Mutuc Clay Earrings: Addressing Underrepresentation and Western Dominance in the Fashion Industry
Location
FA-152
Department
Art
Abstract
Mutuc Clay Earrings is a Filipina owned small business that focuses on offering unique handmade earrings that encapsulate the vibrancy and pride of the Filipino culture. Growing up here in the United States, I became acutely aware of how underrepresented the Filipino culture is in everything around me from mainstream media to the neighborhood I grew up in. One thing that particularly stood out to me as a child who pursued modeling earlier on, is how the fashion industry is dominated by the Western culture. In addition to putting on makeup that alters traditional beauty standards to align with Western ideals, the clothing and accessories that models wear are often stripped of their identity. The emergence of fast fashion where people would rather pay for quantity over quality has exacerbated this trend and dominated social media trends. I’ve seen this firsthand and admit that I am a guilty consumer that fell into the traps of fast-fashion. Today’s fashion trends normalize consumers forgetting about the importance of culture and identity in modern fashion. My goal is to address these challenges and represent the Filipino culture through handmade earrings. While I have initially experimented with different mediums such as resin, textile, and wood, I gravitate towards clay earrings given their increasing popularity associated with their unique designs and versatility. Moreover, they are affordable and can be worn by anyone from kids to adults. For my senior exhibition, I would like to utilize the skills that I’ve accumulated as a graphic design student to further my passion for my clay earring business by rebranding, making a website, and creating visual assets to help boost exposure and enhance my marketing capabilities to potential customers. Today’s fashion trends normalize consumers forgetting about the importance of culture and identity in modern fashion. In a time where everyone seems to be wearing the same things and following the same trends, my goal in furthering Mutuc Clay Earrings is to address Western culture’s dominance in fashion by integrating my own culture into my products.
Faculty Sponsor
Lauren Meranda, Northeastern Illinois University
Mutuc Clay Earrings: Addressing Underrepresentation and Western Dominance in the Fashion Industry
FA-152
Mutuc Clay Earrings is a Filipina owned small business that focuses on offering unique handmade earrings that encapsulate the vibrancy and pride of the Filipino culture. Growing up here in the United States, I became acutely aware of how underrepresented the Filipino culture is in everything around me from mainstream media to the neighborhood I grew up in. One thing that particularly stood out to me as a child who pursued modeling earlier on, is how the fashion industry is dominated by the Western culture. In addition to putting on makeup that alters traditional beauty standards to align with Western ideals, the clothing and accessories that models wear are often stripped of their identity. The emergence of fast fashion where people would rather pay for quantity over quality has exacerbated this trend and dominated social media trends. I’ve seen this firsthand and admit that I am a guilty consumer that fell into the traps of fast-fashion. Today’s fashion trends normalize consumers forgetting about the importance of culture and identity in modern fashion. My goal is to address these challenges and represent the Filipino culture through handmade earrings. While I have initially experimented with different mediums such as resin, textile, and wood, I gravitate towards clay earrings given their increasing popularity associated with their unique designs and versatility. Moreover, they are affordable and can be worn by anyone from kids to adults. For my senior exhibition, I would like to utilize the skills that I’ve accumulated as a graphic design student to further my passion for my clay earring business by rebranding, making a website, and creating visual assets to help boost exposure and enhance my marketing capabilities to potential customers. Today’s fashion trends normalize consumers forgetting about the importance of culture and identity in modern fashion. In a time where everyone seems to be wearing the same things and following the same trends, my goal in furthering Mutuc Clay Earrings is to address Western culture’s dominance in fashion by integrating my own culture into my products.