A Level: Fashion & Textiles
A-Level Fashion & Textiles have produced projects covering a Personal Investigation piece of work as well as an Exam project that is directed by a single term stimuli. Students work very independently to explore and navigate their themes applying all practical skills developed across the study programme.
Hannah Marie Barbery-Cook
Personal Investigation
My work investigates the depths of feminism through the choice of materials and layering of the materials. With a great focus on altering connotations and contexts of which the materials are placed within, layering allowed for the alternate meanings to occur. I used tulle due to the strong connotations to femininity and stereotypes that can been deemed archaic and outdated. The layering represents alteration of contexts, mixing the feminine with the masculine strips the tulle of the inherent feminine connotations. Artists like Ana Maria Hernando and Betty Tompkins greatly assisted the direction of my work. This project is intended to invoke change and spark a conceptual outlook in relation to the functions of feminism. It is meant to represent the ways in which feminism is a strive for change and equality for women.
Exam
My work investigates the depth of the relationship between the paparazzi and the famous, the ways in which the paparazzi are exploitive and invasive. I focused on celebrities like Princess Diana, Amy Winehouse, and Caroline Flack, who were severely exploited by the media to the point of death. This project focused on digital print to convey the sense of the paparazzi. I experimented with elements like space and colour to communicate the mistreatment conducted by the paparazzi. The outcome itself is representative of the way the paparazzi and smothering and all-consuming when it comes to the famous. It is intended to shine light on the negativity of the media and how they act in an inhumane way to ascertain what they need.
Emma Jarvis
Personal Investigation
As a young queer person in today’s society, I think it is important to recognise not only how far we have come, but also to demand full equality better future. This is why I decided to choose this topic and research queer icons in art and fashion, such as Alexander McQueen, to learn more about the history and to raise awareness of the tragedies of the past, so we don’t end up moving backwards. I also researched the history of queer culture and language to learn what the story behind different slurs used against the queer community so that could provide context to their place in current society, and within my outcome. When looking at my final outcome I want people to reflect on their views and comments about the LGBTQ+ community, and to know why queer rights are still extremely needed in the 21st Century.
Exam
My project investigates the truth behind sexual assault cases, and why believing victims stories is so necessary. I researched celebrity sexual assault scandals that were framed by the media in victim-blaming narratives and saw repetitive remarks about how women need to ‘cover up’ or else they are ‘asking for it’ based on what they were wearing. In my final outcome I used a lot of red and black handprints to represent the bloodshed and lives lost at the hands of sexual assault, and the media’s role in creating shame and stigma that forces victims to stay silent at fear of further embarrassment. I hope that my work communicates the pain that victims experience and leads the viewer to question what they see on the news and dig deeper to hear and understand the victims' story.