COP2

@rubydowniecop

Context Of Practice: Gender Identity

66 posts

SELF REVIEW

BLOG

Over all, I am happy with my blog, I think I have done suitable research, I think the look of the blog is good, all my images go well together and there is a good balance of text and images with there not being too much of either. However I think there could be more images of the actual bags I made and maybe more designs done. I also think that I started the blog quite successfully, doing blog posts frequently, however when we began doing other modules as well I started to lag behind with the post and had to catch with them.

BAG

I am not exceptionally happy with my finished bag. My concept was to create a unisex bag that challenged the norms of unisex (unisex styles being usually very heavily male) which I am not sure If have done, whether the bag is too simple to be challenging to the norms. The bag itself could bee seen as quite simple although this is just part of the minimal look that I wanted to achieve.

PHOTO

I am quite happy with my finished image, I managed to achieve a minimal but strong image. I am not sure whether the bag is the main focus in the image though, this could be changed by using different styling techniques, making the styling more simple so the bag stood out, but I wanted to show how the bag could be worn everyday. I also think that the use of a male model would have shown the bag to be more unisex but I found it difficult to find a male model at the time beef my photoshoot so if I were to do this again in future I would make sure to find someone well in advance.

OVERALL

I am quite happy with how I have worked with this module, however I think I could definitely have improved in certain aspects, these being the bag could be more challenging and fit my concept more and I could have played around and experimented to make the bag more complex, this maybe being through laser cutting and colour experimentation.

FINAL IMAGE

OTHER IMAGES

Other images from the studio, not all of these are suitable but I really like, they would be good to use for something like a two page advert spread beside the final image I choose.

DECISIONS

These are the choices I have for my final image, the only difference between these images is the grain, I wanted to add the brain to make the photo look more like a film camera, however I like the clean image as well. I am not sure which one to choose, I think I am going to ask for the opinion of other people as I think I have begun to look at the images too much and need a fresh pair of eyes.

EDITING

Here I have edited my photos using Photoshop and Lightroom. I have put a grain on the photos as I want them to look film rather than digital, I also decided to add a blue/cold filter so that the silver and blues in the photo make the images look clean and minimal.

OUT-TAKE GIF

OUT-TAKE GIF

CAMERA SETTINGS

These are the photos from the shoot where I was experimenting with the camera settings, I really liked the blurry edge effect on Hannah on the first photo, however because the shutter was open for so long the silver fabric at the back is lost and the colours are slightly off. The camera settings in the last photo are the settings I went with.

PHOTOSHOOT PROPS

These are the props I have decided to use for my photoshoot, I wanted to use flowers or plants in my photoshoot, I also really wanted to get the metallic silver fabric either in the design of my bag or the photoshoot, I am going to try using it as a backdrop for my photoshoot.

MATERIALS

These are the materials I am going to use for my bag. I would have liked to use more pastel coloured leather but was unable to find the correct colour I wanted. All my fabrics were bought from Fabworks. I have bought zips but I don't think I will need them as the closing method on my bag is just to place the other half of the bag the opposite way into it.

Here I began using leather to create a mini bag before I make the larger version. I like the idea of the bag being two parts that could be used separately, I also like that they could be different colours and people could mix and match on the colours they would like. Although this bag is quite simple I like that as I prefer a minimal look and think this would make it more useable for both genders.

BAG EXPERIMENTATION

Here I began playing with paper creating bags, I thought it would be more interesting to begin playing with paper rather than drawing them first so I can get a feel for the size and style I would like my bag to look. I really like the idea of pleating on my bag, I think this could add interesting tone to the bag and is not something you would normally see on a ‘masculine’ bag. With the box pleating I think it could be cool to have a splash of colour on the inside of the pleats to add a unusual detailing.

PEER REVIEW

Maddie Rowland: https://maddieoliviarowland.tumblr.com

Maddie is looking at Identity Through Colour, Feminism, and masculinity. I think me and Maddie are both looking for a similar minimal kind of look in our designs and photoshoot. I think Maddie’s research into colour and texture is really god, its interesting to think that even certain textures can seen to be for certain genders. I am really interested to see what Maddie will create.

PEER REVIEW

Olivia Miller: http://oliviamiller-cop2.tumblr.com

Olivia is looking at Sustainable fashion, the images and research on her blog are all very coherent and look great together. I really love Olivia’s experimentation with ‘trapping’ other materials in between the plastic, in particular I think the use of found waste is really interesting considering Olivia is looking at sustainability. Olivia has done a lot of research into the sustainability of using plastic in fashion. As well as her experimentation with fabric I also really like the way Olivia has done her illustrations and designs of her bag ideas, collage is something Olivia uses a lot in her work and I really like that she has a style of work that you can look at and know it is hers. Olivia’s final product is really cool, I like the way it has lots of layers (again using her collage style), I am really looking forward to how she styles and photographs it.

PEER REVIEW

SOPHIE GEE: http://sophiegeecop.tumblr.com

Sophie is looking at how accessible fashion is depending on social class and wealth. I think this is a really interesting topic to look at. So far I really like what Sophie has done with her blog, she has built a strong brand with the research she has done. Sophie's ideas remind me of the Vivienne Westwood 2011 Spring/Summer campaign photos. I think Sophie’s experimentation with fabrics and materials is really cool and I really understand what her concept is!

PEER REVIEW

LUCY WHITEHEAD: http://lucywhiteheadcop2.tumblr.com

The designer research that Lucy has looked at are all very relevant to her work, I really like the look of Lucy’s blog, the colours and images all work really well together and it really shows her concept and gives a strong idea as to what her final product will look like. Me and Lucy are both looking at creating a unisex style and have researched some similar things including the Gucci collection, I think it is interesting looking at some of the things she has researched as they have given me ideas and inspiration too! I also think it is interesting that both of us our looking at playing with gender stereotypes in the colours pink and blue.

COLOUR BOARD

Here is a board I have created with the colours I want to use on my bag. I wanted to use lots of pinks or stereotypically ‘girly’ colours, but I also want to keep to the Soft Pop trend. I really like the idea of adding some metallics into my work.

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