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Domestic Abuse Segment

To learn more about the particular topic of this segment, please look at this website for more information and ways to help.

https://ncadv.org/

“The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) is the voice of victims and survivors. We are the catalyst for changing society to have zero tolerance for domestic violence. We do this by affecting public policy, increasing understanding of the impact of domestic violence, and providing programs and education that drive that change.”

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Outfit #1

Clothing: green rain jacket, red t-shirt, ripped sheer tights, mismatched shoes, white backpack

Location: Brick wall by a parking lot

Explanation: Here the rain jacket, mismatched shoes, and ripped tights not only exhibit our version of the homelessness stereotype, but also serve to show how these meager protections from the elements (rain jackets for rain, shoes for hard ground, etc) aren’t nearly enough, symbolizing how little countries do to combat such a large issue. Through the striking colors of the shirt and backpack, we aim to have this idea and this issue stand out against these faulty protections. The location is one of a busy parking lot where people frequent and can also offer some help in warding off natural elements.

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Homelessness Segment

Often seen but far too often ignored, homelessness can be found in every city in America. According to an article in Social Solutions, a report done in 2016 found that over 564,000 people in the U.S. were homeless. Shocked by these concerning statistics, we decided to contribute to the cause by raising awareness in our own way, through fashion and photography, as well as these helpful links to resources for you to help.

Source: http://www.socialsolutions.com/blog/2016-homelessness-statistics/

Charity Spotlight: National Alliance to End Homelessness

https://endhomelessness.org/help-end-homelessness/support-our-work/

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Outfit #1

Outfit: brown pants, dark grey buttoned shirt, striped suspenders, green jacket, dark purple beanie, lace-up boots

Location: trails within a public park

Explanation: The main goal of this look was to showcase the common lumberjack style, coupled with identifying elements to relate the idea of poaching, such as the beanie or button down shirt. It was important to make this look relatively common and not too eye-catching because often the perpetrators of this issue remain faceless and it is not easy to blame these problems on just a solid view. That is why our look needed to be exactly like someone that could have just been picked out of a crowd of workers. The location of a public park gave us the woods we needed to make this outfit feel in place, and to also showcase how close this issue occurs to the public eye, but is never often seen or talked about.

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Poaching Segment

Poaching has large negative effects on both local communities and animals worldwide. It contributes to the changing of natural ecosystems, economic troubles, and the decrease in population of some of the most interesting and loved animals on Earth However, since poaching is a practice mainly driven by profit, not much thought is often put into these risks. Not many people know much about poaching and the increased risks it causes, so highlighting it on our blog came with no question, as spreading the word is the first step to causing a major change.

Source: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/the-devastating-effects-of-wildlife-poaching/

Charity Spotlight: International Anti-Poaching Foundation

https://www.iapf.org/

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Outfit #1

Clothing: Dirt Dockors sweater, mismatched shoes, black fishnets, high waisted khakis, and red suspenders

Location: Areas behind buildings in our downtown

Explanation: The first thing that stands out about this outfit is the red suspenders, and rightfully so. The red suspenders were chosen to bring awareness to the outfit, conveying that this type of awareness that should be brought to pollution, but is often overlooked due to political disagreements or ignorance. The muddy brown sweater and the mismatched darker shoes are meant to represent the dull and unattractive color combinations pollution creates in water or air. The locations are meant to showcase how pollution can be found in even the most random places in the most random towns, signifying its prevalence in our world.

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Pollution Segment

It is no secret that one of the major problems facing our environment today is the pollution caused by human activities and waste, and yet this issue is often overlooked due to political disputes or feelings of helplessness. We chose to incorporate this issue into our blog as we feel it deserves more attention and is a large problem that can be lessened with activism from many people.

Charity Spotlight: 350

https://350.org/

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Outfit #1

Clothing: Subdued rainbow flannel, iridescent choker, white crop top, white shorts, black belt, black knee-high sock, black Nine West shoes

Location: Caledonia’s bedroom

Explanation: This outfit was created to highlight the more reserved and everyday expression of sexuality. The rainbow flannel’s subdued coloring highlights this idea, while the rest of the outfit coincides with the minimalistic style common in modern fashion, serving to embrace what today’s youth can be seen wearing. This location, as mentioned in the description, is in the room of an LGBTQ+ youth, showcasing how we live today. Nothing was moved or staged to highlight a certain aspect of sexuality, it’s all just a part of the realistic interpretation we aim to present.

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Pride Segment

This will probably be our longest segment and is set to focus on the experiences of LGBTQ+ youths in our society. As two LGBTQ+ youths ourselves we have designed two sets of outfits, one to highlight the more reserved side of expressing sexuality (mainly focused on how such people dress normally and express themselves on a day-to-day basis) and one to express the louder and outspoken side, things one would wear to highlight their sexuality. Each of these photos are taken in a bedroom of an LGBTQ+ teenager in order to complete the picture of how we as individuals live our lives in today’s society, and the different ways we choose to express ourselves. This is not meant to speak for all LQBTQ+ persons, just to shine a spotlight on certain individuals that are part of a collective group and are expressing the sentiments they feel as part of this community.

Charity Spotlight: It Gets Better Project

https://secure.itgetsbetter.org/page/contribute/default

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Gabi Loue-The Contrary Ragdoll’s Photographer and Writer While Gabi has always enjoyed writing, the desire to pursue photography is a relatively new realm of expression she is eager to explore through this project. She also enjoys reading, traveling, and obsessing over Broadway musicals.

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Caledonia Pray-The Contrary Ragdoll’s Fashion Designer and Model Caledonia has always had a connection and a drive for fashion that has forced her personality to be more creative. She loves vintage clothing and modern fashion. She loves to explore new places and hopes to incorporate that into the project.

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Welcome to our Blog!

Hello and welcome to the Contrary Ragdoll! This blog is dedicated to spreading awareness of controversial topics and issues often overlooked in today’s society through the media of fashion and photography.  Each set of photos is dedicated to a particular issue, with an outfit inspired by the topic itself and a location that speaks to the set’s main theme. The outfits are comprised of clothes easily found and not super expensive, and the settings found in each photograph are taken as found with no changes from the photographer. This is done to highlight how our environment and society is really faring, with no exaggerations or untruths. Each segment will be followed with an explanation concerning the outfit and setting of the photograph, as well as a link to a resource that has been known to help or provide awareness about the certain topic we are discussing in order to give each person the chance to have an active role in what we are trying to do and promote. Thank you so much for checking us out, and please feel free to message us through one of our social media accounts or email us at thecontraryragdoll@gmail.com for any thoughts, questions, or suggestions.