Caryn Franklin

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Caryn Franklin MBE (born 11 January 1959)^[1] is a British fashion and identity commentator and visiting professor of diverse selfhood. She was former fashion editor and co-editor of i-D Magazine^[2] in the '80s and long time presenter of the BBC's Clothes Show from 1986-1998. She has been a commentator on fashion, image and identity politics for nearly 40 years. She regularly blogs from her website.

Background[]

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Franklin has always been interested in the politics of image and self-esteem as well as straight fashion. Her projects have involved refugees in battle zones, workers in free-trade-zone slums, mental health experts, MPs and government ministers and fashion industry innovators. She has contributed to many national newspapers and magazines. She has four books to her name, including a novel.^[2] A broadcaster, writer, director and producer, she has worked with many major networks to produce TV shows and documentaries. This included The Clothes Show which ran for 12-years from 1986-98^[2] and Style Challenge, which ran for 3 years from 1996-99, both on the BBC. Other shows included, Swank (Channel 4), The Frock and Roll Years (Channel 4), Style Bible (Granada), Well Woman (Granada) and The All New Clothes Show (UKTV Style). She also created documentary tributes for ITV featuring designers such as Vivienne Westwood, Matthew Williamson, Philip Treacy and Agnes B.

She has acted as a silent partner consultant, for a range of commercial companies, as well as debating and deconstructing fashion for a variety of audiences, along with hosting or compering events. She has given after-dinner speeches, mentoring presentations, chaired panels and facilitated initiatives for brands and organisations as diverse as Coca-Cola, Merrill Lynch, Wella, L’Oreal, government minister Jo Swinson's Press Office, Graduate Fashion Week, National Portrait Gallery, Cambridge University, SHOWstudio and the V&A Museum.

Collaborating with her business partner Jane Galpin from 1999-2016, she has worked with many mainstream retailers to create consumer live events large and small. Clients include Clothes Show Love hosted annually at the NEC and National Wedding Show. A highlight for Caryn was hosting the Guinness World Record Breaking 'Most Models on the Catwalk,' event in Liverpool in 2015, conceived by Wayne Hemingway. The event took a new world record with over 3,600 models appearing on stage, and prioritised diversity within the community, reaching out to a wide variety of marginalised groups and identities as well as known fashion talent.

Franklin has worked in education throughout her career, as an external assessor and lecturer for several colleges, including The Royal College of Art, Central St Martins and the London College of Fashion.^[2] She was Education Director at Clothes Show Live and is Global Ambassador at Graduate Fashion Week. She has lectured in a wide variety of universities.

She collected an Honorary Fellowship from The Arts University College at Bournemouth, and held a visiting Fellowship at London College of Fashion. She has an Honorary Doctorate from Kingston School of Art as well as a visiting professorship.^{[citation needed]}

Education[]

Franklin was educated at Kingston School of Art, in Kingston upon Thames, graduating BA (Hons) in Graphic Design. She then completed a postgraduate year at Central St Martins on typography and photography, and in later life went on to graduate MSc in Applied Psychology at the London College of Fashion under Dr Carolyn Mair.^{[citation needed]}

Activism[]

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As a fashion activist, Franklin has been vocal about unachievable body image ideals since the early 90s working with the Eating Disorders Association later to become Beat. She has co created a variety of campaigns from Fashion Cares in the 80's which addressed AIDS fundraising to co-chairing Fashion Targets Breast Cancer since 1996 with designer Amanda Wakeley,^[2] this campaign has helped spread the important message of 'early detection saves lives,' and contributed to the building and maintenance of Britain's first ever Breast Cancer Research Centre.

In 2007, and as an external assessor, Franklin proposed the Centre of Sustainability at London College of Fashion and is one of its ambassadors, promoting the debate for ethical sourcing and supply. Having visited a variety of garment worker projects abroad she is a supporter of sustainable fashion business and has made regular contributions to many slow fashion campaigns collaborating with charities like Oxfam and supporting initiatives like Extinction Rebellion Boycott Fashion.

In 2009 the launch of the All Walks Beyond the Catwalk led to many opportunities for further debate around the lack of diversity in fashion. Caryn became a member of Gov Minister Lynne Featherstone's and Jo Swinson's Body Confidence steering committee, meeting regularly with members of parliament, educationalists and mental health experts. She has also advised the Women's Equality Party on fashion ethics and has contributed to new policy debates within the Advertising Standards Authority. This would be an important learning experience and propelled her to examine the obstacles to inclusivity and diversity through a newly devised MSc applied psychology course at London College of Fashion.

Work in recent years drawing upon MSc knowledge of applied psychology, specialising in selfhood, inclusivity and gender bias, has seen Caryn deliver corporate leadership talks and workshops with the aim of tackling lack of minority leaders. She has presented international workshops in Athens, New York, Toronto, Montreal and Prague.

All Walks Beyond the Catwalk[]

In 2009, Franklin co-founded the award-winning All Walks Beyond the Catwalk with Debra Bourne and Erin O'Connor, an initiative which promoted diverse body and beauty ideals.^[2] All Walks was unwaged, relying upon volunteers and collaborated with emerging designers, established big names in fashion and colleges and universities nationwide to promote the concept of emotionally considerate design and diversity for the industry and the educational curriculum. Also created was All Walks Diversity Network in association with Edinburgh College of Art, launched at Graduate Fashion Week in June 2011, attended by Govt. Minister Lynne Featherstone. The national competition: Diversity NOW in association with i-D Magazine and hosted at Graduate Fashion Week ran for 4 years. Franklin stepped away in 2015.

Personal life[]

She has two daughters, Mateda Phoenix and Roseby Ottoline,^[3] and is married to Bafta winner and RTS award-winning film maker Ian Denyer. Mateda's father was the award winning script writer of Young Soul Rebels, Mandu Saldaan.^[4]

In 2013, Franklin was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the New Year Honours for services to diversity and positive body image in the fashion industry.^[5]

References[]

External links[]

• Official website
• AllWalks
• i-D Magazine Coverage
• Vogue Coverage
• Huffington Post Coverage
• Diversity Network Website