NEA feedback

 The feedback has helped me to streamline my focus for each issue and has also prompted me to think of new ideas.

 I am going to abandon the rigid colour scheme I set and instead do something more colourful, not restricted to two colours. 

For my first issue, I intend to have the same setting as this was received positively (Hadleigh castle) but the colours will instead be yellow, blue and pink to reflect many different flowers (not just restricted to roses) and my model’s dress. I also think having a higher range of colours even if only a little, makes the overall issue feel more natural. Also, the idea to link to art was well-received. I’ve decided to reference pre-Raphealite paintings since it was an era of expression and creativity- this aligns with my magazine’s ideology. Not knowing the reference doesn’t reduce the first issue at all since the draw in is the model’s outfit, makeup and flowers. However, it’s a nice detail that some of the demographic are bound to get and links into the more art nouveau vibe I’m going for. 

For my second issue, I am changing the idea completely. The narrative for my beach setting was unclear which I understand. Instead I’m going to use a studio setting which was suggested and have the main focus be on the model and the outfit. 

Finding clothes for the models to wear has been very difficult as what I envisioned is not necessarily readily available in their wardrobe. This reminded me that I can’t just pull out high end fashion outfits from thin air and that instead I’d have to make different pieces work together. This gave me a great idea for the second issue. My model’s outfit will consist of different items pulled together, a dress, my prom dress sleeves, and a sash which came with another dress. This is to mimic more high fashion looks with things I had at home. I realised that the target audience may also have this problem- it’s one thing to be style conscious but to be able to buy super stylish, expensive clothes without a stable or expendable income is not possible. Just like how it’s not possible for me or my friends. So the main focus of the issue will be making use of what you’ve got. This is different from usual style magazines and therefore unique. It should be inspiring for younger people.

Also, to get in an intertextual reference, I’ve decided to have the issue reference Cinderella. My puffy prom dress sleeves are reminiscent of her own and the message also fits into the narrative of a rags to riches story. It’s also just a fun idea and I aim for my editions to all have a sense of out-of-the-box creative, fun, and unique fashion.

One person said that it may be hard for me to achieve a unique makeup look. I totally get where they’re coming from, but I’ve decided to really practice with my eyeliners and eye pencils to achieve a pretty and unique floral pattern which I will draw on the model’s face of the first issue. This ties into my themes of freedom of expression and the more whimsical vibes of an art nouveau inspired issue. It will also be visually appealing and pull in my target demographic. 

About my 30 second video clip, a makeup tutorial in 30 seconds sounds unachievable which I totally get as I originally misunderstood. However, I now think I could make it work if I turn it into a tutorial on how I make the flowers with eyeliner. I’ll pose as the makeup artist for the model of the first issue (adding a bit of digital convergence as I mention it) and show the super quick and easy steps I took to achieve the look by drawing a singular flower on my skin. 

Another person suggested that I change the magazine’s name from Flair to Flare to include a polysemic. Flare being pronounced the same as flair which means uniqueness and originality (what I aim for) and flare connoting a spark which links to what I intend to do for the target demographic- spark creativity. This is a great idea so I am definitely considering it however I may have to think about it more since flare also has some negative connotations. 

I got one comment that I need to be careful of making the magazine too mature. This I totally understand. 16 year olds and 25 year olds are both at totally different stages of their life and development so it’s hard to cater to both without being too childish for one and too mature for the other. This is why I’ve decided to create a balance. I think that the 1st issue and 2nd issue individually pander to either end of the age group, thus incorporating both. It’s not that they’ll be a stark contrast to each other as I intend to keep an aspect of maturity in both.

 It is worth mentioning though that the gap in preferences of 16-25 year olds is getting smaller with lots of 16 year olds acting much more mature, mimicking fashion trends that people wear in the early twenties. I think this is because teens are generally heavily influenced by social media and most influencers for fashion are around the 20-25 age meaning that fashion trends for teens actually tend to be similar to fashion trends for a slightly older demographic. This is why I think the concept will work and is actually not too mature. 

Lots of people liked my USP but one person was unsure. I can see where they’re coming from. It will always be difficult to express a clear theme/USP over just two issues compared to real, established brands who have been running for years. 

To reiterate very clearly, my research showed that many people in the 16-25 year old demographic think that current fashion magazines are boring or uninspiring. My USP is simply that the magazine will present more unique senses of fashion, valuing freedom of expression of the youth. I will achieve this through the creative overall look, bold makeup and striking poses to really draw in attention compared to, for example, a woman standing in a grey pantsuit, or an actress in a plain dress in front of a studio background. Vogue does have moments of being more creative with fun makeup looks but my magazine will be unique in the sense that it consistently tries to be more original and creative instead of once in a while. 

Finally, I agree with what someone said that the website does need some more thought. To be honest, I don’t yet have a clear picture. I know I want to mimic the simplicity of Vogue and Glamour’s websites with an easy to navigate layout and a less noisy overall look. But I will definitely need to stick to the more artsy creative vibe I intend to go for. Perhaps I could do this through a more interesting font, the inclusion of more colours and also maybe the inclusion of graphics such as florals for example. I think once the two editions are done, thinking of the theme or look of the website will be much easier. That being said, under no circumstances can I leave it to the last minute.