Fast Fashion Manifesto
My fast fashion manifesto focuses on the causes and effects of the fashion industry, a call to action piece that raises awareness of the growing call for a circular economy. My fast Fashion manifesto promotes ways to change people's behaviour and patterns of consumption. Make people aware of the need to make more considered choices around fashion and consumables that are sustainable and close the loop.
Manifesto:
My Manifesto centers on examining the root causes and consequences of the fashion industry. It comprises a collection of six posters, with three posters illustrating the causes and the remaining ones depicting the effects. In the cause posters, I employ the symbol of money to convey notions of greed and excessive consumerism. The first poster portrays the CEO of a prominent fashion company engrossed in money, highlighting how their decisions and moral compass revolve solely around maximizing profit. In the second poster, I creatively shape the money into a dress, worn by a model on the catwalk, symbolizing the embodiment of injustice, superfluous consumerism, and insatiable greed. The third poster captures a consumer thoughtlessly burning money, oblivious to the industry she supports and perpetuates. As for the effect posters, they utilize plasters as symbols of both the harm caused and the imperative for healing.
The handbook elegantly presents all six posters, providing additional context to the series. The handbook cover serves as an introduction, outlining the manifesto's purpose and elucidating the intentions underlying the posters. Depicting two orderly rows of hangers, the cover visually communicates the initial impression of the fashion industry. However, as you turn each page, a gradual realisation unfolds, revealing that the fashion industry is far from the idyllic image it projects. This transformation becomes evident on the back cover, where the once neatly arranged hangers have been disrupted and derailed. This contrast emphasizes the division between the superficial facade of fashion and its harsh reality, with the hangers serving as a poignant symbol echoing this message.
The Clocks Ticking: Animation Short
This stop motion animation, crafted in a collage style, narrates a tale of a 9-year-old girl toiling in a sweatshop, enduring physical abuse and relentless labor to support her family. Regrettably, this narrative reflects the harsh reality experienced by countless sweatshop workers. The animation intentionally tugs at the viewer's heartstrings, cultivating an uncomfortable atmosphere. The use of a washed-out, dark color palette along with a meticulously chosen audio track contributes to an unsettling ambiance. The inclusion of sounds such as a weeping girl, the echoing ticking of a clock, and heavy breathing adds to this deeply affecting experience. Collectively, these artistic elements converge to form a powerful campaign piece, shedding light on the atrocities prevalent within the fast fashion industry.
The 4th Plinth:
The model exhibited on the 4th Plinth embodies the profound impact of the fashion industry on individuals and their existence. The towering surge of blazing hangers symbolizes the overwhelming influence it exerts. At the forefront, a hand emerges, its interpretation twofold: it can be seen as desperately reaching out for help, seeking rescue before succumbing to the clutches of the flawed fashion industry. Alternatively, it may be perceived as the hand greedily reaching for the hangers, representing the greed of big business and the ceaseless pursuit of clothing, even if it leads to destruction. This scene unfolds within a fractured glass enclosure, symbolizing the far-reaching consequences inflicted by the industry, gradually shattering everything it touches—human lives and the environment alike—piece by piece.
4th Plinth Option Two:
The concept behind this 4th Plinth model revolves around a colossal pair of fabric scissors engulfed in flames. These scissors symbolize the fast fashion industry, while the burning flames serve as a visual representation of the industry's chaotic state and its impact on global warming and the escalating temperatures of our planet. The act of burning typically evokes connotations of something evil, and it is precisely this association that I sought to convey—the profound atrocities inflicted upon humanity as a result of the industry and rampant consumerism.
4th Plinth Option Three:
The concept behind this 4th Plinth model centers on a giant hand being unzipped, metaphorically tearing apart the seam and lifting the veil on the fast fashion industry. The outstretched hand signifies a plea for help, symbolizing the need for collective action. Within the unzipped hand, clothed mannequins embodying people are depicted, portraying their need to break free from the industry's grasp. The underlying message emphasizes the urgency to unveil the realities of the fast fashion industry enabling those impacted by it to find liberation.