One of the aims that Lou Stoppard and I have with North: Fashioning Identity, is to encourage audiences to consider what the North of England is today, what it means to them and how it can inform creative practice. With this in mind i-D set a brief to students studying BA(Hons) Fashion Art Direction at Manchester School of Art, to create a project that is a personal reflection on their own sense of northern identity. For some this meant revisiting their home town to unpick themes of their own history, others are all too aware of the different feelings and lifestyle that moving to Manchester has given them, while some felt that they could not relate to a sense of northern identity at all. What links this varied group of projects with other young creatives throughout Britain, is that no matter where you are, these formative years are likely to be present in their work for ever more.
— Adam Murray
As someone who was born in Lancashire, I have always felt a strong northern identity and that I belong in the north. From a young age, I have always been aware of my background and where I come from due to the fact I was constantly surrounded by family that consider themselves ‘Lancashire born and bred.’ For this brief I wanted to capture areas that have had and still have relevance in my life, specifically the area of Preston, which has been especially significant to me in my teenage years. I started by going to locations of the city that I thought would translate well in photographs, and the areas that I am familiar with — e.g. Preston Bus station, where I used to get the bus to and from college every day. I was also fortunate enough to have access to my parents’ and grandparents’ old family photos documenting a span of over 50 years. I fell in love with the rawness of the images and knew somehow I had to include them into my work. I have used a combination of my own digital photography and film photography, which I feel works well as a juxtaposition.
