Assignment 4 – holiday project
Biography
My goals and ambitions for fashion communication is to bring together my interests on a personal and academic level, which will potentially allow me to pursue a successful career that embraces both later in life.
In addition to fashion, my interests and passions mostly lie within the boundaries of art. Experimenting with materials and techniques, travelling and visiting exhibitions, taking photos and sketching is a significant part of my interests for collecting inspiration. For instance, expanding my knowledge within the fashion industry through travels, such as collecting inspiration through various cultures is something I aim to do.
When not studying, sewing, or reading the latest ‘Dazed&Confused’ magazine, I am passionate about music and baking, both of which allow me to develop my creativity in alternative ways.
Task 3 – short feature
Stop hiding. Express you identity.
Prior to beginning my research on mirrored sunglasses, I typically viewed the object as a form of protection for everyday and sportswear but also a fashion accessory. However, during research I discovered that there is a broader reasoning as to why we wear them, beyond the practicality purposes of this essential garment.
My research began by visiting a variety of places in Brighton where I started collecting information through market research and documenting through a visual and written form. I realised that there is a much wider reasoning as to why humans wear mirrored sunglasses than meets the eye! A gentleman inside the local shopping centre particularly underlined this. I continued to question why he was wearing mirrored sunglasses indoors in mid October as he confidently headed towards the next shop. During my research, I found that humans, particularly evident with celebrities like the element of disguise mirrored sunglasses help them to achieve due to “their eye-masking capabilities” according to (A History Of The World’s Most Famous Sunglasses.) [1] Similarly, from looking at research of the history, this element of disguise was also a popular concept during the 12th century when they were worn in china in court rooms to conceal judgment and facial expressions, evident in (Sunglasses History – Invention of Sunglasses.) [2]
Alongside this research, additional aspects such as trends and styles came into discussion. Mirrored sunglasses tend to be a style today predominately sold within designer brands, significantly Oakley and Ray-Ban products. These tended to be worn by such people who were more concerned about the label as they felt they provided them with a quality product through both its effective protection and fashion purposes.
[1] Colon, Ana. Schuessler, Bobby. “A History Of The World’s Most Famous Sunglasses.” Refinery 29. 30 March 2015. Web. 22 October 2015.
[2] Ament, Phil. “fascinating facts about the invention of sunglasses.” The Great Idea Finder. 4 December 2006. Web. 7 October 2015.
On the other hand, there were a few exceptions where the mirrored sunglasses were worn by those with more of a fashion conscious mind. These tended to be worn by those who prefer the vintage style of mirrored sunglasses to mirror their eclectic dress sense! Jack Nicholson states that “with [his] sunglasses on, [he is] Jack Nicholson. Without them, [he is] fat and 70.” [3](Mutti, Guilia. “Ten Things You Might Not Know About Sunglasses.” Another Magazine. 11 May 2015. Web. 7 October 2015.) This suggests that the object becomes part of someone’s mental and physical appearance, and without it they don’t feel complete.
In addition, others tended to be in between and suggested that they chose their mirrored sunglasses depending on the style and design rather than whether it was designer or not. Whilst shapes and styles of mirrored sunglasses alter through the years, there is a definite continuation of iconic styles such as the popular wayfarer design that never seems to date! Additionally, the vintage styles tend to have an influence on the high street products today, highlighting that fashions repeat themselves and go round in a cycle.
Throughout this project I became more intrigued by the element of concealment that lies within the purpose of this object. I felt this was something I could dwell into further by accentuating this idea of disguise through experimentations. I subjected my object to elements, like paint to create a further barrier between the wearer and the world around them. By using an impasto effect on the lense meant that they almost lost their sense of original purpose, as they could no longer be a lense that you could see through.
Conversely, I also had a desire to contradict this idea of disguise by encouraging an expression of one self. By deconstructing the object and exposing the design and structure it no longer was a garment to hide behind. I developed this experimentation by re-creating the object into something fresh. From this I created a collection of prints that could be used for soft furnishings, advertisement purposes or fashion. These were created using a variety of mediums applied using parts of the object. The purpose of this was to provoke people to not shy away behind a mirrored lense, so by creating prints that were bold and abstract, I feel that this was a diverse method of achieving that.
[3] Guilia. “Ten Things You Might Not Know About Sunglasses.” Another Magazine. 11 May 2015. Web. 7 October 2015
Bibliography
Mutti, Guilia. “Ten Things You Might Not Know About Sunglasses.” Another Magazine. 11 May 2015. Web. 7 October 2015
Colon, Ana. Schuessler, Bobby. “A History Of The World’s Most Famous Sunglasses.” Refinery 29. 30 March 2015. Web. 22 October 2015.Ament, Phil. “fascinating facts about the invention of sunglasses.” The Great Idea Finder. 4 December 2006. Web. 7 October 2015.
Ament, Phil. “fascinating facts about the invention of sunglasses.” The Great Idea Finder. 4 December 2006. Web. 7 October 2015.
Example of one of my prints…
