Meet Alarna Foster, a first year student studying Fashion Branding and Communication at Birmingham City University. Alarna’s most recent project was to create a campaign for a brand of her choice, with a focus on communicating a narrative using creative direction and visual literacy. She chose Pyer Moss, the New York based label by designer Kerby Jean'-Raymond.
Alarna has been influenced by the current social climate, including the Black Lives Matter Movement, COVID-19 pandemic and other cultural issues she feels passionately about. She hopes to increase representation and recognition of the work of Black creatives in fashion. Read more about Alarna below!
What is the most valuable thing you have learnt at university?
One of the most valuable things I have learnt in my first year of university is to be flexible and not be afraid of change. I have found that, although I am able to come up with concepts and ideas quickly, I can become very focused on achieving that exact vision to the point where nothing else will be good enough. If things do not go to plan, I can get stuck in a rut. Through experiencing unexpected difficulties, for example: having models not show up to photoshoots or having technical glitches, I have learned that it is impossible to predict and plan for every circumstance and I should not stress myself out trying to do so. University has taught me that sometimes things don’t go to plan but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. Some of the adaptations I have had to make, have elevated projects to a level I couldn’t have imagined.
Being flexible and accepting change without second-guessing my decisions is extremely valuable because it allows me to be proud of the work I produce with no regrets. I am able to be happy with the final product without the question of ‘what if’. Accepting help during these times is something I am also still learning. Because I become so tunnel-visioned on a project, I forget that the beauty of university is that I am surrounded by talented like-minded creatives. We can bounce off each other and collectively combine our ideas and help each other produce amazing work. I'm glad I am learning this now because the fashion industry is so fast paced and unpredictable. When things go wrong, it is important to not be defeated and stay positive so that I can have a clear head to think about solutions.
Tell us about your current projects and work, what have you been working on?
There have been a number of projects I have been working on during this lockdown period. I have only recently completed my final module of first year, which involved looking into a brand and analysing the strengths and weaknesses of its marketing strategies. From there, I used my research as well as current trends to plan an event the brand could use to boost brand engagement. Not only did I create the concept but I also worked on the pre-launch sequence of social media posts, and email newsletters to advertise it. Outside of my studies, I have been working on skills that will enhance the future work that I produce. One example of this is practising my hand sewing and tailoring skills in order to become a more well-rounded stylist, able to make quick alterations if the situation calls for it.
I have been making a special effort to continue to broaden my knowledge and understanding. I am particularly interested in ethnic minorities who have had significant impacts on the industry, both past and present. It is important for me as a black woman, to become educated in this so that I can help to educate others on a topic that has been widely omitted from history. The contributions of black people go beyond streetwear and kente cloth. I have also been looking deeper into the use of fashion to make political statements and the cultural significance of some forms of clothing. Designers often gather inspiration from the past to influence their work and I would like to be able to do the same with my work, while remaining respectful towards the history and the message that a garment can give.
What form does your work take?
The work I have been doing has widely been research, so the physical manifestation of my work has been limited. Despite this, my research often sparks new ideas and concepts for projects so I have found myself creating many notes and mood boards to come back to at a later date. While developing my sewing skills, I have been customising garments to become familiar with the processes and the equipment. Within my network, I work with videographers and photographers on a regular basis to assist their work and they are often the photographers for my photoshoots.
Recently we have been working together to capture an accurate representation of the feelings of protesters at anti-racism, Black Lives Matter marches. This is a mixture of editorial imagery, interviews and videos of the happenings at the protests in London. I have also been doing some branding work, where I would create social media posts and copy for the launch of online courses. Despite being unrelated to fashion, I think it is important to get used to following a brief for a client and completing it to their expectation in the time frame given.
How have you evolved as a young creative while studying / working?
I entered university after studying Media, Sociology and Biology at A-Level, so my formal education of the fashion industry was extremely limited. Fashion had always interested me but I had not considered it as a realistic career choice until I found the course that fit me perfectly. I am now a lot more in tune with what is going on in the industry than I was before. My understanding and the way I consider fashion has moved beyond what is seen to be a nice outfit - to the narrative and meaning behind the clothes. I can now appreciate how lighting, styling, hair and makeup and the atmosphere of an image can alter the message conveyed to an audience. As well as how different audiences may interpret the same image differently depending on their demographics and psychographics. I feel that my ability to implement this new-found knowledge into my own work has also improved. My growing familiarity with Adobe software has helped me use new techniques to communicate the message better and more efficiently.
I have always been interested in trends but I did not consider the extent of how societal trends can affect the trends in the fashion industry. It is something that I have really enjoyed working on and understanding. Traditional skills like conducting research and articulating my point for brand analysis, have also developed the more I practice and use the skills that I learn. A large part of me evolving as a young creative is learning what my strengths and weaknesses are. Learning to accept that I will have weaknesses in some areas but that shouldn’t stop me from striving for the best possible outcome, is a learning process that I am still developing. This is just as important as celebrating the strengths that I do have and not becoming too obsessive over the things that I cannot control.
What are the messages and themes behind your project that you want people to take away? Do explore any topics like diversity, sustainability or politics in your work?
For this project, we were asked to create a Spring/Summer 2020 fashion campaign for a brand of my choosing, with a focus on communicating a narrative using creative direction and visual literacy. I chose the brand Pyer Moss, a New York-based luxury brand, founded by Haitian-American Kerby Jean-Raymond. As well as being one of my favourite designers, Jean-Raymond combines storytelling, activism, debate and theatre into each of his collections. We were asked to model the styling after the brand’s collection, which in the case of Pyer Moss, was crisp tailoring and bold colours but also contains elements of streetwear and sportswear through its partnership with Reebok.
Like Jean-Raymond does with his collections, I decided to direct the narrative of this campaign towards something that will spark debate and conversation about elements of society. This campaign was a social commentary on the power of media and how the messages being shared globally can impact our behaviour. I used the media coverage on the spread of Covid-19 as an example of this. When I began working on this project in early February, there were only around 10 reported cases of the virus present in the UK, and life was continuing as normal apart from panic. Despite the threat of the virus being very small in the UK, the way the media reported the virus brought on panic and mass hysteria. People began acting differently as a direct result.
Wearing face masks, avoiding public spaces, toilet paper shortages and shunning anyone with Asian features, were behaviours that were uncommon before the news of the virus became widespread and before the government began enforcing any guidelines. Now, the project can be interpreted differently because the external circumstances have changed. The narrative of the campaign has become reflective of the real-life circumstances of living in the UK. It is now compulsory to wear face coverings on all public transport in London and social distancing is nationally enforced. With either of the narratives, the work still evokes conversation about today's society and how it has changed in a very short time, hence it still reflects the ethos of Pyer Moss.
What’s an aspect of the fashion industry that you’re passionate about fixing or having a positive impact on?
There are a number of related issues I am passionate about fixing. As a black woman, I feel immensely proud when I see someone that looks like me gain recognition for their talents within the industry. It inspires me to keep honing my craft and strive to achieve more. However, there are very few black individuals that are celebrated in this way and an even smaller proportion of these are women. It is important that black people are pushing out of the boundaries of ‘urban’ because the work of black artists, designers, and creatives, in general, is multi-faceted and cannot be defined by one label. I want to be able to enter an industry where I will not be put into a box of what I should be creating, due to my background or ethnicity.
Through all of my work, I will continue to shine a light on the talents of black individuals - of which Kerby Jean-Raymond executes so effortlessly. I would also like to celebrate black culture and show others how to do the same. However, I am very aware that, as the industry stands, my work will only have a niche audience because it may be deemed as ‘too black’. I shouldn’t have to accept that my work will only appeal to black people or have to alter it to make it more mainstream. I am hoping that through increased representation and acknowledging the contribution of black individuals in shaping the fashion industry, this will not be the case.
This is not only the case for ethnic minorities in the fashion industry but also the work of LGBTQ+ are underrepresented. It is a shame that when discussing the people who have shaped the fashion industry as we know it, only those who are white or heterosexual make the cut. Growing up, I found that I would have to insert the word ‘black’ in my searches of major players in the industry to be able to find someone who looks like me. I appreciate that now more than ever, due to Black Lives Matter movements, the fashion industry is taking a good look at itself and acknowledging its shortfalls as well as working to increase inclusivity and representation. I can only hope that this is not just a marketing ploy that will revert back to its old ways when the spotlight is no longer shining on them.
The work of ethnic minorities and the LGBTQ+ community deserves to be celebrated in the same breath as their equally talented white, heterosexual peers and not just during Black History or Pride Month. When considering ethnic minorities in the fashion industry, it is not only a problem at the luxury level but also at the high-street level. Too often, the work of dedicated young black people is used and copied without credit or recognition. Young creatives should be able to share their work without fear that it will be stolen from them. Taking inspiration from other cultures is important in innovation but there is a respect and courtesy that should be paid that is often missed by major fashion houses. To take from the culture and claim that you invented it is mocking and is an example of the omission of ethnic minorities in the industry. For brands to be multiple offenders of this and not learn from their mistakes is offensive. Hopefully, the increase in real black designers will cease the need for other brands to appropriate black culture without accreditation or a real understanding of history.
What is your plan for the future?
I am still unsure of where I would like to take my career. My short time at university has already introduced me to areas in the industry that I hadn’t discovered, and I’m still finding areas that I enjoy such as trend forecasting, creative direction and branding. Through my next two years, I would like to pursue these areas in more depth but I am also open to new opportunities and learning what is the best path for me. Whatever field I go into, I would like to make sure I am making a positive impact and change for my community as I use fashion to its full potential.
A more short-term plan would be to continue to work on my projects and work with others to create meaningful work that inspires others. I hope that my presence in the industry will be a positive impact to those who need it. Therefore I will continue to try to understand the relationship between fashion and politics through collaborations made and work produced. There are a number of projects that I am planning that I would love to be able to execute with the help of other creatives in the industry. I would like to keep working on my skills by doing internships and freelance branding and graphic design work to broaden my experience in order to strengthen my skills for other upcoming University projects.