PETER BALAZS KECSKES 1913741 ‘BETA’ 10X10X10 BRAND BOOK
INTRODUCTION
‘Beta’ is a fashion communication campaign contextualising the world of a new generation yet to be born, the children of Generation Z, Beta. Through a in-depth analysis of the social, cultural, economic and political shifts affecting our future blended with a thorough investigation of Generation Z’s parenting values a picture is painted for the year 2043, when these young changemakers will reach adulthood. Heavily influenced by the Japanese art movement Yami Kawaii and social media micro trend #kidcore my fashion forecast creates a visually engaging narrative as it discusses the mental health struggles of this generation and their lives on a decaying planet. The darkness of the theme is contradicted by a whimsical and playful visual language that softens the harsh edges of reality through black humour and irony.
Within this brand book all key aspects of my final major project is detailed through a 10x10x10 format, where 10 of the most defining characteristics of ‘Beta’ are highlighted in a well-rounded description of the visual narrative.
10x10x10 writeup text
Generation Beta, for the most part, represents the children of Generation Z, an age group that grew up entirely in a social media environment, making them subject to online bullying, trolls, and constant criticism with the majority of their lives being documented on various platforms. With the rising popularity of the metaverse and other immersive technological advancements Betas are set to be impacted by messages of negativity in their digitally interconnected lives even more so than their parents’ generation. The use of abstract shapes within my final major project aim to represent the barriers or walls that young individuals put up between themselves and their peers through beautifying filters, image editing and a carefully curated digital footprint in order to protect their feelings. Masking their face and physique, these collections of shapes are an artful interpretations of Generation Z’s style icon Billie Eilish’s dress sense: baggy forms disguising her from critiquing eyes and anonymous online opinions. Further research has informed my project regarding how basic forms are used as vehicles of storytelling with Comme des Garcons becoming a key inspiration with their sculptural take on design, awing their fanbase with hidden meanings of complex layering. The round shapes can be identified as a common thread running through the entirety of the project, a literal take on the phrase ‘softening the edges’, amplifying this idea of sugar-coating the tough realities of Beta lives through a repeated metaphor. Additionally, we have seen Generation Z starting to move away from skin-fitting silhouettes, instead an oversized look is preferred, conveying a fashion forward mentality of the wearer which gives great commercial validity of the picture I am painting for the future.
This new generation is going to be shaped considerably by their parents’ Generation Z lens in which they will be introduced to the world through. When a survey was conducted by myself on the issue the responses recorded on parenting values have demonstrated a unanimous attitude that Generation Z share with one another on important matters. Validating their children’s feelings and teaching their young ones to treat everybody the same were the two responses most repeated during this data collection. From a personal perspective, as a member of Generation Z I can confirm that there is an understanding, an underlying agreement amongst a significant part of my age group that aspire to do better than their elders, who in the past might have blamed their “generational thinking” for their poor behaviour or their mistreatment to others, rooted in racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia. After all Generation Z is the age group that birthed cancel culture, in which individuals with problematic views or unsociable opinions are held responsible for their actions and often shamed publicly on social media channels. Based on the results of my survey, personal reflection and additional research on the topic we can create a profile for what Generation Z’s children, Beta might grow up to be like based on these observations. Growing up with progressive parents whose key values are centred around social justice and a non-judgemental attitude, Beta children have the chance to become more emotionally intelligent, authentic and socially aware from an early age. As their parents pass their learnings to this new generation Beta will become the generation that, unlike their parents age group, will ‘walk the walk’ rather than just ‘talk the talk’. On the other hand Generation Z might have an inclination to subconsciously imprint their pessimistic take on life on their young ones as the decaying planet and the increasingly worrying social, political and economic climate intensifies, impacting their day to day lives further. Nonetheless, one thing is for definite: Betas will be born at a critical time in our history as they will share the heavy weight of a collective responsibility to be the change in reversing the negative changes previous generations have disrupted life on this planet with.
Yami Kawaii, translated to ‘sick-cute’ is the Japanese fashion and art movement that quickly gained international recognition, spreading its influence through its controversial nature. The Harajuku-born aesthetic upon first look communicates a dreamlike, pastel-coloured playfulness that after a closer inspection reveals a deeper meaning. A true pillar in my final major project, Yami Kawaii is an opportunity for the people of Japan to vent and discuss their mental wellbeing through decorating their artwork and clothing items with slogans, symbols, and hidden messages of their struggles. In a country where in most cases open conversation about mental wellbeing is not considered welcome using iconography that allows people to feel seen resonates with many in a powerful manner. The dark theme of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide is accompanied by a conflicting visual language that is connected to a whimsical, cartoonlike sensibility with ‘cutsie’ graphics and bright colours alluring us into a false sense of security. Yami Kawaii has built a subculture in Japan for those with troubled minds, comforting individuals by pointing out their shared struggles. Within my final major project, a community factor is created through applying the Yami Kawaii method in raising awareness for the struggles of the youth.
A significant part of my final major project is inspired by dance and performance art. With a special focus on improvised movement, I found inspiration in telling stories through a universal language that audiences can relate to and interpret emotion or feeling from. In performance art actors often utilize simplified costume that allows audiences to engage fully with the messages narrated through their physical expression. Through moving my final major project away from stills and into the world of the moving image it allowed me to collaborate with talented individuals that share common concerns with me regarding the next chapter of human life on this planet. An emotionally heightened result was achieved as layers of new meaning was introduced to my campaign via the intricate series of movement that mirror the tone and theme of Generation Beta’s troubled lives.
The visual codes of Beta step away from over-stimulating imagery as they convey messages of simplicity through the heavy use of empty space and an overall stripped back aesthetic. Relating back to the Yami Kawaii movement, the ‘cutsie’, childlike fonts and graphics speak to a sense of familiarity as we feel comforted by recognising the basic symbolism in commonly known figures of innocence. Cartoon-like shapes accompany traditional fashion imagery in Beta, inclusive of clouds, butterflies, hearts and more, offering a visual security blanket to the viewer, keeping them engaged in discussing important matters. During the planning stages of our final campaigns, we were invited to find a gap in the fashion communications market and come up with a fix to be discussed in our FMP. From early on I had a clear idea that I wanted to focus on futurism within my project, a generic theme that creatives and audiences alike often connect to cold, lab-like, liminal spaces, metallic finishes, and a toughness. These symbolic codes we are already familiar with from the synonymous art movement of the early 20 th century to the space age of the 1960s up until the more current interpretations of the matter such as Star Trek or Minority Report. When discussing Generation Beta my goal was to introduce a softness and a playful sensibility to the storytelling with the hopes of creating something truly original. Although my projection for this generation takes place over twenty years into the future reaching for costuming or an editing style that conforms to traditional ideas of futurism felt out of place for my project, instead a more ‘rough around the edges’, naïve, almost crafty theme was selected, proven to be a particular success when applied to my animated visual outcomes.
Youngest members of the Generation Beta clan will reach adulthood by 2043, 21 years from the production of this project. A personal aim for the visuals from the start has been to paint a picture that has strong, close ties to futurism and one that audiences can relate to with a low risk of the imagery deemed outdated. In 21 years the cycle of trends will bring new and exciting ideas to the forefront of design particularly as they are rooted in the analysis of our political, economic, and social climate which in our times are intensely over accelerated. Due to this data the decision was made to paint a picture for Beta’s living space that has a certain ambiguity, a neutral environment that can act as a blank canvas to house our narrative. Floating, zero gravity and sensory deprivation were the initial research points in creating Beta’s home. Heavily inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland the imaginary spaces created in my final major project take influence from the mind puzzling rooms described in the novel, captivating our eyes through their use of distorted perspective.
The fashion system is broken. Insiders from all walks of the industry continue to come forward with examples of classicism, racism, and discrimination within the business. On top of this fashion production makes up 10% of humanity’s carbon emissions, causing unreversible damage to our planet. In recent years the world of fashion took a leap and started to embrace meme culture, discussing such disturbing subjects through dark humour. Satirical fashion statements struck a chord with streetwear lovers globally, poking fun at subjects commonly deemed taboo. At the forefront of this innovation was Christopher Shannon, Liverpudlian fashion designer who has shone a light on the darkest secrets of the industry through his witty take on design. Fashion lovers used to the seriousness of couture found the joyful rebellion of meme culture a breath of fresh air. In my Generation Beta forecast dark humour and irony add levels to the storytelling. The core of my project is painting a picture of a dystopian future and that of a lost generation. Irony allows for audiences viewing my fashion imagery to have shared moments of joy and a boost of serotonin while they engage with a narrative about hard hitting issues.
The art movement futurism dates back to Italy and the early 20 th century where painters, graphic designers and sculptors amongst others started to address some revolutionary topics in their creative outputs, influenced by the technological advancements of the era with airplanes and automobiles transforming the lives of ordinary people. Futurism discusses an anticipated future through a dynamic visual language, often characterised by the heavy use of abstract shapes and references to industrial, unearthly settings. It is argued that the film genre science fiction borrows key ideologies established in those early 20 th century paintings due to their subject: the aim to demonstrate a new chapter for civilization. Futurism relates to my final major project as the supporting data behind the creative concept has been collated using the trend forecasting methodology, which invites the individual to take information that describes current times and through their imagination apply it to predict the future. Garments and objects used to communicate my FMP all share a futuristic quality with one another. Some references to futurism appear clearer to the viewer such as the use of padded boots and extensive layering, paying homage to the spacesuit, while other nods to the art movement remain on a subliminal level, bringing in newness through visual ambiguity.
Contradiction, conflict or contrast is a tool that fashion communicators often rely on in order to take their audience on a journey with their visuals. In this case contradiction is acknowledged as one of the most important pillars on which my final major project, ‘Beta’ builds upon. Using binary opposites such as the oversimplified, upbeat visuals matched with a dark twist of a narrative evokes a strong response in the viewer, grabbing their attention from the moment they are introduced to the campaign. Furthermore, such unexpected pairings add a depth, a fullness to the narrative as the darkness pulls our focus to the ‘cutsie’, comical aspect of the project whilst those elements highlight the dark, emotionally charged message behind the image through this polarity. The idea of negative space being created through a contrast of things influenced me greatly in styling my production. Areas where my models’ bodies were naturally curved or contoured based on their physique I saw opportunities to distort their natural figures by fashioning a makeshift disguise using my round, handsewn shapes. Counterbalancing my models’ physical attributes with these barriers resulted in a uniformed look amongst these vastly different people. As I reflect on the photographs captured using this process I realise that ‘Beta’ is an excellent social commentary on how young generations continue to distract their peers from their true selves on social media with the aim to blend in amongst the crowd. Utilising contradiction as a recurring theme within my project has allowed me to think outside of the box and introduce quirks and intricacies to the image-making that I might have not considered before.
Kidcore represents a visual aesthetic that was born from the minds of Generation Z who merged the youth market and kids wear by creating a subsection between them through an entirely new approach to styling. The kidcore aesthetic is the result of the hardships young generations had to face over the past few years with a global pandemic, war, and a troubled political, social, and economic climate. Yearning for a sense of wholesome familiarity individuals that felt like life, or their youth has been stripped away from them due to being restricted in their day-to-day lives attached themselves to apparel that reminds them of their early years and of simpler times. Key staples of this social media tribe became clothing items dyed in primary colours, graphic prints inspired by rainbows, letters, teddy bears and other sentimental toys. As well as supplying us with playful doses of 90s nostalgia the kidcore aesthetic provided me with a case study of behaviour, more specifically a map of Generation Z tendencies that showcases how the specified age group responds to negative situations. Upon decoding the mindset behind the micro trend the art direction of my final major project changed dramatically and the visual language became much more whimsical than expected.