Meet Paige Armstrong, New Fashion Media Award Winner. Paige studied Fashion Branding and Communication at the Arts University Bournemouth.

How do you feel about winning a GFW22 award?

Immensely proud of myself and honoured that my hard work was recognised by such an esteemed panel of judges. It was the most nerve-wracking, yet exciting experience I've ever had!

What was the inspiration starting point for your award-winning FMP?

Witnessing the impact that misogyny had on my younger brothers and understanding how misogyny impacted me growing up. It encouraged me to create something that equipped children with the tools to deal with social pressures that are rooted in misogyny, at an age-appropriate level.

What skills did you learn and develop during the production of your FMP?

I developed a new illustrative style and learnt how to write a fun children's book which I've never done before. I also taught myself how to use Adobe Aero to create augmented reality aspects of my project, bringing the story book to life!

What were some challenges that you faced in producing your FMP and how did you overcome these?

My target audience for my story are children aged 4-6 because that's when they start going to school and the pressures from society really start to kick in. However, researching for my book was difficult because I didn't know anyone with children that age. I knew that without getting screening and primary research from my target audience, my project was not likely to serve its purpose correctly.

I created a mumsnet account and recruited lots of mums to give me their feedback on my research questions which was very helpful until mumsnet blocked my account for conducting research on their website (whoops!), then I continued my research through the Nextdoor app which linked me to lots of families in my area who also gave great feedback to guide the direction of my project.

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 project P.O.V is aimed to teach children about feminism and misogyny at an age-appropriate level is communicated through a storybook about a group of friends that notice an extra 'monsterly' character - Yowie monster isn't behaving his usual self, the story tackles the idea of toxic masculinity and the journey of how the friends helped Yowie express his feelings, assuring it does not make him any less 'monsterly'. At the back of the book, there are interactive pages where children are encouraged to write or draw how they are feeling.

My project proposes other stories that combat different elements of misogyny such as gender stereotypes and setting boundaries. There is also an app which includes digital versions of the story, quizzes and a 'meet the friends' section, to familiarise the children with the friendly characters of the story.

There is also an audiobook section to allow children to listen to the stories with the options of a female and male voice. I also developed AR versions of some of the book pages, to allow children to immerse themselves in the story. In an ever-advancing world of technology, children need new and exciting ways to absorb information. All they need to do is download the free adobe aero app and scan the QR code, which brings the story to life before their eyes!

What is an aspect of the fashion industry that you want to help improve or have a positive impact on?

Marketing! Clothes, children's clothes more specifically are still so gendered which contributes to the idea that boys can only wear one thing and girls wear something else. It reinforces the toxic masculinity and misogyny that children, unfortunately, are exposed to at such an early age. I think the way brands market their clothes is so important, if children see other children breaking gendered fashion stereotypes often enough, it will become normal for them to wear what they want! This also goes for increasing diversity and inclusivity in brands, representation both in front of the camera and behind is so important.

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?

A storybook and proposed future stories, an app and augmented reality.