Description of Work

Foreground - 2022 - Website - Not For Sale

Artist's Statement

How can we bring awareness to those who are lacking accreditation? The fashion industry is an all-encompassing industry with hundreds of jobs to offer. However, all-encompassing doesn’t always mean inclusive. If you were to type in a quick Google search “who is the designer for Gucci?” you would get an answer of one name. That name belonging to the creative director or CEO of the brand, not the team of 10+ surface designers that put countless hours into the patterns of the line. Their names are nowhere to be found. They don’t exist. This was the sign I needed to begin an advocacy campaign to bring awareness to these artists, and to have a chance to look through their eyes. It’s imperative that we continue to put pressure on high fashion brands to shine light on the misconceptions of the industry, and the influence they have on the world. It’s time to shine the light on the underrepresented.

I wanted to create a space where any young, aspiring creative can view various perspectives, experiences and stories from real life surface designers that have experience navigating this huge industry. What have they experienced in this industry, and how have they ultimately escaped? My website will serve as my main touch point for this question by including artist spotlights, a ‘shop’ tab to purchase any product belonging to the designer and a resources page to provide links to similar accrediting bodies. Foreground is a digital lens into the lives of four very impactful designers in this industry. While navigating the space you will gain insight into the real life of a surface designer. Awareness is so important in the design world, because if we aren’t educated on the lack of ethics brands may have, how are we supposed to know what is best for us as designers? We need to allow consumers to think twice about where they’re getting their products from. I wanted to give people the chance to examine the lack of accreditation these designers receive while clearing up any misconceptions about textile and surface design. It’s time that they have a space where their voices can be heard and their work can be seen, alongside their name. They should not be silenced; they should not be pushed to the back. They need to be brought to the foreground.  

If you wish to purchase any of these pieces, please contact the gallery director, Jacqueline Nathan (jnathan@bgsu.edu.)