Top Five Follows

I love hearing what Instagram accounts my friends love to follow. Personally, I find so much inspiration from the people I follow on Instagram, whether it be fashion inspiration, illustration or graphic design. I always come across something on my feed that I think is really cool or gives me an idea for my own projects. So I thought I would share with you all my top five Instagram accounts to follow, and hopefully you'll love them as much as I do!

1. Amy Hodkin
This account is dedicated to the works of Surface Pattern and Illustration student Amy. I love that her illustrations are messy and free, but still manage to look super cool - a skill I am still trying to master. The colourful images always stand out on my feed.

2. Hayley Hunter
As well as being a generally aesthetically pleasing account to look at, Surface Pattern student Hayley has some really cool prints/patterns on her account. And if you scroll back a bit you'll find some of her amazing, intricate cut out work. How anyone can be so neat with a craft knife is beyond me!

3. Beverly Salas
Another cool illustration blog! Sometimes her drawings can be a little creepy, but that's kind of what I love most about them. I always go to this account looking for inspiration for my own illustrations because I just love her style! Expect a lot of psychedelic colours/patterns and eyes staring at you.

4. Emma Stubbs
I first began following this account because of her amazing lingerie designs, but Emma has since moved to Hong Kong and I now regularly check out her account for travel inspiration/envy. She also has a really cool personal style which is always good to check out when I have no idea what to wear.

5. Polly Vadasz 
This girl is ultimate goals! She's the same age as me and she is studying for a degree while also running her own business and producing the prettiest Instagram ever. If you're in to hand written typography then check her out. Polly also produces a huge range of cute products from phone cases to laptop skins and tote bags for her business Sighh Designs.

Let me know what your favourite Instagram accounts are so that I can check them out! 

Zara Ungendered

Image: mic.com

Gender fluidity is a huge trend and is only set to become bigger. This year has seen the announcement from Burberry who will now show their men's and women's collections together, the launch of Calvin Klein's newest genderless fragrance CK2, and the unveiling of Zara's first gender neutral collection UNGENDERED.

The idea of marketing the same product to both men and women isn't really anything new. The genderless fragrance CK One was launched in 1994, and brands such as Agender and Not Equal have been around for a while. However the open minded millennial is growing up and becoming the main target for many brands. The generation that has contributed largely to fourth-wave feminism, view the term 'cis' as derogatory, and saw the change in laws of gay marriage want something more from the brands they buy in to. The population today seems more accepting than ever, and brands are reflecting this in their lines.

Now while I am all for everything that gender neutral clothing represents, I couldn't help but be slightly let down by Zara's big reveal. UNGENDERED is essentially a men's loungewear collection that is also marketed at women. I don't need this. It's already widely known and accepted that, as a woman, if you want something comfy to wear on a lazy Sunday, the men's department is the place to be. What I was hoping would be a fresh and groundbreaking collection injected in to the high street by a well known brand, turned out to be just a marketing ploy. Zara, I see right through you.

And if I really wanted to get all feminist on Zara, I could argue that they have opted wholly for masculine pieces, rather than try to push the boundaries by putting men in something more feminine. But that's getting picky. And of course Zara isn't the most avant-garde of brands. At the end of the day they need to sell their products, and something that you might see on Jaden Smith isn't necessarily what Zara's consumer would want.

What do you think of Zara's newest collection?

Aderyn x