Caryn Franklin - at the Cutting Edge
How can we influence the fashion industry to better reflect its audience ? Lille Cooper considers the need for change in fashion identity
For me , fashion is all about identity : a way to express who you are ( and who you aspire to be ) without saying a word . Fashion is something everyone connects with at some level , whether involved in the industry or not . It is inextricably entwined with our images of music , theatre , culture , peers , heroes and heroines . And then there are the clothes themselves , from the high street to haute couture , tempting us with their different shapes , different textures , different colours , different embellishments and , increasingly , their sustainability and authenticity . Fashion is part of our everyday lives .
So why is it , despite increased accessibility and awareness of fashion , the acceptability ( and expectation ) of ever more diverse clothing styles and a wider awareness of global cultures , that fashion identity is , in general , promoted by the same formulaic stereotypes as ever : tall , young , skinny , white - rather than promoting diversity and individuality ? Caryn Franklin continues to ask the same question and challenges all of us , as members of the industry responsible for shaping the future of fashion culture , to open our eyes to the positive messages that greater diversity of body shapes , sizes , ethnicity and age will bring to fashion images .
Ravensbourne has a close and continuing connection with Caryn Franklin . She is tall and slim with a great personal style and youthful appearance . Caryn made an impression from the first time we were introduced , with her distinctive hairstyle ( black with grey streaks running through ) and thick-rimmed glasses . Our most recent talk saw her wearing a pair of red tartan trousers with big chunky boots , teamed with a pretty polka dot blouse and black fluffy jumper on top – she looked great ! Caryn defines what personal identity is all about before even beginning to speak . Caryn ’ s extensive career can be intimidating to an audience , but she was very welcoming and encouraged us all to share our own opinions . She asked ‘ are we giving away our power when we don ’ t have an opinion ’ and really emphasized the importance of having our own standpoint as it ‘ informs our creativity ’.
This is the third time Caryn Franklin has come to Ravensbourne to speak to us about All Walks Beyond The Catwalk and diversity in fashion , yet it was still as inspiring as the first . Although the talks follow a similar pattern , there is always something new and I have always come away feeling refreshed and inspired . Caryn ’ s soft but clear voice conveys a strong message but is made easy to understand because of her energy and witty sense of humour . She is not trying to persuade us to think in a certain manner but simply to get us thinking and aware of the power of our own views and practices in the industry - whether that is to ‘ start having our own opinion and re-engage with fashion or to stick to formula ’ s already created ’.
Caryn Franklin ’ s talks are about re-connecting to fashion - ‘ starting at the beginning and re-planting the seed ’. These days we make value judgments based on people ’ s appearances without even thinking twice , not only that but the body ideals the
TEXT : LILLIE COOPER IMAGES : NICOLE PATRICE