https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1coLf8sK9mzI_nBcif-64JmJXcRrnEn3k?usp=sharing

Poonam is a director ad course leader at Parsons in Mumbai. She was my tutor and has been my mentor ever since. She has more than 25 years of experience in the India fashion industry. While interviewing her, my focus was on the changing format of magazines and Indian artisans. The video of the interview is shared on the link above. The questions included:

1. Do you read digital fashion magazines?
2. Whats missing in fashion magazines today?
3. Whats excessive and feels unwanted in todays fashion magazines?
4. Interactive/experiential fashion magazine promoting artists and sustainable fashion?
5. What do you think of a mix of global and local fashion from lesser known cultures?
6. Would you like to know more about the ‘not so famous’ native crafts and artists from around the globe? (For example Batik printing from Indonesia or the precious embroideries from India)
7. Why?
8. As a Program Director at a leading arts institution in India, do you see a gap in the market to appreciate the heritage crafts from various countries?
9. Do you like watching 360 degrees videos?
10. Why?
11. What do you think about viewing the process of creating native crafts in the format of 360 degrees videos?
12. Do they help you gain a better perspective on the stories/articles? Why? 
13. Have you come across a magazine that uses 360 degrees videos as a part of their content? 
14. Would you recommend any other form of technology to be used to create fashion media to help the dictate the above mentioned narratives better?
15. Are you interested in buying ethically created ensembles and accessories? Would you pay more for them? How much more ? (In percentage)

I received 40 responses when I started analysing them. This survey has helped me recognised a demographic for the reader profile studies for the magazine. That will serve as a random sample for my future research.

It has helped me understand the readers opinion about what is missing and excessive in the magazines today. How the readership is moving to digital media. From the consumers (some professional) perspective there is a gap in the market for a magazine to work with artisans and sustainable brands and promote them using interactive technology. This had helped me define a research question for my further research

Instagram and a Youtube channel will be used as key sources to drive traffic to the magazines webpage. I created an Instagram account with a working title to get the word out and create a buzz to connect with like minded people and collaborators.

I have been looking at the videos and fashion media pieces on Indian crafts connecting with global fashion. These are usually documentary films, that have used traditional media. I want to take this to the next level technologically. Today, we have various softwares which can be used to create digital media. While people in the industry are thinking about the future of fashion, I have trying to find a way to connect the future of fashion with culture and crafts…

http://www.waynevisser.com/blog/glocality

https://artsandculture.google.com/project/360-videos

For analysis : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG_BU0kZTe0

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324764427_Preservation_of_Cultural_Heritage_Embodied_in_Traditional_Crafts_in_the_Developing_Countries_A_Case_Study_of_Pakistani_Handicraft_Industry

I had a one on one tutorial with Mark Robinson today. He gave me an introduction on how to shoot 360 degrees still images and videos.

He recommends the Insta 360 camera for the highest quality of footage and also briefed me about other options. I am going to buy Google Cardboard which is embedded with fish eye lens and can be used to view 360 degrees footage in a 3D format.

While shooting the footage I have to keep the following in mind:

• Make sure there’s good lighting (this could be very expensive as I plan to shoot in workshops where artisans work)
• 4k resolution may not be as goos as the footage shot on Blackmagic camera
• Photoshops works well with 360 degrees still images
• Use Insta 360 to stitch photos
• Open the photos in photoshop – go to 3D – add a panoramic layer- creates interactive image

Isha is a brand manger for the Pittie Group in Mumbai taking care of a portfolio of brands by American company Church and Dwight. She is responsible for managing company relations, content and marketing and responsibly translating the international brands vision within the Indian market. Previously, she has worked at the Indian Vogue and Estee Lauder. She has a master’s degree in Luxury Brand Management from Politecnico di Milano.

The main takeways from the interview with Isha are:

• Sustainable brands and artisans need promotion in India.
• An online boutique is a sensible option to consider on the magazine website to make the products accessible to the international audience.
• Todays fashion magazines only portraying escapism and fantasies. Stories of influencers/ actors who’s lives are perfect. The real connection to the real world and culture is missing.
• Real women, real people need to be publicised in magazines, authenticate stories which will actually inspire people a lot.
• For the layout of the magazine, she thinks it is better to have more visuals, more videos moving content. Less text. Informational content can be showcased in the form of interviews with people which would be more engaging.
• Theres definitely a need for a platform like Fashion Navigator which will help both the artisans and readers.

I attended a workshop on how to use Metashape and tried to create a 3D model of a wooden doll.

It did not work out well. I took 70 photos from all the angles of the doll and uploaded them on Metashape, after aligning them, it looked like this. Maybe it is because it is sunny in Mumbai and the photos have harsh shadows. Also, i don’t have a studio space, so maybe the flooring and the shadows are hindering the scans from looking accurate. Right now I am working on my proposal, I will try to book a one on one tutorial on Metashape and give. it another try soon.

I am creating an interactive fashion magazine that would connect the dots between fashion, cultures and consumerism. I am trying to link sustainable and ethically made products which are created by artisans (fabric weavers, embroiderers, etc) across the countries and cultures that are not appreciated enough. Creating an aesthetic that is a fusion of local creations and global fashion to show the versatility of the creative work and uplift the artists/creators. Every issue of the magazine will be inspired by a country/culture. Starting with India, I would like to further explore Indonesia, Peru, Sri Lanka and so on. The magazine will have 360 degrees which would record the process and stories of the artisans which will provide the reader with better insights on their work. Their work will be fused with contemporary styles to promote it internationally. The magazine will also have an online boutique where the readers can buy these handcrafted products which can be affiliated with Fairtrade. The need to appreciate such artists/creators is more at the moment than ever before. The post COVID 19 consumption pattern will encourage sustainable, durable and ethically created products. I am creating this magazine to promote artisans who may not have access or resources to publicise themselves. 

Given the exploratory nature of this research a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods are being used.

Research methods:

1. Survey questionnaire – to determine the market, the reader profiles and their preferences
2. In-depth semi structured interviews – at least 5 with people working in the industry, studying similar disciplines and artists which I plan to work with
3. Secondary textual analysis – Reports, books, journals, research papers on digital fashion magazines, sustainable fashion, artisans in India, pandemic affecting the fashion media business. Brands and magazines focusing on promoting artists from India.

Experimentation:

1. 360 degrees videos tests
2. Mock layouts for the digital platform