unnecessary and unrelated to the products meaning that the women is being used simply as a sexual object. But why is she being used as a sexual object if sex and females are not related to the products being sold?

It is commonly believed that ‘sex sells’ and for this reason companies seem to think this justifies their use of imagery that normalizes rape culture violence towards women while allowing oppression and misogyny to continue. However, according to an article by the Business Insider in most cases sex does not actually sell but in most cases instead repels buyers (Business Insider, 2012).

My personal opinion of sexualisation of women in marketing is that it is sexist and damaging for women to be unduly sexualised and objectified when it is not necessary or relevant, particular when men in the same advertisement are not. This is because it reinforced the damaging idea tat women are first and foremost sexual objects. I particularly object to images, such as this by Duncan Quinn, that normalise or glamorize the mistreatment of women. That said I also do not adhere to the idea that women are not sexual at all, like men women can be sexual and enjoy sex but when they decide to be sexualised and feel sexy is their choice and they should feel empowered when doing so, rather than belittled.

Bibliography:

UGA Today (2012). Magazine trends study finds increase in advertising using sex. [online] Available at: http://news.uga.edu/releases/article/magazine-trends-study-finds-increase-in-advertisements-using-sex/ [Accessed 30 Nov. 2017].

Business Insider (2012). Do you think sex sells? Think again. [online] Available at: http://www.businessinsider.com/do-you-think-sex-sells-think-again-2012-4?IR=T [Accessed 30 Nov. 2017].

Duncanquinn.com. (2017). Duncan Quinn. [online] Available at: http://duncanquinn.com/ [Accessed 6 Dec. 2017].

ThoughtCo. (2017). What is Feminist Theory?. [online] Available at: https://www.thoughtco.com/feminist-theory-3026624 [Accessed 7 Dec. 2017].

Task 7/8- Reflective Writing

I focused on the extract named ‘Etymologies and Definitions of Fashion and Clothing’ from the book titled ‘Fashion as Communication’ written by Malcom Barnard. I chose to focus on this chapter as I find the strong mirror image of society in fashion interesting and would like to investigate it further.

The chapter gives an overview of the definition of fashion in terms of the etymology, related terms and it’s prevalence in various societal structures. The etymology of fashion was explored through the word being used as both a noun and a verb as well as the salient link to the latin root of the word fetish (suggesting fashionable items are fetishised items for consumerists).

One particular phrase, of Marx, in the article struck me;

“Every day we make decisions about the social position and role of people we meet based on what they are wearing: we treat their clothes as social hieroglyphics”(Barnard, 1996)

The metaphor of clothing being like hieroglyphics I find to be a very accurate depiction of fashions place and importance within society.

Flügal put forward concept to distinguish whether clothing being worn is fashion or not, he called these modish (fashionable) or fixed clothing. He believed the difference between these types of clothing lay in their relation to time and space. For example modish clothing is widespread but changes rapidly overtime, whereas fixed clothing is in fixed places but changes very little over time. Modish clothing can be exemplified by the current trend of belts being used to pinch the waist of silhouettes that is currently featured in the 2017 AW/W collections of fashion houses globally. In contrast fixed clothing can be exemplified by the traditional Malay dress known as the ‘baju kurong’ the same style of which has been worn for generations in Malaysia and surrounding countries alone.

However, Flügal stating that the modish costume ‘predominates the western world’ (Barnard, 1996) I believe to be outdated and inaccurate. It is a location-bias statement from a western perspective that has not taken the increasingly fast speed at which the Asian market is growing into account. Seoul, South Korea is an ultimate example of a thriving leader in fashion today, as demonstrated by the coverage of 2018 Spring Fashion Week by Vogue. An article by Business Insider also confirms Asia as a growing market through Mulberry expanding to Asia and experiencing an increase in profits. These prove that modish clothing is not exclusive to the western world but is growing elsewhere.

Another criticism of Flügals theory may be that it does not take reoccurring fashion trends into account or the use of vintage clothing. For example the style of the Teddy boys in the 1950’s was partly inspired by American Stars but also used old Edwardian suits. The inspiration of American stars means that the aspect of ‘space’ can be applied as however the use of Edwardian suits from decades previously means that the teddy boy style choice, according to Flügals theory, may mean that their clothing was not modish despite it being a renowned movement in fashion today.

Despite my criticisms of Flügals theory I do believe the general concept is perceptive, interesting and generally applicable when distinguishing between modish or fixed clothing.

Bibliography:

Barnard, M. (1996). Fashion as Communication. 1st ed. London: Routledge, pp.7-24.

Vam.ac.uk. (2017). History of Fashion 1900 – 1970 – Victoria and Albert Museum. [online] Available at: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/h/history-of-fashion-1900-1970/ [Accessed 7 Dec. 2017].

Aris, G. (2007). The Power and Politics of Dress in Africa.

Pithers, E. (2017). The Autumn/Winter 2017 Trends. [online] Vogue.co.uk. Available at: http://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/autumn-winter-2017-trends [Accessed 7 Dec. 2017].

Profits, A. (2017). Asia is turbo boosting luxury bag maker Mulberry’s profits. [online] Business Insider. Available at: http://uk.businessinsider.com/rise-in-mulberry-profits-following-asian-expansion-digital-sales-2017-6 [Accessed 7 Dec. 2017].

Vogue. (2017). The Best Street Style From Seoul Fashion Week Spring ’18. [online] Available at: https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/seoul-fashion-week-spring-2018-street-style#9 [Accessed 7 Dec. 2017].

Stella McCartney 2014 Collection Inspiration

The photograph I have chosen to analyse features a pair in the in the centre of the foreground. They are dressed in notably bold outfits-the boy wearing white suit with a contrasting dark details. He is wearing this with equally tremendous shoes dark chunky creepers. Meanwhile the girl is dressed in a suit blazer and calf high suede-looking boots.

The background of the photograph the location appears to be busy with multiple figures and cars being visible, this may connote that the pair are at some sort of event or celebration. The potential event setting may also be inferred from the subject’s body language they are supporting one and other and the boy swinging his leg into the air connotes a carefree and jubilant atmosphere.

The photograph is in black and white indicating it is from the past. This assumption is shown to be true by the caption informing us that the photograph is of a “teddy boy and girl, London, 1972” (Stella McCartney: D.I.Y, 2014).

Further research into the term “teddy boy” has taught me that it is a term used to refer to a style led by the youth of the 1950’s after the second world war. The name “teddy’s boy” is a reference the Edwardian era that their clothing at the beginning of the movement were derived from. It was “a nationwide teenage style and the first post-war teenage subculture” (Discover, 2017). The action of lower class youths wearing Edwardian suits that were originally associated with the upper class was an act of rebellion against the movement back to the pre-war strict class hierarchy.

The photograph has multiple aspects that can drawn upon to gain information and inspiration from, these include the fashion choices, subjects themselves and the history behind the image. I find the manner in which the youth of the 1950’s to 1970’s used fashion to create a strong communal image and defy against the social norms particularly riveting as I’m sure Stella McCartney did too.

Bibliography:

Stella McCartney: D.I.Y. (2014). W Magazine. [online] Available at: https://www.wmagazine.com/gallery/stella-mccartney-mood-board/all [Accessed 5 Dec. 2017].

Discover. (2017). Teddy Boys. [online] Available at: https://brightonmuseums.org.uk/discover/2015/02/26/teddy-boys/ [Accessed 6 Dec. 2017].

Collections.vam.ac.uk. (2017). Group of Teddy boys – Southend on Sea | Lear, Kevin | V&A Search the Collections. [online] Available at: http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1242657/group-of-teddy-boys-southend-photograph-lear-kevin/ [Accessed 6 Dec. 2017].

Brown, S. (2012). Fashion. New York, N.Y.: DK Publishing.

Task 3/4

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

Bancroft, A., (2012) Fashion and Psychoanalysis, London: I.B. Tauris & Co Ltd

While reading ‘Fashion and Psychoanalysis’ by Alison Bancroft I found a chapter titled ‘Queering Fashion, Dressing Transgression’ and chose to base this research project on this. The gender fluidity that seems so intertwined with the fashion industry interests me greatly as it encompasses how fashion is a means of individuals expressing themselves as well as society using it as a method of identifying groups- in this case males and females. Gender fluidity plays with these stereotypes and proves them to be incorrect.

The chapter starts by mentioning Leigh Bowery. It suggested that Bowery’s work was at times ‘vulgar, grotesque or obscene’ yet also manifested ‘a profound human commonality’, this is what caught my interest the most and led me to researching his work further. I found one of his designs in the online V&A archives- a striking corduroy jacket made in 1988 for Cornelius Brady, a character also known for his unconventional style. I then searched for more information on Bowery himself and came across a guardian article titled ‘Leigh Bowery, ideal husband’. I read this as an insight into his home life seemed appropriate to gain a fuller understanding of him. All other perspectives are of him as an artist and performer and usually in a positive light. However, this article describes a new side to Bowery- as abusive towards his wife through undermining her both on stage and at home psychologically. This is a contrast to the exuberant and charismatic character described in other sources.

V&A (2017) Jacket | Bowery, Leigh Available from:
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1176956/jacket-bowery-leigh/ [Accessed 19 October 2017]

Ellen, B. (2002) Leigh Bowery, ideal husband. The Guardian, 21 July.

Task 1/2

How to use online resources?

Photograph of Grace Jones in 1980, book chapter ‘Outsider’, photographer unknown
Blackman, Cally (2012) 100 Years of Fashion, London

Bustier, 1980, original artefact, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia
https://theredlist.com/wiki-2-23-1249-1258-view-1970s-profile-issey-miyake-3.html

I initially chose to focus my research on a photograph of Grace Jones found in my own book ‘100 years of Fashion’ by Cally Blackman. In the photo her androgyny and strong silhouette create a striking image, this is why I chose it. For this reason I originally assumed I would base my research on the sexuality and gender identity of Grace Jones however after spending more time looking at the photograph I found more interest in her androgyny being emphasised by the contrast of her muscular arms and shoulders with the feminine silhouette of the bustier. For this reason I decided to focus my research on the bustier and its designer; Issey Miyake. Using the designers name and keyword ‘bustier’ I quickly found a website named ‘The Red List’ on which there was a range of images of Miyakes work- including a red bustier, similar to that in the original secondary source. While this website did not have any written information it did inform me of an archive in which more knowledge on the bustier could be gathered; the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

https://theredlist.com/wiki-2-23-1249-1258-view-1970s-profile-issey-miyake-3.html

https://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/87018.html?mulR=599653818|1

The Philadelphia Museum of Art archives were very useful in giving information on Issey Miyake as well as the bustier itself and the concept behind it. 

Issey Miyake is a Japanese designer yet received western training . Despite this his designs are described as ‘neither Eastern nor Western’ and instead are said to combine the traditional Japanese emphasis of use of materials with modern technology. His ‘Women’s Bustier’ is an example of this as it was made in collaboration with a mannequin manufacturer (use of technology) and out of plastic (unique material choice). 

The bustier was a centrepiece of Miyake’s ‘Bodyworks’ exhibitions that toured in the early 1980’s. In this exhibition Miyake’s study of the body form and garment linking straight back the body. The bustier is playing with the idea that a garments purpose is not to  cover the body but to ‘expose a second skin’, allowing more of the wearers personality through rather than disguise it through a clothing barrier. Instead it exposes the wearer more than ever, drawing attention to their real natural body shape, I think this is a metaphor for the exposure of their raw soul. 

Another factor I find particularly interesting with his concept and bustier piece is that it seems to be celebratory of the natural voluptuousness of the female body yet this is very uncommon in high fashion (particularly during the 1980’s).

If I were to research this topic further there is valuable information in the digital archives of The Kyoto Costume Insititute and an essay named ‘Miyake, Kawakubo and Yamamoto: Japanese Fashion in the 20th Century’ on The Metropolitan Museum of Art website. 

Bibliography:

Blackman, C. (2012). 100 years of menswear. London: Laurence King.

Theredlist.com. (2017). Issey Miyake : Fashion, History. [online] Available at: https://theredlist.com/wiki-2-23-1249-1258-view-1970s-profile-issey-miyake-3.html [Accessed 18 Oct. 2017].

https://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/87018.html?mulR=599653818|1 [Accessed 18 Oct. 2017].