Category: Unit 2

Q: Are there any brands you’ve worked with that have taken body-shaming seriously and are making a positive impact?

In what ways do they show respect for physical freedom? Like the choice of different sizes of models.

A: There has been a previous film to help Gap. the brand has found several dancer, including fat girls who are fleshy, as well as thin girls with relative stature (under the current aesthetic trend). Brands tell everyone that their bodies are unique and beautiful through the same tight jeans worn by girls of different shapes.

I’ve also seen female models replaced because their breasts are too big, their hips are too wide, their waists are too thick, their necks are too short, and so on.

Q: Do you think girls with non-standard body shapes have positive or negative effects on the presentation of clothes in your fashion styling perspective?

A: There are pros and cons. The clothing display this problem feeling should be from the source (designer) part of the thinking. Influence also comes from designers, to see what kind of effect they want to show.

I gave these research results to some friends (young female Chinese) and got some feedback. Everyone thought that had a deeper multi-dimensional understanding of these brands through my research, then suggested me to learn more about the branding communication field.

Playful Promises has no massive marketing teams devising schemes for click-bait. Instead, a small team, based in London, keeps the whole thing running.

This brand has done so much work over the past few years in expanding their size range, tackling a lot of stereotypes about the lingerie industry, and collaborating with some amazing people.

Impressive Size Range

Playful Promises have been continuously endeavoring to expand their size range, they make over 85 bra sizes in total.

The care and attention Playful Promises pays to ensure each design works well for a number of body-types is very evident on their website. Many items have subtle yet key differences in construction across the size ranges.

One of my favourite things about Playful Promises sizing is the imagery they use to accompany their designs. While many brands offer plus-size options, they often neglect to photograph the pieces on actual plus-size models. Playful Promises, on the other hand, include core-size, fuller bust, and plus-size models wearing all of their designs on their website.

Body-Positivity

Alongside this, it’s made even better by the array of body types and body markings they re-post on their shopping website and social media accounts, showing their customers that these designs are indeed made for them – not just those blessed with model-esque figures.

Inclusivity Across the Board

There is not just sizeism in the fashion industry but a lot of racism, ageism, and other exclusion.

As the first lingerie brand to cast trans models, Playful Promises think gender fluidity and true representation is vital in their lingerie ads, they are continually working with a broad range of models.

“the courage to be disruptive, to challenge societal norms, to uplift communities that don’t have much support.”

Social Media

Playful Promises is really careful to not just make sure that images are includes but that social media space is as inclusive as possible too; Showing a wide range of people and that we offer them some protection and defense against internet trolls like Facebook groups only have Women and Femme identifying members.

I chose to research Calvin Klein is because it is a typical western commercial underwear brand that is aimed at different gender, including female, male and LGBTQ communities.

Its design is simple and even sexless, but it is a symbol of sex appeal.

The recent controversial Calvin Klein Pride campaign brought to my attention the brand’s positive impact on body freedom across genders.

#I SPEAK MY TRUTH

Calvin Klein’s pride campaign 2019 fronted by trans model Indya Moore (American actor and model) which is an important step for positive trans representation.

As someone who doesn’t identify as exclusively male or female, pronouns are important.

Of course, campaigns like this one won’t necessarily end violence towards trans people. However, it can help shift public perceptions and make young trans people struggling with their identity feel less alone.

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#PROUD IN MY CALVINS

 #PROUDINMYCALVINS was the brand’s 2020 initiative to showcase “self-expression and the full spectrum of LGBTQ+ identities.”

For the campaign, the photographer Ryan McGinley shot nine different models, actors, artists, and activists from the LGBTQ+ community. 

In particular, Calvin Klein didn’t separate the campaign from the business. The collection can be purchased on the official website.

On the one hand, stakeholders can acquire a sense of belonging by buying the product; on the other hand, the brand creates commercial value and achieves a win-win situation.

Social Media

I chose a Chinese underwear brand NEIWAI to conduct in-depth research and reflect.

Since I have purchased it before and have been following its social network for a long time, I think it is easier to dig deeper by choosing this brand as the first step.

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The first time I knew this brand was because it chose Dujuan as its spokesperson.

Unlike other actresses and celebrities, Dujuan’s “sexless” temperament makes me feel that this brand is different from typical lingerie brands for female like Victoria’s Secret. As a consumer, I think she embodies the comfort and elegance of the brand, as well as high-quality.

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I think the biggest problem with NEIWAI on social media is that it uses more Western models than Chinese faces.

Perhaps it based on the broadening of the international market, however, Weibo is mainly a website used by Chinese people.

These slender figure is not consistent with most Chinese consumers. They can’t imagine the underwear on their bodies through these photos.

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The “No body is Nobody” project is a NEIWAI campaign for Women’s Day. It can be seen as an advertisement to some extent, but it is still a big step forward in the promotion of underwear in China.

It documented the stories of six girls of different sizes, from the photographer to the models all are Asians.

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But I think what NEIWAI does is still superficial, the project is still separate from the products it sells.

On the NEIWAI shopping site, we can’t see different sizes. Even though the commodity which slogan is “Body diversity, size freedom,” only shows three women with thin figures.

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I think what NEIWAI needs to do is gradually integrate the attitude of different body respect into its products.

Due to women’s underwear is more feminine than the other themes, I searched 6 lingerie brands that are body positive:

• Neon moon

• Playful promise

• Nicholas kirkwood

• Chromat

• Fenty Savage

• Parade

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Then I randomly selected a brand “PARADE” for in-depth research, starting from its official website, social network and project.

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After all this, I felt stuck.

I just put these existing information together, I don’t know what it means to do so, where it can lead me to .

Then I put forward these questions in tutorial. Cai said that the preliminary collection and arrangement are very necessary foundations, and I need to reflect and summarize more.

In the following research, I decided to think more about the advantages and disadvantages of these brands and write them down.

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Calvin Klein recently caused a stir when it invited Jari Jones, an LGBT large-size African-American woman, to pose for its pride campaign and put up a  giant posters of her on the streets of New York.

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In the face of the new trend contrast with traditional aesthetics, there are also many points of view collision.

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Some feel CK’s choice of Jari Jones has nothing to do with promoting a new aesthetic. It was only because she was buxom, African-American, transgender and politically correct that Calvin Klein chose her.

While some believe plus-size models weaken the fight against obesity, they also represent a big step for brands in addressing the diversity of bodies.

After all, Kate Moss before the extreme thin caused by the aesthetic popularity, caused many people’s anorexia, will also bring unhealthy effects.

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I researched the opinions of Chinese netizens on Weibo and found that the females had different feelings about this advertisement:

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“The message from this AD was: firstly, Calvin Klein has larger size underwear; secondly, it should be very elastic and comfortable. “

“Advertising is not about celebrating beauty, models are not equal to beauty, models are just showing goods to people who need them.”

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“It was only when I saw a plump girl unrestrained in her underwear that I believed it was really comfortable, rather than seeing skinny girls in tightly strapped underwear designed not for the real demands of work and play, but for the beauty and sexiness of a male perspective. “

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Women wear underwear to please nobody

Perhaps in many cultures, obesity is linked to self-control as a sign of indiscipline rather than an immutable physical defect. But a person’s body shape is all related to genes, society and environment.

Therefore, CK’s political correctness provides an opportunity for people to face up to the intolerance in today’s society.

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In China, Body Positivity Still Wrestles With The Skinny Aesthetic

“BM style” is the most controversial fashion style now in China.

Idol and KOL are the main carriers of the “BM style” trend.

To a certain extent, they also represent the standards of beauty in the eyes of the Asian public, that is, “pale, young and thin“.

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Social media like Tiktok and Little Red Book are more of a boost to the consumer trap.

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“BM Girls’ Ideal Weight Chart” has gone viral on Little Red Book

I found this much-discussed note in the Little Red Book, and found that the comments below were largely opposed to such aesthetic notions.

“Please don’t build this absolute weight loss for the sake of unusual aesthetic beauty.” It has nearly 20,000 thumbs.

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BMI Chart for Adults (Men & Women)

“One size fits more” lets the normal shape of the girl towards anxiety.

Thin girls have sense of superiority just because they can wear it, however, the girls can not wear will be hard on themselves, weight loss blindly.

On the little Red book, the hot topics come up with BM style are “21 days diet”, “loss 10 kg weight in a week”… The propaganda of these totally unscientific ways of losing weight encourages many girls just for put down a dress and endanger their health in extreme ways.

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We don’t need a single type of clothing to prove our beauty and value.

What is abnormal is not clothes, but people’s mentality

With the change of times, the body standards of women in western and Chinese societies are always changing, and they are all under the perspective of men (Kings).

Yang Guifei in the Tang Dynasty as the standard of plump beauty, but women in the Northern Song dynasty were forced to “three inch lotus”.

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During the Renaissance, aristocratic women in western countries were forced to wear corsets because of court prohibitions.

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“A4 waist”, “bird legs”, and even today we still objectify women in a fixed pattern.

Beauty is not a mathematical problem with no standard answer.

Everyone’s aesthetic is affected by different things and will always change. The important thing is that we keep moving forward and fighting for our own freedom.

I divided my research direction into 5 parts:

Luxury / High street / Sports / Cosmetic / Accessories

Then I started with the topic of cosmetic that I was most interested in and organized a list.

I hope to reflect my theme from multiple dimensions, so I selected 12 projects or commercial goods of different brands. They challenge body shaping from different aspects of women power / bare skins / racism / age / body size / tone differences.

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After tutorial, I realized that my research was not in-depth enough.

Many brands are driven by economic interests. In order to be politically correct and attract more different consumer groups, superficial and false beauty campaigns are carried out.

I need to further investigate the culture behind the brand and find a brand that truly speaks for women and the body.

After talking with Cai, I realized that I should find the intersection between my topic and my real passionate field.

As a young girl, I like shopping and focus on fashion, always paying attention to the latest brand information and fashion new trends.

I am confident that if I combine the topic of “body shaming” with fashion, I can make a work that shows “Myself“.

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So I went to a Sainsbury local, the nearest market to my home, to research what kind of magazines the general public would read in their daily life.

I read over all the magazines about “fashion”, “women” and “lifestyle” on the shelf, found that all the women who appeared were slim or fit models, except for the only large model used in the advertising of weight-loss equipment.

I think this situation aggravates people’s negative impression of non-standard body.

So I came up with a new idea: why don’t I make a magazine dedicated to debate body shaming?

In my magazine, there is no comparison between different bodies, only positive encouragement for all bodies.

I can collect the projects and products of the body positive brand, and arrange them into my body campaign magazine, which is equivalent to a list. Through my works, people can learn more about the efforts that brands and agencies have made and gain power from them.

This is also based on the situation of corona, it is difficult to find a model to take photos or find a factory to make real objects. To make a magazine, I need a lot of in-depth research and graphic design which are no real obstacle for me.

Then I made a new 3 months plan:

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