Task 7: Happiness Health and Wellbeing

https://huddersfield.brightspace.com/d2l/le/content/183666/viewContent/1132386/View

Watch the recording and write a blog entry. Discuss why you are particularly interested in this approach to happiness, health and wellbeing

I have chosen the cooling skull cap design project as this is most relevant to my area of study in Fashion. The Paxman cooling cap helps to reduce hair loss during chemotherapy.The research methods are user based, quite technical in terms of scientific research and analysis of anatomy and effectiveness, but aware of how your appearance can affect your mental well being in the form of the hair loss of this treatment. It is refreshing to see that mental health issues are being given such a priority for this life saving treatment. I am very interested in the psychology of fashion, how we feel in the clothes we wear, how this affects our self-esteem, confidence, sexuality, productivity, comfort and how we wish to express ourselves to others in terms of personality, age or status.

So this design process considers, comfort, fit, styling, colour and ease of use, all these aspects affect how we feel about the product and ourselves when we are using it. The cooling skull cap had very good results in the prevention of hair loss, the data of this research was collected through user based feedback on Google forms. To explore the aspect of well being through fashion will I need to conduct this kind of primary research? Mine would be based aspects of luxury, sensory. fitting and the value of fashion as a personal treasure or Art piece. An aspect of Re-valuing Fashion, is this just a way of validating my design and making process as ethical or a mode of thinking that we should adapt to reduce mass consumption and treat our clothing with more respect and covet a higher quality of garment such as a ball gown or wedding dress as it has the warm feeling of personal and social importance that affects our well being. As an example my step-daughter works behind the scenes at Selfridges and whenever I go to meet her I weave my way through the designer rails amongst garments with a very big price tag! I spend my time touching, feeling and studying these garments that have more attention to detail, innovative design, less concern with ‘cutting costs’ through design and the quality of the fabrics, their material content and technological advances is far superior to high street brands but also in terms of obtaining these fabrics alone to make your own styles is unlike anything available through wholesale manufacturers of fabric shops. How would we feel wearing this type of garment in comparison to a mass produced item? How would this affect our confidence, self esteem and wellbeing? Should clothing be an investment in wellbeing? Re-valued?

I would also like to consider the aspect of fit when it comes to well being. Through many years of teaching I know that a standard size does not exist. I help people to fit garments to their body shape. How different do we feel when we wear a well fitting garment? I don’t conform to a standard size being a tall 5ft 10 and war a G cup bra! When I wear a garment I have made for myself with support, a flattering style and a perfect fit, this improves my posture, stance, comfort and confidence and also is so much more flattering than anything that conforms to trends or is a standard shape and size found on the high street.

I also thought the ‘double diamond’ design process model. At present we are in the process of collecting our thoughts, desires and creative ideas together in the form of research in preparation for our next module ‘Subject specific research’. There are so many areas I wish to reflect on and these types of projects are fascinating and I would like to conduct some research into the sensory, cultural and psychology of fashion but musn’t lose sight of my initial aim to produce my own collection of designs that have explored my own creativity and reach my full potential, this is for my own wellbeing as a creative in this Industry. Perhaps we also have a responsibility to promote good design for the well being of our creative Industries in terms of emergence through the aesthetic design process. Re-value our designers and invest in their talent.