Creative Process

Today I had a vibe that I haven’t felt in a while and this all occur whilst in lesson. I was watching a music artist video – Asap Rocky’s LSD then I later watched a video called Complex shopping with Asap Rocky. This video inspired me to show my audience the Dier. models and close models of mine what they look for when they are shopping. I spoke to one of teachers about this and he and I agreed, that I shouldn’t sit down and interview models about what stereotypes they think they get when people see their clothes. I neglected this idea because it was the most distant element towards my concept which is ethical fashion. When I first arrived in lesson I started to write my magazine, then I went on Google to look at magazine fashion samples. Since Asap Rocky is a well-respected fashion icon for many young people I decided to look at the interviews he has done previously. It really did work for me. I think this is better than my original idea because it’s more energetic and natural and it involves visiting shops in prestigious areas like Oxford Circus.

As soon as this idea circulated around my head. I knew that I had to book equipment and do this right now. I didn’t want to take out a dslr camera – I wanted only just a Sony handy cam. I could imagined in the classroom that we might not get permission to film at stores, and the kit was too bulk to carry and set up in such tight spaces where customers as well come to shop in peace. Furthermore, I also wanted a rough and ready look. I didn’t want this video to look very professional – I wanted a more urban and cool vibe to it.

So I took out the Sony handy cam and we did what I set us out to do which was film us visiting to shops, while getting responses from the two Dier. models about what they think about the shop’s reputation, the clothes, the design, texture and colour. First we went to Brick to visit the store Blitz which is regarded as London’s first vintage store. It has two floors and it is situated in an old warehouse. One of models, Mikaaeel was being filmed by me - tried on clothes and talked about how ethical clothes can be found here. Next we hopped onto the train to Oxford Circus and we then went into H&M. My other model Craig Jackson was present in this shop and I followed him around the shop recording what he was saying – including about how the clothes that appear in this shop highly resemble clothes in which fashion and music icon Kanye West designed for his Yeezy Seasons collection. Mikaaeel then added how he likes H&M calibration with David Beckham, who expanded his range of clothing with a collection of men’s wardrobe essentials including jeans, t-shirts and jackets. It’s one of the few shops with a clean reputation regrading ethical wear. H&M’s 2.5 million pair of shoes were made in 2011 were made using lower-impact water based solvents and they use more organic cotton in production than any other group. By 2020 100% of it will be sustainably sourced cotton.

We then we visited a prolific high street store Selfridges which is voted the best department store in the world. Both of them were overly impressed with the quality the clothes has. A few fashion designers names were seen and looked upon included British own Alexander McQueen and American’s Rick Owens. Alexander McQueen is known for its boycott call over use of kangaroo skin and being an active member of WBCSD (World Business Council for Sustainable Development). On the other hand what Rick Owens does for ethical fashion is minimal. One of his first gigs was in fact a head of a fur company. Lastly we visited Primark whom are no strangers to the awareness of neglecting ethical values. I took part in this segment and I felt it was necessary to remind the audience how there was a fire in a Bangladesh garment factory, which killed a lot of workers due to cracks in the properly constructed ceiling. Although Primark has sacked three Indian clothing supply firms, after the BBC's Panorama programme found refugee children slaving away in factories for as little as 60p a day making sequinned vests. Sumi Dhanarajan, an Oxfam senior policy advisor says: "Dumping the supplier doesn't work anymore. Consumers know too much now about ethical trade to realise that it doesn't solve the problem for the children. They do not necessarily go to school when the factories are closed.” Next week I have booked the editing suite in my college to start making the video viewable for the public.

Above is the video that started to inspired me and enabling me to start producing work more rapidly

Peace