Tutorial Feedback — 17th April

The meeting discussed a fashion research project focused on Chinese subculture, as follows:

1. Research Question:

• Unsatisfactory presentation: The current research question on creating a subcultural fashion system is unclear and lacks essential context, such as the location and purpose of the project.

2. Project Context and Aim:

• Unique location opportunities: The speaker lives in a place in China with more subcultural and creative freedom, away from the main government center, providing potential for exploring emerging cultural phenomena related to fashion.
• Desired outcome: The aim is to create a contemporary Chinese fashion identity that is not represented traditionally or colonially.

3. Current Challenges and Next Steps:

• Abstract concept: The idea in the speaker’s head is abstract, making communication difficult. The presentation, especially regarding the Sichuan Opera example, was too abstract for external experts.
• Next actions: Research case studies and build a fashion system based on them to make the concept more visual and understandable.

4. Elements to Consider:

• Specific locations and ethnic groups: Be specific about the location and ethnicity being focused on to narrow the research scope.
• Fashion inspirations: Look at various subcultures, including historical and modern ones like the Hanfu movement, cosplay, and sustainability collectives.

5. Improvement Suggestions:

• Clear definitions: Provide clear definitions of subculture, fashion, and system in the research question.
• Focused research: Narrow down the research and only focus on a few art elements to extract and create a niche subcultural system.