I was very worried about working in a team. In past experiences on the foundation course, I did not enjoy working in groups because I felt that people were working as individuals within the group, and competing with each other to have their respective ideas as the focus, instead of collaborating to create one cohesive idea. However, working in a group today was quite enjoyable and easy. We really worked in an organic fashion, experimenting with different materials and ways to style our looks, and joining ideas together as we worked to create valuable outcomes. There was occasional disencion, but we were able to compromise and come up with an idea we all agreed on to create the look. Even though we had designated roles, model stylist and photographer, we all had equal input with ideas so it was a truly collaborative on a creative level. 

My idea about fashion communication was enhanced with this project. I have a much better understanding about how the actual pathway works, as well as the type of work that is expected. I realized how experimental fashion communication can be, it isn’t as “cookie cutter” as I thought it was before today. I don’t just have to work with garments as they are but manipulate them, and use the body as a tool to enhance and communicate fashion. I realized similarities between sculpture, fashion design, and fashion communication through the way we worked with materials today, changing their forms to communicate an overall idea of fashion.

Photography helped transform our ideas into personal narratives because through the different poses and expressions we took in the photographs, as well as the setting and angle of the photograph, certain emotions and ideas began to form around the fashion. For example, the graphic, strong posing of one of our “hybrids” created a narrative of strength through the use of movement, while another one had the model laying down, staring at the ceiling, creating a narrative of delicacy and naivety. The final images had a definite narrative structure, all thanks to the art direction, combining the set, the fashion, the model, and photography to add a subtle narrative to each hybrid piece.

Successful strategies I saw other groups using included posing their models in front of quite simple backdrops so they could properly illustrate their looks before photographing them. My illustrations were more gestural and quick, because I was eager to photograph each hybrid within the time allotted. However the illustrations of the other groups were very strong, and I think they were quite effective paired with the final images. If I had to redo this project I would attempt some better illustrations to realize my work before photographing. I want to improve on my drawing skills use those skills more effectively in relation to my digital outcomes, visualize my work on paper before digitally.