Fine Artistry - Tattoos and the female form

So, it's final major project time at The London College of Fashion and after 3 long, sleep deprived years of studying the finishing line is finally within sight. Having said that the next year is possibly going to be the most stressful of them all, especially as the f.m.p brief is completely open to each student's personal choice and imagination!

Throughout my fashion communication media degree I have always been particularly drawn to the ideologies of the feminine form within our western culture and how a woman's physical appearance contributes to the way they are perceived in society. From the routine practice of wearing make-up, piercings and tattoos, the class connotations linked to diamonds and jewellery and the extremes of body modification; for centuries women have been manipulating and enhancing their bodies but for what purpose? Surely not solely for the purpose of attracting the opposite sex? This is what I intend to research, challenge and study for my chosen final project compiled in the form of a self-created fashion culture magazine using commissioned and personally written articles, in-depth interviews, visually rich photo shoots and collaborative work featuring other creative students within The University of the Arts, London.

I have begun my research by looking at the art of body art and tattooing. I myself have a couple of tattoos and I am also lucky to have a few friends at university who's bodies have been turned into walking canvasses! The perfect source of inspiration and research. I am collecting my research visually through photography and drawing so here are a few taster images courtesy of a couple of willing uni friends! Thanks Kerry and Charlotte x

Animation, Film and Fashion

Film animation has been a great source of inspiration for much of my college/university work. The laborious process of stop-motion animation could be considered an almost archaic form of media production however this process,in my opinion, only adds to the sense of nostalgia and intimacy of content these animation project to their audiences.

One particular animation that utterly charmed and inspired me was an adaptation of Lewis Carroll's 'Alice in Wonderland' by Czech short film maker Jan Svankmejer. However, any preconceptions of this traditional children's fairy tale have been shattered and rearranged into an uncomfortable and slightly macabre interpretation of Alice's imagination.

Taking inspiration from this film, I produced a sketchbook and a series of Dickensian style neck-ruffs fashioned from the pages of children's fairy tale books. I highly recommend watching the whole film but this short extract encompasses the ideology and essence of the animation.