High School Students discuss Body Image as part of BBC School Report
Skip to the 12 minute mark to hear students from Tarporley High School in Cheshire discuss body image, focusing particularly on how the media affects the way teenagers feel about their appearance. Later in the piece, students quiz gorgeous "plus size" model Jenna Herlingshaw and CBBC presenter Cerrie Burnell, who was born with only one hand, about their appearances and experiences.***
Words by Charlotte Gush, on Twitter @CavaCharlotte
All Walks Hosts UK Screening of Miss Representation at Parliament
Guests at the All Walks screening of Miss Representation in the House of Commons photographer Annabel Staff“With the lack of female role models reflected in our general media, women often look to fashion for a narrative on femininity. The work of All Walks Beyond the Catwalk to promote a broader range of beauty and body ideals in age, size and skin tone is, therefore, essential”
Colleen Harris speaks at the Miss Representation debate photographer Annabel Staff
Minister for Equalities Lynne Featherstone MP (center) on the debate panel photographer Annabel StaffCatch up on Lynne Featherstone’s Huffington Post blog: Charmaine Ayden is a Fashion Communication graduate from Northumbria University. An avid admirer of all things ‘glossy’, she set her heart on a career in Fashion Journalism from a young age. Undertaking work placements with Vogue, WSGN, Asos, Drapers and Glamour Magazine, Charmaine is currently working as Copy and Features Writer for Brownsfashion.com. Check out Charmaine’s blog The Good is the Beautiful and find her on Twitter @CharmaineAyden
Beauty, retouched: Is natural beauty just not beautiful enough?
The 'retouching' of imagery is all around us; the process is used to 'perfect' most, if not every, photograph within the media. Natural beauty is often disguised by the detailed manipulation of ‘imperfections’ during the post-production process, producing a glamorous illusion of many icons in our culture. Magazine editors have argued that the reasoning behind retouching stems from the reading audience wanting a perfected look, which they in turn aim to portray in there day-to-day lives. They also say that readers know that the photographs they see are altered and, therefore, they do not need to be labeled as such.
This poses the question, ‘Is re-touching necessary?’ To the extent that it is currently used, I personally do not think it is. Being bombarded with images of ‘perfect’ super-toned bodies and flawless skin can, and does, give a distorted image of beauty which many women feel pressure to live up to. But look at these images of Madonna and Angelina Jolie. They are beautiful already, before the retouching. In my opinion, ‘flaws and blemishes’ should be celebrated, as they create individuality; the essence of true beauty.
The images above show the kind of retouching that most editorial and advertising images undergo. They give us an idea of how much work goes into post-production and how manipulated the final images are. Images which give their viewers an un-realistic image of beauty to aspire to.
For Dove's 2003 "Campaign for Real Beauty" they produced a short film called ‘Evolution’ which provides a refreshing view of the truth behind the image; stripping back the make up, undoing the slimming processes and showing the blemishes of reality. Once uploaded, the advert was viewed over 40,000 times in its first day, 1,700,000 times within a month of its upload and 12,000,000 times within its first year. Here is one of the many Youtube videos of the film:
Tell us what you think about retouching in the media on the All Walks Beyond the Catwalk Facebook page.
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Post by Zina Graber
Zina is a fashion styling student from Cornwall who has a huge interest in celebrating the female form and individuality through styling. I want to be part of changing women’s negative perceptions of themselves so I have recently created a campaign that promotes global style and fashion diversity. The idea is to collect photos of individuals around the world, no matter who you are and showcase you’re style to the world. Check out "What Ya Wearing World?" and find Zina on Twitter @whatyawearingw
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Editor Charlotte Gush, on Twitter @CavaCharlotte
Our London Fashion Week Highlights
This season, for the first time since our launch in September 2009, we decided not to produce a high-profile industry campaign during fashion week. The reason for this is that we have been focusing all of our attention on the educational side of our work, helping to shape the mindset of future industry players - designers, writers, image makers - towards emotionally considerate practice. To this end, All Walk's founders Caryn and Debra will continue to tour the country, speaking to students at university level about the All Walks way.However, the spirit of All Walks has continued to have a presence on the catwalks during fashion month, and I would like to share these highlights with you. At All Walks, we love to see the people we work with doing really well, and this London Fashion Week has certainly made us proud.
You may have read in a prevous post, written by our Editor Charlotte Gush, about one of the original All Walks pairings, of designer Alexandra Groover and model Lucy Freeman, reuniting this season to make a film together for London Fashion Week.
I was also pleasantly surprised when I received an email containing the images below, of William Tempest's All Walks model Laura Catterall walking in the Elena Miro show in Milan, where she is channelling the perfect Mad Men silhouette with her femme fatal curves:
Coming back to the UK from Milan, spreading the spirit of our campaign at London Fashion Week was All Walks model Valerie Pain, who walked for Fyodor Golan, this year's winner of Fashion Fringe. Pain, the amazingly stunning 70-year-old model, told me that when she attended the casting, she walked in and, on sight of the samples, announced to the casting agent, "I'm not going to waste your time, they won't fit me."
However, the designers were so impressed by her that they redesigned an outfit and fitted it to Valerie's own body shape so that they could have her walk in their show. And just look how confidently she walks and how beautiful she looks in her show-stopping outfit in the short film, below:
To watch more, visit the Fashion Fringe section of the LFW website.
Until next time, I would like to leave you with this thought:
Whatever shape you are, whatever age you are, the women in this post show that being unique is the most beautiful trend to have emerged from fashion week, and I hope you can use this inspiration to embrace your individuality with pride.
Images courtesy of 12+ UK Model Management
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Post by Michael Williamson
Michael is a designer, stylist, blogger and an integral member of the All Walks team, having been with us from the very beginning. Check out his blog, Safety-Pin Charm, to keep your finger on the pulse of all things fashion - especially london based. Follow Michael on You Tube and on Twitter @mwfrost
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Editor Charlotte Gush, on Twitter @CavaCharlotte
The Ever Changing Female ‘Ideal’: 1960 - 2010 (part 2)
I completely love everything about the 1960’s, the fashion, the music, the art and the entire zeitgeist of the decade. However, the curvy and glamorous ideal of previous decades changed suddenly to a preference for slim, boyish frames. Female ideals consisted of very slight, slim figures, with short pixie crops and heavy eye make up. The fashion encouraged women to look like young girls, with short shift dresses showing off full legs, and boxed jackets not allowing the waist to be cinched in. Most women wanted a boyish frame with fashion models becoming slim for the first time since the 1920’s female ideal. The contrast from 1950-1960’s was evidently huge and could be considered one of the biggest changes in the ever-changing 'ideal' of the female form throughout the decades.
The 1970’s again promoted the female body ideal as slim and slender. This image shows a 1970’s fashion model, showing less skin and flesh than a 1960’s model but still with an innocent look. However, the late seventies allowed women to dress with freedom and with maxi dresses and flares being high on the fashion front, women were able to cover many parts of their body with voluminous clothing and long tousled hair. The unkempt look was popular and 'bed-head' hair was seen for the first time, in the decade of peace and love!
The 1980’s female ideal often celebrated the legs, with very high cut swimwear and underwear. Shoulder pads were worn to emphasise the new power that some women had in their careers.
The 1990s made women want to look healthy. With toned, muscled slender bodies as the ideal female shape, women took exercise and health very seriously. Women wanted to be ‘girl next door’ character, with a natural and fresh appearance. This gave women a chance to work out alongside men at the gym and take sports seriously for the first time; the 1990s saw women want to be gym bunnies!
In the 'naught-ies', the size zero issue has become prominent and the debate is long from being over. Skinny models are seen all over the catwalks and many 'average' women aspire to be as skinny as possible, with this issue sometimes taking over their lives. Women are bombarded with diets, fitness regimes and celebrities showcasing the skinny 'ideal'. Today we are trying to tackle the pressure on women to be skinny, emphasizing that they should be able to celebrate their body no matter what shape, size, age or ethnicity they may be.
Join us in showing the decade that we’re happy with our bodies and that we want to celebrate body diversity!
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Post by Zina Graber
Zina is a fashion styling student from Cornwall who has a huge interest in celebrating the female form and individuality through styling. I want to be part of changing women’s negative perceptions of themselves so I have recently created a campaign that promotes global style and fashion diversity. The idea is to collect photos of individuals around the world, no matter who you are and showcase you’re style to the world. Check out "What Ya Wearing World?" and find Zina on Twitter @whatyawearingw
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Images linked to source
Editor Charlotte Gush, on Twitter @CavaCharlotte
Nigella Lawson and the “Burkini” Debate
She is the British food writer and self proclaimed ‘domestic goddess,’ known equally for her Rubenesque figure as she is for her mouth watering recipes. So when Nigella Lawson was photographed on Bondi Beach dressed in what has been described as a “burkini,” it was guaranteed to spark a debate. Why did she cover up? And more to the point- why do we care?
Suggested theories behind her choice of clothing range from it being a political statement, to extreme protection from the sun in an attempt to retain her alabaster complexion; either way Lawson was expressing her right to dress in a manner that she deemed suitable for the occasion.
Who would blame her if she was covering up to avoid the criticism faced by famous women whilst on the beach? As a woman of a certain age, and of a size which does not conform to conventional ideals, Lawson would no doubt come under the scrutiny of the usual host of women’s weekly magazines. The familiar ‘circle of shame,’ used to highlight even the smallest of ‘imperfections,’ reinforces negative body image instead of embracing diversity and empowering women.
As a fuller figured woman who seems comfortable in her own skin, Nigella Lawson represents an army of women who realise that there is more to life than what the weekly rags deem the perfect ‘bikini body.’
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Post by Emma Case
Emma is a Fashion Marketing and Communications graduate who currently works as Sample Co-ordinator at a fashion trimmings company, she also works freelance as a fashion writer at Yogoego.com. Catch Emma on Twitter @EmmaOffDuty
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Editor Charlotte Gush, on Twitter @CavaCharlotte