The research and communication module tasks were interesting to learn about, despite the fact that I struggled to find relevant research for some of the tasks.
Through this module I have learnt how to reference all types of medias correctly, including websites which has helped me to be able to go back to the websites to find more information if needed. This module has also helped me to break down images and not just look at them as a whole in order to find further research but to choose an element of the image as a research starting point.
Task 1&2 was a good warm up task as it made me utilise the library and online websites to find primary and secondary resources.
Task 3&4 was online based, I used online newspaper articles as I found that journalists can be very opinionated and to the chase in terms of their own critique as well as it being a way of finding interviews. I found this task quite easy as it was just about analysing the topic through my own thoughts rather than having to analyse the topic through the opinion of others.
Task 5&6: For this research task my designer of interest was Alexander McQueen. I used the Victoria and Albert Musem webpage as well as encyclopaedia to find inspirations for his collection Plato’s Atlantis. I found this task quite difficult to gather a variety of image inspiration as McQueen was merely inspired by nature and his own conceptual thinking. However, this allowed me to get into the mind of McQueen and research further into the references that I did find which really helped me to get to know McQueen as a person rather than a designer. This also allowed me to look into interviews of McQueen which I will use in the future when looking at other artists as it helps to get a personal feel of the designer. Resulting in me beginning to think about the designer I would like to become.
Personally, I enjoyed task 7&8 the least as I would not consider myself a book lover as I find that there can be too much information to take in at once and I lose concentration. For this task I used webcat to find other resources to help analyse Malcolm Barnard’s Fashion as Communication book. I found that webcat is really helpful as it directs you to similar books on the same shelve. Because I had to analyse more than one book I found that making notes on each book was helpful as it meant that I had all my notes on one page so that when I came back to writing it would be less of a hassle to find quotes.
For task 9&10 I had to analyse an advertisement based on whether I thought it was ethically correct. This task has made me realise that there are a lot of issues in the world that are there but we may not think about as being ethically wrong because it can be very covert in appearance allowing it to continue. This has changed the way I first view advertisements, images and designers work, as I will now look deeper into the message rather than just looking at the image.
Overall, this module will help me in my studio practice as I will try to be more quick and efficient in my research skills as I now know where first to go when looking for reference inspiration.

The research process for this task was quite straight forward, just by finding a random image in a book I found a lot of useful information through utilising museum archive and magazine websites. Through researching the Jazz Age 1919-1929 of fashion I found that this new style was like a new start for women after the first world war. This era really glamorised the modern woman. I also found that this era was care free as the younger generation ‘glorified fast living, dancing and the exciting sound of syncopated jazz described by the writer F. Scott Fitzgerald as the Lost Generation’. This fashion period really stripped down the previous fashion period of the female silhouette into a less figure hugging loose fitted shape and flattened breasts as the garment structure consisted of the lack of a corset which meant less tailoring, meaning that women could construct their own clothing in their homes. This fashion era to me was very constructive as it allowed women to move freer than before as corsets and petticoats really restricted movement and I believe it may have also restricted the behaviour of women, although petticoats and corsets was an amazing fashion trend with overexaggerated but lovely silhouettes it lacked a lot of freedom and was very dangerous at times. I think that the first world war was an unfortunate but good event in terms of being a reward for women because of their previous struggles of fighting for their rights and being seen as equally important and needed as men.
Overall, this task has helped me to realise the importance of doing further research into a subject as I never really do this as I feel like it can become very time consuming but I now understand that research helps you to better your knowledge and understanding of the world we live in whether the subject is in the past, present or future. This task has taught me that there are a lot of helpful resources out there to aid me when doing research for example, I have found that museums are a great way to look for objects both new and old, museums also help with finding information on an object or image which can really allow extra opportunities to find links to other websites designers and artists work. I think this task will help me in the future with studio practice as I feel as if when I create work I often don’t really know why I have done it in a certain type of way or why I have researched a particular theme which leads to me being unable to give a decent explanation of my sketchbook. Therefore, I will be sure to conduct thorough research into my project theme without finding the first thing I see and going with it.
Knowledge is really power.

https://bellatory.com/fashion-industry/WomensFashionsofthe1920-FlappersandtheJazz-Age

task 1&2images

Fashion as Communication is all about finding the definition of the words fashion, dress, clothing and style and whether or not they can be explained individually. This book is also about defining what makes fashion such a controversy; Barnard undergoes defining fashion demand through the use of the social community.
Barnard begins by suggesting that fashion and clothing is a way of being recognised by others in terms of social class as he suggests that it ‘may be the most significant ways in which social relations between people are constructed, experienced and understood. (Barnard, 7). This means that us humans automatically feel comfortable with people of similar fashion sense as ourselves, as if fashion is some sort of conversation starter. Similarly, Fred Davis agrees to an extent with the concept that socially we communicate to one another through similar clothing styles, ‘we know that through clothing people communicate some things about their persons…locating them symbolically in some structured universe of status claims and life-style attachments’ (Davis:4). Additionally, I do agree with both these statements as when I am surrounded by strangers sometimes I think to comment on a piece of clothing that someone is wearing as I find that some people like to inform you of where they bought the item from and the price it costs, then the conversation just ends up flowing really nicely into things like where you shop and what you do for a living.
Barnard begins to break down the meanings of the words fashion, clothing, dress, adornment and style and concludes ‘it is simply not the case that these ideas and concepts can always be easily distinguished or separated from one another’ this shows that these words despite being used to make up different sentences, they cannot be separated in terms of meaning as they all relate to one word if not the other.
In the ‘fashion and anti-fashion’ Barnard mentions the work of Simmel. Barnard refers to Simmel’s account ‘two social tendencies are essential to the establishment of fashion’ (Simmel 1971:301) leading to the ‘need for union’ and the ‘need for isolation’ suggesting to me that although we may consider ourselves to be needy of being categorised into a subgroup, it is always nice when we are unified as it is an uncontrollable instinct to feel welcomed and part of something. On the other hand, it is also our instincts to be apart from others in order to remember to find and know ourselves as individuals outside of a social group.
Additionally, Barnard continues with Simmel’s account of there being a conflict between ‘adaptation to society and individual departure from its demands’ (Simmel 1971:295) further adding to the idea that we want to keep update with the happenings of society, which is where social grouping plays a part, but simultaneously, we want to adapt in our own speed and being away from a group gives us a sense of power to do so. Comparably, Davis states ‘what is worn lends itself easily to a symbolic upholding of class and status boundaries in society.’ (Davis:9) Suggesting to me that what we wear plays a heavy part in the knowledge we have of fashion whilst living or working in a certain area of society.
Through analysing these books, I believe that fashion plays a heavy role in who we know as we all want to hang around with people who are similar to us as it is easier to empower and understand each other’s points of view. Fashion can mean different things to different people in society especially because of the era they may have been brought up in.

Barnard, Malcom Fashion as Communication (2002) psychology press
References:
Davis, Fred Fashion, Culture, And Identity
Simmel, George. 1904. “fashion.” Rpt. In American Journal of sociology 62(May 1957): 541-58

Plato’s Atlantis was McQueen’s final collection before his death in 2010. This collection is heavily inspired by Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution and global warming. The name of this collection came from the theory of a man named Plato wrote a dialogue where powerful empire which ruled other Islands known as Atlantis structured in rings separated by water and land. which sunk into the Atlantic ocean as a result of earthquakes and floods following a waged war between Atlantis and one of its colonies. This collection links to global warming and Darwin’s process of evolution but in reverse. McQueen predicted a future where ‘ice caps would melt…the waters would rise and… life on earth would have to evolve to live beneath the sea once more or perish’.
The theory of Plato’s Atlantis is an interest source for me in really finding out about Alexander McQueen and his inspiration as it shows his fascination with the natural world, what could have been, and what the world can be. This collection really showed McQueen’s deep, dark thoughts about life and the fact that he did things that many designers may be afraid to promote which is why he is one of the most successful designers of his error because although his collections were questionable there is always something about it that fascinates the mind.

This image is of an alien character from Ridley Scott’s science fiction horror film Alien (1980) created by H.R. Giger. As you can see it is very unworldly and quite intimidating. The alien has a very solid body as if it is made out of metal, with a really distinctive ribbed body and sharp back bone looking antennas. The big veins in the neck almost look as if the alien is straining as you can see from its face that it looks angry and almost disturbed. The fact that the alien is centred right in the middle of the frame and touches each end shows how huge this alien really is, making it even more terrifying. The sideways view of the alien gives me a good but frightening idea of how it would look if it was standing forward.
Giger describes ‘My pictures are about things I like, things I hate or things I am afraid about.’ making it clear that this alien may be one of the things that he is afraid of, but despite this fear he creates them, possibly in order for him to face it. Giger continues to say ‘I like very much the combination of machine and human and biological things’. Suggesting that he is all about what the future is going to be like and the scientific possibilities of how mankind and machinery can combine or work together in order to make the world a more survivable place, which you can tell that McQueen really worked upon in his collection.
The fact that McQueen used a character from a film and transferred it into inspiration for his ‘Alien’ shoe collection is very clever as I can see that he really used every detail of this creature to his advantage, which successfully linked to each garment as an accessory which really helps complete the message and image of humans evolving back into the sea. The shoe is so in sync with the body and shape of the alien that if I was to work my fingers around the shoe and have one finger around the alien I would be able to feel where McQueen took each element of the shoe from.
In comparison to Giger’s ‘Alien’, Stan Winston’s ‘Predator’ is similar to Giger’s alien in terms of having human features as the alien has very human like hands and ribs whilst the predator has a human like body. You can also tell that both artists have a think for combining mankind with machine. Winston states “My feeling from reading the script was that the Predator had to be a real character, rather than a generic creature. He needed to be a very specific character — and that’s what we came up with.” This shows that this character was very important in bringing originality to the film as in many movies aliens and monsters always look quite similar. However, Winston wanted this monster to have a specific identity rather than an unknown identity. I believe that when you know what is coming it can be just as scary as the unknown.
Overall, this image is a really good example of how inspiration for fashion can derive from anything and anywhere, however it also shows that it takes a brave designer to use dark imagery to create a successful collection as well as a digitally fantastic runway show like how Alexander McQueen did.

Task 5&6 VR images

task 9&10 Duncan Quinn imageIn this image I struggle to see the product that is being advertised, as a matter of fact I am not sure that this is suited to be called and advertisement; this image looks as if it should be part of a trailer for a sexual fantasy movie i.e. fifty shades of grey, it also reminds me of a book my friend once read called ‘destined to feel’ by Indigo Bloome which, from the title it sounds quite sexual, yes I think this image could be played out quite well in those story lines.

Anyhow, back to the main point, I disagree with this image in terms of it being an advert as this image conveys to me that the female model is made to look like a victim as she looks as if she is the man’s sex slave, as if she is being controlled and almost threatened by the thought of abuse or death as he has full control of her with a necktie strung up around her neck, alongside the fact that she is laying down semi nude and almost lifeless showing her vulnerability compared to the male in the image who looks very dominant and patriotic whilst smiling in his expensive suit. The image reads male dominance, female vulnerability and reminds me of the days when women weren’t known by their names but by their male partner i.e. in the book Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck, the reason being is that you cannot see her face, suggesting that she has no form of identity, which is quite troubling as many women in the past and to this day are only really paid attention to after their tragic endings of being in an abusive relationship, as there are many news stories where women have died but their situations were known and ignored by the police.

The noose almost makes the image look as if she is being enslaved as though she is an animal as you mainly see animals with chains and ropes around their necks in order to keep them under the owner’s control.

To the male audience, some men will believe that there is nothing wrong with this image as they believe in male dominance, control or sexual violence which is unacceptable. This image is a very typical way of getting the male audience attention; it is almost as if Quinn believes that this is the only way (objectifying a female) to sell his suits and accessories.

On the news activist website, Ballet567 mentions that this advert has had a negative effect on many viewers since its release and has been “ referred to as the ‘strangler’ ad” The fact that it has been called this just elaborates the idea of abuse. Ballet567 states “it looks like the woman is dead and this sends the wrong messages to men that view this ad. They may think its okay to abuse women, as long as they look good while doing it, which is what this ad is basically saying.” This backs up my point that this image portrays abuse towards women and the whole idea of this image actually conveying that “sexual violence is sexy and desirable” as Ballet567 believe that both men and women will be influenced into thinking that it is a normal thing to do.

In conclusion, I believe that this advert is unacceptable in various ways and should not have been allowed an advertisement as it portrays a negative view of women as the vulnerable sex whilst promoting male dominance. It is also a negative view for young girls and boys also as they may begin to act that out as they grow and play right up until their adult lives.

http://newsactivist.com/en/articles/gendered-world-views-fall-2016-section-17/strangler-ad

Epstein, Leonora. “A Sexy Sell? Barneys Window Displays Bleed With Violence.” The Frisky, SpinMedia, July 21, 2009
Ballet567 (2016) September 26- 5:22pm