Over the past three weeks I have learnt so much from research to drawing and my samples. It has been quite an overwhelming project but I am excited to amalgamate everything I have learnt as this will then hopefully improve the overall quality of my work. At the start of culture swap I wanted to do really broad research into my culture as before this project I did not really know what my culture was. It was really interesting to delve deep into what made me, me. From this week of intensive research I found that the food culture in particular inspired me and is something I want to take on further.

The next week consisted of swapping my culture with a Partner. I took inspiration from my partners relation to the Samish Tribe in Finland as it was a culture I had never heard of before; especially as I feel a key part of this project was to learn something new. The Mayfair tribe have a real community spirit with different colours representing each family. When I was given Mayfair as my location I wasn’t too sure how inspiringIwould find the area however I actually found it so interesting to learn about another more affluent world. Walking past million pound houses and brushing past thousand pound suits. Overall, I was happy with the link I found between Mayfair and the Samish Tribe: being the juxtaposition of the people as I feel like it was broad enough to get some interesting research from it. When collaging with my research images from the Samish Tribe and Mayfair my most successful composition was gluing down the traditional Samish tribe garments like the patterned skirts and ponchos to the Mayfair people adding some fun and colour to the area.This collage was really successful and inspired my theme of adding humour to the people of Mayfair inspired buy the Samish Tribes Traditional garments.

 When creating my final samples I wanted to create something different to my normal, very small, detailed and sensitive samples. I think I have explored some new techniques and different ways of working however I still want to keep branching out further with bigger materials. I think working outside of my comfort zone will be a huge asset to my development over this foundation course.The way I think and my design process is very visual with shape and form always being considered in a sculptural way therefore this process of taking pictures of details was particularly engaging for me and successful in getting some physical ideas done quickly. I think my expanding foam sculpture was particularly successful as its really chunky and explores my culture swap theme of intertwining two cultures.

 Overall,I was pleased with how my design development went as my final samples still influenced my final garment a lot. To improve for the next project I want to do more drawing with a variety of media and more of my textile samples being related to the body with illustrations.

• Tobago is a very small island in the Caribbean and is somewhere I have lived for on and off throughout my life. The area surrounding the main town of Scarborough is very under-developed with globalisation on its economy, politics, and expressive culture only just starting to take effect. I love how much the Tobago culture juxtaposes against the traditions of the Uk and where I live today.

Image Link: https://library-artstor-org.arts.idm.oclc.org/#/asset/SKIDMORE_10219928490;prevRouteTS=1542308210889

• Something I could not change about my culture which has been passed down to me is my family beliefs to do with the teachings of Karma and Buddhism. For me I am constantly thinking about what I put out onto the world and how my actions would affect others. Researching deeper into Karma I discovered a variety of symbols which gave me a new perspective on the theory behind Karma and how it will continue to influence my life.
• I decided to create textile samples based on the symbols of Karma using materials and processes which are malleable and easy to work with therefore the symbol was still very clear and eye catching.

• The lump on my nose has been passed down through generations and is something I used to hate. It was not until I started college and began self-acceptance that I realised feeling pressured to have a small nose is a narrow ideal of beauty.
• Generally a big nose for a man represents power but for a woman it goes against the general ideas of being pretty or feminine. People like Diana Vreeland who often commented on how "you don't owe prettiness to anyone" was an icon to me and I felt a personal connection with her making me feel empowered and changing my views on my culture.

This exhibition particularly the photographs link really well with the idea I'm exploring at the moment of your identity and appearance being passed down through generations. Here Mckenzie looks specifically into female black photographers which is something that inspires her during her own journey as an emerging black female photographer.

• This picture of my grandpa making costumes at his Joke Shop links to my culture; creativity being portrayed through fabric which has been passed down through generations. Inspiring me to be creative and make my career out of this.
• The book 'four hundred years of fashion' I found particularly interesting as it reminded me of the costumes and accessories in my grandparents Joke Shop. From this point of interest I decided to look even further back in my family line discovering my great grandma had also created a wide amount of clothing for her children; my grandpa. 
• Traditional methods of hand stitching were used to create these costumes not like the machines used nowadays due to the Industrial Revoloution and the rationing of clothing. Even though my grandpa was born after the second world war clothes rationing continued to have a lasting effect on fashion until March 1949.

Image Resource: https://library-artstor-org.arts.idm.oclc.org/#/search/make%20do%20and%20mend;page=1;size=24