I’m stuck D: I don’t know what to do. Thank God I’m seeing Gayle tomorrow for a one-to-one meeting for my project as I need some more directions to think about. I’m currently considering a very deep influence of the mind and how you can be trapped in something horrible, and as I thought about previous project as well I started to recall my thoughts on body image especially throughout the fashion industry.
As you know I have an inspiration blog on tumblr, which you’re welcome to follow http://imogenfuchsia-inspiration.tumblr.com/ and a lot of the people I follow post pictures of themselves saying ‘I wish I was skinnier…’ when there’s fuck all wrong with them in the first place. So I started looking into the mental disorder anorexia, because it’s heavily influenced by many style icons, especially in this day and age when society is saturated in celebrity culture. Also, when you have an addiction, in this case to losing weight, it’s a very difficult mindset to get out of and you’re essentially trapped in these negative thoughts about your body image.
This fashion illustration, also found on Tumblr (it’s a versatile place) really inspired me. I want the models to be curvy when I do the fashion show. I’ve chosen two girls in my class: Maddie and Sally, and I’ll be modelling the other piece, we all have bodies similar to the first two illustrations, but I don’t know anyone with a figure like the third one who wants to model in the fashion show. It’s a shame because there’s nothing wrong with it. Curves are amazing, I wish I had more, I look like a stick.
Anyway, as I said before, I’d like this to be like a sort of ‘drawing awareness’ and ‘charity’ sort of collection to the subject of anorexia and how it’s not just people losing weight, it’s an addiction – a mental disorder. I want to express this by having my models different shapes. I’m practically made of nothing, people say I’m skinny all the time, and trust me it’s not all it’s cracked up to be; both Maddie and Sally have beautiful figures, curves in the right places but still slim, so they look healthy which is what I want to promote.
I want to design and produce garments that flatter the figure, not look like they’re trying to cover up or try and wear something too small to feel better. It’s all about being confident in your own skin and build because that’s a healthy way to live. Believe me, I spent the whole 5 years of secondary school hating every aspect of myself, and when I got to college and came out of my shell, I realised just how much more effort it was to be unhappy. I wouldn’t say I love my body enough to stand up in front of a crowd wearing a bikini – no way, unless I’m on a beach or in the pool. But I’m confident in how I look and if I could change myself in any way it would be to have more curves, but other than that I’m happy just making sure I’m being healthy.
This also ties in with the amazing influence and inspiration I’ve had from the Tim Holtz keys. I actually love them so much, I’ve changed the cover photo of my Facebook timeline to this photo!!!
I love them. I think that this inspired me with what I was previously talking about was how these keys could be labelled as opening different parts of your mind, such as insecurities and doubts, and then being able to walk out of those parts, lock the doors (metaphorically/mentally of course) and unlock the doors to being happy and confident, because that’s what everyone can do, it’s just finding it (especially in our teenage years) that’s the tricky part. It’s difficult to be brought up in a society where you never feel pretty enough. But if you try and look like someone else, then you’re not doing a very good job at being yourself. Truth.
I’ll keep you updated over the next few weeks cos if I babble on any longer… you’re probably going to unfollow and think I’m some odd crazy person!!! I am, but shh.
