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SHOWstudio presents SHOWbiz: showcasing entrepreneurs and CEO'S: Creativity and Business align

7/4/2018

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Creativity is a very important element of life, the history of the world, and the future of it. For many who choose to enter the field, it can be more than a job, it can be a must to create.

​But creativity does not sit on its own, it interacts with other disciplines, and lends itself to be an integral part of the economy. Though creativity alone can probably exist, since it can extend itself for therapeutic reasons, self expression or even be a hobby, for creatives who want to pursue it professionally and be able to continue to create, a means to make a living from the field is of course a necessity. And yet, this can seem hard. 

The creative industries is a significant industry in the UK, for it to continue to grow, young designers, artists and creative voices need to be given support.
 
There is now probably more support, in the form of funds, competitions and self promotion through social media, than there has been in the last decade or so, but this also means that the competition is tougher and with what seems like an increasingly widening economic gap between social groups, seeing and learning how certain entrepreneurs have challenged or even disrupted old business models, paves the way for the next generation to understand the struggles and the triumphs, the positives and the negatives of aligning creativity with business. 
In come SHOWbiz by SHOWstudio showcasing that. A new series of in-depth conversations with SHOWstudio Editor Mimma Viglezio interviewing entrepreneurs and Chief Executives discussing their vision for business and revealing secrets of their success.
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The latest instalments have included Dame Natalie Massenet discussing her career and how she built Net-a-Porter, as well as creating Imaginary Ventures to fund new disruptive businesses; and Anne Chapelle CEO of Poiret discussing her career, how she started in the fashion industry, coming from a pharmaceutical background, working with Ann Demeulemeester, as well talking about her vision for the future.
​showstudio.com/project/showbiz/mimma_viglezio_anne_chapelle​
​​Technology has opened up the field of access. Access to images, videos, articles, objects, clothes and so forth, for either the audience to observe or consumer to make a move.  
With that, it has also opened up the access to knowledge, access to learning different perspectives,  hearing from different voices and coming into virtual contact with people in disciplines and fields we may aspire to.

​Inspiration and aspiration can run parallel to work experience and education. And if neither education or work experience is possible, then technology and free access to learning about business may help drive a person.
 
​Technology in the form of social media has also brought about anxiety, (something that seems prevalent in our society), as we tend to view images at a fast pace, we then may also think that success can occur rapidly, in the space of a couple of clicks and a couple of images. Through that same tool of technology though, the positive aspect of opening up to different sources occurs. Hearing about different career journeys, different paths, may help alleviate the notion and fixture of instant success and bring forth the drive to work for our inner success as well as adhere to the norms of its definition and focus on the longterm success.     
​SHOWbiz gives us the access to hear and view different perspectives and dive into the world of entrepreneurs and CEO'S acquiring appreciation and perception of what the road of industry and work may present, navigating through different journeys in the creative and business fields and opening resources to all.  
The engaging series continues on July 13th (2018) with Marco Bizzarri CEO of Gucci and from October 2018, more from the series will be announced. 
You can watch each episode of the series on SHOWstudio
http://showstudio.com/project/showbiz
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Fashion blast: A journey of understanding fashion as a political tool

7/3/2018

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As I hid in my wardrobe amongst shoes and piles of vintage dresses pressed on top of me, struggling for breath, my heart was pounding as hard as it could, jet flights flew over my apartment and distant loud bangs could be heard.   

Does it matter where I was, it could have been any country ravaged by war. Does it matter which side of a war a person takes, each individual has his own perspective, each person on any side of a gunshot, has a mother, father, family or friend crying. Tears of war affect all sides and all families. 

It just so happened that I was back in a country that as a very small child, during the civil war, I had spent some time with my parents up in the mountains, seeking shelter, in a bubble away from the streets of death and away from the abandoned bodies, where life was faking a smile through the music. And yet, the war sounds, stories and a few close escapes, stayed with me. 

And there I was, back in Lebanon, hiding in my wardrobe, or was it under a bed, does it matter really where…
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​Rewind back to 2006, I was in Beirut, working at fashion house Elie Saab. Creative adventure had come into action, and I had leaped into the land of the Cedars.

Days spent arguing over chiffon, lost in the mist of Lebanese sunlight glistening the fabric, at a distance, a call to prayer, the young of the city back home from an after party and Beiruties out and about working.
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Haute Couture was in full swing.

Bits of fabric scattered on my desk, embroidery drawings ready to be made into samples, designs in piles of yes and no, and my hungry rumbling tummy, made for what seemed to be the start of a typical day.

As we sat drawing and researching, the sound of a gunshot went unheard, but the smell of the barrel of the gun was rampant; we wondered if it came from a leaked fabric dye.

The following morning, the smell of war filled the sky. 

Electricity was cut, walls were shaking, roads were deserted. Life from one day to next had changed lanes. The trendy nightspots that were a refuge to the young kept going, but played more to the music of caution. 

Fear turned into memories of another time, of another war and into thoughts, to questions, to the trivia of what we had deemed as important. My mind pressed rewind through highs and lows, fashion discoveries, stress, necessity espresso drinking, getting jaded, getting excited, tears and joys. And then, fast forwarded to thoughts that had gathered like chiffon by the staircase at work in Beirut, whilst admiring the beautiful view of the Italianate mansion ruins, from a distance faded posters of the journalist Samir Kassir assassinated for his political views could just about be made out. Thoughts whispering to me: how relevant was fashion really in the grand spectrum of things?

Through the years, it had seemed to me that it could be, I had made clothes out of trash and on freedom of expression. But there I was in a war torn country, and for a time I could not see the relevance anymore. Could stitching fabric help stitch the world?
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The term politics, takes in several elements, “the most difficult knot to unravel is that between the sphere of politics and the sphere of society”(Sartori, 1973:p6). Embodied in politics are issues such as of gender, diversity, body diversity and ageism. Many designers and activists have used fashion to highlight identity politics. As Aristotle said, “man is by nature a political animal” (Aristotle p6), as is woman of course. Ashley Graham actively endorsing body diversity, or Naomi Campbell speaking out against racism, these women have used their platform that fashion gave them to push for change. 

That push is very much present in the history of fashion with political connection. The suffragettes used fashion in what we now could deem as unconventional, “they sought to effect change not by challenging contemporary fashion and ideals of femininity, but by conforming to them.” (Blackman: The Guardian: 2015). From another perspective, Coco Chanel, in her day liberated women through her fabric choice as “much of Chanel’s clothing was made of jersey […]. Until the designer began to work with it, jersey was more commonly used for men’s underwear” (Krick: The Met, 2004). Whichever way fashion was used and whichever era, we can see that it was utilised as a political tool or for identity politics. Fashion is about ideas, and ideas form part of politics. 
“Clothing has political significance because it affects the relationships among citizens. Clothing is not simply a private or personal matter; it implies the existence of an intersubjective social world in which one presents oneself and is seen by other”(Miller: 2005, p3).

Fashion as a political tool, or politics as a source used by fashion has been in these last years more at the forefront. Screaming out loud this is my political view has, we could argue, been normalised. 
Last summer at the Central St Martins BA Press Show, the designer Philip Ellis’s collection was a nod to the anti-Brexit sentiment; armbands and badges with political slogans embellished his garments and fuelled his collection.
During New York Fashion Week FW/17, in response to the current political climate in America, Raf Simons debut for Calvin Klein played “this is not America” by David Bowie and on the official calendar of the CFDA designer Raul Solis of Mexican heritage from LRS Studio, sent down the catwalk girls wearing white knickers written on: “F*** the Wall”, “No Ban No Wall”.
The catwalk is a particular good platform to highlight issues, as though the audience is ‘judging’ or viewing a collection, for a couple of minutes amongst the loud pumping music, within that, silence whispers a message and is rarely interrupted. In the 90s and the noughties, fashion catwalk thrills also captured the political, John Galliano shows were influenced by history and notions of class, Hussein Chalayan proposed his thoughts on politics, war and religion, Alexander McQueen showcased disability and diversity, Stella McCartney pushed for green fashion and no fur. These designer’s garments had secretive backgrounds waiting for an arena to speak up, all whilst generating a business and selling clothes. And So that arena is as much the catwalk, as it is us, the consumer. 

​If as Michel Foucault states "Power is everywhere; not because it embraces everything, but because it comes from everywhere" (Philp:1983, p34) then the ‘political’ power of fashion should not be undermined. Outdoing others in creative duels might feed the trend, but politics can be the real driving force. By wearing the “I am not a terrorist” t-shirt by Vivienne Westwood, or from NYFW 2017 “The Future is Female” by Prabal Gurung and “We Are All Human Beings” by Creatures of Comfort, a person is taking a stance and opening up to other groups of people that feel the same. Whatever we wear, literal quotes as those t-shirts or more subtle attire, we are speaking to others through the language of fashion. Sometimes putting forth dress codes, sometimes confining to dress norms. Today, in what we have come to call the ‘West’, women wearing trousers is a norm, but it once was a political act and still is in parts of the world. 

Whether fashion commercialises a political thought, could be a point to consider. Che Guevera’s face has been plastered across T-shirts and sold in many clothes markets, and paradoxically, Chanel Cruise (2016/2017) showed in Havana Cuba. However, we could argue that by commercialising a ‘notion’, it also widens the reception of a message brought in by fashion, through the widening of its audience. The punk era has seen its underground fashion go up to the mainstream, but with that, hopefully break boundaries and prejudices.

A piece of clothing has an outer being and an inner one. Where it started its life without us, the consumer, also has political implication. From its conception, the story behind the design, if it has been ethically created, or helped communities, the supply chain is very much in the realm of politics and now at the forefront of political fashion. From the Ethical Fashion Initiative to Dress for Our Time, there are waves of brilliant minds using fashion to fly the flag for how best to shape the future of the fashion industry.

It’s not that fashion has to be political, maybe it always was political without having to say so, but fashion as a political tool, a soft power, can shake and break down walls.
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Back in Beirut, having been shaken by a loud blast, reality had come crawling back into my wardrobe. And any political fashion analysis I also had then, had to be dispensed from my mind. 
Escaping to the mountains and, a never-ending road trip came next.

When smoke filled the air and the sky lit up in a dangerous spectacle, the shimmering entrancing Mediterranean sea that had once filled its beaches with sun kissed glamorous girls glaring at each other, decoding every intricate detail of each other’s swimsuit, now used its hypnotic deep blue water as our saviour.
Luckily I found myself on one of the evacuee’s ships with the Royal British Marines. Most possessions had to be left behind, a reminder that fashion is not about a trend, not about clothes, but about a team you work with, an idea, and sometimes a way to showcase notions and concepts. Some had left via the road that led to Syria, but the guilt of leaving family, friends, and others was palpable and as we rid the waves, the sun set on the bay of Beirut.
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Through the creative realm, culture, fashion and art, human connection and interaction can find a path of empathy and perspective. Creativity is a good starting point and can lead the way. In Lebanon, creative industries, alongside the optimism that fills the Lebanese soul and sky have, despite many years of destruction, created resilience, survival and rebirth. Fashion has come in alternate stages throughout, necessity trade, survival, escapism, globalisation, creative voices reaching across land and sea, holding hands with creative spirits across the world. Trade and creativity can bring people together. These tools could help if not always reach peace, then start the search for it. 

Fashion explosion has burst onto our sleeves, heels and hearts. Streets, catwalks, culture, beliefs, are all to blame. International fashion pinning and global lust can build bridges. Fashion hits you when you least expect it, intoxicating us with emotions we momentarily never deemed possible, inviting avant-garde fashion fencing, suffocating us with trends and coolness, and exposing us to intricate cuts and thrills. Daring designers create explosive fashion that travels across the world and brings forward a form of communication. 

“When in 1784 Kant asked, Was heisst Aufklärung?, he meant, What's going on just now? What's happening to us? What is this world, this period, this precise moment in which we are living?”(Foucault: 1982, p785). As we are currently seeing, fashion is, as ever, infused within the political. During the election in the USA and through the Prime Ministerial hand over in the UK, the women involved, Hilary Clinton and Theresa May’s fashion seemed to be mentioned as much as their politics. Furthermore, many from the creative world protested against Brexit, and against a fascist looking world. 

The fashion industry is filled with fighting spirits. It’s the battleground for the creative. Sometimes we duck down and avoid a blade or two, sometimes fight tooth and nail for an idea and sometimes live amongst the fashion peace corps, where team work and true design prevails. 

I would die for couture, for that dress, some people may say, and though we may be attracted to a garment for aesthetic reasons, there’s a hidden meaning in every garment. A fashion blast in more ways than one. A political tool not ready to give up the fight. 
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Article first published in 2016
Politics by Aristotle, Aeterna Press
The Subject and Power by Michel Foucault
Critical Inquiry, Vol. 8, No. 4 (Summer, 1982), pp. 777-795 Published by: The University of Chicago Press http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/1343197.pdf
Cally Blackman “How the Suffragettes used fashion to further the Cause” Thursday 8 October 2015, The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2015/oct/08/suffragette-style-movement-embraced-fashion-branding
Jessa Krick, “Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (1883-1971) and the House of Chanel” 
The Costume Institute, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, October 2004
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/chnl/hd_chnl.htm
Fashion and Democratic Relationships by Joshua I. Miller
Polity, Vol. 37, No. 1, Fashion for Democracy (Jan., 2005), pp. 3-23 Published by: The University of Chicago Press http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/3877060.pdf
Foucault on Power: A Problem in Radical Translation? by Mark Philp
Source: Political Theory, Vol. 11, No. 1 (Feb., 1983), pp. 29-52 Published by: Sage Publications, Inc. https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/191008.pdf
​What is "Politics" by Giovanni Sartori
Political Theory, Vol. 1, No. 1 (Feb., 1973), pp. 5-26 Published by Sage Publications, Inc. http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/191073.pdf
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SHOWstudio's LiveStudio: Taking us into a Live World of Fashion and Art

5/1/2018

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Nurturing the next generation of designers, questioning notions and letting artists and designers express themselves freely is all part of SHOWstudio's ethos and residency program that take place in their studio. ​And LiveStudio is a window for us to join in. 
Designers such as Charles Jeffrey, Judy Blame, Gareth Pugh and Iris Van Herpen, have all been invited  to take residency in the studio. SHOWstudio's residency is for artists and designers to delve into ideas in an open and creative form, questioning notions and terms.​

Being able to express oneself freely is not a given in this world. In a lot of countries, many struggle with political impositions that do not allow freedom and rights for all. The arts are a tool that can bring freedom of expression and freedom of identity to the forefront.

Showstudio's new project for 2018, the 'Queer' project is an open, interrogative and creative exploration of the term. Celebrating the communities that align with contemporary notions of queerness and the fashion that emerges thus. 

Taking part today on LiveStudio, is ART SCHOOL Fashion Collective, who will be creating a garment for their S/S 19 collection, live on camera. Art School will present their designs, create a performance and also showcase their take on genre-bending design, their ideas behind the fabric and explore the notion of identity in fashion, as they present "decadent minimalism" fashion and a fusion of menswear and womenswear. 
Joining Art School, is artist Dominic Myatt who is transforming the white walls of the SHOWstudio cove with his artwork, incorporating the backdrop into the creation of ART SCHOOL’s upcoming collection: High Concept Character.

More and more fashion labels and garments are becoming unisex, this seems to be becoming a norm. And yet this also could for many labels or even stores, be a trend, putting forth gender fluidity for branding and marketing purposes.
This is not the case for labels like Art School, it is their exciting art, their emotions they are pouring onto their garments, and they are letting us, the viewer, the customer be part of that.
   
Wether we are discussing identity through the notions of nationality, religion or gender, The arts are a great way to ease that conversation, break down any barriers and create an inclusive society for all. Fashion and art can push forward that reminder against any political aspect.  
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Combining the arts with technology, fashion and art worlds are able to be seen in many countries, even countries that politically do not adhere to equal rights for all. Fashion and art are able to cross any political border and be a voice for many.
 
Watch Art School and Dominic Myatt striking and impressive creations, see the entire process unfold, as well as interviews with a selection of industry experts on SHOWstudio now!
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Maximum Effect for Minimalism Art: Eastern Delight and Perspectives Trough the Art of Rasheed Araeen

4/12/2018

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Rasheed Araeen, Opus HB 1,2017, acrylic on canvas, 63 x 55 in.
An artist takes inspiration from many fields. More and more disciplines are coming and working together. Fluidity between subjects are becoming a norm.

Artist Rasheed Araeen didn't wait for the trend. This fluidity of interdisciplinary work within his art found itself at its core. 

In 1962, he graduated in civil engineering from the NED University of Engineering and Technology.
Upon arriving to London in 1964, Araeen became an artist as art offered him "a freedom of expression" that the profession of engineering did not.
His studies tough did form part of his artistic vision and led him to create and develop in his artworks  "a lattice structure into the oeuvre of Minimalism".

Shapes of triangles and vertical movements emerge through the lattice structure, taking inspiration from nature and the four elements: earth, fire, air and water.

​Araeen's artist journey is embedded with social and political attributes. In the 1970s he joined the Black Panther Movement and he later founded Third Text, a journal fusing art and politics and looking at Postcolionalism and Developing Countries, showcasing non-Western perspectives and art. 

Rasheed Araeen known as a voice for alternative and Non-Western interpretations of Minimalist and Conceptual art in the 1960s and 1970's, has highlighted political notions even if some Art Institutions did not at first seem too interested in that fusion. 
Art and Politics have always been intertwined, it is ever more present and in demand as it has proven its interest with art buyers, art lovers and art viewers.
Today the politics sometimes form part of "storytelling" for branding companies, despite that though,  a political notion or message has a very relevant place in art. 
Interest for some Art Institutions came about as artists were pushing to be heard but also because of globalisation, thus the globalisation of the art market.
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Globalisation has brought to the forefront that a flow of art can occur in both directions, or be multidirectional, East to West, West to East and even East to East or West to West.
The cardinal points or even geographical naming, reduces a complex structure. 

Voices from the West or the East need homes all over the world.
Art needs to be shared and be seen, as messages through artworks spread globally, appreciation, affinity and empathy with one another can grow. 

Aicon Gallery in New York, specialize in modern and contemporary non-Western art. A platform and home for Modern and Contemporary artists from South Asia as well as the Middle East.

Tonight Rasheed Araeen's exhibition Recent Works opens at Aicon Gallery New York until May 12th. 
Expect to see paintings and structures from the series shown at his Retrospective held at the Van Abbe Museum in Eindhoven inaugurated December 2017, works on paper from Rasheed's seminal Hyderabad Windcatcher Series​ and a series of paintings ​created for the exhibition, titled Opus.
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This relays to 2017 when Araeen contributed to documenta 14 in Athens by presenting Shamiyaana – Food for Thought: Thought for Change. The project, inspired by the shamiyaana, a traditional Pakistani wedding tent, situated itself as a functioning restaurant aimed at fostering equality and fellowship between participants. 
This influenced his subsequent series of the paintings Opus.
In this collection of paintings, Araeen uses symmetry to represent conceptual ideas that are otherwise invisible. Each painting consists of a grid tipped on the diagonal. The series of work showcases Araeen's ideas of Islamic art in relation to the notions of twentieth-century abstraction.  

This is what art does best, showcase different influences, different cultures, different notions and set them together in a painting, in a sculpture, in a project, in any type of artwork. Showing us, what artists have known all along, that art can unite the world. 
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Rasheed Araeen, Bahar Ay Khushiyaan Laye, 2014, acrylic on wood, 64 x 84 x 7 in.
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Pictures courtesy of Aicon Gallery 
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Tech Up Your Identity: Wearable Technology

4/11/2018

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Wearable Technology until recently was set aside for the scientists, the sci-fi lovers and seemed to belong to the sci-fi movies.
It was meant for our imagination, the future world but not really, right? Just for TV...
A world unimaginable that it had to be imagined, showcased across the arts and then commercialised. 
So now we are almost living in the tech future world that once belonged to imaginations and the 2D world.

If we look back, historically, the path to wearable technologies was paved a long time ago. 
Long before the Google Glasses or the Apple watches were born, the simple wristwatch if we think about it was or still is a portable technology item. And long before that in about 1500, Peter Henlein a German inventor, created small clocks that adorned pieces of clothing called Taschenuhr. 

It's just that the wearable technology or smart clothes, have become much more, well, smart. 

Fast forward the movie from the past about the future into the present, and wearable technology is on everyone’s lips. 
But what does this mean for our identity? 
This is asked on an aesthetic level, although if we want to really think about it, in regards to identity there is probably concern with DNA or cell replica. But the question pondered about here, is more geared towards our visual layers of identity evolving and how that may come about.

Globalisation has affected our identity and our fashion, if we apply Zygmunt Bauman's theory of Liquid Modernity, then we are forever becoming modern, thus so will our identity through technology, since technology is linked with modernity.  
It's not just the technology of social media that is affecting our identity, but our identity is being affected through what we wear, thus wearable fashion.

So can we expect these wearable technologies to globalise and affect us?
Or will things not change much in regards to products and how they flow around the world,  in other words will each mechanic or device become like other products, branded, marketed for a specific country? 
Perhaps tribes will form across borders depending on the wearable technology we wear, just like fashion tribes can form. 

Tech up our identity?
When we are wired up and sensors are sending information about us, or detecting information about us or changes in our environment, what does this mean for our liberal choices of how we perceive ourselves and present ourselves?

Perhaps the laws coming into play for data in May will affect all this, and perhaps these thoughts belong to some past movie, after all wearable technology can save lives, help health, save time and effort, and maybe even comfort. 
And these attributes is what we need from the mechanisms.

The Fashion Industry has embraced technology and it looks like we are headed for even more partnerships between the two fields. The world of fashion and the world of technology have not always connected aesthetically, but that is now too in the right direction. 

Since 2014, The Wearable Technology Show has welcomed at the Excel in London, entrepreneurs and businesses to showcase the latest of their work in smart textiles. 
​Many are innovators, independents and work hard so that advancements can be made and that we are aided by technology, looking at solutions for better health, better safety or better comfort.

Those we met during the show are detailed below, showcasing that the spirit of fashion, engineering and technology is well on its way and providing us too with lots of thoughts to contemplate with.
Lys Technologies This small device does big things. The LYS 1.0 is a light measuring wearable that takes care of your circadian rhythm. The navy blue circular device, lets us know how the light composition in our surroundings are affecting our wellbeing. Designed by Christina Peterson from the Royal College of Art, the device clips perfectly onto any garment, a technological ornament for the now and the future. 
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​DZP Technologies is a developer of specialty materials, formulations, and technologies for emerging industries. They work on consumer electronics and wearables, to 3D-printing and renewable energy.
At the Wearable Technology Show, fabrics were being illuminated with sensors.
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Bloc Digital works include 3D modelling, creating highly accurate, technically correct models, animation and interactive applications with virtual reality and augmented reality with inspiring design techniques. 
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Amplified Robot creates AR, VR and 360 experiences to entertain and educate, working its magic on things like children's illustrated books to bring them alive to the reader. ​
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Euretina Congress Experience for W20
​BonnieBinary produces interactive textiles. Their work in E-Textiles, the Internet Of Things (IoT) and Assisted Living, is to enhance the user experience, and quality of life, by harnessing the sensory and tactile experience of textiles to control objects around the home.
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​Statex the world of silver manufacturers smart textiles, metallising yarns, fabrics, non-wovens and polyamide parts for either high conductive threads for technological industry or anti-microbial yarns and fabric for medical and sport applications. 
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Conductive Transfers developed new technology for printing stretchable electronics for the health industry, construction or fashion.
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Jacky Puzey designs and produces digital embroidery for fashion and interiors, combining traditional and skills of embroidery and digital ones. ​​
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Jb facemask: Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery 2015
​Infitex provide sensors for smart textiles, such as for sportswear, jackets with sensors protecting people when they are out in nature. 
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Centre for Graphene Science unites the University of Exeter and the University of Bath undertaking research encompassing elements of physics, engineering, chemistry, biology and medicine. ​
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​FETT Textiles with university of Southampton and Nottingham Trent university have collaborated together and with other partners researching and concerned with the development of new assembly methods that add electronic functionality to textiles.
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Pireta adds conductivity to fabrics at any stage for many industries. 
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How Art looks in the Mirror

4/3/2018

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Karma International is a gallery founded in 2008 in Zurich by Karolina Dankow and Marina Olsen. 
In 2015 they opened a second space in Los Angeles. 
The gallery spaces place an importance on showcasing art that develops concepts and art ideas.
 
This last October, they had an area at Frieze designated to emphasise Feminist Art.
Works by Judith Bernstein, which though for some may be visually provocative, are there to encourage a discussion regarding gender, power and politics.
A part of the Feminist Art Movement, Bernstein used art as a tool to help bring forth a discussion on gender and rights, paving the way for other female artists into the discussion. 

Artists like Sylvie Fleury, who tackles the notion of what art is meant to be or what high art is meant to represent, examining gender issues and the everyday.  
Her latest exhibition entitled: L.A. Bougainvillea is on at the moment at gallery Karma International LA until the 5th May.
​This show presents works by Fleury that bathe between the boundaries of art, fashion and beauty. 
Her paintings of make-up compacts are without any branding or any commercial direction.
Although they are depicting actual make-up, they also take on and look like abstract paintings, with rectangular shapes ornamenting the walls.

In the  body of work on display, the accomplished artist is examining consumer culture and the notion of desire; how we are sold that concept. It looks at everyday objects and places them in the mirror of art.
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Within History of Art we recall Andy Warlhol's depiction of consumerism and Marcel Duchamp highlighting ready made and found objects. 
 
Perhaps the abstract paintings asks us to think about when we use make-up, are we sometimes abstracting ourselves? With social media and the many filters we have at the touch of a button, it is easy to forget the layer of so called 'reality'.
We develop a sentimental and emotional attachment to everyday objects, that Fleury has chosen to depict and wonder where is our identity in the bag of make up?

In other works such as Hollywood Vanity, Fleury is asking us how we see ourselves since we are constantly faced with media and glamour images through electronic wires. In Cuddly Painting, Fleury explores replacing canvases with faux-fur, and in ode to Gloria Steinem’s biographical collection of essays, My Life on the Road, Fleury created Gloria’s Triumph and some limited edition sweatshirts and t-shirts with embroidered labels written on "The truth will set you free but first it will piss you off".

The seductive pop of colours in Sylvie Fleurie's art relays the seduction of marketing and advertising tools that we are faced in society. So though at a glance, Fleury's art displays fun, when we start to think about the layers of paint or make-up, we start to see an art placing a mirror up to society and up to ourselves. 
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SYLVIE FLEURY Colorful 5 (Gold and Blue), 2018 Acrylic on shaped canvas
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SYLVIE FLEURY Envy Blush (Rebel Rose), 2018 Acrylic on shaped canvas
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SYLVIE FLEURY Flush, 2018 Acrylic on shaped canvas
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SYLVIE FLEURY Cuddly Painting (With Nude Lipstick Boots), 2018 Faux fur, stretchers, staples, casted Vetements boots, paint
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SYLVIE FLEURY Hollywood Vanity 2, 2018 Silkscreen print on mirror in metal frame, LED half-chrome lightbulbs
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SYLVIE FLEURY Gloria’s Triumph (Kawasaki 100, 1973), 2018 Motorcycle, custom painted tank
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SYLVIE FLEURY The truth will set you free but rst it will piss you off, 2018 Cottton, embroidered label
LA Bougainvillea on until May 5 2018 at 
Karma International 4619 W Washington Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90016
All images courtesy of Karma International 
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Is Globalisation affecting our Identity? Duplicating and Cloning Identities

3/28/2018

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Two or three years ago I wrote this piece below on how globalisation, society may be affecting us, our identities and our attire. Since then, there has been a political backlash to globalisation, yet technology and the flow of information through the wires have not stopped. Despite, all the news there is about our data, and our protection, the tools of technology and social media are ever present in our lives. We all seem to take it, to have and to hold, for better or for worse....till death do us part. Although, even then our presence on our social media may continue. 
Suffice to say, that there has been a political backlash to globalisation, yet within many societies we yearn and need to stay closer together in a hope for a peaceful world.
In regards to how we each choose to communicate to the world through attire, though individuality in an era of women empowerment is fighting strong, things, aspects, the globalisation/cloning of identity and that push, may still be affecting our identities, our fashion and how we project ourselves. And so, at this time, it felt that the below topics needed an online arena to open up the field of discussion with many and see what you all think. 
​Is globalisation affecting our identity? Surely, probably, definitely. Is it affecting the way  we dress, our perceptions of fashion? Surely, probably, definitely. For, as Zygmunt Bauman has stressed, “we are all being ‘globalized’-and being ‘globalized’ means much the same to all who ‘globalized’ are” (1998:p1). (Yes,even back then, in 1998! It has just kept intensifying).

Fashion is an enabler as a means of communication it helps state and express to others not just, who we are, but whom we think we are at a particular moment in time, in our lives. Historical reference and context of clothing helps explain much, and  yet  “the  historical trend has been followed, by in large, by the psychological trend. The term of reference here is no longer the spirit or style of a period, but the psyche of the person wearing the clothing” (Barthes:1993;2004; translated:Stafford:2013:p24). A point to consider towards, our perceptions on fashion and how we react towards it. Furthermore, upon reading Roland Barthes’s study on the language of fashion, we come across, his appraisal of Flügel’s work, who “[...] used the lexicon of Freudian symbols to describe human clothing as the ambiguous expression, both mask and advertisement, ​of  the unconscious self.” (Barthes:1993;2004;translated:Stafford:2013:p31).
Personally, I wonder what my unconscious self was saying throughout the years. I recall, the first time I lived in Paris for work experience in the fashion industry, I had included in my suitcase, a couple of raincoats, having had associated the city with it. Why? Not sure (the raincoat is a very British attire too), but it was probably some film I had seen, a cultural power streaming through that had seeped into my head and stuck through my childhood. I was projecting an item of clothing onto an occasion. What did this say about fashion and identity? If “identity can’t be compartmentalised” (Maalouf:1996;translation:Bray:2000:p2), then, could a garment’s connotation vary its meaning through territories, depend on where a person was, with whom a person was with, or with which community it was affiliated with? And yet, fashion though forms (small or large) communities, through its industry or, through those that gravitate towards or around it, is also about individual style. 
Technology, which is moving faster than we are finding the tools to deal with and understand, facilitates communication, yet the Internet can distort our relationship with time and space, making the other side of the world feel so close, and rendering human interaction less of a necessity. A tool, pushing the notion that, “individualism is the quintessential product of modernity” (Ham: 2000:p127). Nevertheless, individualism and individuality are two different things. Even if society has become more individualistic, influences whether from other communities, or cultures, occur. Fashion and tastes travel through electronic wires and “[...] what is interesting in clothing is that it seems to participate to the greatest depth in the widest sociality” (Barthes:1993;2004;translated Stafford:2013:p20), thus open to globalisation.

Complying with “Anthony Giddens definition, it means, acting and living (together) over distances, across the apparently separate worlds of national states, religions, regions and continents” (Beck:2000:p20). With technology, globalisation is an instant cross-national phenomenon. Fashion influences once breezed in through films and magazines, today emerge from social media, such as Instagram. Social media is all about sharing, sharing an individual’s identity towards forming or being accepted into a communal identity. Through virtual communities, a person can choose to exclude the images of everyday ‘real’ life, and put forward a fantasy life, filled with just sparkle and smiles creating a ‘better version of ourselves’ identity. A shared sense of fashion online can occur due to similar tastes or experiences and also from the impact of a company’s marketing and branding. But the pursuit of fashion and images intertwined with the net can also bring about social anxiety (if an item or a fashion beauty notion is not within our reach) or FOMO (fear of missing out)(http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/fomo), one of the terms that has help explain the impact social media has had on society. Or for fashion, we could transform it to, FONO (fear of not owning).

If we do refer to historical context, clothing marked a person’s social situation, and “to change clothes was to change both one’s being and one’s social class, since they were part and parcel of the same thing”(Barthes:1994:2004;translated:Stafford:2013:p61). This identification has not changed as much as we may like today. We still associate clothing with social status. A person’s chosen fashion becomes a target for onlookers to decide which socio-economic background a person may belong to. The thirst for designer fashion may on occasion be associated with aspiring towards a higher social status, or to affirm and confirm to others one’s social position. This thirst might have been exasperated by technology. Cloned recognisable symbols of high fashion, through social media, travel faster than was once possible and seem deceivingly reachable. However, high street shops opening across a multitude of cities, have made fashion reachable, giving the vast majority of us a key to instant trend and a choice of clothes in a similar style than the expensive equivalent. This global outreach has formed identities across borders and across the net crossing over the borders of social status too.
A chosen fashion can make assumptions on a person’s identity: sexuality, religion and nationality, as well as any political affiliations. Just think of the Black Panthers and the power they projected with their style, or the mini skirt in the 60’s representing women’s liberation, a scarf reflecting moments of history from revolutions to humanitarian causes, and the 70’s hippie style associated with peace. Designers have had their input too through the years, with Katherine Hamnett’s political slogans and Vivienne Westwood’s ‘Climate Revolution’ or ‘I am not a terrorist’ T-shirts. Part of why fashion’s come and go, is due to it usually being affiliated to a cause or a frustration. Sub cultures, such as Teddy Boys or the grunge scene, have come about at a specific moment in time to have a voice. Fashion can also create an emotion that takes on an identity, whether for a career, with power dressing or like the disco era, be about looking good and about escapism. Today our identity can escape through the wires. No one needs anymore to go to Studio 64, just click click click and Studio 64 or other forms of entertainments, can be at your disposal through the internet in your own living room. Perhaps, it all used to happen more organically, more naturally with fashion dispersing across the globe, as, the message affiliated with the item of clothing dispersed at the same time, through soft power: film, art, fashion. Now, though messages disperse too through soft power, it relies more on technology (even print press is increasingly online). There seems to be less time for reflection or organic growth to occur. Artistic or political meanings that are sewn into the seams of our clothes move on as instantly as the next branded or PR tweet or post is made. Yet, technology as a tool has provided 'us' with the capability of more instant action  and to ask for more accountability from companies. 
So now, our affiliations are with social media. Yes we have access to different cultures, but there’s also an array of same global enterprises that multiply themselves all over the world, from fashion companies such as Zara, Chanel, H&M, Hermes to Starbucks etc. Surely certain cities are becoming uniform. Perhaps as Finnemore mentions, there is “the expansion of Western' culture as a 'world' culture" (1996:326-333). However globalisation does not just flow one way, it flows and moves in different directions “No country or group can shut itself off from others” (Beck: 2000:10). Fashion has endlessly been inspired by all parts of the world, projecting all aspects of it, suits, kimonos and kaftans onto catwalks, yes it modernises and modifies, but it does not discriminate from where it chooses its pool of culture or research. Though national dress is often deprived of its original identity and the design approach may take on an Orientalist method, the intention to represent a diversity of cultures in design, (as in designing fashion), is present. 
Yet at the same time, we have to acknowledge, that we are often fed the same images whether we are in Tokyo, Los Angeles or Dubai. The images alter, taking into consideration the marketing studies of a country, but the vision of identity and beauty seems to be uniform. Yet, since globalisation is not unidirectional, it should be allowed to offer different meanings of fashions and beauties, spreading diversity, and a variety of body images.

And yet, though the fashion industry sometimes dictates the norms of an idealised beauty and globalises it, it also can turn it on its head, surprise us and break norms. Because once fashion globalises an idea, or puts an idea out in the open, it usually searches for the opposite to present on the catwalks and put in the magazines. Fashion is about trends, whether about ideas, designs or images. But diversity and a variety of body images need to become norms in the industry and not just be for a moment, a trend, a branding.

It is easy to forget that there were always currents that came and went flowing globally. 1950’s Hollywood glamour toured the world, and impacted fashions globally. Furthermore, we have had companies multiplying, giving birth to a McDonalds and a Coca-Cola culture as well as a counter culture. There’s no new formula, it is just that now, it is moving as such a fast pace with technology, it is getting difficult to keep up with.
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If identity is being affected by globalisation, and globalisation is constantly growing and moving through technology, then, we could associate Bauman’s theory of “Liquid Modernity” to the effects of fashion on identity through globalisation. Bauman’s theory states that “change is the only permanence, and uncertainty the only certainty”. For modernity, is a constant movement, there is “no ‘final state’ in sight and none desired”, (Bauman:2000:pviii-ix). Modernity is liquid, it is “forever ‘becoming’”. (Bauman:2000:pviii). Fashion identity is too, constantly moving, changing and “forever ‘becoming’” (Bauman:2000:pviii) with “no ‘final state’ in sight and none desired”, (Bauman:2000:pviii-ix).
Not in sight, hiding behind our clothes or masked by them, lies the individuality of our mind, our unconscious self. Until that is, humanity finds a tool to start reading our minds, search our brains.
And as Alec Ross mentions in his book, "The robots depicted in the movies and cartoons off the 1960s and 1970s will become there reality of the 2020s" (2016, p16). I am sure they will be globalised too. AI.Style. Artificial Intelligence fashion. Futuristic fashion awaits.  
​In a round table on “Fashion, a Strategy of Desire” between Barthes, Duvignaud and Lefebvre in 1966, Henri Lefebvre stated that “Fashion is also concerned as much with literature, painting, music... [...] it is the whole society which is implicated.” (Translated:Stafford:2013:p81). So today, the whole society is implicated (or soon will be) through technology, whether, if affected by automation or identity questions connected via social media. We all now have a voice, but how many of us are being heard? Yes globalisation affects fashion identity, but this is nothing new, it always has through a different wire, it just is that we are more aware of how fast we are all going viral on the internet.
So perhaps we should take Lefebvre's notion and “not forget that fashion is a game. Getting dressed up is wanting to play” (2004: Stafford, 2013:p84).
Some games hurt though.
And despite globalisation of our fashion identities, as Maalouf suggests, ‘our identity’ is “made up of many components in a mixture that is unique” to us (1996:p2). Individual fashion style will live on through many who believe that though "the individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself". (A quote some say by Friedrich Niezsche (Bruce2009:p42) others by Rudyard Kipling).
-Barthes, Roland.[First Published in France 2004 Editions du Seuil (1993:Oeuvres Completes-Tome 1; 1994:Oeuvres Completes-Tome 2; 1995:Oeuvres Completes-Tome 3: All at Editions du Seuil)].2013.Translated by Stafford, Andy. The Language of Fashion. Published by Bloomsbury.
-Bauman, Zygmunt.1998.Globalisation: The Human Consequences. Published by Polity Press.
-Bauman, Zygmunt.2000.Liquid Modernity. Published by Polity Press.
-Beck, Ulrich.2000. What is Globalization? Published by Polity Press.
-Finnemore Martha. 1996. Review by. Norms, Culture, and World Politics: Insights from Sociology’s Institutionalism. International Organization, Vol 50, No 2. The MIT Press. www.jstor.org/stable/2704081
​-Gary L. Bruce. 2009. Quotes for Misanthropes. Mira Digital Publishing. St Louis MO. USA
-Ham Chae-bong. 2000. The Cultural Challenge to Individualism. Journal of Democracy, Volume 11, No 1 http://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/journal_of_democracy/v011/11.1hahm. html
-Maalouf, Amin.1996.Editions Grasset & Fasquelle.2000.Translated by Barbara Bray. In the Name of Identity, Violence and the Need to Belong. Arcade Publishing.
-Ross, Alec. 2016. The Industries of the Future. Published by Simon & Schuster
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                             Reveal Yourself versus Mask Yourself
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The Fusion of Art and Technology

3/27/2018

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Last December (2017) at the Royal Academy of Arts, on their top floor the exhibition "From Life" showcased and questioned "what it means to make art from life" and how that method may be developing. 
Historically, life drawing for any art practitioner was often necessary. Especially for a portrait artist.
And yet, times are a changing....
Or times are evolving...

On display at the RA, towards the end of the show, were the artworks "The Simulacra" (Oil on Canvas 2017), "Homage to Paolozzi" (Bronze 2017) and "The Unteleported Man" (Oil on Canvas 2017), all by portrait artist Jonathan Yeo.

These artworks were made with the help of technology.

"Homage to Paolozzi" is the first sculpture designed with the virtual reality software Google Tilt Brush, and "The Simulacra" and "The Unteleported Man" paintings were aided by advanced 3D scanning. 

For part of the artworks, Yeo used the LightStage scanner by OTOY technology, where he scanned his face and then transmitted that to the Tilt Brush software.
Pangolin Editions then reproduced the 3D brushstrokes, into bronze cast for the sculpture. 

Partnering with Google Arts and Culture, Jonathan Yeo worked with Google engineers on the Tilt Brush Software. 
Tilt Brush have also teamed up with various artists, cartoonists and animators, working with them on this new way of creating. Some of which have taken up an art residency with them. 

Tilt Brush by Google was created to, as they state on their website, make us "Step Into Your Imagination", in other words, for us to step into our imagination and paint it in our 3D space and not just represent or recreate a 3D space on a flat surface. 
[One day, we may be able to literally step into other people's imagination....] but leaving that thought aside, the technological art tool is meant to facilitate drawing and creating in 3D spaces and for the art experience to be able to take us on a journey. Through viewing some of the artists work online, it does feel like stepping into a world made of art, like an animated painting, or a painting being awoken into life.  
 
The concept is pretty impressive and it opens up a whole area and genre of art.
Technology and this tool, also continues the fusing of graphics, print, animations with fine art, illustration and sculpture, and little by little there no longer may be a separation between the arts.
Or there no longer may be something called "digital art" it will just be art. 

So should we be worried about technology engulfing the arts, or should we be in awe?
And is this just not the evolving nature of things, of life, and now of the art world.
After all innovation includes the invention of masking tape used in art, or photoshop, not forgetting the ever so practical, repeat pattern buttons or copy and paste on our computers, to now, this innovation, where it is at with painting in 3D space. 

Only time will tell if artists will want to experiment with 3D painting or not.
Sometimes the materials used in art are about a trend. When photography was invented, or became very popular, many thought that would be the end of painting. And yet, paint lives on. Paint has also had its fair share of innovation, it is of course more synthetic now.
So painting despite all the other arts has lived on, because there is something to be said about a practice that is bound by time and observation. 

The new medium of drawing in virtual reality, where a person as they paint can walk inside their artwork and that the artwork can surround the artist, feels like looking at an innovation taking us into a new world.
Albeit, a world made in art. 

So can this tool create artists of us all? And what would that mean? 
What will this mean for Street Art?
Could you imagine walking around with paintings floating around us?
Many thoughts come up while looking at this wondrous new art tool.

This technological progression, is that - a progression, and in time, the now of art, will become the norm of art and then, once it is a norm, a new type of tool for art will be invented.

It's not just technology that is disruptive, so is art. Art at some level, at some point in time, is meant to disrupt.
So either both disciplines of technology and art together will disturb or they will create wonders.
Or will do both.
The customer or the audience will decide. 

Through this type of 3D technology, assuming it could be available to many or to many artists, could this new 3D art paint be used in a positive light and build virtual bridges between communities, between different areas of a city to bring us closer? 
Or will this new type of art, be like in Greek Methology, the tool that opens pandora's box... 
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The Simulacra 2017 by Jonathan Yeo (Oil on Canvas) (artwork pictured at the Royal Academy)
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Homage to Paolozzi 2017 (Self-Portrait) by Jonathan Yeo (Bronze) (artwork pictured at the Royal Academy)
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The Unteleported Man 2017 by Jonathan Yeo (artwork pictured at the Royal Academy)
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Artists Delegates from Bahrain on a UK Art Tour with the British Council

3/21/2018

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What a lovely evening yesterday was, meeting with 8 artists from Bahrain who are currently visiting London and the UK art scene with the British Council.

​Maryam Al Noaimi, May Al Alawi, Mahmood Haider, Ali Hussain Merza, Ali Al Bazzaz, Zainab Darwish, Jaffar Al Oraibi and Naji Swar are artists representing the arts from Bahrain.

Gathering all together around food, it was delightful to get to know the artists, their work and their perspectives.

Each artist has his own approach to art and medium that he or she uses. 
Many of them expressed that they are sharing their emotion into their artworks and showcasing their life  in Bahrain through fine art or video work and installation. 
Most of the artists' artworks are available to view online, check out below the artists biography and some of their work. 

Artists play an important role in society, helping us to understand emotions, discover aspects of life we may or may not notice and showcase their environment.  
Through cultural exchanges and unions, understanding and empathy can occur. 
Art is a tool that can be used to unite people together, a visual language that may bridge the language  barrier and bring countries together. 

Such as this initiative by the British Council, Rehana Mughal, Susan Hay and Rohan Stephens from the British Council, who are encouraging cultural exchanges and bringing artists and art practitioners together to forge cultural ties.

The artists below are passionate about art, proving that art as a visual language can travel and unite.
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Ali Al Bazzaz is a painter, calligrapher, and cartoonist. He practices and teaches Arabic calligraphy and fine arts and he was a cartoonist with Al-Ayam Newspaper from 2005-2011.
Ali is also the owner and founder of Mashq Art Space; a lively, collaborative art space and gallery, hosting art classes, exhibitions and exciting cultural and artistic events since 2015.
Ali aims for Mashq to nurture and grow artists in Bahrain and allow them to connect and build themselves as a community. 
​www.instagram.com/bazzaz32/?hl=en
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Naji Swar is a self-taught artist, passionate about watercolour painting. Following his passion for water colour, Naji abandoned his profession in furniture and décor and pursued his art career.
He has been a member of the Bahrain Association for Contemporary Art since 2012 and participated in an exhibition for the first time at the Bahrain Annual Fine Art Exhibition in 2012. 
Naji enjoys artistic experiments and using new material. He also enjoys sharing his experiences with others, and artistic exchange. He has been teaching watercolour painting classes at Mashq Art Space since 2016.
​www.instagram.com/najiswar_art/?hl=en
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Jaffar Al Oraibi is a painter and works mostly in oil on canvas. Featuring towering male figures and an array of animals, his large canvases explore issues relating to social pressures and gender expectations. With a fluid and gestural technique and dominant use of black, often representations of animals in the work refer to human characteristics and behaviours that highlight the tension between self and other, as well as the feeling of alienation between the individual and the group. 
His works are a strong voice in Bahrain's art world. His exhibition "The Man" at Al Riwaq Art Space in 2010 brought the artist to wider attention, followed by two shows at Cuadro Art Gallery (Dubai, UAE) in 2011and 2012. Jaffar Al Oreibi has participated in international artist residencies in Paris, London and New York.
​www.instagram.com/jaffar_aloraibi/?hl=en
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Zainab Darwish is an experimental artist, who has worked with charcoal, natural paint and mixed media. She is very keen on challenging herself and her abilities  through using new materials, paints and techniques. Zainab's art practice began as a form of self-expression, until it grew to be a big part of her identity and a daily practice.
Zainab has participated in various local exhibitions and youth initiatives, including Tea Al Shabab, 2015, the Synchronisation of Days 2016, and Grace Notes 2017. 
​www.instagram.com/zdarawsha/?hl=en
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Ali Hussein Merza is an artist and theatrical scenographer from Bahrain. He studied theatre and earned a Bachelor's Degree (with Honors) in Scenic Design from the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts in Kuwait in 2010. Following his formal academic studies, he decided to focus his energy on the youth and conducted numerous workshops and events that revolve around children's art.
His passion for fine art and theatre inspired him to research/experiment in his works. He utilised open spaces as avenues to express the ideas/issues that he wishes to reflect upon and discuss in a different way. Ali views installation artwork as being akin to breaking away from the confines of the theatre's stage. He replaces the actor with the spectator, who is often considered to be a part of the work. It is here that the artist finds himself, stuck somewhere in the area between two worlds: fine art and theatre. 
Ali participated in many exhibitions and theatrical showcases in Bahrain and abroad. He won a number of awards and most recently, Ali was the recipient of the Dana prize at the 44th annual Bahrain fine arts exhibition in 2018, the most prestigious award in Bahrain. 
​www.instagram.com/ali4art/?hl=en
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Mahmood Haider is a portrait artist and cartoonist who has inherited his passion for the arts from his family, who are all practicing different art forms. He started painting from the age of six and hasn't stopped since.
Mahmood has a bachelors' degree in Fine Arts from Kuwait, 2002 and currently works as an art teacher the Ministry of Education and as well as delivers specialised art classes with local studios like Mashq.
Mahmood particularly enjoys portraying Bahrain's nature and heritage using acrylic and watercolours, and he has also been doing caricatures since 2004. He is currently preparing an exhibition on Bahraini heritage. 
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May Al Alawi has a Bachelor's of Fine Arts from the College of Fine Arts in Baghdad, Iraq and has been teaching art in Ministry of Education schools for the past 15 years.
She is a founding member of "Cup of Art" Group and an administration member of "Be an Artist".
May has participated in many local exhibitions, more recently Symposium Dar Al Fan 2017 and Bahrain International Art Forum and Exhibition 2018.
May enjoys the process creation as well as observing other artists' work. She is also very passionate about inspiring youth/her students to explore and learn through the arts, art history and the process of making.
​www.instagram.com/mayalalawie/?hl=en
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Maryam Al Noaimi did her Masters in Urban Design at the University of Colorado, and her Bachelors in Interior Design at the University of Bahrain. She is interested in the relationship between the human-being and the place, how each is affecting the other and influencing culture, identity and environment. Her artwork includes installation and videography serving as a platform to explore, question and create a dialogue within oneself and with others. 
Maryam believes that working on art projects helps in creating a platform to explore, question, and create a dialogue within oneself and with others.
www.instagram.com/maralnoaimi/?hl=en
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The Way Forward: Education and Institutions Embracing Sustainable Fashion

3/1/2018

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Sustainable and ethical fashion have been making headlines, and rightly so. 
And yet, after many years of unethical fashion being readily available, how can we expect to make it a norm, if we do not understand it. Furthermore, garments with sustainable labels seem to be at a further cost to the consumer. I use the word ‘seem’ because that is exactly what it is, we assume that it can only be achieved with higher costs subsequently then priced into the garment. 
But maybe sustainable fashion could eventually with time be achieved without an extra cost, through new technologies and innovations. So if things are going to change for the better, and if a majority of people are to embrace this new wave in fashion and retail, even if there is a further cost, then as a society, as consumers and designers, we first have to understand what is sustainable fashion and how it can be achieved in the Fashion Industry and eventually become the norm.
​
Fashion can release a lot of power, it embraces notions of politics, identity and economy, and with that it can be a tool that does good. There have been brilliant minds endorsing ethical and sustainable fashion, such as Helen Storey, Simone Cipriani of Ethical Fashion Initiative, Katharine Hamnett, Vivienne Westwood,  Stella McCartney, The Fashion Revolution and so on. 
Though there are institution that have embraced this, like the United Nations through the Ethical Fashion Initiative, there still are major institutions who need to address this topic and to address what seems to be a growing demand from consumers.
So to whom do we look for to do this? Companies? Institutions? The government? 
Maybe all the above.

In come Kering and the Centre for Sustainable Fashion at London College of Fashion who have partnered to launch and create the world’s first open-access digital course in sustainable luxury fashion. This is in part a free platform (you can upgrade if you wish) to learn about what sustainable fashion is.
 
Gabrielle Miller Research Assistant at the Centre for Sustainable Fashion (CSF) and lecturer, who has worked on this project for over a year explained to me that the online course entitled ‘Fashion & Sustainability: Understanding Luxury Fashion in a Changing World’ “serves as an important tool to fashion industry professionals and students alike. It will enable participants to develop an understanding of innovative sustainable fashion research and business practice and help them to explore what is important to them and their approach to sustainability.”
 
By providing this arena of thought and knowledge in education, it gives the next generation of designers as well as consumers the tools to know what to do to ensure that fashion breathes sustainability and ethical attributes.
What seemed to start off as a trend amongst some, has become an occasion to instate change and even perhaps be the tipping point of an industry.  
François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of Kering stated at the course's launch that: “At Kering we believe that the shift towards sustainability and innovation in luxury fashion is not only an imperative, in our world of finite resources, but also a goldmine of opportunity.”

The team behind this platform have also worked with the British Fashion Council (BFC), showing it to Young British designers and industry professionals to make sure the program was relevant for the new wave of designers. At the launch of this partnership, Caroline Rush, Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council reaffirmed  that: "In 2018 London Fashion Week focuses on Positive Fashion, an initiative designed to promote and celebrate diversity, sustainability, and openness; encouraging fashion to be used as a platform to promote global positive change.”

Echoes of change seem to be ahead, and the six week online course that starts on the 9th April is reflecting that and wanting to provide knowledge and understanding of these core notions throughout education and luxury fashion so that it can eventually become a norm in the industry. 
Professor Frances Corner, Head of London College of Fashion, UAL advocated that: “Only through collaboration and the sharing of experience can we face the enormity of the challenges that lie ahead together. Often we can feel overwhelmed or unsure what sustainability means for our industry – we feel disempowered because there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution - but this course aims to empower aspiring and existing fashion professionals alike and help them develop their own manifesto for change.”

Let’s hope that we all embrace good change in the Fashion Industry and that it is for good and becomes a norm. Education is where ideas can be exchanged and implemented.
With people working hard to make the Fashion Industry rightly a more transparent one in how our clothes are sourced and made, learning how this is all done is surely more than a step in the right direction, it’s a necessary step so that communities and people not just in the UK but in the World can thrive and work in good and safe conditions.
​
Here’s to education, art schools and institutions joining forces and making changes!
www.futurelearn.com/courses/fashion-and-sustainability
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