Week One - Initial Research

212.453 Fashion Research and Development 

In week one, we were introduced to the brief for this class, Whakatinana.

This brief gives the opportunity to challenge an aspect of the fashion industry that frustrates me and offers the chance to take responsibility for a project and consider the future impact of it. You can design in many areas including, pre-consumption (garment manufacturing, packaging and delivering) Shop (selling and point of purchase) and Post-consumption (use and waste).

To start with, I looked at a range of possible careers in the industry and highlighted the ones that I would like to associate myself with. From here I realized I relate more to the managerial side of the industry, rather than the production side of it.

I then began to look at what motivates me as a person and what frustrates me.
What frustrates me:

• Why do we have to follow trends?
• Why do we need to keep to a set timeline/deadline?
• Why should we always stick to the rules?
• Why are people not paid enough for the work they do?

What motivates me:

• Instigating sustainability
• Hosting parties/hospitality for guests
• Running events
• The satisfaction of making people happy

Think about: 
What is the purpose of your fashion project? What do you want it to do?
I want it to make people aware that their spending habits are directly affecting the environment and other people's lives. I want to show people that fashion (whether it's buying or wearing) can be an experience. I want it to be a part of social change. 

Who says fashion even needs to be displayed on a runway/in a store/online/etc?
Fashion design is always changing and getting better, why can't the display of fashion do the same?
I want to work with experience design and possibly performance design. 

I went to the Weta Christmas party 2016, and it blew my mind! The amount of work that went into it to show off what they do, was incredible. 

Thoughts from in class 03/03/17

• What is fashion?
• How do people engage with fashion? Does it need to be on a body?
• What is my own experience with fashion.
• Unpack what this means.
• Analyse conventional ways of displaying fashion. E.g. Shops, exhibitions, online, etc
• Is fashion dead while in an exhibition?
• Garments locked away - historical.
• What is an exhibition?
• What else can fashion be?
• Is cuba st a fashion show?
• Photograph, ways of fashion
• What is different?
• What is important to get across in fashion, to feel and understand in fashion?
• Look at other shows, channel, gucci, etc. Money, exclusive, what do they want to express, luxery? Models? Place, train station.
• Own garments, or others?
• Abstract - netflix. Show productions, musicians.
• How an audience reads a show. Engagement?
• Physical stores are more for the experience of shopping.

I want to think about how to display fashion in a way that makes you think about the bigger issues in the industry. The Environment. Don't need to advertise through posters or anything that requires paper to be wasted! Dig deep into critical thinking and make informed decisions. Research and question everything!