Exploring other ideas

Today in class we tried to refine our ideas and to continue exploring possibilities. Ive been thumbnailing more ideas but still want to try continue with my sequin face and refine it more. Also the zip idea seems simple and clear, but also needs refining.

Superstore Focus

I have decided to focus on fashion superstores, and taking a negative stance against their exploitation of workers throughout their supply chain, paying people extremely low wages, and making them work in dangerous conditions in order to make a profit while maintaining low prices.

Topic & Initial Research

I have chosen the superstores as the social issue I am going to focus on. I watched an undercover BBC investigation in to the working conditions in Amazon's warehouses which showed how exploitative the company is, putting stress on their workers by literally making them run against the clock for every item they have to pick off the shelf. I was frustrated with the power that superstores like amazon have, as they can get away with so much, so obviously I am going to take a stance against superstores.

I also found an inforgraphic detailing the aggressive tactics Amazon uses:

Initial Concepts

I've been working on some concepts, a lot of them to do with child labour and just generally who is making your clothes and the conditions under which they are made. I've been playing with using objects of garment making, e.g. needles, thread, zips and trying to arrange them in ways that show them in an oppressing way.
One of the things I was drawn to was using sequins after seeing the BBC panorama expose showing people sewing sequins for tiny wages in back streets. I feel that sequins are a juxtaposition to this, being a symbol of tacky glamour and fast fashion, when behind the scenes is an exploited work force.

Garment Industry research

I have been researching stories about the fashion industry and the exploitative practices they use to produce their clothes and found a lot of information that it is hard to know where to start. One of the most stocking things, was a BBC panorama investigation in to Primark, which found children adding finishings such as sequins to garments in back streets and homes for tiny wages. And even worse was that they were told that people in refugee camps were also being exploited as they had no other way to earn money.

Debate

In class today, we split in to three groups, social media, voting and superstores. We had to argue for or against, and then each side had a debate.

I was in the against superstores group, which happens to be the topic I am doing so it was useful as I got points that were relevant to what I am working on.

Our points of argument were:

Superstores have inferior quality, are not made to last which creates waste, and is therefore bad for the environment.

The shopping experience in a superstore is worse than an independent store. 

Worse service, chain stores are all the same, online superstores - don't know what you are buying

Bad for the community. Superstores hurt small businesses and their employees, shops go out of business and streets become empty and lifeless.

Factory workers working in dangerous conditions for poverty wages.