Elizabethan Introduction

Well I'm back again guys, and this time I've got a mammoth task to tell you about!! Although big, it's going to be so much fun as I get to learn about a whole new era! Our first project is to create a contemporary look based around the New Elizabethans. From what I can remember about the Elizabethans was that pale faces and extravagant dresses were all the rage. From the brief overview that we did today, I believe that Queen Elizabeth I was a big style icon at that time and that we will be looking more in depth as to how she lived and dressed. This will give me a better idea as to what design I can do for the assessment. 

One of the most popular looks from this era was to have a pale face and red hair. This was because this is how the Queen looked. Over the years the Queen used more and more make up. This was to cover up wrinkles and the slight scarring that was caused by small pox. It was also known that Queen Elizabeth had up to almost 80 wigs created throughout her reign. Only women in nobility were able to wear make-up as this showed their status in society. 

The Elizabethan era was set at the beginning of the Renaissance period. The Renaissance was known as the rebirth of life. People started thinking in a new way in many different subjects such as science, art and literature. With the help of Queen Elizabeth this particular era was also known as 'The Golden Age'. This was because the Tudor monarchs ruled fairly and helped boost the economy. 

My First Week

Well what can I say? My first month at Uni has been hectic to say the least. Settling in, meeting new people, meeting my lecturers and learning about my course. It doesn't sound like much but in reality it seems like I've been thrown in the deep end. 

My first week was interesting to say the least. This is when I was able to finally meet the friendly faces of my peers and the slightly more intimidating ones of my lecturers. I was given a range of tasks that I had to complete, and each one was completely different. My first task which was set was to be done over the summer, which was to create a mood board portraying where I wanted to be in 5 years. This gave me a good amount of time to really think about what I wanted to do, and where I wanted to be. I eventually came to the conclusion that I wanted to travel the world to get a better look at other cities and cultures. Another thing that I realised was that I would prefer to work on films and television creating the things that go bump in the night. Although working in the fashion industry doesn't sound too bad either! We were given the chance to share our mood board in small groups within the class. It gave me the chance to see what other peoples plans and aspirations were.

Another project that we were given was to choose a classic film from a list that we were given and then write a review about it, including things like the make-up, fashion and did it relate to the time when it came out. After looking at the list and seeing a few films that I had already seen such as Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) and Pulp Fiction (1994), I decided to pick a film and hadn't seen which was Clueless (1995). After growing up watching films like Mean girls and a Cinderella Story, I was wondering whether 'Clueless' would have the same kind of storyline. You know the one where there is the beautiful girl who is noticed in the wrong light, with her quirky friends, and the group of popular girls who create havoc? That one? It was completely different to how I expected it to be. Given the task to write the review with only 300 words was a task but I managed. 

Clueless - 1994

Clueless is your run of the mill romantic comedy chick-flick, based on a girls high school struggles, that leave her absolutely clueless! Made in 1995, Clueless has the iconic fashion from that fabulous decade like the bright colours and the interesting patterns that make each outfit funky and unique. Clueless may not have started a style trend as it was made midway the 90's, however with the younger generation of that era it may have included a few style tips. It included some of the more popular looks such as the chequered patterns and quirky combinations. One particular outfit that is well known from this film is the bright yellow chequered blazer and skirt that Silverstone wore early on in the film. This outfit can also be seen in a more modern music video which stars Iggy Azalea. Clueless was based around a rich teenage girl who wore what her money could buy her such as Calvin Klein and Fendi. While the style at the time was more grunge/ punk rock, leading lady Alicia Silverstone did start a little style trend with her luscious locks.  Silverstone has gorgeous flowing hair which would have made any teenage girl jealous. The leading make-up artist Alan Friedman created some of the iconic looks from the film. Friedman had also worked with the likes of Reese Witherspoon, Barbara Streisand and Cyndi Lauper, who were some of the big style icons of that time. What I think makes this film so iconic is that it includes all the different stereotypes of the 90's. There's the bad boys, the grunge and the preps and thy have made them all work together so that each characters style brings out the others around them.

One of the tasks that we were set when we joined was to create our Alter Ego.... We were given a brown paper bag and a bunch of arts and crafts items that we could use to create a different self. I didn't really know what to do at first but I liked the idea of creating some sort of superhero. I liked the idea of being mysterious and unrecognisable. I'm usually a loud and bubbly person, so I felt that going for someone that could be slightly more reserved. I also didn't want to use too much on my bag as I felt that I didn't want to make it look overcrowded. I wanted something simple. After creating my masterpiece I felt that my Alter Ego needed a name and a power. After great though and deliberation I finally came up with 'The Uber Mistress' with the power of superstrength. I felt that these were fitting as the name is quite quirky and the power reflected how I feel inside.

  

Our final task was to take black and white photos around Southampton and then post one photo for three days. I enjoyed doing this project as it gave me a better chance to look around the city that I will be living in for the next three years. After doing photography in college I tried to put some of my knowledge into my photos. I considered things like the angle, composition and lighting. I tried to keep my images minimalistic so that they didn't look overcrowded yet still had some sort of content that allowed them to look aesthetically pleasing. This task also allowed me to get to know some of my peers as we were able to go round in groups, meaning I was able to get closer to my peers.