ART 180 gives young people the chance to express themselves through art, and to share their stories with others.
FASHION
PASSION
M A G A Z I N E
Editor's Note
My name is Jonathan Copeland, and I am a wardrobe stylist and fashion editor for a local magazine. What does a fashion editor do might one ask? Think about a normal reporter, and editor for a magazine or newspaper and what they do. They write and edit stories that report to the rest of the public what is happening in the world. A fashion reporter/editor performs the same function, but focuses on the business of fashion.
While the fashion industry maybe seen as fun and glamourous, it is also looked upon as frivolous and superficial. The fact of the matter is that fashion is a vast industry, employs many people, and is a huge part of our economy. In this society, one must get up and put on clothes before leaving the house, and whether you choose to wear a t-shirt from K-mart, or a high-priced couture ball gown, everyone contributes to fashion in some way. Anything I can do to bring attention to the world of fashion and show ways that it can improve one's life is what fulfills me in life.
To me what is so fascinating about fashion is how personal and introspective it has become. Our fashion choices are a form of non-verbal communication and tell a lot about ourselves to those who see how we present ourselves. As a fashion editor, I work to encourage people to use fashion as a tool to express themselves, and who they want people to see them as. In my fashion, when you look good, you feel good, but looking good is relative to how good you feel about yourself, and understanding how to exhibit your opinion of what makes you special. Fashion allows you to develop a distinctive appearance, which in turn is viewed as style.
My ART 180 program was about exploring style and having my students take a closer look at ways they can express and define their style. I wanted to open their eyes to the world of fashion, and the message I wanted to send home was that no matter what your interests are, be proud of who you are and what you see as beautiful, and to have fun with the fact that fashion can help one to be whatever you want to be.
With all the pressures to fit in, being an adolescent can be hard and can be a time of great insecurity. I wanted to reassure my students that understanding their individual viewpoints on what they like will help them to develop a strong sense of self so as to be confident in whatever way they choose to express themselves, and to dismiss pressures to "fit in".
Every day, my partner, Kaya Gordon, and I presented our students with new ways they could express their style. We created inspiration boards, conducted photoshoots with different accessories, reviewed fashion shows from this past Spring 2016 show season, dressed mannequins, created jewelry, and allowed the students to design their own clothing lines. I wanted to expose the students to what I do as a fashion stylist and show the aspects of another creative field that is not well understood.
Thinking back to my childhood, I was unaware of the vast amounts of opportunities for one to deviate from the norm, and be successful in a creative field. I hope this experience shows my students that there are other creative professional options they can take advantage of as they get older and try to pin down what they want to do when they become adults.
For me, this ART 180 experience was incredibly rewarding. It was such joy to see how each student chose to represent themselves with each class! I want to thank ART 180 for this opportunity, and the Chruchill Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club for being so accomodating and welcoming of this project.