Component 1
Week 1:
Handbook overview
I was really excited by the possibilities of this component and to learn how to use Premier Pro but I was a bit overwhelmed by how broad it was so I wrote a breakdown on all the topics and my initial thoughts on areas I wanted to look into
Industry moodboard
I really enjoyed getting creative in this way and focused on a more behind the scenes role being very specific with the images I used
Tutorial with Beth
Beth was able to answer my questions on the specifics of the handbook such as what Issuu is etc which was really helpful.
Depop and Vinted initial research
This was my first thought when I read the brief due to the link between technology and sustainability I focused on the features of each app, how they differ and why they would be popular for Gen Alpha
Roblox Dress To Impress research
One of my initial ideas when reading the handbook was to look into Roblox as I know its a popular online gaming platform for Gen Alpha, especially Dress to Impress which also links to the fashion aspect of this brief
Social media platform research
I looked into the front runners and which platforms are most used by which generation and wasn't surprised by the results I found
Week 2:
Gen Alpha lecture with Beth
This was really interesting, we looked at parenting styles, characteristics, interests and behaviours, sustainability, fashion and identity and purchasing patterns My favourite aspect was the characteristics as I feel like I learnt the most about Gen Alpha as a whole
Personal research into Gen Alpha
I learnt that Generation Alpha is an economically powerful, digitally fluent, and socially conscious cohort that demands brands to engage them phygitally (blending digital and physical), champion diversity, wellbeing, and sustainability, embrace gamification, creativity, and social connection, provide personalised and meaningful brand experiences and leverage virtual worlds, avatars, and the creator economy
Created croquis avatar
I used features from ChatGPT, Dress To Impress, Sims, Minecraft, Wii, GTI, Fortnite and Harry Potter Legacy to create an avatar that represents me with things like a record player, a book shelf, a mannequin and a white car. This was really fun and creative and allowed me to explore multiple types of gaming platforms
Catherine Wise trend forecasting
I really enjoyed this lecture, learning about Catherine’s career and what goes into trend forecasting I looked into the trend ‘dark academia’, what it consists of and the origins of it and found it really interesting
Explored WGSN and BoF
Following on from Catherine's lecture I explored WGSN and found multiple helpful articles surrounding Gen Alpha and technology I also explored BOF which gave me really helpful insights into sustainability and technology
Created video content
I spent a few days gathering short videos to be used on Premier Pro to create ‘OOTD’ and ‘Day in my Life’ videos for my next session with Andrew I compiled a few days of outfits and edited them together and added text This gave me a look into what a typical influencers role looks like day to day. I found it quite hard to remember to take videos so I didn't get a full week's worth of outfits but I really enjoyed choosing the soundtrack and having the video to look back on
Gathered notes from suggested articles
This was a really helpful tool in guiding me to specific areas of research which I could build on and branch off from I think because there are so many ways to interpret the brief it can be quite overwhelming so starting from the recommended articles and trusted websites like BoF is really useful
Researched Technology, AI and AR
This was a world I didn't know too much about, especially when it came to fashion so it was really interesting to learn about and hypothesise what practices might be used in the future Because there is so much to learn about and I didn't have much background knowledge it was quite difficult to find relevant pieces and narrow down what I could actually use in future components. I combated this by putting research I thought may not be too relevant into my Fashion Bible
Watched ‘Alex James: Slowing down Fast Fashion’ and ‘Generation Rewear’ Documentaries
I liked watching these documentaries as it was really interesting hearing and learning from different types of people such as workers from a textile waste site in Southeast Asia, Environmental Activists, workers from Garment Factories supplying Western brands and owners of sustainable fashion brands They even conducted a flammability test on an acrylic vs wool jumper which was really interesting
Week 3:
Compiling videos on Premier Pro
I really enjoyed choosing the soundtrack and having the video to look back on but found it quite hard to line my text up on each clip so after my lecture with Andrew I asked how I could make this easier in the future and it turned out to be really simple and was very helpful in editing future videos
Further research into sustainability
For this research I focused more on fast fashion, tariffs (recent news) and Gen Alpha’s view on sustainability I found that Gen Alpha is helping slow down the fast fashion cycle but older consumers are wary of greenwashing and unreliable products This was interesting to learn as Gen Alpha is the future so it was insightful to learn that hopefully the future will consist of less overconsumption and damage to the environment
Interviewed Pangaia employee
Through my research into sustainable fashion brands I came across Pangaia and after looking into this further I visited the shop to see the clothes and speak with the employees I managed to interview one of them and found that the brand is well received and shoppers are starting to change their views on fast fashion however there is a misconception about the quality of the clothes due to materials used and the high price point is a challenge when discussing sustainability with customers
Created timeline of drop waist origin
I really enjoyed this project as it gave me a little break from my current research project and allowed me to look into an area of fashion I love wearing (drop waist) and learn the origin and evolution of the style
Jenny Spencer Lecture
I really enjoyed learning about Jenny’s career journey and the different components that go into her role in PR and Production
Planned ecommerce photoshoot as a Stylist
I really enjoyed doing this project I decided to act as a Stylist and focus on the visual presentation of the products, including outfit co-ordination, product arrangement and brand consistency I chose to use Mulberry’s new summer Raffia, Leather and Wildflower Collection My favourite part was brainstorming the creative direction alignment, location and posing consideration
Fast Fashion Research
I found it quite challenging to narrow down brands and specific areas to research as the topic is so vast, however after learning about the greenwashing controversy surrounding H&M I decided they would be the perfect fit
Week 4:
Influencer research
I found it quite hard to narrow down influencers to research however after looking into H&M I decided to find influencers that are H&M Brand Ambassadors and have done multiple Brand Deals with them I created little biographies on who they are, what they do and how they became popular and continue to stay relevant This was helpful when thinking about whether I want to be an influencer of my app or influence the behind the scenes factors going into the creation of my app I decided on the latter
Industry focus
I looked into both roles - whether I want to be the face of the campaign or the creator behind it and ultimately decided on the latter however I ended up being the face of my campaign due to the specific ideas I had in mind and the way I wanted to execute my final video
Collating all research notes onto InDesign
This was quite difficult as I’d had some time off from using InDesign however after practising I was able to get back into the software
Week 5:
Lucy Kershaw lecture
We explored key topics such as brand positioning, consumer profiling and how to choose the right influencer for a campaign which was really helpful because part of our brief is to look at relevant influencers and decide who would be the right fit for my concept or to be the influencer myself Lucy also shared insights from her journey in the industry and my current role at ChloBo Jewellery which was really interesting to hear about
Hand In
Jenny Spencer
I enjoyed this lecture as I was able to see everyone else's interpretation of the photoshoot task and receive feedback on my own work from Jenny
Component 2
Week 6:
What I’m bringing forward
I looked at all the research I did in Component One and narrowed down what I wanted to bring forward into my campaign such as depop features, VR and DTI
My message
To ensure my campaign fit the brief I needed to find my message I decided on ‘Style isn't just what you wear It's what you stand for Pre-loved fashion, reimagined for your world NextThread Wear your values’ I feel this captures the futuristic, fashion forward and sustainable ethos I want my app to have
Campaign Ideas
Since I wanted to create a similar app to a Depop x DTI collaboration I thought the best way to show how this would work was by creating an advert
Week 7:
Premier Pro ‘Spend the day with me sustainably’
For this session I mainly focused on text, transitions and ways to live sustainably through fashion and other eco conscious choices e g donating clothes to a charity shop and getting public transport I enjoyed filming this video and found that having a theme made it easier to remember to take clips rather than just documenting my day which I struggled with originally
App Features
I looked into similar apps such as Depop, Vinted, Instagram and Etsy and narrowed down features that fit the overall concept of my app such as profiles, followers, likes & saves, points, messaging and for you/explore page
App logo research
I mostly looked at the logos of popular social media and shopping apps and the similarities between them From this I created different versions of a sustainability centred app logo that I felt fit the same criteria however I hadn't yet come up with an app name and ultimately wasn't happy with this original concept as it was too boring and didn't properly convey the purpose behind my brand
Chloe Laws branding and storytelling
I really enjoyed learning about Chloe's journey and was impressed by how many publications she had written for and so read some of her articles I learned she has features across feminism, current affairs and popular culture and I really liked scrolling through her instagram page FGRLS CLUB
Week 8: Graduate Fashion Week
This was a really fun event to attend and I loved seeing how unique all the collections were from the many different Universities I really enjoyed seeing the name of the designer and where they studied while their collections were being shown as it made me feel more connected to their looks as well as the soundtrack they'd chosen
Tutorial
In this tutorial with Beth we focused on refining the branding of my app before planning my campaign as it is really important for brand identity and brand recognition After this tutorial I decided I wasn't happy with the current logo I had as it made me feel stuck with the direction of my brand identity and I was too focused on relating it to current apps rather than creating my own entirely I also feel like I was focusing on what Gen Alpha would like to see now rather than what they would be drawn to use in the future
App name
This was the leading force in allowing me to expand and rework the design of my app. I tried multiple different names all with a different focus whether that be Gen Alpha slang, sustainability, fashion, gaming or technology After coming up with these names I checked there weren’t companies with this name already and found I couldn't use my favourite name (ReThread) which was disappointing but I ultimately landed on NextThread as it had the futuristic, fashion and Gen Alpha (next generation) focus I wanted
Tone of voice
This was something I wanted to straighten out as soon as I had my app name to build on my branding as I wanted vocabulary such as ‘loop’, ‘ thread’, ‘remix’, ‘ecoscore’ and ‘styleverse’ to be easily recognisable as part of the NextThread world
Colour Psychology
I then wanted to narrow down my brand colours so looked into the psychology of different colours and what they would convey to my consumers and say about my brand. I think the colour combinations I ended up with really complement each other and reflect NextThreads foundation
Font
After deciding on my brand name and tone of voice I focused on finding a unique and recognisable font which I think I succeeded with as it feels futuristic, digital and fun whilst being easy to identify and read
Reworked app logo
I then focused on my app logo which I feel is one of the most important parts I gave a brief overview of my app to AI Software and asked it to create me an app logo I described NextThread as a social media app to buy and sell clothes and compete in styling competitions It is sustainable fashion focused, Gen Alpha centered, technology infused and futuristic I then picked my favourites from the designs, added my font and app name then tweaked the design to remove the text and add more of my chosen brand colours I found this really fun to do as it was exciting seeing my brand come to life as a whole, rather than the separate components I had already decided upon, on an iphone home screen It also allowed me to brush up on my photoshop skills I learnt in first year
AI homescreen ideas
I inserted my new app logo into AI Software and asked it to create an app home screen using the same brief as before These didn't turn out as well as I’d hoped and felt they didn't fit the brand aesthetic or show the features of the app so I worked on these more in Component 3.
Anna Corkhill Lecture
This lecture was really enjoyable, hearing about Sisters and Seekers as a brand and Anna’s journey to her current job role and what that consists of I also enjoyed completing and presenting the Polka Dot campaign name and concept she asked us to create and then seeing Sisters and Seekers release a new polka dot collection
Week 9:
Premier Pro ‘Spend the day with me in London’
This was a really fun event to attend and I loved editing the video I focused on cutting, pacing and music I enjoyed pacing the models’ walk to the beat of the music and feel it made the video more fun to watch As most of my clips were of the catwalk I filmed from different angles to make the video more entertaining to watch and also focused on keeping the camera still and panning for the same reason After having feedback from Andrew I was advised to not only focus on angles but also transitions with the camera itself.
The future of fashion research
I found it really interesting to learn about what styles might become popular and the reasons as to why I found that fashion is evolving through tech, sustainability, and self-expression, with films like Black Panther and Blade Runner 2049 reflecting real trends As waste and labour concerns grow, the industry is shifting to ethical, circular models using eco materials like algae and fungi Technology is enabling smart clothing, 3D printing, and AR fashion, while digital styles thrive on platforms like Fortnite and DTI With fast fashion in decline, second-hand, rental, and AI-personalised wardrobes are rising, keeping fashion a vital tool for identity and escape Cyberpunk research
I found that at its core, cyberpunk fashion explores anti-authoritarianism, DIY spirit and the tension between empowerment and control and that it lives on through smart fabrics, wearable tech and digital fashion, reflecting a future shaped by identity, innovation and resistance Which are all beliefs held by Gen Alpha
VR headsets
I first looked into Google Cardboard as a sustainable option however I felt it didn't align with the futuristic feel I want my advert to have so I then found Meta Quest 3 which fit a lot better I looked at multiple adverts to see how I could incorporate VR into my advert as I knew virtual try ons was a feature I wanted my app to have From the workout advert I was inspired by the mesh between reality and virtual which I took inspiration from when creating a storyboard for my campaign (swiping app homescreens in the air)
VR Films
After looking into headsets that have already been created I wanted to look into other ways in which VR and AR have been shown in media to explore if there were other/better ways I could show this in my campaign This was really fun for me as I’d enjoyed watching the films beforehand such as Don’t Worry Darling, Surrogates, Otherlife, Blade Runner 2049, The Hunger Games and Divergent I ultimately decided that the easiest way for me to show the VR aspect of my app and make it accessible was with reflective sunglasses rather than pods or eyedrops.
Styling
For my advert I’m having four separate looks so I researched four different fashion styles; minimalism, cyberpunk, eccentric recency and ecopunk Minimalism (white) to align with the futuristic feel Cyberpunk (black and grey) because after my research I found this is likely to become a popular style to wear in 25 years Eccentric Regency (blue and gold) contrasts strongly with the other looks I had planned in which I was inspired by the overconsumptive nature shown in The Capitol from The Hunger Games, a futuristic dystopian film that explores themes like oppression and shows this through aspects such as clothing And finally Ecopunk (green and brown) to visually show ecoconsciousness and hopefully the future implementation of more sustainable practices in fashion
Storyboard
I narrowed down all my campaign concepts into one 1 minute long video and broke it down scene by scene including visuals, actions, sound effects and camera angles. After my trial shoot day I then updated the visuals with my own stills from the videos I took
Created Presentation
I created a presentation of a summary of what I brought forward from Component 1 and the work I did in Component 2 I enjoyed sharing my campaign concept, the way I’d chosen to interpret the brief and the reasons why It was also interesting seeing how different and creative everyone's interpretations were
Week 10:
Component 2 Hand In
Created app home screen
I tried again with a different AI software which was quite challenging at first as I’d never used it before and you have to pay for most AI platforms to generate images however I was adamant about using AI as the basis for my design as I believe it will (unfortunately) be used a lot more in the future so wanted my ad to have that same futuristic vibe. I ended up being able to subscribe for a free trial which allowed me a limited number of generated images which I then chose those best suited to my campaign
Curated final message
It was quite difficult summing up my whole campaign project into a couple of sentences but I decided to focus on the purpose behind NexThread, the importance of sustainable values and encouraging the viewers to download and use my app I went through quite a few different design variations in Component 3 to best show off my message and leave a lasting impression as it is the only still image and the last thing you see in my ad I struggled with the perfect colour background and text font but am really happy with how it turned out
Component 3
Week 11:
Premier Pro ‘Spend the day with me on the beach’
For this video I mainly focused on music marking, transitions and camera angles I enjoyed shooting this video as I was on a walk with my dog and I also liked being creative with the intro and felt this was a fun way to include music marking and blending
Planned looks for shoot
Minimalist, Cyberpunk, Eccentric, Ecopunk I made sure I either had the pieces already, borrowed from family/friends or bought them from a local charity shop to keep in line with the sustainability aspect of my advert and to make the gaming experience seem more realistic if the average person could create these looks from their own wardrobes or by shopping on the app sustainably I then trialed all these looks along with hair, makeup and accessories and added these planned outfits onto an avatar of myself
Storyboard
I created a more in-depth storyboard including the names of the sound effects I’d found, a different order of scenes and also visuals from my styling trial to help me when it came to filming and editing my final video
Trial
This day was difficult and frustrating as the glasses I’d found in a local charity shop, that I felt fit my campaign perfectly, are reflective so the filming set up with my ring lights, camera angles and windows were very visible in some of the shots I’d originally planned on filming I was also doing the set up, filming, acting and styling on my own so it was very stop and start and a long process I also had to clear out most of my belongings and all my decorations as I wanted it to be very minimalistic which took time I’m really glad I had this trial day as even though it was frustrating and I thought I’d have to change my VR glasses and location last minute I managed to come up with solutions such as filming my reflection in mirrors or very specific camera angles I’d marked on the floor for my final shoot day
Week 12:
Tutorial with Catherine
I really liked getting to share my campaign concept with Catherine and it gave me a moral boost hearing that she was looking forward to seeing my final video after the challenging trial shoot I’d had
Tutorial with Beth
This was really helpful as I’d been so focused on my video but after my talk with Beth I focused on making changes and additions to my Research and Development File which I think really improved my work overall and brand consistency.
Week 13:
Sustainable Influencers
Since the influencers I'd originally researched were no longer relevant to my campaign I looked into sustainable fashion influencers which again was difficult to arrow down but I landed on Venetia Le Mana and Emma Slade Edmondson who are both UK sustainable fashion influencers that critique fast fashion and encourage fashion circularity
Fashion Bible
I compiled all my visuals of additional research I’d done during the course of this project
Final Shoot Day
This was still a challenging and time consuming task however it was made much smoother by my trial shoot and I’m much happier with the results I received at the end.
Clip Selection
Because I was filming on my own it was difficult to know if the clip I'd filmed was any good so I would go back to watch the footage and adjust accordingly This meant that I ended up with 151 clips to choose from which took time to look through and select the best one The transition between cyberpunk and ecopunk was the most challenging and getting the exact angle of my first clip for my final clip I had to make sure all the angles, lighting and transitions worked between the clips
Editing
After selecting my videos this was quite a simple process of colour grading, cutting and ordering my clips The sound effects were simple too as I’d already screen recorded the sounds I wanted to use and when so just extracted the sound from those videos and used my storyboard as a placement guide.
Week 14:
Tutorial with Andrew
This was really helpful as so far I'd been the only person to see my campaign video so I was grateful to receive feedback on small adjustments that needed to be made such as volume, clip length and my final shot
Final Edits
I created a separate timeline on Premier Pro with all the tweaks Andrew suggested, compared it to my original video and decided which worked best as a whole
Creation of presentation
I created my presentation for the overview of my whole project which was quite hard to narrow down as I only have a 15 minute timeslot for setting up, presenting my slides and showing my video so I had to very particular with what I chose to include.
Week 15:
Hand In