During the Easter break, I spent the four weeks slowly planning my zine looking for inspiration on Pinterest and thinking about what I wanted to make and what type of zine I would like to read. I began by creating a mind map exploring what “self” means to me. I landed on the idea of “self-discovery” of myself during this period of life where I am in the awkward period between my teenage years and adulthood. The idea of titling the zine “dear diary” came to mind as I want it to be a personal, yet relatable zine to everyone in this period. I then began creating my audience board by printing out images I have taken over the past few months, cutting them out and then scanning them back into photoshop and I am really happy with the outcome.
For my styling shoot, I got the idea whilst watching Clueless, which is my favourite movie, to recreate her iconic closet computer and link it to the theme of self-discovery. I wanted to explore trying out different clothing styles and aesthetics to find out which fits me best as most people who leave for university and get a taste of freedom do become experimental with their styles. I wanted to include four opposing styles such as grungy, streetwear, preppy and cottage core and I am so happy with the outcomes of the different shoots. For my other shoot, I wanted to focus on getting a bit lost on the journey using phrases and transport imagery throughout. I am happy with how I edited some of the images, however, I would like to retake some of the images during the term as I am not happy with them and worry that none of them tells a narrative or flows easily.
I am excited to begin this term and see where my zine goes. I am confident in my skills and in the theme that I have chosen to focus on and look forward to seeing the results.
Zine Proposal:
My Zine will be focusing on the theme of a coming-of-age teen. It links to the theme of “self” as the whole focus is on self-discovery and trying to find out who you really are. This issue will take you on a fashion journey of a girl trying to find her own unique style, interests, loves and identity in London and will be titled “Dear Diary” as it is a personal piece of work reflecting her true emotions. I want this zine to be relatable amongst most teens and show them that everyone our age feels a bit lost and defeated and that we don’t need to feel pressured by society’s standards. I also want this Zine to be a fun medium for teens to get fashion inspiration from, read about trends, sustainability and helpful tips like ‘how to dress on a budget in London’. I really liked how I incorporated music into my last project and want to carry that through to this project so that my zine will focus on fashion and music as these two things play a big role in not only mine but most of my generation’s lives. In order to successfully create the outcome, I have in mind I want to ask around and interview friends and peers and how they feel in this period of their life to capture shared and relatable experiences. I also want to create as much content as possible such as using photography and collaging to reflect the emotions of this period but also capture what it’s like living, working and studying in London. Time management wise, I see we only have 2-3 classes a week so I really want to use the days we are given off the best I can by editing, writing and creating content rather than leaving it all to the last minute. My BA first choice is PR & Communication so I definitely want to bring a PR element into my zine by either collaborating with a brand that connects with the coming-of-age theme, a celebrity/ influencer or further developing my Spotify collaboration from the last term. From last term’s feedback, I think I need to create and think of more creative PR strategies in order to help with my BA, think outside the box and sharpen my skills.