Thursday 13th November

Today’s lecture was all based on Fashion; who creates it and who takes responsibility for it. Dr Marie McLouglin used the film Devil Wears Prada (the lumpy blue sweater in particular) to give an example how fashion, is an unavoidable, ever changing concept.

I found it really interesting to consider how when people (such as the character Andy in Devil Wears Prada) think they are going against society and what it considers its norms in terms of fashion, they are actually caught up in it, just as much as those who are trying to be. The tone of colour, the shape and the print of a garment has to come from somewhere and thus eventually it gets sent through the system ending up to the consumer.

We looked at Karl Lagerfeld’s quote “Fashion is a language that creates itself in clothes to interpret reality”. I really like this quote and feel it is such a lovely way tot think of fashion, because I agree, it really does have it’s own language.
Further more we looked at Nick Knight and his Show Studio platform, which I have to be honest and say I did not know about but will be definitely taking a good look at ASAP.

Finally we looked at the idea of the recent exhibition, ‘Women, Fashion, Power. Not a multiple choice .’
Within this exhibition influential people such as Camila Batmanghelidjh, Dame Sandra Rhodes and Samantha Cameron.

Samantha Cameron’s M&S dress report I found particularly interesting because we think she is trying to say she shops like everyday people- so to connect with the public, when in fact when she wanted this dress there weren’t any available at any store. Due to her status they found that they had a sample dress in a factory in a size 14 which they then made to measure her size 10 figure. Therefore demonstrating the power behind certain individuals and exposing the innocent minded pubic, such as myself although I am slowly learning to question everything around me.
Seminar Session:
Within our seminar we refined the knowledge covered within the lecture and also discussed how the system of producing fashion has changed over time.  From once being in a state where by the designers opinion was extremely respected and the considered at the top of the chain, to the current industry in which people are brave enough to be individual and are deciding fashion for themselves. Thus the designers now take our opinions and voices more seriously and as a result has meant the system has been reversed and we are in fact at the top.

Overall I’ve had a really interesting and thought provoking afternoon and now can’t wait to watch Devils Wears Prada again- for a second I almost forgot what a good film it is!