“What does the word tough mean to you?”...“What does the word tough mean to you?” At the...
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“What does the word tough mean to you?” At the beginning of my Final major project, this was a question I asked in a survey conducted about attitudes towards gender. For most of my childhood, i was told to “toughen up”, “stop acting like a girl” and “boys don’t cry”. I didn’t really know at the time, but ‘tough’ is a very complex word. It has many meanings and connotations, mostly around masculinity and the need to appear stoic and independent. Throughout my 4 years at university, I’ve been able to explore my identity in ways I couldn’t whilst growing up gay in a catholic school. So, it only seemed right to delve deeper into my past for my final project. Firstly, by researching into the effects of homophobic legislation in the UK that affected my school life, and ideas of masculinity within the working class. “Tough” is a gender non-conforming collection aiming to break down the stigma of what it means to be tough and challenge labels and what they mean. This is me ‘baring all’, and telling the world that I am proud of who I am. There have been moments in my life that have taught me how to be resilient, but many people face much worse as a consequence of simply being who they are. Denim has become a passion of mine, and being able to use it in a way to question what it means to be tough, whilst using sustainable alternatives such as hemp and hand-dyeing techniques made this project all the more personal to me. Using old curtains to represent parts of my identity I used to be ashamed of taught me that there’s a way to make something beautiful from the past. The development of the gender-fluid garments was paramount, as well as finding innovative ways to use traditional denim influences and modernising them. I found experimenting with different pattern cutting methods to develop details gave the collection a fresh and unique perspective on denim, whilst staying authentic. Crybaby stands to tell you that are tough, no matter what you do or do not identify as. While we continue to fight for change and strive for a better future, remember that being who you are is never wrong. You deserve to be here, to be heard and to be celebrated. There is always a way. Always. [email protected] +447428602268 https://alexanderneil.wixsite.com/crybaby
Transcript of “What does the word tough mean to you?”...“What does the word tough mean to you?” At the...
“What does the word tough mean to you?”At the beginning of my Final major project, this was a question I asked in a survey conducted about attitudes towards gender.
For most of my childhood, i was told to “toughen up”, “stop acting like a girl” and “boys don’t cry”. I didn’t really know at the time, but ‘tough’ is a very complex word. It has many meanings and connotations, mostly around masculinity and the need to appear stoic and independent.
Throughout my 4 years at university, I’ve been able to explore my identity in ways I couldn’t whilst growing up gay in a catholic school. So, it only seemed right to delve deeper into my past for my final project. Firstly, by researching into the effects of homophobic legislation in the UK that affected my school life, and ideas of masculinity within the working class.
“Tough” is a gender non-conforming collection aiming to break down the stigma of what it means to be tough and challenge labels and what they mean. This is me ‘baring all’, and telling the world that I am proud of who I am. There have been moments in my life that have taught me how to be resilient, but many people face much worse as a consequence of simply being who they are.
Denim has become a passion of mine, and being able to use it in a way to question what it means to be tough, whilst using sustainable alternatives such as hemp and hand-dyeing techniques made this project all the more personal to me. Using old curtains to represent parts of my identity I used to be ashamed of taught me that there’s a way to make something beautiful from the past. The development of the gender-fluid garments was paramount, as well as finding innovative ways to use traditional denim influences and modernising them. I found experimenting with different pattern cutting methods to develop details gave the collection a fresh and unique perspective on denim, whilst staying authentic.
Crybaby stands to tell you that are tough, no matter what you do or do not identify as. While we continue to fight for change and strive for a better future, remember that being who you are is never wrong. You deserve to be here, to be heard and to be celebrated. There is always a way. Always.
[email protected]+447428602268https://alexanderneil.wixsite.com/crybaby
Whilst the COVID-19 pandemic has been a difficult time for many of us, I tried to channel my efforts and focus even more into my university work. It gave me an extra drive, to make something positive from such an uncertain time.
The experience gave me a challenge to both stay focussed and motivated with my work, and it also meant that it was more important to communicate the meaning behind the collection. These uncertain times have been difficult for many people, especially for people facing struggles with their mental health and members of the LGTBQIA+ people who may have to isolate with members of the family they cannot be their authentic selves with. This made me even more driven to create a marketing plan that expressed the brand’s values of acceptance, inclusivity and diversity. It also showed me that I wanted to focus more on helping the LBGTQIA+ community through the brand, by representing queer identities and forming a sense of community.
Whilst I was excited to make a physical document that would include textured layers to create interest, I was able to make a digital portfolio more interactive with QR codes that lead to more content, as well as moving images. My promotional shoot was planned to be a 3-part series, communicating stories that were interwoven with conceptual environments and props. However, since having to move back home and lockdown rules, I created an idea that even further encapsulated my concept - whilst showing how personal and important this project is to me. I am fortunate enough to have 2 extremely supportive siblings, and being able to feature my younger brother in my promotional campaign made the outcome even better. Overall, the situation forced me to think of different ways to effectively communicate my ideas, and has most likely impacted my work in a positive way.
[email protected]+447428602268https://alexanderneil.wixsite.com/crybaby
ALEXANDER NEIL
