I don't drink T

Actually a true, but rather random fact. Here is the point of my pathetic play on words ( I love alliteration!)... so far, so-so... 

edit: the image doesn't click to enlarge so:

Coolly defying the fashionable trend of what’s hot or not each season, the t-shirt is the ubiquitous garment that is only second to a pair of jeans in terms of classic wardrobe staple.

Whatever we happen to wear feeds those looking information about ourselves, information that can easily be misconstrued in the cultural stream of ideas. T-shirts became a symbol of rebellious youth in the 1950s, inspired by the on-screen presence of Marlon Brando and the original rebel without a cause, James Dean. A plain white design was then very much a male item and enough to signal a rock ‘n’ roll sex appeal. In the years that followed, the white tee gave way to the printed tee to provide a non-verbal but powerful opinion on everything from the wearer’s musical tastes to sense of humour. One of the most prevalent t-shirt trends that still demand attention today is that of the provocative variety.

And also considering the magazine title... how does this (very rough) possibility grab you?

final year saturday night

I have pretty much succumbed to the fact my life is not mine until I hand this magazine file to the printers, but it gets a little frustrating from time to time. It's like having a child I guess! I am supposed to be looking after my niece tonight actually, but after a third day of writers block I am 'sharing' the responsibility with my mum. Which means I have locked myself in my room with a grumpy "don't even ask face" on... oops. Not that I'm getting anywhere with the article.

It's the t-shirt one, and I was really excited about it, but having done some research the topic is huuuuge, and I just haven't known where to start.

There is 2 weeks left until end of term which means only two tutorials left with Judith, and then I am writing this magazine solo. I have to do as much by Tuesday as possible to get as much feedback to do improvements as possible...

So I have a super-sized red bull, a valentines-esque box of chocolates, (they were on special offer) and a will not to move until I have reached at least 1000 words.

Here we go...

Flaunt it?

I have just finished the first article for the magazine- layout and all! It has been a slow progress but hopefully with all the ground work that I have been putting down over the last few weeks things will begin happening a lot more rapidly! layout not shown here- I need to leave some surprises for the magazine =) Here's a snippet of just under 200 words out of just over a thousand...

“If You’ve Got It…?”

Instead of condemning fashion models whose job it is to sell and display designer wares, media attention should point towards female celebrities who are using their bodies to objectify and sell themselves. Celebrities protest to being public property, but are showing us more of their privates than ever before…

It always baffles me when, approaching the visual feast that is the fashion weeks, the media begins to hyperventilate over the subject of size zero. As though the models, so exotic and ethereal, are singularly fuelling this frightening body image. Agyness Deyn and Jourdan Dunn are the current reigning pair; although these girls who are at the top of their professional game are not scarily thin at all. Agyness is lankily slim and Jourdan quite athletic. I am not discounting the fact that many of the catwalk models are quite obviously underweight, yet I struggle to believe that they should be held accountable for the body issues held by the female masses. It seems apparent to me that the likes of Cheryl Cole, touted as the nations sweetheart and a Vogue cover girl, and WAG extraordinaire Victoria Beckham, need to be taken into account . . .

Delving into the Archives!

The previous post got me digging round to find my original sketch book for this magazine project from a year or so ago. As I may have mentioned on regular reader and commenter, David Abstract's blog, I have an interest in psychology and why people make certain decisions. 

Enrolling on a fashion degree such as mine: Fashion Promotion with Communication- and with it being at Central St. Martins, a uni (or art college!) famous for allowing students creative freedom, I have been able to bring my personal interests into the mix and interpret them within fashion. 

I have always had a curiosity of what thought process goes on when people get dressed each day. Each item we pull on goes for a reason... Is it colour orientated? Black to look smart? Yellow because it's sunny? Because its new? Or it's so old you forgot you had it? Because it's raining? Because he likes you in that top? Because you feel comfortable/sexy/confident/cool in that certain thing? Because it has memories attached? Or just because it was clean?

Who made up fashion rules? Why do some people abide by them religiously? Why is it so fun to break them?

I'm thinking of doing a photo shoot which focuses on breaking every typical fashion rule... Navy and Black... Double Denim... Socks and Sandals anyone!!??

I am very aware that these illustrations are terrible, do not judge me :)

What the F?

 I have a weird fascination (there I did it again...) with the letter F. 

Not consciously, I'm not that strange, but I do keep coming back to it. I am in the midst of trying to figure out a new title for the looming magazine, and all the words flying around in my brain at the moment begin with F.

Frolics, is the one currently being thrown around, which brought back me to a random phrase that I drew and illustrated, "Can there be frolics without the fun?" Which took me back further to my original idea for the magazine... yes, F.

I was going to call the magazine F*Fashion. Everything in the magazine would stem from F, it was all very exciting-F is a good letter! (Note fashion and feminism) The F would simply be a letter, or the obvious other- 'Fuck'. Yeah, a year ago I actually found this cool. Ok, honestly I don't actually hate it now. It meets my thoughts of not taking fashion seriously, it's style that I am inspired by anyway!

When I first pitched the idea to my tutors for the project, Hywel & Iain (R. Webb!!!) I was met with a such a reaction that made me think that the idea was absolutely awful so quickly forgot about it. A little while later, when our class was all together- which is a rarity in the final year, I realised another girl had the similar idea, but pitched it as a fashion dictionary. That must have been the reason for the tutors' horror after all! sigh... what could have been! The other girl is starting at the beginning of the alphabet with  A, it's a shame that F won't get its deserving chance in the fashion spotlight! :)

Well that was rather self indulgent!

Superficial Feminist

I'm not sure if it's the stress of the last few days, or the serious lack of sleep, or the 20+ hours in front of a computer a day (!?) but I woke up with a migraine and feeling generally awful this morning! And so I'm taking myself back to bed to watch fabulously trashy tv, (GossipGirl) and work on this article... 

I did get a slap on the wrist for writing 'bollocks', I warn you now and hope it doesn't offend! It will be gone in my edit. Here's the readable...

Ok, so lets get it all out there… Yes, I am a feminist. I am also a wife of three years and a lover of fashion. I am 24 years old and rarely leave the house without make-up. Perhaps you could call me a superficial feminist? …Or am I just putting myself down now?

Feminism is tricky to define, even most feminists struggle to agree on what it constitutes. I am relatively new to the concept, the history and the continuous battle. At my age, life as a woman seemed easy enough; education, contraception and ‘having a voice’ were a given. I think I was, as many other girls are still doing, walking around blind. The shear amount of naked female flesh in newspapers and on billboards sanitised my awareness to accept this as simply ‘one of those things’.

 In the summer of 2007 I came across a book that I could, dramatically, say Changed My Life. Reading ‘Female Chauvinistic Pigs’ by Ariel Levy was like wiping grubby fingerprints off my glasses. Suddenly everything became clear and I became, not angry, but shocked I suppose. Suddenly everywhere I looked there was an injustice, there was an elephant in the room and no one else wanted to be aware of it. I guess life is ‘easier’ if you are not.

Levy’s book was controversial because she accused members of the female sex of objectifying other women and themselves. In effect doing patriarchy’s job for it. I started actually seeing all these naked girls in advertisements and on magazines, wearing T-shirts labelling themselves Porn stars, in clubs kissing other girls while the boys watched, and on television crying because their lack of bosom was ruining their lives. I may get the evil eye but I found it embarrassing to be female. I wanted to separate myself from this, but perhaps this is where the problem began? Women do not support each other enough. I found it fascinating when I worked in retail. In a changing room so much is shared, it was my job to help women pick out an outfit that she would love, and so she revealed what she wanted, where she was going and why. She told me she was conscious of her arms but loved her legs; we deliberated on whether it was suitable to wear black to a wedding, or on how short was still suitable at a certain age… We complimented each other and laughed before it was back onto the street to the stony silence and that elusive competiveness. I am aware that women bonding through shopping is probably an unfortunate example, but one that stayed with me, and the part of retail that I miss the most. We should praise each other more and not doll ourselves up to the specifications, or for the approvals, of men.

No doubt you will be offended by that last comment and insistent that you dress to please yourself. You probably do. Although many people present themselves in the same way because society is dictating what is considered attractive. I do not exclude myself completely from this assumption. I would like to be slimmer, to have tanned skin and long straight hair. I shave or wax regularly and dress to ‘flatter’ my body shape... And I have the cheek to call myself a feminist? Well, yes. Despite considering myself to be a feminist and having come across several women and men who consider themselves to be also, I still have the awful stereotypical connotation of what a Feminist looks like and would rather not be associated with that. See, I’m shallow- but not proud! I said ‘perhaps you could call me a superficial feminist’, but perhaps you wouldn’t call me a feminist at all? I would attempt a spiel about how we live in such a visual society, but that is a bit of a bollocks excuse isn’t it really. My, actually rather testosterone-proud, husband even dabs on a bit of make-up from time- to –time, so making the most of ones appearances shouldn’t be in line with your feminist morals! Although I do fear that this frustratingly unchanging face of feminism may scare people off like it did in the late seventies!

Advertising Porn

As with most magazines comes text! I have been writing about all sorts of things, although possibly not as fashion-y as it should be… I am currently working on an article that was originally called, ‘Advertising Porn’, a shorter, snappier version of my dissertation, but has now mutated into “Sell Yourself”. I’m looking at why female celebrities objectify themselves in fashion advertising, and what effect this has. Although of course this is not just limited to fashion advertising! I’m 500 words in and struggling to be honest… may have to take a break!

This is one of the images I mocked up to support the article... The blue was actually red before it uploaded onto here! I was aiming for an image reminiscent of Barbara Kruger's work. This was made using Photoshop, I also handmade a couple with the text boxes in black and white... I think visually the black and white ones may work a little better, but I do want to echo Kruger work... perhaps it still does? In case the image is too small, the text reads, "Eva wasn't sure whether she should spray or blow her new perfume". Let me know what you think!