1.
Creativity and
mental health within
the fashion industry
Professor Carolyn Mair PhD
http:// psychology.fashion/
@Carolyn_UK
DrMairFashionPsychologist

2.
The Most Beautiful Job
in the World
Dr Guilia Mensitieri (2018)
“When we think of exploitation in
fashion, we think of sweat shops
abroad or sexual harassment of
models. But that’s not what I was
interested in. I was looking at the
creative side: stylists, makeup artists,
young designers, interns, assistants.”
The Guardian 2nd September 2018

3.
Is working in fashion different to working in other industries?
https://www.harpersbazaar.com.sg/fashion/how-supermodels-party-at-fashion-week/

4.
Suicide by occupation, England: 2011 to 2015
Findings
• 12 deaths for every 100,000 = 0.012% of
all deaths
• The risk of suicide is higher for those
working in culture, media and sport
• males (20% higher than the male average)
• females (69% higher than the female average)
• Risk is highest among those working in
artistic, literary and media occupations
Interpretations
• Jobs with low pay and low job security
increase risk
• People at high risk of suicide may
selectively go into particular kinds of
occupations
• Having access to, or knowledge of, a
method of suicide increases risk
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsand
marriages/deaths/articles/suicidebyoccupation/england2011to2015

5.
Surviving or Thriving?
The state of the UK's mental health
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
unemployed lowest
income
18-34 years
old
employed retired Total
85%
75% 70% 66%
50%
65%
UK population who report having experienced a
mental health problem
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/surviving-or-thriving-state-uks-mental-health

6.
2017 YouGov survey n = 3,006
https://wellbeing.bitc.org.uk/system/files/research/bitcmental_health_at_work_report-2017.pdf

7.
Is there a link between mental health and creativity?

8.
Has a
major
impact on
others
Adapts to
change
Solves
everyday
problems
Rothenberg, A. (2006). Essay: Creativity—the healthy muse. The Lancet, 368, S8-S9.
What is creativity?

9.
Measuring creativity is problematic
Duncker’s Candle Problem task (1945)
Guildford’s Alternative Uses task (1967)

10.
Are ‘creatives’ more
prone to mental health
problems than the
general population?
• Is creativity an indicator of poor mental
health? e.g., the 27 Club
• Does poor mental health make us more
creative?
IMAGE: Psychology Forever, Wikimedia CC

11.
Evidence for
associations between
creativity and mental
health is inconclusive,
but…

12.
Confirming evidence for a mood-creativity relationship
inconclusive
Positive vs neutral mood leads to
• greater cognitive flexibility and facilitates creative problem solving
• less creative production
Negative vs neutral mood can
• promote creative performance
• hamper creative performance
• make no difference
Negative vs positive mood can
• promote creative performance
• trigger less creative responding
Baas, M., De Dreu, C. K., & Nijstad, B. A. (2008). A meta-analysis of 25 years of mood-creativity research: Hedonic tone, activation, or
regulatory focus?. Psychological bulletin, 134(6), 779.

13.
Can genetics
predict creativity?
• There is a common biology for some
mental disorders and creativity
• “Painters, musicians, writers and
dancers are 25% more likely to carry
gene variants that increase the
likelihood to suffer from mental illness”
• The findings have been, misinterpreted
and exaggerated, but…
Stefansson, H., Ophoff, R. A., Steinberg, S., Andreassen,
O. A., Cichon, S., Rujescu, D., ... & Sigurdsson, E. (2009).
Common variants conferring risk of
schizophrenia. Nature, 460(7256), 744.

14.
…a relationship does exist
• 2 meta-analyses of 3,000 papers by
Taylor (2017) concluded creative
people:
• are likely to develop a mood
disorder
• tend to work in emotionally
demanding jobs
• lack job security
• have a punishing lifestyle
• financial instability
Taylor, C. L. (2017). Creativity and mood disorder: A systematic review and
meta-analysis. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 12(6), 1040-1076.

15.
How does this manifest in the fashion industry?
Designer, Jean-Raymond’s ‘Double Bind’ collection styled
by Erykah Badu

16.
Fashion’s mental
health problem
http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/31198/1/u
npacking-fashion-s-mental-health-problem

17.
Models
• “We are numb as an industry – we are so
used to looking at models on the catwalks
as clothes hangers that we fail to see
whether they are healthy or not. One of the
major worries is that the fashion industry
sees thin and emaciated as ‘edgy’ or cool.
In an ideal world, models would be size 12.”
• Prof Caryn Franklin MBE

18.
Fashioning a Healthy Future
The Model Health Inquiry
• Prompted by BFC’s growing concern
about thin models
• Focused on developing practical and
effective proposals to ensure the
industry behaves responsibly,
providing support and protection to
models

19.
The Model Sanctuary
Non-profit drop-in centre founded
by Erin O'Connor in 2007-2011
Offered models access to nutritionists,
life coaches, osteopaths, and physio-
fitness instructors, mixing with like-
minded people, food and time to
recharge during London Fashion Weeks

20.
Never Skinny Enough
Victoire Macon Dauxerre (2016)
• “The leaner I was, the bigger I was”
• Paris is the worst for body pressures, followed by
London, Milan and New York
• I was dehumanised and was destroyed psychologically
by her experience of modelling
• I was not referred to by name or even looked in the
eye by many of the designers, or hair and makeup
artists

21.
Designers need to keep up with
demand and competition while living
up to expectations from buyers,
retailers, consumers, media and the
public as well as their own perfectionist
personality
…but what about designers?

22.
Are things
changing?
Image from:
http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/arti
cle/31198/1/unpacking-fashion-s-mental-
health-problem

23.
http://psychology.fashion @Carolyn_UK #psychFW

24.
British Fashion Council
Models First initiative
with the British Fashion
Model Agency
Association
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/adwoa-aboah-gurls-
talk-festival-coach-teen-vogue
http://www.britishfashioncouncil.com/pressreleases/The-
British-Fashion-Council-Launch-Models-First-Initiative

25.
British Fashion
Council
Positive
Fashion
SUSTAINABILITY
http://www.britishfashioncouncil.com/About/Positive-Fashion

26.
http://psychology.fashion @Carolyn_UK #psychFW