Week 8: Finalising the Copy

Introduction 

This week, I am wrapping up the copy of my publication with all the finalised quotes from contributors. In addition, I’ll be sending my work to a proofreader to ensure the copy is perfect for print.

Independent Study

Updated Interview Spreadsheet

I’m extremely happy with the response to my outreach for the IFP, managing to get a total of 10 contributors for the project from across the industry for various segments of the book. This allowed me to complete my contextual Met Gala piece and a piece on the theme of the year.

Feature 1: A Psychological Angle on The Legacy of the Met Gala

Feature 2: The Garden of Time: The Met Gala’s Response to the Inevitable

The Styling Segment

‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty’: How Have Guests Dressed In Previous Years?

In previous years, guests have taken inspiration from a plethora of places, depending on the dress code. For the 2023 theme, guests went heavy on black and white looks with floral motifs and pearls to honour Lagerfeld's signature codes at Chanel. Some guests from Jared Leto Doja Cat even paid tribute to his cat - Choupette. A stand-out of the night was Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bünchen rewearing archival Chanel, previously worn in a 2007 Chanel editorial. In an interview with Emma Chamberlain on Vogue’s YouTube, she says, “I wanted to wear something that reminded me of him and an experience with him, so I chose this dress,” (Vogue, 2023) a fitting take on the theme.

(Vogue, 2023)

I referred to my feature on the theme to decipher what kinds of looks we could have expected from celebrities. This allowed me to harness my creative side as a stylist. In an attempt to find archival pieces to show how fashion can be a way to preserve fashion (as an ode to the theme), I struggled to find original versions of images found on Pinterest even with reverse image search and platforms like Getty. So my references were as close to the original as I could possibly find.

Foreword

I’ve never written a foreword before so I took to the internet to learn and used critical thinking to work out how I could overcome this obstacle. According to sources, someone else should be elected to write a foreword. After reading the key steps to writing a foreword I understand how this is difficult to do in first-person, but for lecturers, I am able to highlight what I have accomplished during the IFP. As this book is effectively a written portfolio of my work, I should learn how to write in this style. I used the following guide by Kindlepreneur and highlighted how I could alter the step so it was better suited to the needs of my IFP (Chesson, 2023):

1. Talk about your personal relationship with the author.

   1. IRP & The Impact on IFP

2. Discuss how the author has helped people like the readers (including you).

   1. How this project has helped inform my knowledge

3. Signify why the author is qualified to write this book.

   1. Studies (e.g. Fashion Journalism and Magazine Publishing & Media Business)

   2. Treat this like a cover letter and refer to my CV (as done in the Professional Practice Portfolio module).

4. Talk about your involvement in the book.

   1. What X I did (e.g. write foreword, feature, introductory statements). 

5. Signature

Additionally, I read the Foreword in the Barbie: The World Tour coffee table book by Edward Enninful for an example of what I should aim to achieve in this task. The publication also includes an afterword but if I am only including my own written work, this is unnecessary for this portfolio.

(Mukamal & Robbie, 2024)

Writing the Foreword Using This Framework

Edward Enninful Inspiration: You are about to embark on a journey through JG Ballards ‘The Garden of Time’ in real-life embodiments of the theme on the red carpet steps. In THE fashion event of the year, allow these pages to speak on the inner workings of the event, in a whirlwind of paparazzi, performances and party dresses in New York City and relive the joy of the Met Gala.

1. This year in particular, I found myself at a Met Gala watch party, staying awake until 3am (GMT) to catch a glimpse of the looks in real-time - despite the fact the pictures would be published the very next morning. The livestream played on the television, while the groupchat flooded with real-time, live footage of celebrities exiting their hotels for their cabs to the venue. We expressed our opinions on the looks, disappointment at some, and debated their messages and relevance to the theme - which held the utmost of importance. The Met Gala has the power to unite those that view fashion casually, with those who worship it.

After looking at ‘Fashion as Entertainment: The Impact of Digitalisation on the Evolution of Fashion Events’, key themes included: conspicuous consumption, sexist fashion portrayals and fashion’s desire for theatre. Conspicuous consumption relates to the ideology of dress on the red carpet being exercised as a tool to flaunt wealth and social standing, especially when attendees wear items only once on the red carpet (Kawamura, 2018). Additionally, novelty and impracticality of dress (particularly female dress) plays a part in establishing the superior pecuniary class (Veblen, 1899). Fashion's desire for theatre clarifies the performance ritual is conducted for financial gain (Stark, 2018). 

Sexist fashion portrayals connote women as the submissive sex in all known societies, which can be traced back to barbarian society where women were viewed as trophies. The anticipation for womenswear over menswear in the traditional fashion system can be determined by the perception of a woman existing to be adorned, in order to heighten the male’s social standing through their economic dependence (Veblen, 1899). For this reason, fashion (and subsequently feminine leisure activities like reading magazines) have been branded as a strictly frivolous female activity; which diminishes the craft of its cultural and political significance (Turnbull, 2018). 

Significant findings showed performance theatre in the exhibition of clothes creates cross-platform marketing to sell other novelty products to the bourgeoisie: including cosmetics and fragrances (Stark, 2018). After the use of Pandora dolls in the Royal Courts, women now play this part in dressing for media consumption on the red carpet as a form of entertainment - solidifying society's stars (Devaney, n.d.). The movement of women using fashion to explore social issues must be done thoughtfully in order to avoid contradictory claims. Costumes or ‘method dressing’ is a novelty tactic used year by year to ensure relevant creative looks are overturned as opposed to the recycling of black tie dress. Due to the historic economic dependence of women on men, and the use of womens adornments to signify a man’s wealth, the red carpet has since become a space to amplify female voices (Veblen, 1899).

The digitalisation of media means timeliness is a key factor for keeping mass-audiences engaged across platforms, especially with the already temporary nature of fashion weeks. The saturated digital landscape can lead to audiences feeling overwhelmed; therefore, audiences look for a distillation of fashion moments in print to prolong their lifespan, as an item to cherish and a way to be involved in the brand universe - which is how this book was born. 

While the event may be reduced to a female form of entertainment, the Met Gala is a cultural mass-media event in the Western world for the exhibition of clothing. The event is the ultimate symbol of status and conspicuous consumption to establish the annual elites of entertainment. 

1. This endeavour links to my personal intended and aspirational career path as I am interested in working in the publication industry, specifically a magazine such as Vogue - the hosts of the Met Gala. This experience has helped me learn more about the Vogue tone-of-voice in the written word, the psychology of fashion in relation to the event and hear from a number of contributors for their opinion on the event - among a plethora of other subjects. 

1. As the author, I have been exposed to various forms of writing, collaboration and facets of the publication industry through my degree at Condé Nast College of Fashion & Design - where I minored in Fashion Journalism and Magazine Publishing & Media Business. I have had first-hand experience interning at Grazia UK, Emily Blair Media and REFY, therefore I understand the inner workings of a magazine but also how this works in conjunction with PR. My experience in content creation for brands such as Cosmopolitan Middle East means I am able to curate content to industry-standard on platforms like InDesign and PhotoShop. Additionally, my experience as a Contact Tracer for the NHS means I am able to converse confidently with my interview subjects. 

1. This body of work truly highlights my ability as a fashion writer, where I was involved in writing 1 foreword, 1 exhibition overview, 2 features, a styling segment, 2 written profiles, 20+ outfit descriptors, 8 news pieces alongside curating other creative segments. 

Enjoy!

Sending My Work to a Proofreader

As I intend on printing my publication for the Graduate Showcase, I must ensure that all copy - especially in a written portfolio is perfected. For this reason I have decided it’s in my best interest to send the body of work to a proofreader (Cerys Jones who has previously worked for LAPP, FoodGod and Price Waterhouse). Once I got back the amendments, they were implemented as soon as possible.

Draft Specification & Email Template for Printers

Hi!

I’m Gwennan, I hope you’re well! I’m looking to print one copy of my dissertation as a coffee table book for my graduate exhibit! This is my current specification: 

• Linen hardback (300gsm cover, unsure if gsm is needed for hardback)

• 245mm x 330mm (Portrait)

• 200 - 220 pages

• Full colour process (CMYK)

• Paper: silk gloss 130gsm

• Hardback binding

I can submit the PDF for printing on the 27th, so with my exhibition on the 12th I’m hoping for it to be completed by the 8th of September if possible!

Let me know if this can be arranged. 

Best wishes,

Gwennan Jones

Key Takeaways

• I am now aware of how to write a new form of writing: a foreword.

• I am able to synthesise information from interviewees to produce a feature. 

• I utilised my creative skillset to create look ideas for the Met Gala that could have been seen on the red carpet.

Next Week

During Week 9, I will compile my book with my defined brand identity so that it is ready to be sent to print. I will also have my third and final 1-2-1 session with my tutor Hannah, for which I have prepared a collection of key questions. 

Reference List

• Chesson, D. (2023). How to Write a Foreword for a Book. Kindlepreneur [Online]. 27 July 2023. Available at: https://kindlepreneur.com/how-to-write-a-foreword-for-a-book/ [Accessed 1 August 2024]. 

• Devaney, R. (n.d.). Fashion Ministers, Merchants and Miniatures. Textile Tours of Paris [Online]. N.d. Available at: https://www.textiletoursofparis.com/blog/fashion-ministers-merchants-and-miniatures [Accessed 4 May 2024]. 

• Mukamal, A. & Robbie, M. (2024). Barbie: The World Tour. New York: Rizzoli International Publications.

• Kawamura. Y. (2018). Fashion-ology. 2nd edn. London: Bloomsbury Visual Arts, ch.2.

• Kawamura. Y. (2018). Fashion-ology. 2nd edn. London: Bloomsbury Visual Arts, ch.5.

• Stark, G. (2018). The Fashion Show. London: Bloomsbury Visual Arts.

• Turnbull, S. (2020). Media Audiences: Is Anybody Watching? London: Bloomsbury Academic, ch.3. 

• Veblen, T. (1899). The Theory of the Leisure Class. London: Open Road Media, ch.2.

• Veblen, T. (1899). The Theory of the Leisure Class. London: Open Road Media, ch.3.

• Veblen, T. (1899). The Theory of the Leisure Class. London: Open Road Media, ch.4.

• Veblen, T. (1899). The Theory of the Leisure Class. London: Open Road Media, ch.7.

• Vogue. (2023). Gisele Bündchen is Wearing the Same Dress She Wore 16 Years Ago | Met Gala 2023 [YouTube Video]. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4siGsQC_e4 [Accessed 20 July 2023].

• Vogue. (2023). Live at the Met Gala With Vogue [YouTube Video]. 1 May 2023. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHCTW4pckDo [1 August 2023].