Fashion Roundtable Event on Body Image and Identity Politics

Date: 27/06
Arrival: 5pm
Discussion: 5.30 - 7.30pm
Location: Push PR, The Arts Building, Morris Place N4 3JG

Why Body Image and Identity Politics?

Fashion Roundtable are here to promote an inclusive, positive fashion industry: open and accessible to all. It has become increasingly clear to all of us inside the business, that living in an exclusive echo chamber is not communicating with others who are not watching from the front row. Not only is that making for increasing concerns at a lack of intersection, which goes to the heart of our work with politics and policy leaders, it also throws light on a lack of connection with wider communities and our fashion consumers and audiences. This is what Fashion Roundtable are here to change.

Comment from Lottie Jackson, writer and researcher for the event:

“Over the past year the word ‘diversity’ has become synonymous with the fashion industry. Finally designers, publications and advertisers have opened up to the idea that representation not only has a positive impact on consumers but it can be commercially lucrative as well. We cannot underestimate the importance of inclusivity and promoting a spectrum of bodies that celebrate all abilities, ages, ethnicities, sizes and sexualities. But to ensure diversity is not a passing trend, we must continue to encourage conversations surrounding these issues and explore the vast potential the fashion industry can have in changing historic conceptions of what constitutes beauty”

Speakers for the Body Image and Identity Politics roundtable at Push PR on 27/06 include:

Caryn Franklin MBE, former fashion editor and co-editor of i-D Magazine and prime-time BBC TV presenter, is a multi-platform broadcaster, fashion and identity commentator and activist. In 37 years of continuous practice Caryn has explored the politics of image and self-esteem through commercial, educational and activist positions. Projects have involved international design names and everyday users of fashion as well as refugees in battle zones, workers in free-trade-zone slums, mental health and body image experts, MP's and Government. She has written for numerous magazines, newspapers and websites, produced 4 books, authored many TV shows and documentaries on fashion as well as co-created groundbreaking campaigns such Fashion Targets Breast Cancer and the multi award winning All Walks Beyond the Catwalk. Caryn has an MSc in applied psychology, and is a visiting lecturer as well as a Professor of Diversity at Kingston School of Art.

Rebecca Weef Smith is the editor of Goldie Magazine, an independent publication dedicated to the growing market of motivated, aspirational older people who see ageing in a positive way. She worked in the fashion industry in various roles until a life-changing moment where she retrained as a counsellor and focused on therapy for creatives. After completing an MSc in Applied Positive Psychology Rebecca created WearingWellbeing as a platform to discuss how fashion can be good for us. Clothes have always made her happy.

Kelly Knox is a Model, Mother and Warrior. Kelly is a dedicated and passionate advocate for diversity in fashion with the aim to dismiss society’s preconceptions about disability and to change the beauty ideal. “Beauty should not be defined by ability, size, age, colour or gender choice – beauty is for everyone”. Kelly is listed in the Power 100 – Britain’s most influential people with a disability and is devoted to motivating future generations. Over the course of her career Kelly has worked hard to offer inspiration to those who need to develop confidence. She has spread her message of diversity and drive internationally and across various cultures and social movements.

Grace Victory is an award-winning vlogger, author and presenter, with her videos attracting over 30 million total views on her official Youtube channel. She is one of the UK’s forerunning and most successful Internet sensations and has built an impressive global audience with her unique flare and girl power attitude. Grace shares her story on problems that all young people face, as well as topics that are perceived taboo, by speaking openly about mental health and other personal battles. Grace’s content has a focus on plus size fashion, body positivity and the importance of self care.

Prof Jessica Ringrose, Professor of Sociology of Gender and Education, UCL Institute of Education and co-chair of the International Gender and Education Association  She teaches Social Justice and Education and her current research is on transforming sexualized media cultures; and promoting gender and sexual equity in Secondary Schools. Her books include: Post-Feminist Education? Girls and the sexual politics of schooling (Routledge, 2013); Children, Sexuality and Sexualisation (Palgrave, 2015, with Emma Renold and Danielle Egan). Her latest book Digital Feminist Activism: Girls and Women Fight back against Rape Culture (Oxford University Press, with Kaitlynn Mendes and Jessalynn Keller) is out in 2018.

Kaitlyn Regehr is a gender theorist and scholar of media studies, who serves as a lecturer at the University of Kent. In addition to serving as a is a topic specialist for BBC World, she has created documentary content for iTunes, Toronto International Film Festival and ARTE (FR). Her work explores intersections between gender, art, and activism. Regehr’s 2017 book, "The League of Exotic Dancers" (OUP) is on one of America’s first sex workers’ unions.

Grace Woodward, a fashion creative, stylist and TV personality. Grace was the Fashion Director on the X Factor 2010 and a permanent judge for two seasons of Britain and Ireland’s Next Top Model. Becoming a favourite for an expert voice on fashion and women’s culture, her multifarious career began as Head of Press at Agent Provocateur and has progressed into styling, creative direction and consultancy- leading to the launch of Grace Woodward Creative in 2008. Grace was later awarded Stylist of the Year by The Clothes Show and British Fashion Council.

Jacob Mallinson Bird is a model with Tomorrow Is Another Day agency, where he is represented both as himself and his drag alter ego, Dinah Lux. As a male model, he has walked for shows such as Raf Simons and J W Anderson, and shot with photographers such as Tim Walker and Nick Knight. As Dinah, she recently closed Charles Jeffrey’s SS18 show, and regularly works as a cabaret performer, including being an artiste at the International Festival d’Hyères. Jacob is also a candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy in Music at the University of Oxford, where his research focuses on phenomenologies of voicing in drag lip-sync performance.

Nejilka Arias is a London-based model represented by Nev Models. She has featured in campaigns for labels such as Stella McCartney and Pull and Bear. Nejilka has also modelled in editorials for Hunger Magazine, Vogue Italia, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and L’Officiel Poland. She has spoken out about the need for greater diversity in the fashion industry- recently expressing her frustration with the lack of hairstylists and makeup artists who are trained to work with models of colour. “I am sick and tired of hairstylists not knowing how to do my hair and me ending up having to do my own hair. Fashion wanted diversity…Get some diverse hairstylists too!”
 
For more information please email: admin@fashionroundtable.co.uk

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