Gaming collage
All three of my forecasts relate to the metaverse and virtual environments in one way or the other. My exploration of the gaming industry, particularly cases in which gaming crosses over to fashion was a pivotal part that informed the initial outline of my 360 campaign. From this research, one of the key takeaways I have found was that there is a collection of codes that gamers use when they communicate with one another in these multiplayer gaming environments. Learning and taking elements of this language and sprinkling them in in my writing style for the copy of my trend books was one of the ways I thought I could add a contemporary element to these outcomes. Conversations around the metaverse have increased across industries during the pandemic which is the reason we are experiencing a spike in themes such as digital entertainment being explored in global fashion. 2021 brought us an arguably unexpected collaboration between Italian fashion powerhouse Balenciaga and popular player-versus-player game, Fortnite. Treating the collaboration as a marketing case study has given me the opportunity to reflect on all of the elements that have made the coming together of these two brands such a success. Particularly the methods used to distribute and advertise the collection were the aspects that I felt most excited about.
Visual here should be orange spherers edit
My research into futurism and fashion communication continued with Minority Report. By taking snapshots of specific scenes of the film I was able to analyse the costume, colour, and art direction of the film. I believe Minority Report to be ahead of its time which is the reason it had to be mentioned as a critical part of my 360 development. In a way I consider sci-fi films to be trend forecasts themselves, as they communicate a message about the future that often ends up inspiring product design that we utilize in our daily lives decades later. A great example of this is the hoverboard, popularised by Back To The Future, which is a real life product now.
TOKYO STREETWEAR
The research that I conduct into global fashion innovation is inclusive of streetstyle analysis of the big cities around the world. I consider the observation of these settings an excellent opportunity to reflect on what sticks and what does not on a consumer level. This testing ground often proposes new ideas, especially in our current climate where DIY fashion and customization are at the forefront of the youth market. Tokyo, one of my favourite cities is known for its various neighbourhoods that all cultivate a local dress code which is admired all over the world. Tokyo natives strive to express their individuality through their clothing choices. Detecting what is happening on the streets of Tokyo had a vital part in determining the look within my 360 book.
Tokyo street style collage
models
The aim for my zine is to have a lookbook feel to it, which meant that I had to think about the type of image I wanted for the models to have. Here, I had to take into consideration what my values were and what messages I wanted for this shoot to convey as it represents Peter, as well as my vision for the future. Especially that I am discussing youth and the future of the youth market I knew that I had a social responsibly to use this opportunity and promote diversity when it came to the casting. It is part of my personal belief system that beauty comes from within and that beautiful can look like multiple different things. Individuals that are set to buy into HOMEBIRD.EXE, GAME ON and CONFORMITY all have a key shared quality which is confidence. This confidence must come across through the original photography so that attitude and being able to comfortably move in front of the camera were the first qualities I looked for in potential candidates. I have previously spoken about how important gender inclusivity is to my own brand and this is something that I hope to communicate through the lookbook imagery produced. The collage in front of you highlights poses that are best suited for my HOMEBIRD.EXE forecast. This story is all about home comforts, care for one’s self and tranquillity, so poses such as the ‘self-hug’, hugging or lying down were the first couple of thoughts I had in mind.
Genderless fashion is already huge in the youth sector, and it is a section of the market that is predicted to grow over the next decade. Within my styling work I did not take a traditional gender binary into consideration as that does not align with my values as a person, or as a creative. Instead, I aimed to curate a selection of garments that flatters the individual, regardless of the clothing’s gender markers. The croquis developments displayed on this page relate to my three visions for the future of fashion.
Li Edelkoort’s Bloom magazine was the first publication that I researched at the start of the Concept Direction & Development module. The highly inspirational images and the themes explored in this publication captured my attention immediately. In Bloom magazine the high-resolution photographs are paired with minimal writing, which makes for an interesting layout that fuels the reader’s curiosity. Although there are no key colour pages in this report, the images themselves could be used as swatches by any designer that is looking to be inspired. The visual language of Edelkoort’s Bloom magazine is a delight to read and an important reference point for my final major project.
One of my biggest inspirations for creating my own trend publication was Bricks Magazine, which connects to my brand in a personal way. Bricks Magazine was created by Tori West with the aim of providing an outlet for working class creatives to express themselves through their creative endeavours. From my research into the brand, I have learnt that one of the many ways Bricks Magazine supports young talent is through their rentable studio place that is available for individuals at a budget friendly cost. Bricks Studio with its extensive supply of equipment become one of the stronger contenders on list of preferred locations. Alongside Bricks Studio, I wanted a background setting for my fashion imagery that responds to gaming. NQ64 Arcade Bar in Manchester was the first place I had visited on my search for locations for my final photoshoot. NQ64, located in Manchester’s Northern Quarter embraces the look and feel of an authentic retro gaming space with its colourful, funky aesthetic and neon splattered rooms throughout the venue. Serving as the perfect setting to visually represent my GAME ON forecast, I knew I had to contact NQ64 and arrange my fashion shoot at a later date. For HOMEBIRD.EXE and CONFORMITY, a studio setting would be satisfactory enough to recreate the mood of those forecasts which meant that my location hunt was complete in its planning stages.