LCF Class of 2022: Sanem Ozman uses AR to connect audience and designer

We're continuing the LCF Class of 2022 showcase and celebration as we take a look at some of the work created by this year's graduating cohort. #LCFClassOf2022 showcased the best of graduating talent with a catwalk, salon shows and an exhibition at Truman Brewery with an extended list of fashion industry insiders attending. Work displayed from our business, design and media schools, included fashion, accessories, fashion film, fashion photography, VR experiences and more.

We're catching up with Sanem Ozman from BA (Hons) Fashion Photography to discuss her project 'See Beyond' - an AR experience designed to deepen the relationship between businesses and their audiences.

I absolutely love the concept of ‘See Beyond’ —Why do you feel that there is a need for building a deeper connection between audience and designer within fashion?

I believe that once the buyer gets to know the brand or the designer on a deeper level than just visually, they build an emotional connection with the fashion piece they purchase. It is then more likely that they treat that piece with more love and care, instead of wearing it once or twice then tossing it away. I hope that by getting to know the designers inspirations and the brand ethos, the consumer will have more information on what they are buying and build a deeper connection. This way we can start to move away from fast fashion trends.

To that end, in the virtual showroom I have created you can see the initial toiles of the brands’ designs and the final garments together; placed in a purposefully designed environment in alignment with the brands’ aesthetics. The AR file consists of these designs together along with the brand manifesto and sketches to show the designers creative thought process.

You have particularly highlighted the difficulties surrounding young talent and big established brands – what challenges do young designers face?

During my time at LCF I’ve met many extremely talented students from other courses and most of them did not have the recognition they deserve. I think in today’s world, social media presence and online engagement is key to reaching more people and building an audience. Emerging creatives do not have the budgets of big established brands have so it’s harder for them to have physical stores or give ads in magazines etc. right away. But when it comes to social media, the reach is not limited by the people you know or your location. It’s possible to reach people around the world by just sharing your work and you can use this to build new connections in the long run. This is why this project was optimised to be shared online.