FMP: WEEK 1 (7TH APRIL)

For the first two weeks of the project I thought it would be wise to base on research alone as I fully sure on my theme and wanted it to be concrete. For the first few days I stuck to what I knew best, mood-boards i wanted to get out all the themes for shoots i had in my head jotted down and see what worked and what didn't.

From what i knew feminism was all about empowerment as they so I watched some films involving some powerful female characters such as Kill Bill, Spring-breakers and Salt. I really liked this bad ass side to females so researched into female behaviour and compared to the ways of male behaviour.

I looked at Girl bands such as TLC, Little Mix and the Spice Girls who are known for getting the feminism across to a younger generation to kids which i felt was very important for them to learn from a young age.

At the end of this week I have been feeling very confident with the theme i'm researching and passionate about producing my final outcome in a few weeks

FMP: WEEK 3 (21ST APRIL)

With two main weeks of researching over it was time to start producing some of my own work. I interviewed and did shoots with female family members and friends about their views on feminism which is great to get their views on as it helps to get an outsiders opinion on what your doing and I noticed how completely different they were to mine like a lot more personal and heartfelt, It really helped to shape the development of my working progress and left me not wanting to focus just on feminism from a males perspective but just to liberate women in general because they're amazing!

I went to an exhibition hosted by Lazy Oaf a British street-wear brand (of whom I'm thinking of using some of their stuff for my final piece shoot so thought it would be interesting to learn more about the brand) Who were unveiling their new collection with artist Patrick Sullivan, the collection comprised of prints of cartoon character Garfield which made a lightbulb go off in my head. taking inspo from it i took screenshots from cartoon show Daria who is a feminist so i created my own prints from Daria to make these 3 cool dresses which I would love to really create for my final piece shoot.

This week I found had been a real turning point into my theme based on what I what to keep looking at and researching with next week I shall move onto looking at feminism in more terms of popular culture rather than from a males perspective.

FMP: WEEK 2 (14TH APRIL)

Following on from last week looking at music in feminism I watched a documentary focusing on britpop and never there was all these front-woman's in these bands who were amazing, they had this laid back almost masculine culture about them mostly rubbed off from the current lad culture at the time later known as ladette culture for girls.

I looked at their male rivals like blur, menswear and oasis who happened to have an exhibition on at the time in shoreditch I visited which i found so helpful it was going in a time warp to that era of time.

I found myself focusing more on britpop rather than feminism which wasn't good and i even thought of changing my theme at one point to which I realised i didn't have to i decided next week i would focus more on feminism in music as i realised it was the feminism in music i was becoming more attracted to now.

FMP: WEEK 4 (28TH APRIL)

This week I'd be Moving on further from my original idea of feminism from a males perspective to focusing more on women in the media from looking at feminism more in popular culture terms

I'd been looking and analysing specific pop music videos relating to their issues in the media from artists such as rihanna, britney spears and brooke candy. These have been very helpful with developing my ideas for my final piece shoot.

Taking the visuals from these videos and turning it into something a lot more deeper and meaningful with the help of looking at designer ad campaigns and various fashion editorials to come up with a innocent meets bad formula.

Moodboards have been very helpful through my development process of this project from getting me closer and closer to my final piece ideas.

FMP: FINAL EVALUATION

- The final outcome of my project is a 4 page editoral I styled centered around my magazine I created called Omanako.

I firstly started out producing lots of moodboards I had for my ideas based around my theme, which made the development process a lot easier and taught me it's better to have all your ideas down so you can see them more visually rather than just keeping them locked up in your head. I mainly looked at women in the 90's especially in music which I found the most helpful to my research and ideas as my theme was popular during this time period. I also interviewed family members and friends for their views and ideas. Originally my final outcome was meant to be a print magazine but after careful timing I found it was easier to produce an online version instead.

- I have used my FMP Blog, FMP Plan and online sketchbook to show how my learning has effected my project.

These were great for seeing my development of work throughout the project and looking at what I did well and what I needed to improve on. My blog was used to record my progress, thoughts and ideas throughout each studio day of the project which see what i had done that week and what I needed to get started on next.

In the past i've always used a normal sketchbook to get across my ideas and development but as I am more of a promotion student my tutors advised me I would be better off producing an online-sketchbook (which i didn't even know was allowed) to record my working progress better I made it using a tumblr theme and instantly found it so much more easier than a normal sketchbook and noticed it helped me work at a much faster pace than usual.

- My main FMP targets were

One: 

Shoot front cover editorial. Get started on editing. Design/make props for cover shoot. By 28th April. I didn't meet this target due to not being happy with the idea of the shoot and needed more time to re-plan.

Two: 

Print out favourite exerts of the magazine in A3 for End of Year Show and copy of the magazine in final for public display. By 19th May. I Partly met this target with my exerts printed on time which I was happy with as I never usually do and the magazine I changed to an online edition which was meant to be in print. Three: Get some feedback and advice on final edit of the magazine then send off to the printers! Create an online persona of the magazine through Social media to raise awareness and give off a realistic presence. By 12th May. Again this target was partly met with the feedback of the magazine I got from peers and tutors plus making an online persona for my magazine. - Key developments which contributed to my final piece With the theme of my project being feminism I first looked at it through music looking at artists such as TLC, The Spice Girls and britpop bands who I found weren't so political and boring about feminism but projected in a way of their own which is what I was trying achieve with this project.  I originally wanted my project to be feminism from a males perspective but after researching I found there was so many areas of feminism i could look at and didn't just want to restrict myself to just one. -Improvements to the way I work and things I want to continue getting better at I shall definitely continue to develop my work using an online sketchbook it's been a tremendous help to my work pace and makes me feel a lot more confident about my ideas. Although i've found myself getting better with this project I do need to work more on my organisation and timing which is key for going into degree level. I feel using the online sketchbook really helped me to 'let go' with my ideas and not feel so restricted. I want to continue using a blog as way of recording my progress and thoughts as I need to manage my time a lot better which I feel the blog has done.

- Future I shall be going on to study fashion promotion at Ravensbourne

FMP: WEEK 7 (19TH MAY)

After finally finding the right model this week I was producing a cover and 3 page editorial for my magazine omanako.

I found my model Milly through street casting around Dalston and my Make-Up artist Bukkie through social media They were a great help to the shoot and really lovely to work with.

I styled and photographed the shoot myself with styling being my more stronger area compared to photography which I like but more as a hobby rather than a future profession though I enjoy working behind the camera sometimes and to truly get the vision I have pictured in my head I needed to shoot this myself rather than get a photographer.

The colour/tone of the shoot was really different to my previous style of which a lot more 'darker' in contrast so this shoot really opened up my eyes into the world of colour when it came to styling and editing.

When it came to the editing process I had to narrow down 200 shots just down to 4 which I found easier than usual as I knew I had the perfect shots whilst shooting. Onto Photoshop now I know the basics but because this is a magazine editorial I really wanted it to look super polished and believable as a fashion editorial. 

For starters I used one of the shots as a sort of template to experiment on, I watched youtube videos on the techniques I  needed to use and practisced on my template which I picked up in no time and already felt so much more compfortable in these new skills I had learned which I can use in future work.

I am very happy with the final images which have left me feeling a lot more confident in my work and the feedback from my peers and tutors has been great. My next step is to decide which size will be suitable to print for the exhibition showcase.

FMP: WEEK 6 (12TH MAY)

This week was the final week before my final piece shoot so I was busy getting everything prepared from styling to designing the set.

I started off testing with different looks for the shoot, You can see from the images below which looks worked and didn't, I like the looks I've crossed out but that was when I'd planned to do the shoot outdoors instead of inside. It was important that all the looks were different to each other as in each image the model will be playing a series of female characters and that from previous tutor feedback about my styling work that they're should be a different look for each image in an editorial which I really agree with.

With the idea of the theme being based around women in the media from last weeks research I wanted the looks to be very playful, cheeky and girly. On my budget I shopped mainly at high street stores such as H&M, River Island and Lazy Oaf, I borrowed some of my grandma's vintage jewellery for accessories and made useful props out of old objects lying around the house.

I altered the dress and printed out newspaper style words (which go great for the media esque theme) relating to what women get linked to everyday in the press and stuck them onto the blue dress, They were originally going to be stuck around the set I designed but I felt it didn't make much of a statement compared to being on the front of the dress.

I designed my set for the shoot using two A1 sheets to create two separate collages which I then stuck together and spray painted with pink ink which represents a sort of decay over the perfect images of how girls are meant to be in the media. It came out well in the shoot only thing that went wrong was it wasn't tall enough for the model to stand behind which is why I should have extended with another change, in future I should ask for the models height so I can measure it to that.

These are two sets of glasses I made for the magazine front cover shot, Over the course I've found I'm not a designer but I love creating one off accessories they were very simple to make with a few sequins, PVA glue and spray paint much better than the ones I was going to buy on-line and it adds my own personal touch because I made them.

FMP: WEEK 5 (5TH MAY)

I spent the first part of this week researching different fashion publications and how I want to present my magazine, from covers, typography, models, fonts and I even made my own zines (hand-made magazines)I started looking at the direction and market of the mag following on my development from the past few weeks I already had an idea.

Researching through old back issues of some of my favourite publications such as POP, LOVE & i-D I felt really inspired by the carelessness, playful photography and fun ideas they had.

I experimented the different ways I could present my publication, I looked into Zines which are like really small compact handmade versions of magazines that have become really popular in downtown NYC.

I liked the idea of the Zine due to its more personal effort but I don't think it's the best way to present my publication, Zines are more for just fun rather than serious.

In the end I found a website called isuu who help create your own on-line publication for free and online publications are becoming far more popular than print ones so it makes sense to be more time relevant.

FMP PITCH

PITCHING THE F.M.P

With the Final Major Project just weeks away it was time to pitch my concept/idea to my tutors. Originally I wanted to produce and style a photo-shoot but with the project being seven weeks long I felt I needed to do something that would be more challenging for myself.

Along came the birth of OMANAKO a bi-annual fashion & arts publication which shall serve as my FMP. I tend to find myself getting lost in magazines just for the articles, topics, trends and editorials to the point I always find myself buying several each month and with a background of interning and working at a few fashion publications for the past few years I thought it'd be cool to put in all that I've learnt and design my own. It was originally going to be called 'estate' and focus around london's high crime rate but that felt cheesy and been done before so I was on the hunt for a new theme which surprisingly hit me in the form of 'feminism'.

Within the media i'd been reading and watching a lot about feminism through no fault of my own one week, mainly within todays popular where postars like Lily Allen and Lorde class themselves as feminists compared to 30 years ago when people like margaret thatcher were considered feminists. Then Pharell released his album GIRL probably the first feminist concept album produced by a guy which got me thinking about an idea for my FMP.. Feminism From a Males Perspective, It was new, interesting and more importantly something I was passionate about exploring.

TREND, TREND, TREND

BROKE CASH

My Group came up with the trend Broke Cash meaning mixing cheap fashion with luxury fashion.

BAILEYS STARDUST

On Thursday I went to David Bailey’s Stardust exhibition showcasing the British photographers work from the swinging 60’s all the way up to 2013. Located at London’s National Portrait Gallery the exhibit tells an intimate story of Baileys East End upbringing, influences and work strategy. 

No photography allowed so I resorted to a lot of note taking and sketches, a much better way of personally taking it all in even though their was some truly beautiful portraits I saw that I’d love to be looking at right now on my camera roll. I noticed he took a lot of photos of Mick Jagger during the 60’s that looked so timeless and pure his other famous muses included Paul McCartney, Suzanne Sarandon, His wife Catherine and Andy Warhol who he made a documentary of in the early 80’s before his death about New York and his friends, They interviewed each other whilst lying in Warhols bed.

I felt I identified a lot with Bailey through learning about him in this exhibition such as hanging out in the same places as a teen, the same sense of visual style and a fascination with the human skull to which he made a whole book full of them called Flowers, Skulls & Contacts (2010) Bailey likes “The idea that we all end up as a piece of art” and that the ultimate sculpture is a “skull”. Below is my favourite piece from the exhibition titled Human Skull and Blue Roses. 

Then we went to Carnaby St and Shoreditch to do a trend report of the area and did street style there.

SPORTSWEAR

FASHION'S A RIGHT SPORT (NOT)

(COLLAGE OF OF SPORTSWEAR WITHIN HIGH END FASHION FROM GIVENCHY, LANVIN, YMC & VIVIENNE WESTWOOD AW/14 COLLECTIONS)

I ENJOY THE FACT THAT SPORTSWEAR IS REALLY STARTING TO MERGE INTO MAINSTREAM FASHION DUE TO ITS SENSE AFFORDABILITY AND EFFORTLESSNESS. AS MY STARTING POINT FOR RESEARCH I LOOKED INTO THE ROOT OF WHERE THIS SPORTSWEAR 'TREND' MIGHT HAVE JUST ORIGINATED FROM. 

TAKE A TRIP BACK TO THE SUMMER OF 2012 WHERE LONDON WAS THE HOST OF THE ANNUAL OLYMPIC GAMES CEREMONY. DESIGNERS FROM EACH OF THE GAMES COUNTRIES DESIGNED THEIR TEAMS OUTFITS E.G STELLA MCCARTNEY FOR TEAM GB OR RALPH LAUREN FOR THE USA.

FOLLOWING ON IN JANUARY 2013 AT THE LONDON MEN'S COLLECTIONS MANY DESIGNERS SUCH AS YMC, CHRISTOPHER SHANNON AND JOSEPH TURVEY SHOWCASED A LOT OF SPORTIER VIBES WITHIN THEIR COLLECTIONS INSPIRED FROM THE OLYMPICS USING ZIPS, LYCRA AND FLANNEL. THIS LATER DRIPPED DOWN INTO STORES SUCH AS TOPMAN AND ZARA WHICH DEVELOPED THE HIGH STREET TREND 'SPORTS-LUXE'.

 ON CHOOSING WHAT SPORT I WANTED TO BASE MY SHOOT AROUND I ORIGINALLY WENT WITH FOOTBALL BUT EVENTUALLY SCRAPPED THAT AND OPTED FOR TENNIS AS I SAW MORE OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO RE-DESIGN ITS SENSE OF STYLE WHILST KEEPING IT CLASSIC.

I WAS HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY AGI & SAMS x TOPMAN COLLABORATION LOOKBOOK DUE TO AGI & SAM WHO ARE KNOWN FOR ALWAYS INCORPORATING SPORT INTO THEIR COLLECTIONS. I LOVED HOW THESE PIECES ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE A NORMAL SPORTS KIT WHILST STILL REMAINING FASHIONABLE WHICH IS WHAT I WANTED FOR MY SHOOT.

MY SPORTSWEAR FINAL OUTCOME

DE-CONSTRUCT RE-CONSTRUCT

 

          

    (DECONSTRUCTING WORK ON THE MANNEQUINS)

 (DE-CONSTRUCT COLLAGE)

SHOOT OUT-TAKES

 

THE GARMENT IS MADE FROM AN OLD PRIMARK JUMPER WHICH THE SLEEVES AND WAIST WERE CUT. I THEN CUT OFF THE WAIST AND ADDED STRIPS OF BIN LINER TO THE JUMPER. ONCE WORN I WRAPPED ROUND A STRIP OF ACID PAPER TO FORM A NUDE STRIP WAIST.

DE-CONSTRUCT RE-CONSTRUCT

FINAL

THE SHOOT WAS INSPIRED BY THE FX SERIES AMERICAN HORROR STORY: COVEN WHICH IS BASED AROUND 18TH CENTURY WITCHCRAFT AND MAGIC. THE PIECE IS QUITE GOTHIC SO I WANTED TO GIVE OFF THE ILLUSION OF THE SHOW AND RE-CREATE STILLS FROM IT.

Here is my piece on Margiela & Alexander Wang AW/14