Meet Melody Uyanga Ramsay, a fashion design graduate from Glasgow School of Art. Melody鈥檚 work recontextualises traditional clothing of 鈥渃olonisers鈥� being worn by people of colour to subvert historical stereotypes. Growing up as one of the only people of colour in a small Scottish town, Melody鈥檚 work is influenced by her own experiences. 鈥淎cknowledging history as an abiding presence in the setting of contemporary life has been a recurring theme within my work - looking to antiquated codes of dress and challenging the inhabited identity, I question how I could subvert socially normative expectations of 鈥榟igh鈥� fashion,鈥� she says. Read on to learn more!
What is the most valuable thing you have learnt at university?
In short, I鈥檝e matured my own work ethic and understood more poignantly, how to work more efficiently and not necessarily 鈥榟arder鈥� in the traditional meaning of the word. I often felt anxious that I wasn鈥檛 able to 鈥榮witch-off鈥� from my work because I鈥檇 go to bed thinking about it and wake up thinking about it. I think the fashion industry has had a culture of over-working as the norm and is notorious to be viciously competitive. Especially at an Art School, I鈥檝e experienced this culture of living and breathing your craft, which is both honourable and insidious.
It鈥檚 only really in my final year and the last few months I鈥檝e found relief in accepting that I can only do my best, at that current period of time and at the end of the day, it鈥檚 just clothes. I think it is an incredible blessing to be in a position to be endorsed in the anxious pride of Fashion and it is far more valuable to divert that obsessive energy towards the industry鈥檚 potential to empower BAME people, hone circular economies and educate through its cultural platform.
Tell us about your current projects and work, what have you been working on?
Since lockdown I have mainly been translating my physical portfolio into a digital format. I鈥檝e really enjoyed learning about Web development and coding my own website. I鈥檇 always wanted to learn how to properly edit and produce films, so I鈥檝e also been working on making short fashion films- as well as re-editing my parent鈥檚 wedding video for their anniversary. It鈥檚 building transferable skills like this I feel like is the best use of my time right now. I write myself mini-briefs and set myself deadlines so that I can still have a sense of routine and accomplishment!
What form does your final project take?
When lockdown began I鈥檇 started 3 of my 6 looks and finished 1, so I finished the looks I鈥檇 started and began to piece together my online portfolio. Studying at the Glasgow School of Art (having had 2 fires in the past) we鈥檇 learned to always take pictures of absolutely everything! So if someone was to go through my camera roll, they鈥檇 find countless photos of random fabrics and work in progress- and my dog. So I had a big bank of images to edit into on InDesign and Photoshop, some of which I also made into videos.
How have you evolved as a young creative while studying / working?
I began Art School as an insecure 17 year old, and have graduated as a 21 year old who still has insecurities, but now with the mindset and tools to add more value to my industry. I used to design with the idea that my work had to be visually engaging and not much more, but now I know that I find so much more fulfilment in creating designs with useful, thoughtful concepts in mind.
What are the messages and themes behind your project that you want people to take away? Do explore any topics like diversity, sustainability or politics in your work?
I was initially nervous about the concept for my final year collection because I was exploring dress fashions of 鈥榯he coloniser鈥� as a person of colour, and how my work is essentially an act of subversion. I鈥檇 like to bring attention to the intersections between sustainability and systematic racism and prejudice. Growing up without much representation of minority backgrounds in mainstream fashion and media, I was always fascinated by the contextualisation of a person of colour in a classical or elevated setting.
I realised the power in visualising representation in fashion media and continue to meditate the inherent complexities this recontextualisation bears. This fascination with the sociological aspect of fashion stems from my own upbringing in a town in Scotland, being the only person of colour in school and social groups meant I was othered by default. Acknowledging history as an abiding presence in the setting of contemporary life has been a recurring theme within my work - looking to antiquated codes of dress and challenging the inhabited identity, I question how I could subvert socially normative expectations of 鈥榟igh鈥� fashion. I found liberation in toying with the notions of exoticism due to my own experience being subject to tokenism and orientalist prejudice.
What鈥檚 an aspect of the fashion industry that you鈥檙e passionate about fixing or having a positive impact on?
I believe that education is the starting point. What we learn informs the make-up of our understanding of the world. Just now I鈥檇 like to focus on educating myself and others about the industry鈥檚 past, and how this legacy is still consistent in the system today. In future I鈥檇 like to present an alternative idea of aspiration, as growing up I subconsciously understood success to mean being wealthy and white. I鈥檇 like to instil hope and creativity though my concept design work. In the words of Ben Okri, 鈥淥ur future is greater than our past,鈥�
What is your plan for the future?
I think this pandemic has taught me that nothing is for certain. I can only do the next right thing for me. I do of course dream of working for an influential fashion house someday, but just now I know it is a particularly difficult landscape for new designers. My next step is working as an Artist in Residence and building my portfolio up to earn a place on a passionate design team.