Deary Me

Gillian Brett is a fashion enthusiast and a freelance journalist. Meeting in a café in Malahide Co. Dublin, we talk inspiration, style icons, Thread Magazine and other jobs, current issues and the all-important London Fashion Week. I sit listening to Gillian in awe as she talks of people she has met and work she has done. Of course Gillian is as fashionable and trendy in person as her writing is, even though she describes her style as  “extremely boring”.

 Gillian started her education in the Dublin Institute of Technology studying a degree in Media Arts. “I went for a broader media degree course as I wasn’t sure if journalism was definitely the path I wanted to go down. I wanted to try out PR, TV and Radio as well. I’d say that after my first semester though I knew I wanted to be a writer. I loved all the creative writing and script writing modules but not so much the camera work etc.”

 “I’ve always been massively interested in fashion, it’s a really fascinating subject when you start looking into designers’ mindsets and creative influences, or the psychology and culture of what people wear, it’s not all about frivolous trends.” She put the two together and felt that fashion journalism was the career she wanted to pursue.

 Gillian moved to the UK to do an MA in Fashion Journalism after she discovered the professional path she wanted to follow. She explained to me how she learned some of her most valuable lessons while undertaking this Masters; “especially with the media industry, in general before you become established you end up working freelance and juggling a lot of different projects and deadlines at once. A Masters teaches you to do all this, as well as build and maintain your own contacts. You’re really thrown in the deep end.”

 While studying her Master Gillian got the chance to work with international stylist Karl Plewka. Karl is the contributing editor at VS magazine; he also contributes to i-D, Wonderland, Purple, Vanity Fair, Vogue Italia, Vogue Nippon, and Vogue China. All of these magazines would be considered top fashion editorials. This just gives you an idea of this man status in the fashion world

 I asked Gillian what it was like to work with such a high profile fashionista. Gillian responded with such great confidence “Working with Karl was great fun. The photoshoots were my favorite to work on, Karl has an amazing creative vision and once it all came together (clothes, hair, make-up, model, location, props) and the photographer captures some incredible shots you feel like the sleep deprivation and aching feet were all worth it.”

 As I looked at Gillian I began to wonder who her style icon was. She was elegant but trendy all in one. “I don’t like following fleeting trends as you can end up looking a bit fashion-by-numbers. If I like a trend I’ll incorporate bits and piece with my wardrobe favorites. I try to wear what suits my shape and flatters my colorings and what I feel good in.”

 I should have guessed that Diane Kruger was one of her style icons but Gillian insisted “I’d never try imitate her if you get me.” Rather than individual people Gillian looks to designers as style inspiration “I more have favorite designers and when I shop I have images of their cuts, structures and fabrics in my head and I tend to gravitate towards clothes that remind of them”.

 I was curious to find out who these inspirational designers were that attracted this fashionista to the industry. “I absolutely adore Haider Ackermann, his runways make me literally weak at the knees. I’m mad for a bit of draping set against really strict tailoring. My all time favorite is Alexander McQueen because he was such a fascinating person behind all the bravado and drama of his catwalks.”

 Listening to Gillian talking about fashion, she spoke with such wonderful descriptions; I almost felt I could visualize McQueens catwalks and Haider Ackermann’s runways.

 When Gillian received her first class honors Master in Fashion, Lifestyle and Beauty Journalism from the University of the Creative Arts in the UK she began to delve into her professional career.

 After spending her first summer as a Fashion Journalist graduate and working for the likes of ASOS.COM and The Sunday Style magazine, Gillian felt like it was time to return to Dublin.

 Once home, Gillian began to make a name for herself and it wasn’t long before her first interview (where she covered Simone Rocha who is John Rocha’s daughter) got published in Social and Personal. “I won’t act modest it felt fantastic! It’s a funny business working alone at a laptop so I suppose seeing your name published is like the gratification you get when your boss thanks you for a job well done.”

 This year Gillian found herself front row at London fashion week (LFW) sitting beside the likes of Paloma Faith and Jimmy Choo, along with all the major names from the British, Irish and international press. Gillian puts it down to the “luck of the Irish” for her “frowians’” (the fashion scenes name for front row) position in LFW but I think it is down to her confident way and determined ambition.

 For any fashion enthusiast LFW is a little taste of fashion heaven. “The Simone Rocha show was like a fairytale unfolding, it was in a very imitate venue, an old aristocratic house called 33 Portland Place. I love when a collection isn’t just shown on a catwalk in the British Fashion Council Show Space; I think when the venue, the collection and the soundtrack all relate to or enhance one another it’s far more interesting.”

 I first met Gillian back in the summer at the launch of a new fashion editorial Thread magazine. She just happened to be standing beside me at the bar and we got chatting about the magazine, the turnout of the event and other chit chat topics. When she was leaving we shook hands and introduced ourselves. It wasn’t till that evening when I was reading over the magazine that I saw her picture and name on the back page as the senior writer for the supplement.

 The great thing about Gillian was that during our conversation she never felt the need to big herself up by informing me who she was and why she wasn’t just another hipster at the event.

 During are second meeting Gillian informed me how she got the job working with Thread magazine “As with most things, pestering the editor”. Once again I was seeing more and more Gillian determination to get involved in things she wants to get involved in. “I was very excited by the whole concept of the magazine and very keen to be involved. I sent lots of emails and submitted an interview I’d just done with the wonderful William Tempest and thankfully they liked it and it was printed.”

 For anyone working in the media these days’ social media has become a huge element of their jobs. I asked Gillian how she felt that social media has effected the fashion industry. “It’s completely revolutionized the industry. Fashion week used to be like a trade show for those working in the industry only. Now, thanks to live streams, YouTube videos and bloggers, everyone with an interest in fashion can feel like a part of it.”

 To me this became evident when Marc Jacobs and Rodarte put young bloggers like Tavi and Bryan Boy on their SS 2010 front rows it was a satirical but completely accurate demonstration of how much the industry has changed.

 “Streetstyle blogs and their communities like Lookbook.nu are probably one of the most powerful progenies of fashion’s digital revolution. It’s remarkable how much publicity and credibility certain streetstyle bloggers can command. By accumulating a global entourage people can become overnight celebrities by their own making.”

 At the moment Gillian is working on “a couple of exciting interviews” that will involve a few oversea trips. Her number one plan for the future is to travel more. Her days are packed with different jobs from meeting with a PR officer about a press release to interviewing someone from the fashion industry. Her favorite days she admits are the ones where she has the whole day off so she can catch up on her reading and writing.

 “The thing about working in the media is you have to be up to date not just with your specialism but with everything that’s going on in the news and in popular culture as it all interconnects in a way. You’ve got to be informed so part of my day is also dedicated to reading newspapers, magazines and online news sources.”

 Gillian Brett is a well-known name in the Irish fashion industry and her identity is growing with every job she partakes in. She is ambitious, confident and scared of nothing, which are all main traits of a survivor in the fashion industry.

 I ask Gillian finally if there are any words of wisdom she can give to aspiring fashion journalist. She replies “Relinquish the thoughts of ever working 9-5, it’s a 24-7 job unfortunately.”

Introduction – A history of business Ethics

“Business Ethics” can be defined as the critical, structured examination of how people & institutions should behave in the world of commerce. In particular, it involves examining appropriate constraints on the pursuit of self-interest, or (for firms) profits, when the actions of individuals or firms affect others. (Mc Donald Chris 2010)

 Raymond Baumharts suggests it was the groundbreaking studies in the 1960’s that are understood to be the early contributors to business ethics. Management researchers began studying business ethics in the sixties s by conducting surveys of manager’s attitudes towards ethical business practices.  According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Richard de George dates academic business ethics to the 1970’s, identifying Baumhart as a forerunner to a self-conscious academic business ethics and also dates the field’s first academic conference to 1974. This was over forty years ago.

 The definition of a fad according to the Oxford English Dictionary is “an intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, esp. one that is short lived and without basis in the objects qualities; a craze.” Something short lived is what normally symbolizes a fad. Is forty years short lived?

 Throughout this essay my aim is to counteract the statement that business ethics is just a fad. I will show the development of business ethics from the beginning of the widely used term to the explosion of it into the world of academia and also the business world. I will look at a case study during the explosion times dealing with the green movement.

 You cannot have one side of an argument without the alternative perspective. In my second chapter I will invert my argument by examining situation when business ethics could have been perceived as a fad. During a recession businesses can loose sight of their values, as profit maximization becomes the key factor of their business strategy. However, due to the fact that even in these harsh times there is still evidence of business ethics the concept of these ethics being a fad are further dispelled.

 My third chapter will look at the expression ‘social responsibility’. I will examine why corporate social responsibility needs ethics. Corporate social responsibility attracts customers and is good business practice but it must go hand in hand with ethics in order for it to be at a highly sustainable business level.

“Ethics and values should be visible in leaders as well as in businesses because they live them in their actions every single day” (Hoffman, Frederick, Schwards, 2001, P. 97).

From the early years to the explosion of Business Ethics

The term business ethic is said to be as old as the term business itself. The oldest known written legal ethics code, the Code of Hammurabi (1700s B. C.), dealt considerably with issues concerning commerce, tariffs, and pricing (De George Richard, 2010). In the midst of the changes in social attitudes that emerged in the 1960s, questions about the social and moral responsibilities of businesses and corporations began to emerge in academic and professional circles. As the term entered more general usage in the media and public discourse, it often became compared with either business scandals or more broadly with what can be called “ethics in business.” According to Pearson (1995) “it refers to a movement within business or the movement to explicitly build ethics into the structures of corporations in the form of ethics codes, ethics officers, ethics committees and ethics training” (p. 67).

Since its development in the seventies business ethics has become a significant concept in any company or corporation. Some ask why ethics has become a predominant feature in the strategic planning of a business. The importance of a business to a society and the society of a business is one of the reasons ethics is regarded as important in modern times. If a corporation or a business is not acting in a way that is ethical towards an aspect of society the business will find that their popularity among the public, one of their key stakeholders, diminished. “Firms and corporations operate in a social environment. By virtue of existing in the social and natural environment, businesses are duty bound to be accountable” (Goodpaster, Nash, Bettignies, 1998, p. 58). Business malpractice can inflict huge damage on individuals and society at large. Ethical business practice is a way that companies can make decisions while taking all their stakeholders into consideration. This may be there shareholders, the customers, the pubic, the government, etc.

 The growth of business ethics articles and books in the academic and professional press, suggests that these communities are becoming increasingly interested in ethics also. In the midst of the insider trading scandal on Wall Street in 1987, former Securities and Exchange Commission head John Shad gave Harvard Business School thirty million dollars for the purpose of starting a business ethics program there. Would John Shah give away thirty million dollars to a program he believed was only a passing craze? In numerous academic colleges ethics has become a significant module in many different disciplines of business courses. If business ethics were only a fad why then would it be taught to the future entrepreneurs and business minds? It is clearly something peers in the field feel as an important subject to place emphasis on.

 The 1970’s saw numerous steps to clean up the environment: the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Air Act, the founding of Earth Day, the banning of DDT, the Water Pollution Control Act, and the Endangered Species Act (which the Supreme Court upheld in 1977. Disasters at Love Canal in 1978 and Three Mile Island in 1979 terrified the public with the visible consequences of toxic waste, pollution, and contamination (WebEcoist, retrieved on 6/11/2011)

In April 2007 an article was published in the Environmental Leader called “Green Movement Turns ‘Mainstream’ For Corporate America.”  The name of the article itself is enough to illustrate that the ethical movement for businesses to become more environmental had become common practice in corporate America.

Today IKEA is an example of how a company showing high ethical standards and a passion for the environment is at the forefront of their industry. “IKEA is a leader in setting high environmental standards for its product. That means employing strict manufacturing methods and supply processes so that materials, technologies and transportation have the least damaging effects on the environment,” says Rene Hausler, Partner of the IKEA-San Diego Franchisee (Barret, Richard M. 2005) According to The Outstanding Sustainable Style Achievement (OSSA) Awards website in April 2005 IKEA the Swedish global furniture retail giant received the Award for eliminating the usage of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether, a toxic fire suppressor used in manufacturing furniture.  Most of IKEA’s products were made of wood. This wood was sourced from many different countries. It came to the attention of the company that the suppliers they used were exploiting children in the manufacturing of the goods and products. These discoveries led to IKEA’s management deciding to reorganize the company’s business policies and introduce stringent rules to ensure better social and environmental practices, both within the company and with its business partners. Commenting on IKEA’s decision, the company spokesman Marty Marston said, “At IKEA, we’re moving toward a way of thinking based on the philosophy that everything we take should be used, reused and recycled, either by ourselves or nature, in such a way that causes the least possible harm to the environment” (Reda, Susan, 1999).

IKEA are one of the worlds leading furniture manufactures and they are setting the example for business ethics. Business ethics plays a major role in IKEA’s strategy and one of the major reasons for the company’s success. Ngvar Hjartso, UNICEF Representative comments "We consider IKEA to be setting an excellent example for other corporations to follow. IKEA is prepared to go further than just saying ‘no’ to a supplier who exploits children. The company is showing a genuine interest in bringing about improvement for children by assuming a responsibility for child labour issues” (IKEA, 2001).

Scenarios where Business Ethics may have been perceived as a Fad 

In February 2010 the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission made a link between unethical business behavior and the current economic recession (Rushworth M. Kidder, 2011). The Institute for Global Ethics (IGE) published The Ethics Recession: Reflections on the Moral Underpinnings of the Current Economic Crisis, in 2009. When the last recession began to hit in 2008 the IGE began to examine the connection between economics and ethics. They began to ask themselves the question as scandal after scandal unraveled about multinational corporations, “whether the economic collapse arose not from innocent financial force but from a vast ethical meltdown?” (Rushworth M. Kidder, 2011). Unethical behavior was taking down empires.

In this case there was a lack of ethical behavior rather than unethical behavior. Corporations rejected their ethical standards when times got tough. Profit maximization was the influential factor and this meant cutting costs on what the organization saw as unimportant expenditures. Corporations dismissing their business ethics lead to a lack of consumer interest, which lead to a vicious downward spiral for the economy.

At the time when organisations were choosing to be unethical, the business itself could have felt that ethics was only a fad and that the company could still be successful without it. In my opinion I believe the consumer and the public are always aware of ethical and unethical behavior. The reality in the end proved that ethics are an influential factor in the success of an organization. Ethics in business is more important than ever and companies are now realizing this. The largest and most successful companies have been practicing this for years. Take Johnson and Johnson and the Tylenol crisis in 1982. Seven people in Chicago were reported dead after taking extra-strength Tylenol capsules. It was reported that unknown suspects tampered with the medicine and put extra cyanide into Tylenol capsules. Tylenol controlled 37 percent of its market with revenue of about $1.2 million. Immediately after the cyanide poisonings, its market share was reduced to seven percent (Purdom Nick). Johnson & Johnson had to think of the most effective way to deal with the problem without destroying the reputation of the company and its most profitable product. Johnson and Johnson chose the ethical way. They recalled every bottle of Tylenol in the United States. They put their consumers first above there shareholders, as a loss of millions was inevitable with the recall of the products. This is why Johnson and Johnson are still one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in the world. They realized from an early stage the importance of ethics and how it was lasting factor in the running of a successful business.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Ethics

 “Responsibility is one of the five distinct core values that define, globally the idea of ethics” (Rushworth M Kidder, 2011). The other four values are honesty, respect, fairness and compassion. Ethics requires all five values. Corporations can have a strong sense of responsibility without being honest; likewise a corporation can be honest without having responsibility. But for an organization to be ethical it requires all five-core values. Corporate social responsibility attracts customers and is good business but this must go hand in hand with ethics for it to fully be sustainable.

If a consumer wants to buy a product, which is fair trade, they find themselves buying from ethical companies. This is meant to ensure the consumer that the company is producing the product to a high ethical standard. This may mean the coffee bean is sourced from countries and farms that don’t exploit the worker. The organization must not only pay attention to the product but it must place equal attention on how the product was produced.  Cheryl Queen from Compass Group, a foodservice management company based in Charlotte, North Carolina implemented a voluntary deal to pay an extra 1.5 cents per pound to tomato-field laborers in Immokalee, Florida — a change that upped workers’ pay by nearly two-thirds (Rushworth M Kidder, 2011). This is a social responsible example of a business helping the tomato-field laborers to earn more money. Hypothetically if Compass had previously bribed union leaders to half the wages of the workers a few months previous to this voluntary deal so that in the long run they are paying them what they would have in the first place. Can you still call this socially responsible if it is not ethical? Business ethics must exist in order for an organization to participate in socially responsible practice.  As Rushworth M. Kidder (2011) says, “they must not only do the right things (which is CR) but do things right (which is ethics).” Many current statistics according to Joyner and Payne (2004) support the premise that ethics, values, integrity and responsibility are required in the modern workplace.

Conclusion

 Robin Aram, Head of External Relations for Shell International says, “Things ethical are here to stay” (Rushworth 2001). Shell is a company that took a public beating for its unethical behavior in the nineties. Shell International has been at the forefront of criticism for ignoring ethical process. The company has experienced first hand the repercussion of not partaking in ethical procedures and this is a clear indication that business ethics is not just a passing craze.

Another reassurance that ethics is not just a fad is the medias continuing interest in ethical issues. Many journals, magazine, blogs and websites are dedicated to business ethics spanning the forty years the term has been an influential factor in the running of a business. Colleges all over the world are adding business ethics to course modules. Recently the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica in collaboration with the Inter-American Investment Corporation launched a business ethics programme for small and micro enterprise organisations in Jamaica (Morrison Hopeton, 2011).

Why are more and more companies all over the world engaging in ethical business? If a company is seen to be damaging the environment or treating workers improperly they are at the risk of being highlighted in the media. Investors and consumers have begun to take account a corporations ethics policies in making investment or purchasing decisions. Companies are now expected to have high ethical standards and act in a socially responsible way.

Investors are now looking to have an ethical investment share portfolio. Investors will avoid companies, which they perceive as having a poor ethical track record. It is not only in the interest of society for corporations to act ethically but it is now becoming in the interest of the corporations also.

Companies are now setting out standards of appropriate ethical conduct their staff can abide by. Crane describes codes of ethics as “voluntary statements that commit organisations, industries or professionals to specific beliefs, values and actions and/or that set out appropriate ethical behavior for employees/members”.

The Ethics resource center 2000 survey found that 79% of respondents reported that their companies have a written set of ethical standards compared with 60% in 1994 (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).

Ethical issues are a human characteristic; they are not a passing fad. If a corporation or orgainsation wishes to be successful they must realise in order to be thriving business they must take into account that business ethics is a major influential factor in our economy today.

By Lynn Ferrari November 2011 

Referencing list

• Barret, Richard M. (2005) “IKEA San Diego Supports 'Green’ Movement by Developing Stricter Manufacturing and Supply Standards,” retrieved from www.sddt.com, date retrieved 07/11/11.
• De George, Richard (2010) A History of Business Ethics, retrieved from http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/focusareas/business/conference/presentations/business-ethics-history.html, date retrieved 3/11/11, Santa Clara University
•  Goodpaster Kenneth, Nash Laura, Bettignies Henri-Claude de (1998) Business Ethics, policies and persons, forth edition, NY, McGraw Hill Irwin
• Hoffman W. Michael, Frederick E. Robert, Schwartz S. Mark, (2001) Business Ethics; Readings and Cases in Corporate Morality, Forth Edition, New York, McGraw Hill Companies
• IKEA (2001) retrieved from www.bsdglobal.com, date retrieved 6/11/2011
•  Joyner E, Brenda and Payne Dinah (2004) Evolution and Implementation: A Study of Values, Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility, Journal of Business Ethics, volume 41, number 4, Netherlands, Springer
• Mc Donald Chris (2010) The business Ethics Blog, retrieved from http://businessethicsblog.com/2010/03/21/ethics-definition/, date retrieved 3/11/11
• Morrison Hopeton (2011) Good ethics is good business, The Gleaner, retrieved from http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20110925/business/business7.html, published on 25/09/11
• Pearson Gordon (1995) Integrity in Organizations, An Alternative Business Ethic. United Kingdom, McGraw-Hill Book Company Europe
• Purdom Nick (date unknown) Effective Crisis Management, retrieved from http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/fall02/susi/tylenol.htm, date retrieved 7/11/11
• Reda, Susan, (1999) “Conservation Efforts Bring Cost Savings, Community Benefits to Major Chains,” Retrieved from www.informinc.org, date retrieved 7/11/11
• Rushworth M. Kidder (2011) Ethics Newsline, Business Ethics is it a fad or is it here to stay, retrieved from http://www.globalethics.org/newsline/2001/01/29/business-ethics-is-it-a-fad-or-is-it-here-to-stay/, date retrieved 6/11/11
• Rushworth M. Kidder (2011) Ethics Newsline, A New Ethics Recession, retrieved from http://www.globalethics.org/newsline/2011/09/19/ethics-recession/, date retrieved 6/11/11
• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, retrieved from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-business/, date retrieved 6/11/11
• WebEcoist, A brief history of the modern green movement in America, http://webecoist.com/2008/08/17/a-brief-history-of-the-modern-green-movement/, date retrieved 6/11/11

Dr Howard Gardner, a theorist in the field of multiple intelligences said: “we should place equal attention on individuals who show gifts in other intelligences: the artist’s, Musician’s, dancers,
entrepreneurs and others who enrich the world we live in.”

Garner was one of several theorists who believed that there are eight intelligences and had a problem with school’s not placing enough notice on the more creative ones.

Gardner says that “our schools and cultures focus most of their attention on linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligence.” In society today I believe artists and musicians are receiving the acknowledgment they deserve.  Unfortunately many of these children who have these gifts do not receive much reinforcement for them in school.

The theory of multiple intelligences suggests that teachers should be trained to present their lessons in a wide variety of ways using music, cooperative learning, art activities, role play, multimedia, field trips, inner reflection and much more.

The good news is that the theory of multiple intelligences has grabbed the attention of educators around the country and schools are currently using its philosophy to redesign the way it educates children, but this needs to flow throughout the Irish educational
system.

We all must realise that each child could be a genius in a totally different way from another child. “If a child is not learning the way you are teaching, then you must teach in the way the child learns.”

Aistear means ‘journey’ in Irish and is also the name for the new Irish curriculum for children aged  0-6 years. Maria Montessori is an early childhood theorist who believed in experimental learning. Jean Piaget’s theory was how humans generate knowledge and meaning from interaction between their experiences and idea’s.

Aistear is a curriculum that incorporates the theories of Montessori and Piaget among others to develop the child as a curious learner but also so they can grow and develop as competent and confident learners within loving relationships.

The curriculum consists of teachers looking at the child needs and developing a curriculum plan that will suit the individual student. The teacher then must come up with an appropriate teaching method that will benefit the child.

The United Nations states that a “child is a person under the age of 18” therefore why are we stopping this individually assessed teaching method at the age of 6? Surely all learners young and old would benefit by this style of teaching.

Recent results showed that 67% of students find school boring. Educators need to look to the interests of their students, finding alternative ways to teach that will make the information being taught more appealing. This is an educator’s major task.

It was an article I found in Art education that had me thinking about the Irish way of teaching. This article featured a curriculum that taught the equivalent of our 4th and 5th year student’s current affairs, politics and modern day issues through the work of Banksy.

Banksy is a well-known UK based graffiti artist. His art features striking and humorous images occasionally combined with slogans. The message is usually anti-war, anti-capitalist, anti-establishment or pro-freedom.

The article in Art Education was called: “The Art of Resistance: From Street to Classroom. It featured a full academic curriculum including assessment details and class assignments.

This teaching method was currently being used in a classroom in San Francisco and the feedback from the students was very positive. 100% of the students being taught through Banksy’s work said they found the subject more interesting because a current iconic figure they could relate to was being used in the classroom.

I am not suggesting that Irish school should be using graffiti artists as a teaching method but I think it is a very creative starting point for teachers to find child friendly teaching methods.
Visual learning is a basic learning style in the widely used Fleming VARK model that also included Kinaesthetic learning and Auditory learning.

I began looking through the Internet to see what other creative techniques teachers were using. What I found was Rhythm, Rhyme and Results (RRR).

Rhythm, Rhyme and Results is a company that produces educational rap songs. These songs cover a range of topics from math’s to American history. The thing about these songs is that they are not the typical educational songs they have been produced by some leading rap artists
in America making them contemporary and current.

Rhythm, Rhyme and Results are based in Brooklyn New York but have offices on the both coasts of the US. Robbie Mitchell, the managing director of RRR explains how the company began and how they went about creating the songs “To create the songs, we research the state
curriculum standards, create detailed outlines from a list of eligible topics, then oversee production involving a network of professional lyricists, composers, vocalists, and producers, bringing it all together under a coherent artistic vision.”

Auditory learning is proven to work at a young age as children begin learning their ‘abc’s’ to a rhythm. Students find it easier to learn and remember material when it is produced to them in a manner that they enjoy and have an interest in.

This to me this is educators using their creative intelligences to attract young learners in a manner that is of interest to the student. By using the creative intelligences as a teaching method it is also allowing the students who possess these intelligences to nourish them.

A student should be at the centre of curriculum planning rather than them fitting in with the demands of the educational syllabus. If the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) could see that a change needed to be made in early childhood education surely they will
realise that educators up through all stages of education should be looking to develop the whole child and that the Aistear way of learning could benefit all involved.

In my opinion it is time for educators to look at more creative techniques of teaching and also encourage the intelligences each individual child possesses.

By Lynn Ferrari

So firstly I want to explain what Fashion PR is all about. As many people are unaware about what PR really is I want to give a quick overview of what PR in the fashion industry is all about. I found this brief explanation on the VOGUE.com.au website and I feel it summarizes best the use and need of Fashion PR.

“Fashion PR commonly refers to publicity of fashion brands, designers, or shops. Some PR companies represent a variety of companies across a range of areas, while some are specific to one area, e.g. Fashion. Whatever their speciality, public relation companies are paid to get brands publicity. 

Since publicity is free, a fashion PR company or executive would be responsible for; building relationships with the press (they basically have to make friends with fashion editors, writers and journalists so that these people will write about/feature the product); organising and managing guestlists for promotional events; gifting (sending free product to key editors or celebrities in the hope that they’ll use or write about it); writing, distributing and following up on press releases and press packs; dealing with requests from the press and celebrity PRs; and reporting back to clients on the publicity they’re getting for the brands. 

PR Reps also help maintain the public image of the brand. They may help with marketing initiatives, or photo shoots, or just maintain the overall perception of the brands mission and image to the market. It is important to find a great firm or freelancer that may help you from the beginning.”

In my opinion the first sentence in the last paragraph is most important. It is basically saying how Public Relations can generate and maintain a positive relationship with a brands publics and help the public view that brand in a particular way.