“All Walks Beyond the Catwalk” guides Fashion Students of the Future
Caryn Franklin, one of the co-founders of “All Walks Beyond the Catwalk”, gave a truly inspirational talk to the Fashion students of Southampton Solent University today.
One of the most important points of the talk was to change our views, as the next generation of designers, journalists, and photographers, on the way fashion and models are perceived. We were made aware of how the current fashion industry could be having a damaging effect on men and women of all ages, both mentally and physically.
Caryn commented on the fact that current models on the catwalk are a “dysfunctional representation of womanhood.” As she was a previous editor of i-D Magazine and has been involved with Clothes Show Live for 22 years now, Caryn has seen the ways in which fashion is portrayed to the masses first hand.
All Walks want to bring back individuality and to give the public - no matter what age, gender, shape, size or colour they are - some faith in themselves and prove that one size doesn’t fit all and it shouldn’t have to. Currently more than half of women have a distorted image of what their bodies look like.
Caryn was keen to get feedback from students on the issues highlighted by ‘All Walks’ and all students were encouraged to write a message on a large piece of calico, which will be made into a garment for display at their Forthcoming national Portrait Gallery event
The Press launch for the 2011 Campaign will be in January but their main impact will be made by the spring/summer 2011 campaign and will hopefully change people’s views of what they are presented with at London Fashion Week
By Kirsty Geddes, Writing Fashion & Culture, 1st Year, Southampton Solent