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To fully understand how to explore inclusive fashion, exclusive fashion must first be understood- and there are numerous ways in which fashion is exclusive. Mainstream fashion is mostly catered to and representative of a very small market of able bodied thin men and women, who society deems to be the most beautiful, the most attractive. This is mostly due to advertising in media telling the public this is what they should aspire to look like. According to ANAD.org (2003) the idealized body type shown in advertising makes up only 5% of American females, and this will only worsen with time unless there is change. This excludes the rest of the population of consumers, that including plus sized people, people with disabilities and people who dont fit in the widely accepted gender binary of male and female. It is unacceptable that so-called minorities that make up the rest of our society are shunned and ignored by the majority of designers and brands. Exclusive fashion is harmful to the people it excludes because without development and change, it perpetuates the ideals society portrays as optimal, whilst further pushing minorities into disregard. Young children are easily influenced by media, especially young girls, at whom the most pressure on physical appearance is directed.

REBECCA HEMANS SHEFFIELD HALLAM FASHION DESIGN

PERSONAL FUTURE DIRECTION ESSAY

INCLUSIVE FASHION

MAY 2014

!! Situations in which they can be made to feel like the way they are is

inadequate- for example shopping in high street stores where the clothing doesnt fit them, or being frequently exposed to imagery of an ideal body that looks nothing like them- can lead to severely poor body image. Children as young as 10 have been used in modeling campaigns by French Vogue in 2011, where young girls were given red pouty lipstick and oversexualised poses. Poor body image can lead to poor mental health, and physical and mental illnesses such as body dysmorphia and eating disorders.

(thehairpin.com- the tiny grown up lady children of vogue) !

Figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (2014) show that hospitals in England had 595 admissions to hospital of children with eating disorders aged 10-14, a 14% rise from the previous year. And although this is not solely the fault of the media assaulting the public with an ideal of thinness, Professor William Asscher states that In societies where there is no culture of thinness, eating disorders are very rare. Increasing Westernisation has led to an increase in eating disorders in several cultures. (2000). Therefore it would be counter-productive to deny correlation between negative media and image-influenced illness.

The minimal representation of people of colour in magazines and on catwalks can result in poor self image in the people not in the most represented and idealized demographic consisting of white European. According to Jenna Sauers, (2010) out of the 4095 turns on the runway during the 122 shows covered by Style.com in F/W 2010 New York Fashion Week, a mere 662 went to non-white models. This is a startling just under 84% of models on the runway during that week being of white ethnicity.

(thefashpack.net- 90% of the models on the runway this season were white)

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!(Visual Inspiration: Willow Darling)!!

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!(Visual Inspiration: Willow Darling)!!

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Whitewashing is not just from poor representation in the runway, the digital manipulation of people of colour to appear more western is also rampant in magazines and editorial features. For example, the digital lightening of both Gabouerey Sidibe in September 2010 and Aishwarya Rai in December 2010 by Elle Magazine. Cultural appropriation and fetishisation of ethnicity results in people of backgrounds other than white being viewed as props, as opposed to real groups of people that require and deserve accurate representation- without portraying a warped image of a race or culture, or being used to emphasise others whiteness. Dolce & Gabbana demonstrated shocking appropriation in their S/S13 RTW collection by incorporating racist caricatures of black women into prints and jewellery, whilst sending a 100% non black troupe of models down the catwalk wearing these atrocities.

(colorlines.com- dolce gabannas sends racist mammy earrings down the catwalk)

(beautyredefined.com- how white ideals exclude women of colour)

(hindustantimes.com- ash may sue elle for her racist pic)

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!!! Androgyny is a theme designers often explore. The blending of genders, the warping of the traditional ideas of mens clothes for men and womens clothes for women, is a positive thing for the queer community as it gives them larger representation and respect in the fashion industry.

(radhourani.com- unisex couture collection #9 paris)

However radical this is, androgyny in fashion still consists largely of mens clothes adapted for women to wear, for example, women wearing trousers and suits. This is problematic in a number of ways, mainly due to the trends revolving around women in menswear being largely only made to look good, or fashionable, when on tall, model-thin women- meaning women with body frames of societys ideal man. !

!! Another issue with current mainstream androgyny is that its only considered fashionable when women are wearing mens style clothing, and not the other way around. This look is considered chic, edgy and empowering. However, put a man in a dress and society is more likely to think he is being emasculated, made a fool of, which is why most fashion designers dont create this look. It has a drastically negative impact on women and non binary members of society when dressing feminine is made to seem so insignificant and derogatory. Andrej Pejic is a fashion model that has identified as both male and female. Although its a positive advancement in fashion that they have modelled for both menswear and womenswear collections, and launched their own jewellery line in 2014 to support LBGT youth charity, the Ali Forney Center, they still tick all the boxes of Western appeal being tall, thin, and white. !

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!!!!(Visual Inspiration: Ezra miller in lilac for Paper magazine)!

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(Visual Inspiration: Ezra Miller in lipstick for Paper magazine)!!

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A small percentage of brands and designer labels have the specific aim to accommodate the needs of groups with particular needs, with some designers who create with plus sized people in mind, and some specifically for wheelchair users.

(ecouterre.com- xeni collection)!

This needs-specific design process is ideal for groups with different requirements to the mass consumer, which is a progressive occurrence that is thankfully on the increase. Ann Oliver is a fashion designer with multiple sclerosis, and motivated by her own experiences se launched the designer label Xeni for those with disabilities, focusing as much on fashion as on functionality (2012). Xenis unique selling points include magnet fastenings and cut away sections on bottoms for ease of access whilst dressing. They also offer specialized tailoring for those with differing needs.

!!(andrejpejic-portfolio.blogspot.co.uk- andrej pejic shot by micheal hemy)!!

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(Visual Inspiration: fashionmodeldirectory.com- Glamcult Issue ft. Mykki Blanco)!

(Visual Inspiration: GQ UK Style Magazine Spring 2013 Issue ft. Mykki Blanco)!

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! My previous work has explored exclusivity in some ways, but without as much specific focus on providing for minority groups as I plan to in the future. In a design futures module the theme of sustainability was explored, taking into account the hypothetical scenario of a 2030 world with very limited resources and make-and-mend trends. The final collection consisted of six looks, made up of oversized garments with heavy textures and detachable, interchangeable sections. This relates to the direction of inclusivity in several ways. The oversized garments allow for people of both sexes and to physically wear the clothing (therefore the collection is genderless), and due to the spacious element of the clothing the garments allow for motion without restriction, which could be advantageous to those with limited movement. !

Eddie Ndopu, social activist and queer black disabled fashion icon stated some of the issues with high street clothing for a wheelchair user: If you are sitting in a mobility device all day, everyday then wearing tight clothing with lots of buttons and pockets is a recipe for tremendous discomfort. Also, some fashionable clothes are unaffordable for the overwhelming majority of Crips [cripples] who are cash-poor because the political economy is simply not conducive for our meaningful participation.

(thefeministwire.com- introducing eddie ndopu)!!

The ethics of make-and-mend culture reflect, in a way, the style of of those with inhibiting disabilities who have differing clothing needs to that which is generally provided, as they must source garments from outside the high street. It also reflects that of that of modern queer fashion- many people who identify, and dress outside the gender binary have to strive to find clothing that reflects their personal style. This means obtaining clothing from a variety of sources, including making and modifying garments to suit their own styles or physical requirements, and buying from designers and brands targeted to those with needs other than their own.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Visual Inspiration: Natalia Mencej 2012 graduate collection)! ! (Visual Inspiration: Natalia Mencej 2012 graduate collection)!!

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!!!In a live swimwear design project with Panache the design focus chosen was for Sculptresse, which is a section of the lingerie brand specifically targeted towards women with a larger back size than the rest of the brands products- plus size women. This was an important proposal as at the time Panache did not have a product section specifically for swimwear for plus size women, and greater representation and providing of products means wider acceptance and ease of life for people with body types outside societys ideal. It was constructive of the university to take on the project from Panache because it brought higher publicity to a company that promotes lingerie and beachwear for plus sized women.

(3 swimwear and cover-up outfit proposals for Sculptresse Swimwear)

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!!!!!!!!!!!To sum up, for my future direction I plan to keep inclusivity in mind at every point in the designing and marketing process, but also to keep in mind the exclusivity that has occurred in the past to ensure I dont perpetuate toxic ideals. This will be done through frequent research into and feedback from the target markets that have previously experienced omission and misrepresentation from fashion. The aim is to create a inclusive fashion lines that provide comfortable, visually appealing clothing for not only the mainstream market, but also plus size, disabled and physically inhibited people of either sex and any gender, without racism or cultural appropriation in the making or marketing and representation of the collections. With enough designers taking this attitude at a designer level, the more the inclusive ideas will trickle down into high street level and provide accessible fashion for everyone at an affordable price. !

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(Visual Inspiration: Hood by Air by Shayne Oliver!!

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(Visual Inspiration: Hood by Air by Shayne Oliver)!

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!My previous work has explored exclusivity in some ways, but without as much specific focus on providing for minority groups as I plan to in the future. In a design futures module the theme of sustainability was explored, taking into account the hypothetical scenario of a 2030 world with very limited resources and make-and-mend trends. The final collection consisted of six looks, made up of oversized garments with heavy textures and detachable, interchangeable sections. This relates to the direction of inclusivity in several ways. The oversized garments allow for people of both sexes and to physically wear the clothing (therefore the collection is genderless), and due to the spacious element of the clothing the garments allow for motion without restriction, which could be advantageous to those with limited movement. !

BIBLIOGRAPHY: ANAG.ORF, (2003), last visited 20/4/14, http://www.anad.org/get-information/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorders-statistics/ ASCHER, PROFESSOR SIR WILLIAM, (2000), THEINDEPENDENT.CO.UK, last visited 20/4/14, http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/media-blamed-for-rise-in-eating-disorders-718088.html BEAUTYREDEFINED.NET, (2011), last visited 22/4/14 http://www.beautyredefined.net/beauty-whitewashed-how-white-ideals-exclude-women-of-color/ COLVILLE, LIZ, (2011), THEHAIRPIN.COM, last visited 23/4/14 http://thehairpin.com/2011/01/the-tiny-grown-up-lady-children-of-vogue-paris ILYAS, S, (2012), THEGUARDIAN.COM, last visited 20/4/14, http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/fashion-blog/2012/sep/26/dolce-gabbana-racist-earrings?newsfeed=true KNEBL, CLAIRE, TEENVOGUE.COM, (2014), last visited 22/4/14, http://www.teenvogue.com/fashion/designers/2014-04/andrej-pejic-sam-snyder-jewelry NDOPU, EDDIE, (2013), THEFEMINISTWIRE.COM, last visited 22/4/14, http://thefeministwire.com/2013/02/a-black-crips-perspective-on-fashion-and-embodied-resistance/ NEW AGENCIES, HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE INFORMATION CENTRE, (2014) TELEGRAPH.CO.UK, last visited 20/4/14, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/10607237/Eating-disorder-increase-among-young-people.html !

PEMBERTON, MAX, (2012), TELEGRAPH.CO.UK, last visited 22/4/14, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-health/9133819/The-fashion-label-for-people-not-disabilities.html SAUERS, J, (2010), JEZEBEL.COM, last visited 20/4/14, http://jezebel.com/5476920/fewer-models-of-color-work-new-yorks-fashion-runways?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+jezebel/full+ !