GUEST POST: Leah Trew

Trew Self Love Club

Studying Fashion Promotion & Communication at Solent University has been fun, innovative and challenging. So with graduation right round the corner, the last few months is where all the third year students really push themselves and try and be the best of the best; we’ve had a few years where we test out what we like and dislike, skills that we’ve improved on and experiences that have enabled us to decide on where we want to go post-graduation.

For myself, I enjoy too much of everything; trend predicting, magazine layouts, social media promotion, styling, fashion photography and digital art. However, the amazing thing with a Final Major Project is that you can really tailor it to your skill set and what you’re most passionate about.

Therefore, for my Final Major Project, I’ve decided to create a brand called Trew Self Love Club, a place where people can relate to, be a part of something and feel like they’re not alone. Especially with this digital new generation where everyone feels like they are connected, in some way we’re more distant than we’ve ever been.

So to make up my FMP, I decided to generate three key things; one being a podcast where I talk and interview people about their mental health, sharing their personal stories, perspectives and general thoughts on the taboo of mental health. As I think many people nowadays are starting to understand mental health, it’s still important to have a place where people can truly open up and allow audiences to understand the spectrum of it all.

Secondly, I have been designing a magazine which will be called ‘Trew Self Love Club’ which will have various collaborators to share their stories and perspectives on their life, and also have artists to visually communicate their insecurities too. For the magazine, I want it to be a creative place where people can look back on if they are in need of a boost or a place where they can read the magazine and feel like they are not alone. For myself, I think it’s really important to help build a community where people feel accepted or understood.

And lastly, I have created an online platform which showcases quotes, images and illustrations that help open new conversations and perspectives on mental health, female empowerments, body positivity and well-being. I also wanted to create a platform where I can showcase my work as both the magazine and podcast are not published, and share the journey. I have also tried to use this platform to help generate a positive place and reassurance during this pandemic and share people’s ideas of helping your mental health during this time.

With everything going on in the world at the moment, it has caused a few setbacks and cancellations within my work, so I have had to think of new ideas and concepts that allow me to still show my brand ethos and what it is all about. I’m still in the process of editing my magazine and placing content in the document, which has been very exciting, seeing it all slowly starting to come together. Likewise with my podcast, listening back to conversations and interviews has generated a new enthusiasm in me and is exciting to what the audiences think and how it will open up new conversations.

I hope my Final Major Project brings a new light to people, if that be learning something new about mental health, or learning to understand how to accept yourself for who you are, or even supporting my online platform.

Something that has always stuck with me when it comes to my personal life and work too;

“Acceptance of yourself is far more important than acceptance from others.”

Thanks for Amelia and Millie letting me share my little project on their blog!

This post was written by Solent University final year Fashion Promotion & Communication student Leah Trew.

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Thank you again so much to Leah for this post, giving an insight into her Final Major Project. We can’t wait to see the content you produce and wish you the best of luck over the next couple of weeks! Please check out Leah’s FMP Instagram @trewselfloveclub for more content like this!

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