GFF Talent: Rebecca Padgett On Female Pleasure & Body Positivity
Meet GFF Talent Rebecca Padgett, a final year fashion promotion student from the Manchester Fashion Institute. An interest in the intersection of feminism and the fashion and wellness spaces led Rebecca to her final year project, Girls That Get Off — a platform exploring female pleasure through zines, newsletters and social media. Rebecca is passionate about calling out the double standards and inauthentic engagement with the body positivity movement by major fashion brands. Read more about Rebecca’s work below.
What is the most valuable thing you have learnt at university?
Not to be afraid of exploring the subjects you're passionate about, no matter how risky they might be. In my dissertation I explored the topic of body-inclusivity in the fashion industry, calling out many brands for their negative effects on consumers mental health due to their use of thin-ideal and retouched imagery. In my final project, I delved into the subject of Female Sexual Wellness, tackling the taboo topic and presenting my work and ideas to my peers and tutors. I learnt that if you follow what you're passionate about, you'll do well, no matter what others might think of it.
What was the starting point of inspiration for your final project?
I have always been an advocate for feminism, body-positivity and equality. However, I knew I needed something fresh and exciting, a topic that was new and emerging. I found Female Sexual Wellness a fitting subject, issues such as The Orgasm Gap and the stigma around female pleasure made me want to create something to open the conversation.
Initial criticism and concerns about the riskiness of the project were considered. However, as I delved deep into the topic, researching how the sex education system in the UK was failing so many young women, leaving them unsure and unable to access pleasure throughout their lives, it drove me even more to create my project.
What form will it take?
The deliverable created in my final project is a female sexual wellness survival guide, in the format of a Digital Zine. The Zine is supported by an email newsletter. The brand, Girls That Get Off, will soon be supported by a website, social media and a hypothetical Panel Talk due to current circumstances.
How has it evolved from your initial ideas and what have you learnt along the way?
My initial ideas consisted of building a brand, website and social media accounts for Girls That Get Off. However, my university required a deliverable for the first half of my final project, that would then be promoted in the second half of my final project. I chose to develop a digital zine, considering how female 18-24 consumers engage with brands online and what content they're demanding. The digital-zine allows for clickable links to social media, podcasts and more. Through creating my zine, I have gained a deeper understanding of how issues such as #MeToo have an impact on the fashion industry.
What are the messages and themes behind your project that you want people to take away?
Cultural shifts are happening in society, as attitudes towards female sexual wellness are shifting. Through platforms such as Instagram, women are breaking down the barriers surrounding female pleasure and masturbation, as more women want to educate themselves on how they can access pleasure and improve their sexual wellness. Political issues are also highly relevant when considering the need for my deliverables.
Issues such as feminism in politics have led to demands for laws surrounding work-place harassment and sexual reproductive rights for women. The #MeToo era has sparked a new wave of feminism and equality. It has also impacted fashion. When considering the economic environment, the wellness space is growing rapidly. This has also transitioned to sexual wellness, and consumers are starting to spend their money on sexual well-being products such as lubricants and sex toys.
This communicates a clear demand for my zine, as women are seeking more education and products regarding female sexual well-being. When questioning why this zine is needed, it is needed because more women must start taking control of their self-pleasure. Communicating this to women at a younger age will help them to start to enjoy more pleasurable relationships sooner, rather than later. Young consumers are demanding equality and education. Invested in social justice, they want to learn about issues, as well as how they can fix them. They read the zine to learn about how they can enhance their sexual wellness, take ownership of their bodies, and improve their relationship with sex.
What’s an aspect of the fashion industry that you’re passionate about fixing or having a positive impact on?
The fashion industry still fails to successfully promote size-inclusive and body-positive content. As the Gen-Z consumer becomes more demanding, brands must step up. Many young female fast fashion brands claim to promote size-inclusivity through campaigns and un-retouched models. However, plus-size models appear to be a size 14 and they continue to use digitally modified influencer imagery on their Instagram pages.
These brands mustn't just promote body-positivity as a trend and must demonstrate that it is reflected in their core brand values. My dissertation explores how female fast-fashion brands are using retouched influencer imagery, and how it is negatively affecting their consumer’s mental health and body satisfaction. I believe that these brands must be called out, similar to greenwashing, body-positivity should be authentic and not just a trend.
What is your plan once you finish your BA?
When I finish my BA, I hope to explore creating my own business. Prior to my final year at university, I would have never thought of building my own brand. However, I now understand that my morals and beliefs must align with the brand I want to work for, and there are not many brands out there advocating for female sexual well-being and genuine body-positivity. I hope to explore taking my final year project, Girls That Get Off, further and also consider working for any brands that advocate for the things I believe in.