Meet Tanje Zimba, a graduate from Arts University Bournemouth, who studied Fashion Branding and Communication. Tanje was a runner-up for the GFW22 FACE Excellence Award. Learn more about her work below!
What was the inspiration starting point for your award-winning FMP?
I had a lot of bottled-up emotions from the Black Lives Matter protests and other social movements surrounding minorities that a still prevalent today. In order for me to work through very heavy feelings, it was important for me to focus my energy on something positive. That can also be used as a tool to educate and give insights into a small part of black culture through my personal experiences, so I focused on creating a short film uplifting black hair.
What skills did you learn and develop during the production of your FMP?
Collaboration and networking are key, meeting new people and learning about other creative industries help in the long run.
What were some challenges that you faced in producing your FMP and how did you overcome these?
Definitely time management, I tended to have a lot of projects going on simultaneously each with close deadlines. Over the years I have really learnt the importance of writing a weekly schedule and a daily to-do list to keep on top of everything. That way I can tack my process as well as my free time.
Are there any messages or major themes in your FMP that you want people to take away? If so, how did you choose to communicate them?
The film is for a younger generation of black women who are facing many obstacles from themselves and other outside sources about their identity and appearance. The key outcome for the film is to provide representation and educate other groups about black hair, touching on some political issues that are still current within our society and shedding a positive light on a topic that has been buried away in mainstream media until recently.
What is an aspect of the fashion industry that you want to help improve or have a positive impact on?
It’s also okay to create and explore without having to touch on heavy topics, with all that's happening in the world it essential to take a break and do something to ease the mind.It’s important to uplift voices that do but it’s also equally important to embrace those that just want to create for fun. When we talk about black history we don't always have to talk about black pain.
What form does your FMP take? Is it a collection of clothing, book, presentation, etc? If relevant, how did you source the materials for the project?
It's a multimedia collection, the short film being the main feature and the photography and digital art working alongside it.
What are your plans for the near future (further study/ internship/ work?) now that you've finished your BA?
First taking a much-needed break after graduation, then continue my collaboration projects. I want to focus more on my film work and refine my skills there.