Crossing cultures from Singapore to London
- Kai Lin Tan
- Dec 24, 2018
- 4 min read
Watch how Faiyaz manages to tap into the Fashion industry in London as a person of colour in our generation.
Faiyaz is a twenty five year old creative from Singapore, who has recently completed his postgraduate education in London. Now he is back in Singapore, exploring freelance opportunities in photography.
While scrolling through his Instagram feed, I found myself absorbed in his world of photography and culture. During his time in London, Faiyaz has managed to create images that are heavily influenced in fashion and cultures.
When asked if this style of curation was his intention all along, he answered,
“Initially when I started out in photography, I was very focused on the fashion and trends of the moment. Soon after I realised that every other aspiring photographer was doing the same thing and I had to dig deep and think about what I was trying to say with my work. This led to shift in focus to the individuals that I photograph, making the fashion and styling secondary. I try to capture the essence of a person or tell a story. A lot of times because of the people that I’ve chosen to photograph who tend to be more in touch with their cultural roots, it results in these sorts of photographs.”
Surviving in the competitive spirit of the fashion industry in London is not easy, you have got to pull out something different to show your own stand.
As for Faiyaz, he took a different approach and landed himself in a place where he could fully explore his own potential.
He pulls inspirations from a wide range of things which include experiences in his personal life, global issues, literature and mythology, films and even music at times.
“It’s important to have a wide perspective of the world in order to tell stories. As they say, you have to know the rules before you can break them.” - Faiyaz.
As a person of colour, Faiyaz considered himself lucky in the sense that it all happened pretty organically. “I had been blogging and contributing to a couple of publications by the time I moved to London, so I already knew some people working in the industry. While it’s true that networking does play an important part in getting a start in any industry, I also think it’s important to let your work speak for itself. A lot of people make the mistake of placing too much importance on going out and meeting people that they forget to hone their skills. In my case, most of my big opportunities have come from clients reaching out to me after discovering my work online.” - Faiyaz
Even though Faiyaz did consider himself lucky in that aspect, as a person of colour, there are still difficulties he has to face. “Some of the hurdles I’ve face was the fact that editors or clients would often underestimate my command of English, based on assumptions that I was from Asia. I’ve been passed over for photographing a campaign with the excuse of “not being from the UK”, so I might not “get” the brand ethos. They all come in the form of micro-aggressions, so sometimes you don’t even notice it’s happening, but it can eventually take it’s toll on you.” - Faiyaz
Some of his experiences he has faced have shown the fact that ignorance in diversity and culture is still a major problem in the fashion industry.
Even though cultural appropriation has been talked about and discussed, there will still be times where you just cannot escape the fact that these problems still exist.
“Another kind of situation, which can be quite emotionally draining, one might find themselves in is being in an environment surrounded by a lot of ignorant mindsets and coming across people saying very problematic, borderline racist, things. I’ve heard a brand representative ask a makeup artist, “can you black me up like the exotic model?” I’ve heard stylists debate about whether a Japanese model at a runways show should be given sunglasses, since she already could see less through her small eyes. While it’s not a person of colour’s responsibility to educate others, I think it’s important to stand up for yourself in these situations and call people out if you’re ever put in an uncomfortable position.” - Faiyaz
"For example, for decades interns at fashion magazines have been taken advantage of to the point where abusive and exploitative behaviour has been normalised. Today, the kids who are doing these jobs are starting to recognise that just because it’s been happening for so long doesn’t make it right and have begun calling out their employers or hostile working environments. These are all part of a global change we’re seeing today.” - Faiyaz
Lastly, here are some advise from Faiyaz to any young creative, person of colour, who is trying to make it into the fashion industry.
“Focus on your work, on your skills, on your portfolio, because at the end of the day no one can take that away from you. Always remind yourself why you want to be in this industry and what you want to achieve. And never forget that failures and dead-ends are part of the journey - keep hustling.” - Faiyaz
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