Essay structure + moodboard for Amber

 

1. Introduction (current situation/ phenomenon) 

• define streetwear 
• internet culture creating uprising movements, “trends” 
• Promoting diversity 
• Anti-racism becoming one of the uprising movements
  

2. Defining 

• define diversity 
• Define tokenism 
• Social media usage of the mass
• Advertisers using token attempt to attract more consumers and maximise profits 

3. Rise of social media, internet culture 

• virtual community 
• Media has influenced and manipulated the current and the further social structure of diversity 
• The idea anti-racism is becoming spelling to the mass 

4. Social media uplifting ads exposure 

• data support 
• Marxist criticism, capitalism, how big companies are stealing data and tracking users’ online activities in order to create the best advertising and marketing solutions 
• Virtue signalling 

5. How to know if it is tokenism + explain tokenism 

6. Counter argument 

• short term wise 
• It is a good marketing strategy to drive sales 

7. Rebuttal 

• Long term wise 
• Damages brand reputation 
• Snowball effect, sales increasing, creating fake statistics, other brands follow, further offending minorities culture without even realising 

8. Brand example 1, Denimtears

9. Brand example 2, Breaindead 

• good examples showing how brands did good to really help the black community out
• by using different collaboration strategies 
• Charity tees and donations 

10. Conclusion 

• It’s important to note that diversity and inclusion are not the same thing. Diversity is a statistic; inclusion is so much more.
• an immerse of different cultures, people from different places of different cultural backgrounds could innovate and create truly astonishing solutions 

After making the mood board, I think that a streetwear brand not only focuses on their garments, but also lifestyle. They aim to create a brand that becomes part of our daily lives. They care a lot about street and suburban cultures. I think I can focus on this part for my practical brief. I can focus on the streets and the environment when showcasing a product. I am thinking of doing a photoshoot in Chungking Mansions. It is located in a really busy tourist district in Hong Kong. 

Though the building was supposed to be residential, it is made up of many independent low-budget hotels, shops and other services. As well as selling to the public, the stalls in the building cater to wholesalers shipping goods to Africa and South Asia.

It is basically a hub of Africans and South Asians. I personally have not been to the building before, but I know that there is a famous film by Wongkarwai that is named The ChungKing Express and is filmed in the building. I am thinking of taking old Hong Kong films as a starting point. I love watching old HK films and I think that they focus a lot on including the streets and the urban environment of Hong Kong. I can take this as my main concept - using wide shots of streets of Hong Kong/ the Chungking Mansions to show the urban culture of Hong Kong and the diversity of the place.