A Thesis Discussing How to Rewrite Destructive Gender Norms in the Commercial Fashion Industry
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Independent Project: Final Written Report Rewrite A thesis discussing how to rewrite destructive gender norms in the commercial fashion industry. Author: Julia Därth Supervisor: Cassandra Troyan, Matilda Plöjer Examiner: Mathilda Tham Term: VT20 Subject: Visual Communication + Change Level: Independent Project Course: 2DI68E Abstract The purpose of this thesis is to explore how gender norms are represented and depicted in the commercial sphere of fashion, affecting primarily females. The thesis will highlight the voices of several young females of today and their perception of how it is to be influenced and exposed to gender norms in regards to fashion. This thesis theoretical chapters consists of theories in gender norms, norm-critical design, fashion magazines, editorial design, fashion photography, norm-critical photography and intersectional feminism. Furthermore, the method used for this paper are interviews, a total of 17 people were interviewed, whereas five of them are currently working in either the commercial fashion industry or as creatives on a global level. The interviews occurred online, through both emailing and Instagram. This thesis concludes that several aspects, primarily based on the male gaze negatively influence gender norms in the commercial sphere of fashion. However, it is also concluded that there are several change agents, working towards breaking these toxic influences. The thesis is also part of a design project, which final outcome is exhibited at the exhibition Windows Of Opportunity. An online exhibition hosted by the program Design + Change and Visual Communication + Change, at the Linnaeus University in Sweden https://2020.designportfoliolnu.se/rewrite. Keywords: Gender norms, Fashion, Intersectional Feminism, Male Gaze, Commercial, Norm-Critical, Fashion Magazine, Beauty 1 Table of content 1. Introduction............................................................................................................3 1.1 Background........................................................................................................................... 1.2 Aim...................................................................................................................................... 1.3 Research questions............................................................................................................... 2. Theoretical framework..........................................................................................5 2.1 Gender Norms/Norm Critical Design/Undisciplined design............................................... 2.2 Fashion Magazines/Editorial design………………………............................................... 2.3 Fashion photography/Norm Critical photography.............................................................. 3. Methodology.........................................................................................................14 3.1 Interviews.......................................................................................................................... 4. Design Process.....................................................................................................15 4.1 Brainstorming and developing concept................................................................................ 4.2 Visual Research.................................................................................................................... 4.3 Experimentation..................................................................................................................... 4.4 Photographing...................................................................................................................... 4.5 Contacting collaborators...................................................................................................... 4.6 Gathering answers from collaborators................................................................................. 4.7 Idea development................................................................................................................. 4.8 Visual Identity...................................................................................................................... 4.9 Final Visual Identity............................................................................................................. 5. Conclusion............................................................................................................25 6. References.............................................................................................................27 7. Appendix................................................................................................................30 2 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Background Ever since mom stopped picking out outfits for my sisters and me, I have loved to experiment with styles and clothing. Throughout my childhood and teenage years, I probably went through every style there is, from punk to bohemian to streetwear. And in the bin at home, one could find traces of pieces of fabric from me reconstructing clothes I was tired of, by cutting a pair of jeans into shorts or making a skirt out of an old dress. Throughout my life, clothes have been a fundamental way of expressing myself. But growing up in an era where Victoria’s Secret models were idolized, it warped my self-image, and I became obsessed with fitting into the norm. For years, I felt like the brand determined the characteristics of femininity for millions of young girls around the globe. And, like many others, I studied what the models ate, what they wore, and how many times a day they worked out and copied that into my everyday life. I developed a destructive relationship with myself and the fashion industry, and sometimes I feel like a part of me vanished since it took away the most nourishing part of my personality, self-expression. I decided to create a fashion zine as a tool for myself and everyone out there who fights with how to navigate within the commercial sphere of fashion, finding a way out from the destructive gender norms. I also questioned why I have not been exposed to a commercial fashion magazine that takes responsibility in discussing how trends or norms set by the fashion industry affect its consumers. As a result, I felt a need for a more inclusive platform that moved away from the traditional magazines, and on a deeper level, discussed gender norms in regards to fashion as well as inspired me to find new and more resilient ways of how to express myself through clothing. To make the zine a platform and a community, it will be distributed by hand. Starting with me distributing it myself to my closest girlfriends, then later distributed for others to read it. Hence, shifting the power structures from the producers of commercial magazines, to the individual. 3 Diana Crane, professor of sociology as well as author states that fashion performs an essential role in the social construction of identity. It is also one of the most noticeable markers of status and gender. Crane plays an important part in unpicking the effects fashion has on sociology and how fashion affects how people interact with each other. Crane further states that for centuries individual style and fashion itself have played an essential role in how people understand their positions in social constructions. Such as religion, class, and regional identity. Additionally, throughout history, it has been viewed as controversial trying to discontinue the aforementioned structures via implementing styles from other social classes (Crane, 2000). However, today the fashion industry is moving into a more gender-fluid sphere, where unisex clothing is as popular in stores as on the catwalk. Although it may seem as the fashion industry is progressing in regards to gender-fluid designs, there is still a noteworthy lack of diversity in regards to models being featured in magazines, on social media and catwalks (Crane, 2000). 1.2 Aim This essay will investigate how gender norms within the commercial fashion industry affect the everyday life of mostly young women in today’s society. Furthermore, the design aspect of the project will, through visual communication, explore new ways of constructing a fashion magazine, moving away from the traditional constructions. Tansy Hoskins, a London based journalist working on covering the fashion industry states that the fashion magazine industry is approximately 300 years old. Hoskin’s book The Stitched Up, The Anti-Capitalist Book Of Fashion unfolds the history of the fashion magazines and how it came to be a communication tool for the fashion industry, with a strong influence on determining what is in fashion or not. It became the way to present luxurious garments by highly respected fashion brands. The first women’s magazine, The Ladie’s Mercury, initially published in 1693, became a journal for the elitist women of that era. Today, the fashion magazine industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, primarily monopolized by fashion giants (Hoskins, 2014). 4 The two cash cows exist of one, the consumers, and two, the advertisers. The fashion magazines’ status as a parlor attracted advertisers and firms whom wished to draw benefit from the billion-dollar industry. As a result, publishing houses decided to scrap the idea of attracting the mass-market but instead convinced many magazines, including Vogue, to exclusively target the upper class. Still today, magazines target the middle and upper classes