If you've ever considered a career in fashion, you've probably heard your fair share of horror stories: illegal internships with no pay or breaks, abuse and bosses from hell. They've made headlines and inspired the plots of many a novel and films over the years (ahem, The Devil Wears Prada). The Guardian reported on gas-lighting in the industry just last week, but remarkably - still - very little has been done about it.
However that doesn't mean we're short on pioneers pushing for change.
Meet Daisy Walker, the photographer and founder of Women in Fashion, a feminist collective committed to stamping out bad practice (no more gas-lighting and chucking books at assistants).
Already an established name in the industry, Daisy's work has featured in the pages of Dazed & Confused, i-D and AnOther, and she's photographed the collections of Victoria Beckham and Loewe. Her work is about reframing femininity with nudes and intimate portraits; this is the female gaze, defining womanhood on her own terms.
Tired of photoshopped hips, comparing yourself to an impossible 'ideal'? Then take a look at Daisy's work for a breath of fresh air and a reality check.
Women in Fashion is all about tackling issues that matter in real life - in front of, and behind the camera. Yes, hashtags can be powerful tools for promoting change, but they don't mean anything if the groundwork isn't put in offline. Tackling sexism, diversity and discrimination within fashion, Women in Fashion meet IRL each month to offer people the chance to speak up, and think about issues often swept under the rug. And more importantly, how to turn words into action.
Featured in the October 2018 issue of ELLE UK, we caught up with Daisy after the shoot to find out more about the collective and her perspective on the industry.
Tell us a bit about Women in Fashion. What inspired you to start the group?
I started Women in Fashion three years ago with the aim of creating an honest and supportive space within an industry I had found to be very closed and often abusive. Fashion is one of the only industries to not have union representation and I really felt that lack of support and safe guarding against abuse of power.
I had a thirst for somewhere offline that I could go to discuss feminism, diversity, equal pay etc. that was specific to the fashion industry. It turns out I wasn't the only one! It took off and now I host monthly sessions of 15 people and it's growing into doing panel talks and a potential podcast!
It was all through word of mouth and it caught on faster than expected. Filling the spaces has never been an issue, which just goes to show that there really is a need for more offline interaction and a sense of community and belonging.
How did you go about getting other people involved? Can you tell us a bit about Emma Hope Allwood, Fern Bain Smith and Jessica Steuart Hoyler who were also involved in the shoot?
Women in Fashion is run myself, but there is a core group of individuals who come month on month and treat it like a family. Emma, Fern and Jessica have all been coming to Women in Fashion for a while and have all given back to the community in some way, whether that be co-hosting a session with me, featuring on a panel or offering constant attendance and spreading the word.
What does a typical Women in Fashion session look like? Who turns up and how do you start the conversation?
Each month I offer up the session to be co-hosted by a previous member. That way everyone who attends has the opportunity to give back to the circle they have benefitted from. We decide on a topic between the two of us and always host it at someone's house with lots of wine (lots!) and guacamole (made by yours truly). I never wanted it to feel like a fashion event where it mattered what you wore and people dropped in and out for the free drinks. It's a moment to pause and spend a whole evening shoved up next to someone you might not know on a sofa, but will probably leave with their email, Instagram pet hates and a mutual love/hatred of Echo Falls.
What are you most proud about achieving with Women in Fashion so far?
I've have worked on and off for Dazed & Confused for many years so to make it into the Dazed 100 was a huge feat and moment of pride for me personally - as well as for the whole group. It meant the fashion industry was willing to recognise the importance of change, and of community over competition.
Women in Fashion, for me personally, is about the people who come back time and time again to create a space that is non-judgmental and completely open. The Dazed 100 was also a nod to them.
Going forward, what do you hope Women in Fashion will achieve?
Most importantly, Women in Fashion will always keep the sessions of 15 people at its core. There's nothing else quite like it that I've found and I plan to never alter that sacred time between 15 people every month. I've seen such growth, such community and such active change in that space and I'll always honour that.
For the future, I hope to host more panel talks, work on a podcast that allows people to engage with Women in Fashion no matter your location! And continue to raise money for Solace Womens Aid.
What do you feel is the biggest change that needs to happen in fashion to make it a better working environment?
Payment. And on time!!! That should really be aimed at all creative industries.
We're working, not here for the fun, and everyone deserves to be paid fairly, equally and on time.
What are you most optimistic about, in terms of the fashion industry and your own career?
This drive for diversity in all its guises is exactly what I yearned for as a teenager. More and more I'm being hired to shoot nudes with diversity being at the very core. Fashion can never be truly responsible until it is fully representative, and I'm so excited to see the full potential of that.
How do we sign up?!
Join our newsletter and follow @womennfashion on Instagram to stay up to date with upcoming events. All events are first, come first serve (and BYOB) so reserve your space quick and we can't wait to have you!
