What does it mean to be a Creative? BRAND NEW ME explores how social and political narratives of identity and creativity have made self-commodification fundamental to the performance of a creative identity. Whether creativity is truly a gift for the lucky few or a dormant trait in everyone, as writers on the subject have debated for years, its prominence as a cultural virtue is rarely scrutinised. Under neoliberalism, creativity has been redefined as individualistic and competitive, and has reframed personal identity into a commodity to be harvested from and sold as a product in its own right. This collection critiques this fragmentation of the identity of the Creative, exposing the pressures to repackage facets of oneself as a brand. This pursuit, rather than leading to liberation, compels Creatives to self-actualise through their participation in the systems many seek to escape, revealing how contemporary narratives of creativity are used to maintain existing power structures. This collection satirises the demands made of creatives to submit themselves, mind, body, and soul to their brand and asks: is self-commodification the price we pay for participation?

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BRAND NEW ME is a six look collection, completed in fulfilment of Bachelor of Design w/ First Class Honours from Toi Rauwhārangi College of Creative Arts, Massey University (2024).