Academic writing and research

George Brown College, Ignite Grant 2023

Full Title: An Interpretation of the Creative Process of a Black fashion designer and the fashion artists’ Contribution to cultural sustainability (2024) Ignite Grant award. A team research project

Abstract: Canada’s solutions to the climate crisis from the fashion sector must go beyond the technological and attend to the cultural pillar of sustainability. There is a lack of research and available methods to understand the creative process of a fashion designer, in part due to challenges posed by a gulf between the study of creative processes and academic research methods. This results in a loss of value for designs and sets the field back in terms of achieving new heights of creativity.
This study follows the creative process of Colette Harmon a Black, Guyana-born Canadian high-fashion designer, investigating how her artistic objects come into being. The question posed is “Can the study and interpretation of the creative process of a fashion designer, lead to more (and diverse) artistic endeavors in fashion and contribute to cultural sustainability?”

Full paper on request. Photo credits Allyson Gail Ped.

If you don’t create what’s inside of you, I think that you can actually become sick you have to let that creativity out we’re all given different (ideas) and that’s why I don’t like when people copy, just do you. – Harmon, 2023

I have to tell you a story ..I’m thinking about her class. I was the only black person.. maybe there was one other, we would get these assignments. You would have to design things. You draw models wearing clothing and I remember once I drew all of my models black. I coloured them black and the other kids in the class were so upset that my models were black .. “why did you, why are your models black?” “Well you know, they are like me.” They were really triggered by that. “I’m going to tell (the teacher)” and they went to the teacher and complained that all of my models, that I drew, were black! “How could I do it!” She didn’t say anything, she didn’t. But yeah they were really upset. Harmon, 2023