"For centuries London has been a centre for the flow of money, goods, people and ideas. This has produced a city that has long been culturally varied. This increased exposure to cultural practises linked with dress and the body. Londonders have become familiar with worldwide dress customs through the media, museums and exhibitions. Outward appearance has long been seen as an expression of individual character. In the urban encounters of the world city, dress plays a role in how we express ourselves and see others."
The exhibition began with displays of historical dress from ethnic backgrounds. Because London is so multicultural, London street style has been heavily influenced by ethnic designs. Maybe I should incorporate some ethnic influences into my own photo shoot to be in keeping with modern street style. Here are images I took from the exhibition:
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| I like the fringing in this design and the feathers and the patterns. |
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| I like the floral motif and the long draping fabric. |
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| I like the head scarf, the beads and the patterned skirt and floral motif. I like the contrast between the red and cream colour. I like how the vertical stripes elongate the body. I like how the baggy clothing is cinched in at the waist. |
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| I like the intricate embroidery and beading. |
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| I like the use of multiple layers. |
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| I like the bold monochromatic pattern and he fringing. I like the black banners going around the skirt. |
The exhibition had quotes from young people expressing their opinions on individual style and dress:
"I don't care what people think. I just like what I am wearing. That's all that really matters."
"I think everyone has this inner need to express him or herself creatively."
"It's to do with individuality"
"I think colour says the most in an outfit"
"If you're not an individual then who are you?"
"I like London because it makes you feel free"
London is very eclectic and accepting of different ideas and styles. I think it encourages individuality. In youth culture, image is very important and way of dress plays a key role in expressing who you are to other people. The outfits and makeup I will assemble must create a certain mood and tell the viewer about the people I am trying to convey. I will also try to come up with new, original ideas and be as creative as possible. I will think about colour and how it will help create a certain mood.
The last section of the exhibition was on street style amongst youths in London today.
"What role does dress play for Londoners? Can dress identify people with particular groupings such as Jock, Fashionista, Goth or Hipster? Do religious beliefs, ideas about heritage, gender, sexuality, and social class influence the way Londoners dress? Is London a space of freedom and anonymity where people dress in whatever way they want, or do social codes limit these choices?
For example, to walk the street naked is not socially allowed in many places. Even when we say we do not have a particular style of dress we are making distinct choices about what to and what not to wear. These choices locate us within a group of people who share our beliefs. Tension between conformity and expressing individuality exists in all societies.
In this section we focus on London today. The museum invited young people aged 14 to 19 to take part. They developed their own observations of dress in urban London, interviewing peers about dress choices, or photographing Londoners for this exhibition. The team looked at aspects of dress and the body such as hair and skin, which can be political in the World City. Here we present some of their work. We also show a series of "wardrobes", in depth studies of the personal dress choices of several Londoners. These show that within our day-to-day lives we make distinct choices about what we wear, asking questions such as is this me?"
I think image is very important because it plays a vital role in how we are perceived. We have the power to change our image so we can control the way we are perceived to a certain extent. However I do not think you can tell all there is to know about a person just by looking at them.
Here are images I took from this section of the exhibition:
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| This group of friends are dressed in typical hoodies and trainers. They appear to be influenced by the RnB/hip-hop scene. They also seem to be influenced by their social group and what their friends are wearing. I do not like this style of dress. I think it looks dull, unimaginative and conforming. My fashion shoot will express individuality. |
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| This young girl is cosplaying. The term cosplay is Japanese and refers to replicating anime/manga characters through dressing up. Cosplay is becoming increasing popular amongst young people and those that do take dressing up as a serious hobby. I want my fashion shoot to imitate the over the top playfulness and theatricality of this outfit. |
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| I like the layering in this outfit. And I like floral motif of the bag. I think this outfit is a very well balanced and has the right combination of pattern and block colour. |
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| I like this quirky ensemble. I like pairing items that you wouldn't think would normally go together. It creates a very striking and edgy look. I like the bright retro printed shirt paired with the fur coat and the black hat. I want my fashion shoot to emulate this quirky, eclectic style. The garments also look very vintage which is very trendy. I think it would be good if I could source some vintage items for my fashion shoot. |
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| Current fashion is very much about unusual garment combinations which would have previously been thought ridiculous. The effect it very attention grabbing which is what you want fashion to be. I like this quirky mix of the bright pink oversized hoody, long tartan skirt, trainers and retro tee. |
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| This would look like a plain ordinary outfit if he had not added the bow tie. I don't think you always have to be over-the-top to have an edgy style. I think small quirky details can completely transform an outfit and have an effective impact. I think attention to detail is key in good style. |
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| I like the model's makeup here. Her skin look flawless. I want to achieve flawless skin with my makeup as it will be a fashion shoot. I like the smoky contouring along with the bright red lips. This is a simple yet bold statement and very on trend. I like the relaxed and casual manner of the model and her outfit. I think the tartan blazer is very stylish too. I like her cropped hair. It makes her look androgynous. I find androgyny edgy and alluring. I think it is very fashionable these days too. |
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| I like the military style jacket. The unusual rings give the outfit an added edge of quirkiness. |
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| I like the shabby chic look here which I think is very fashionable. The outfit is compiled of several trendy, quirky items like the trilby, fur coat, and skinny jeans. |
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| I really like oversized garments. I think they make a big statement. I think it's important to get the right balance of oversized vs. skinny in an outfit. The fur coat is very on trend. The bow adds a touch of quirkiness to the outfit. |
Teenage Dress - Xufu
"I am wearing a jacket from Zara, a scarf from 5cm, a pair of chinos and a bag from Topman, and a pair of boots from Kurt Geiger. It can be noticed that leather plays a huge part in my outfit; the jacket, the bag and the boots are all leather, giving me the tough almost military-like look that I wanted,
Complementarily, the chino is very slim, fits my boots very well and makes me look smart. Lastly, the reason I wear a scarf is fairly straightforward - I want to keep myself warm and I love the design of the scarf. The whole look is important, as can be seen from my outfit - leather, tight and brown colour, but I definitely don't want to conform into one style. I'd always love to add some different elements into my outfit that distinguish me from all other people who wear leather. In my opinion, both the scarf and the bag are finely designed and in some ways soften the whole look by giving it some feminine quality.
I shop slightly more in Asia because I think Asian designers know the Asian body shape the best so their clothes fit me the most. But in general, I shop all around the world as long as I like the design. I wouldn't usually shop in places where they only sell t-shirts and jeans. I need clothes that inspire me, for example, 5cm and Paul Smith. I could always find some elements that I want when I shop them, such as the edgy and feminine quality of 5cm and the bright colour and elegance of Paul Smith."
Teenage Dress - Charly
"My outfit was chosen quite randomly. However, I wanted to go for a smart casual look. The shops I got the clothes from were Forever 21, H&M, Amazon and Hollister. I went to where I know the clothing is good quality and in trend with teenage girls.
I am to some extent influenced by what everyone else is wearing hence why I went to Hollister for my cardigan. But I also liked the cardigan for its softness and the scent that they put on it, so I don't tend to shop in Hollister to follow the crowds.
My shorts were from Forever 21. They just stood out on the shelf for me. I liked the stripy pattern and I could picture myself wearing them, and feeling good about myself.
My shirt is from H&M. I looked specifically in this shop because I knew that they were a good shop for smart casual wear that are a reasonable price. One of my favourite colours to wear is light blue hence my shirt being that colour.
I got my boots from Amazon as I am normally quite lazy when it comes to shoe buying and Amazon is a really cheap place to get alright quality items. The fluffy centre on the boot really appealed to me as I like my feet to be comfortable, plus these boots are in trend right now and I saw everyone wearing them and thought I want a pair of those!"
Teenage Dress - Naz
"I chose to buy my outfit from Topshop as their clothes are very on-trend and are particularly influenced by vintage, punk, emo and gothic styles, which I've always loved - but I think most people would call Topshop indie or "hipster" now. The outfit I've chosen is leaning more towards vintage/punk/goth. I like to mix and match styles, so that the things that I wear flatter but are also interesting.
Punk, emo and gothic styles have always appealed to me because they are about showing your independence and creativity through your dress. I've always loved that idea, even though the styles themselves are no longer shocking to most people. I've also grown up around a lot of people who were influenced by punk and emo in particular so it's always been something I was more comfortable with."
Image is very important to most youths. Many know the kind of look they want to have. I think today, subcultures are a lot harder to define as there is a lot of cross over between styles and much more variety. A lot of people don't want to be limited to one particular style. Fitting in is very important to most youths so a lot of young dressers are influenced by peer dress and the latest trends. However, many still want individuality and to distinguish themselves from the rest of the crowd so they need to find a balance. Individuality is expressed through unique tastes like Naz and her love for punk. I want my photo shoot to be influenced by current trends and styles so it appeals to my magazine readers but I also want it to be balanced with my own originality and creativity so I inspire and stimulate readers at the same time.
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