Meet Louise Rutter, Considered Fashion Award Winner at GFW22. Louise attended Staffordshire University and her award-winning final major project investigates how people engage with fashion in the natural environment.
How do you feel about winning a GFW22 award?
I am proud to have won an award that focuses on sustainability within the fashion industry.
What was the inspiration starting point for your award-winning FMP?
The starting-point for my FMP developed along with my own personal relationship with fashion. My research and experience highlighted the impacts of fashion on the environment, leading to me create a campaign that would educate others to hopefully be more considerate of their own fashion choices.
What skills did you learn and develop during the production of your FMP?
Throughout my FMP I worked with various students specialising in other subjects, such as drama and film. This allowed me to learn about these subjects, gaining skills I would not have if I had not created a collaborative project. My research and creative direction skills were developed during the process of this project, as I ensured that every detail was accurate.
What were some challenges that you faced in producing your FMP and how did you overcome these?
When producing my FMP, I had to overcome the challenge of aligning schedules for all of the members involved during filming. This meant that I had to ensure deadlines were met prior too, to ensure everything was ready to produce the final outcomes.
Are there any messages or major themes in your FMP that you want people to take away? If so, how did you choose to communicate them?
My FMP focuses on the way we interact with the natural environment in relation to fashion. The overall aim is to educate others on these issues to allow them to make informed choices and be more aware. This is communicated through visuals and spoken word, sparking emotions to have the greatest impact.
What is an aspect of the fashion industry that you want to help improve or have a positive impact on?
I want to improve the relationship between fashion and nature, tackling the throw away culture fast fashion has created.
What form does your FMP take? Is it a collection of clothing, book, presentation, etc? If relevant, how did you source the materials for the project?
My FMP is composed of two advertisement films, through an imagined collaboration series between Depop and various charities. This is supported by infographics for an advertising campaign.
What are your plans for the near future (further study/ internship/ work?) now that you've finished your BA?
I aim to continue researching into sustainability in its various forms and how this works alongside the fashion industry.