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The End!

So the project is literally over, deadline today! I cannot believe how fast it has gone. I remember at the start of the project (3 months ago) thinking that it is such a long time to do a project and I remember having no clue of what I wanted to do for it either, but it has just gone so fast. It true that they say, ‘time flies when you're having fun’ and I have definitely enjoyed this project a lot. I think its been great being able to focus on whatever you want and what you feel passionate about. So it has been very interesting and exciting. I have included and developed new skills that I have learnt over the year in this project which I shall use again in year 2. I have really enjoyed this project and I look forward to seeing what year 2 brings. I am also looking forward to progression and the next chapter in my life. 

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A fashion collage I created in my sketch book using magazine cutouts, ribbon, embellishment and drawing. This all goes towards the experimentation part of the grading criteria. I have experimented with a range of media and practical techniques throughout the project and this is one of them. I am happy with this collage and the other experiments I have tried out as it shows problem solving and that you can see creative in different ways. I also find it very exciting doing lots of different things.

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To record the findings of my project I decided to make a pretty little concertina book. I have included a range of things in my book, such as - fashion illustrations, a poem about my project and the reality of social media, photographs of my style flats and photo shoot, maps of my adventures for 4 day as well as a visual response to where I traveled in my flat over 2 days.

I am really really happy with the outcome of my book as it looks very neat and professional. I am glad I took my time and didn’t rush it. I am happy with the composition and content of the book too. One thing I could improve is maybe making the book bigger so that the poem at the end fits all on one back. However, it looks interactive with the pull down page. I would improve the stitching on the front cover and make it more even and equal size and spacing so it looks more professional.

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Artist Response

Looking at different artists, I  have been incredibly inspired by Nastya Nudnik, who takes famous old paintings and recreates a whole new meaning and concept to them by adding  derisive speech and text to them. Most of the speech used, relates to social media and technology which is perfect for the context of my project.

In response to their work, I created my own using images from a style flat photo shoot which links to this summers fashion trends which incorporates the fashion element to my project as a styling student. I then created some of my own quotes and  uses some quotes off of the internet using secondary research.

After having a first attempt on editing these 3 images, I decided it needed some alterations. I decided to change the font, size of text and the size of the emojis, as well as on some change the bubble to make it more neater and to look more professional. At first I use an meme creator online then I used photo shop for the second attempt as there are more options and less restrictions.      

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Year 2 portfolio review

To help us as first years to gain tips and knowledge on professional portfolios, three of the second year fashion students came in to briefly talk and show us their portfolios. This is my thoughts of it.

1. The first portfolio was incredible! I loved this portfolio very much for a few reasons. I instantly understood her concept and what she wanted the audience to interpret, which was feminism. I have heard of the word many times and people having brief conversations about it but I never really thought too much about it. After looking at her portfolio, it really stuck in my mind and inspired me. I think it was just the whole concept of it and how she interpreted the theme in different ways, such as; illustration (digital and non- digital) and screen prints on clothing and bags. She also had some lovely mood boards which were up to a high standard and looked very professional. With lots of different medias and content used this was very versatile. Looking at her work really inspired my own as I picked up some little tips and just how visual her portfolio was has inspired how I may want to do my own as a styling progression. Also speaking about her progression route which was university, this was helpful and interesting to know what route she wanted to go down.

2. Moving onto a slightly different progression route which was an apprenticeship, her portfolio was a different style to the first one. I don’t remember too much about this portfolio as I did with the first one, however I remember she had some lovely samples and different media of content used which was useful to see as it empathizes how it is good to be flexible. Being versatile has inspired my own work and portfolio because it shows that is what employers look for. It was also helpful her talking to us about her progression route as it makes me feel there are other options out there if I didn’t want to go to university. It allowed me to think that whatever option you go for is individual to each person.

3. The final portfolio was more arty as her progression route was to go into fashion illustrations. Her illustrations really inspired me as they were so unique to her project and followed similar style throughout which made it all complement each other. I loved how her theme was quite quirky too and very different to the other two portfolios. 

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Blog post review: week 7

Week 7 of the FMP project hasn’t been as productive as the previous weeks however, I took note of all the things I needed to catch up on and new tasks to complete on a ‘to-do-list’. Throughout the next week I managed to complete all the tasks as well as plan more work for my FMP project. In the following week I want to get stuck into planning and making my artist concertina book as one of my final outcomes of my concept for the project. I will achieve this by correcting my time management and prioritizing the tasks I have to do. 

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Manchester bombing 2017

So I wake up at 6, Tuesday morning, bight and early to get ready and make sure I am on time... that didn’t happen as such. I was in a hurry and managed to be on time but missing out my morning schedule. Shortly after, we are all in lesson listening to the tutor, when Liz mentions ‘Manchester bombing’ that happened last night. I wasn’t sure whether I was actually hearing this right or whether I was dreaming. It turns out it had happened. I was absolutely speechless! I cannot believe such another horrible attack has happened in another popular city in the UK. With young people were targeted and at a concert, makes me feel disgusted. The terrorist purposely did it where he knew there would be a huge amount of people which is shocking. It makes me sick to think of the chaos and petrified people there was last night of the attack. Putting myself in other people shoes such as, the young people must have been so awfully scared and threatened. Let alone their parent and families left feeling helpless, who may or may not have been at the scene. Two attacks in such a short time is outrageous. What is the world coming to? I don’t understand what is happening and why there is so much terror. More and more fear is leaving our city and other countries distorted and voiceless. I wish I could do something about all this war and put it to an end, however, I feel helpless about what I can physically do. The world needs to sort itself out or I can’t imagine what the world will be like in a decade time. 

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Target 23/05/17

Today I am setting myself a couple of targets to get done.

Finish planning photoshoot including members involved and think of date to complete it. (this will go towards the planning and production on the assessment criteria)

Finish sampling with quotes and styling flats. (this will go towards problem solving)

Plan concertina book ready to start making. (this will go towards practical skills)

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Group Critique

So we are more than half way in our final project so it was time to do another group crit.  Group critiques can be very helpful as it allows you find inspiration from other peoples work and ideas how they have interpreted the project in their own way. It also enables you to see what could be improved by other people analysing your work. 

The feedback I received was nice comments with some constructive points which has opened my eyes to what other people think of my work. From the comments, my work shows good white space on mood boards and some pages which people liked. Im happy with this judgement because I really love the minimalistic look. My analysis is also in depth which is important ant fore some units of the course and what I have to progress onto.. journalism. Moving on, from the comments, I could try improve my handwriting and some pages to make it a bit neater. I agree with this comment because some pages I do not like as much as others. Having my work neater will make it look more professional and will help next year when I am creating my portfolio.  

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The skills I have developed so far..

Throughout the time I have been at Plymouth College Of Art since September, I have learnt, explored and developed many skills that go towards personal growth and my future career to work in the creative industry.

I have developed.

Photoshop skills - Through the months I have been on different Photoshop workshops where I have learnt lots of different skills, such as; editing an image, making a time lapse and a GIF, digital mood boards and how to use different tools to enhance images. I really enjoy working on Photoshop doing different projects as I find it so interesting and therapeutic. 

premier skills- I have learnt briefly how to edit a short video, however, I would like to make a fashion film in the second year so I would like to develop my skills on premier further.

life drawing- I hadn't done a life drawing until attending PCA. At first I was unsure what to expect as It was a different experience but it was a worth while one as it was interesting and I learnt so much. I would like to maybe do a life drawing again and develop on the skills I have learnt.

styling skills- Before joining the course, my styling skills were some adventurous but mostly basic when it came to photo shoots. Throughout the past few months I have really learnt how to think more outside the box, always thinking different and to have a clear corresponding focal point and concept. 

personal skills- I have developed a few personal skills, such as talking/ meeting people I didn't know beforehand, sharing work with others, group critique as well as developing confidence in my beliefs and in my own work.

interview skills- I have developed different skills that would help prepare me for an interview. I have been practicing skills such as 1 small group presentation, a phone call presentation and developing my CV and cover letter skills.

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Unit 9: Progression route

Its time to start thinking about progression already or at least to have some idea of where I would like to go/ what to achieve long- term. Looking into progression routes, I am still unsure where I would like to go but I have ruled out some things that I don’t really want to do which has helped me focus on the things that I would  like to do.

I am unsure whether I would like to go to university still so that is one option, if not then I would like to get into self employment. Self employment seems rather scary and daunting as I would have to look into how to do it and how to be successful, but it does inspire me to be self employed. If not I would like to work in a job but I would have to be sure it is the right sort of job that is going to benefit my work and health.

Looking further into progression careers in the creative industry, I would love to be a fashion blogger/ journalist or work in the media & marketing side. If I could get into it further I would like to model with an agency as well. 

My feelings towards progression is still slightly daunting as time is flying by so fast and I know it will be here quicker than ever and I have to start producing portfolio work and thinking about the next step already. Even though I am unsure what I would like to progress onto yet, I am still really excited to see what is around the corner and what the future holds. 

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Inspiring fashion CVs

Following on from the unit 9 lesson, I have looked into some creative fashion CVs, here are three that inspire me. All three are similar but different in the same way. They all have a creative touch to them but all have a slightly different layout.  I like how the  first one has little creative pictures and I think the timeline for her education is really effective, as well as the picto graph. The second CV again has a more of a formal layout compared to the first CV but still looks effective and creative as it has a picto graph at the bottom which show her creative skills and what level they are at. This CV is nice and simple with an effective blue border around the CV which I really like as it just adds the finishing touch to this minmalistic CV. Moving on to the third CV, I like as it has a textured background which shows creative skills on the CV without really showing much however, it is more full and packed on the page compared to the other two. The illustrations are pretty as well as I really like the traditional bar chart to show her vocational skills as it is just so simple but looks so good and creative. It really helps the reader to visualize how well the person is at that certain thing or skill and it shows the reader what the client thinks of how well they are at it. 

1.

2.

3.

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CV comparison

CV 1

CV 2

Looking at the two CVs, there are some good points but also some things that could be improved. Firstly, the font on the first CV is very hard to read so I think it should be in a basic font that is easily assessable. Whereas, on the creative CV the font is a lot easier to read and approach which is what interviewers like. The layout of the second CV is a lot more creative which is really relevant to her styling progression. In my opinion, I do not like the way the first CV is written, as it seems quite unprofessional the way it has been written. Although it has relevant research, if it was tweaked slightly it would look more formal. The first CV is written very honest, however I believe it is too honest as she has shared too much information and some information that wouldn’t be helpful for the company or interviewer, such as ‘ that she only went to college because her friends were, and that she didn’t try hard in some subjects’. The interviewer isn’t going to want to hear that they don’t try hard or that they don’t always make their own decisions. She has put on the formal CV her primary school that the company probably doesn’t need to know where as on the creative CV she just has her relevant and recent education. The second CV is very short and gets to the point which is really good for the company to look at because it allows them to skim through quickly to the relevant parts. If there is paragraphs and paragraphs of information, the reader will get bored and just skip the whole CV. My overall opinion for the first CV is that it is ok but it successful needs things adding and tweaking for it to look professional and successful. The second CV has a lovely layout which shows her creative skills. She could add a few things to make it more successful but it is a really good CV. In both CVs, they are missing references, which is really important for a CV. Also on the first CV she is missing her personal information which is so so important as the company will not even be able to get in contact with her. 

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CVs and what should be in a CV?

A CV is a document of your career history which also shows your skills and achievements. 

Things to include:

your personal information

person statement/ your qualities/ interests

qualifications/ achievements 

work experience

most recent references

Some tips to remember:

make sure all information on your CV is relevant

make sure your CV is honest

language and grammar is correct

if it is a formal CV then do not use fancy fonts and styling. If it is a creative CV different font can be used as long as they are clear to read.

No more than 2 sides of A4.

Proof read!

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What is a professional portfolio?(unit 9)

A professional portfolio is is a short range of work that is taken and shown at job and interviews. It demonstrates your best work, skills and your style of work as each portfolio is personal to the individual.

What to include in a portfolio?

visuals/ mood boards

essays/ creative writing

3D pieces

colour palettes

graphics

zines/ magazine editorials/ photography

drawings

print making

film & video 

Some tips to remember:

Research your progression route and look at the criteria for the company you are applying for

look at progression dates so you can make sure you have your time to finish/check your portfolio before the date

put your name on everything

show off your skills

do everything in college to the best of your ability

make sure you keep your sketch book safe at all times

make sure you have a good and strong portfolio case to keep work clean, flat and safe

make sure know about the work you have put in your portfolio so you are prepared for the interview process

Digital portfolios

The same rules apply to a digital portfolio just like a paper portfolio. Some interviews will ask for a digital portfolio before the actual interview.

There are a few advantages and disadvantages to having a digital portfolio.

Advantages

It wont get tatty

Disadvantages

problems with accessibility

cannot feel textures

Things to remember

watermarking your work

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Blog post review: week 5

The past week has gone well. I started by finishing off some previous work in the project then I had a discussion with tutors about my work and ideas which helped as I feel I am developing my project further and have more of an idea of what I would like to achieve. I have came up with different things I would like to do so to make sure I do this I have been keeping a ‘to to list’ which I will keep updating. I think I also need to do some more sampling and responding to artist research so I will plan this. 

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Comparison Of Bloggers

Developing my primary research further, I have looked at different bloggers and I have chosen three to compare their social media accounts. All three bloggers have some similarities and differences which I have studied and explored which really inspire me. There is something about all of the bloggers I have chosen that really caught my eye and just really inspire me. The first blogger, Victoria (@inthefrow) is one of my all time favourite bloggers. I have followed her for quite a while and watched her account grow and develop. She posts a varied amount of content such as beauty posts, fashion posts, lifestyle posts and her travelling experiences, which are all really exciting to look at. She focuses on a few types of category blogging styles whereas the other two bloggers I looked at focus on only one or two genres. Victoria has a few social media accounts which include Instagram, YouTube, snapchat, twitter and a professional blog. In addition, her blog contains a section where she has he on look book shop where viewers can shop straight from her images, as well as having her own personal wish list page. As I'm aware, she is now a full time blogger & youtuber where she also gets involved with collaborations with high end companies. As part of this, for her work she manages to travel around different countries lots where she shares her experience with public. Her Instagram style is lovely and natural, where her images are good quality and are set in some of the most beautiful locations with a mix of beauty, fashion and travel images. She doesn't have a particular house style but her images all match the same theme. Victoria has a whooping 763k followers on Instagram and 549,483 subscribers on YouTube. I have personally seen her account grow over the time I have followed her.

The next blogger which I have looked at is, Chelsea Kauai, who is a travel blogger and occasionally posts fashion images whilst travelling around different countries, which is slightly different to ‘in the frow’. Her style is very natural and colourful with images that are not too bright but lovely and exotic that are edited naturally and not over the top. Very similar to all three bloggers is that, her images are high quality too which look really good and professional. Looking at her work, I don’t think she has a particular style however, it all matches and compliments each photo. Another similarity is she has her own professional blog as well as her Instagram being a professional space for her too. I like on her blog how she documents her traveling experiences and gives advice on the where to go, what to eat and what to look out for. Being a blog, there is a lot more text than images so it is good she has both the Instagram and blog as it shows different aspects of her blogging life. Having a staggering 352K followers on Instagram her account has grown in many ways. In my opinion, I like her blog and Instagram as her images are so beautiful to look at for many reasons such as her amazing approach with composition and great content. I had a quick browse over a few of her articles and I was drawn in, to reading all of the article in the end.

And lastly, I have looked at @yemchuk on Instagram who has more of a fashion based photography account with paintings she has also created. She doesn’t have as many followers as the first two bloggers I have looked at above but she still gets a fair amount of likes/ comments on her images. Her work is a lot different to Victoria’s even though it is fashion based as she used very saturated colours with lots of sepia and black & white tones in her work to reflect what is going on in the images. She doesn’t have a particular theme that I can see, it seems quite spontaneous and doesn’t set a regular pattern which I quite like. I quite like her account because the content is really different and quirky. The images are just naturally beautiful and simple with different concepts and angles.