micawardrobe

From Wikipedia

2008-03-07T06:19:00.000-08:00

A costume drama is a period piece in which elaborate costumes, sets and properties are featured in order to capture the ambience of a particular era.

The term is usually used in the context of film and television. It is an informal, cross-over term that can apply to several genres but is most often heard in the context of historical dramas and romances, adventure films and swashbucklers. The implication is that the audience is attracted as much by the lavish costumes as by the content.

The most common type of costume drama is the historical costume drama, both on stage and in movies. This category includes Barry Lyndon, Braveheart, Rob Roy, and Robin Hood. Plays that took place in the 1930s and 1940s, such as Last Man Standing, may also be placed in this category. This type of costume drama is usually shown as a movie or a TV series. Examples of this category include Marie Antoinette, Middlemarch, and Pride and Prejudice.

Fresh Faced Food Teaser!

2007-12-22T14:07:00.000-08:00

check it out!!!

Bird Flu

2007-12-18T20:18:00.000-08:00

I can confidently state that all of my work is consistently a physical portrayal of a personal journey that I am experiencing at the time of its making. Being a young designer and being in a place in my life where I am in a constant state of transition, the content and structure of my work is drastically changing from one theme to the next, nonetheless always developing from the past. Through my passion of garment making, I am given the opportunity to challenge myself and share my thoughts and experiences through the world of fashion. Fashion and clothing are such tangible and accessible ways for people to converse on what is going on around them and within themselves. The essential role of the designer is to do simply that; to make aware through garment making, the journeys and happenings of what exists inside and outside of them. Whether that involves personal, social, or political interests, it is up to the designer to share.
The past few months, starting with the beginning of the summer, has been the start of a truly eye opening experience for me. I began confronting and discovering many facets of myself that have been pushed so far down, convincing myself almost completely of its unimportance. Due to fear and ignorance, my inner demons have remained fairly dormant, only deciding to come up sporadically and rapidly fermenting along the way. I began to address many personal discomforts and seeing distinct patterns within my family and myself and I had only touched the surface of before. What I had earnestly been starting to confront was this constant state of anxiety that is perpetually at my side. It likes to come forth more fervently at times, or is more subdued at others, but its existence remains with me always. There is not one single cause for its presence, as with most psychological characteristics, but the one thing that I have learned to accept is that it is and always will be a constituent of myself.
Every human mind is plagued with grief, guilt, penance, and mourning. When these natural reactions begin to dwell and prolong their stay of normalcy, they begin to consume and engross all thoughts. It is as though the body and mind become separate entities, anxiety level rises, there becomes a lack of control of the natural ability to communicate and sometimes cause one to reach the point of insanity. There is a repetitive act of giving and feeding to these contained emotions and what is around us, though it becomes entirely circuitously self-destructive. There becomes a point where there is nothing left to give and what remains in the self stripped to its most bare form, to its’ true core.
In my collection this year, I am directly addressing the fact that I am in this constant state of conflict. It is as though my mind and body are eternally at war with each other and with themselves. The best way that I have been able to communicate this kind of battle is through a series of masks that I have began to form. Arriving strictly from one continuous thread, the masks appear as lace like structures that share the quality and appearance of a mass of loose hair. Placed over and sometimes around the entire head, the identity of the wearer is obscured, with some irregular openings where the threads have allowed light to come through and the skin and features of the face are visible. Even in these somber, deconstructed forms, beauty can be seen.
Below are some studies of the masks that I created

Artist Statemet

2007-12-14T11:59:00.000-08:00

The imagery in my drawings are influenced by my general interests and a subconscious reaction to the world around me at a certain point of time. Although these drawings are sporadic and intuitive I have developed a system of mark-making with line and shape that serves as a language which ties my imagery together. I begin drawing by using this system as a way to trigger my thoughts and create images. The sculpture is inspired by my drawings and the process of making them become these rituals that are very similar to each other. I begin this process by gathering materials such as the bright vinyl and the string that relate to the color palette and line quality in my drawings. Surrounded by these materials i look at them the same way that i would look at the mark-making in my drawings. There is something stimulating and satisfying in the challenge of collecting materials and arranging them in a way that compliment my drawings.

Petting Stole and Collared Sisters

2007-12-14T11:17:00.000-08:00

Collared Sisters is a way for myself and my sister to connect over the loss of our Grandmother. Seeing my sister cry at the funeral made me feel a connection to my sister that I had never felt for her before. I wanted to make a garment that could reenact the feelings I've been feeling. My sister and I have never been close but I feel this garment has brought us a little closer.

Petting stole comes from a dream I had after the death of my Grandmother. In the dream there was a woman petting a taxidermied fox. I felt the dream was a communication from my Grandmother because foxes can symbolize the spiritual world as well as messengers. I made the stole so I may take the fox anywhere and find comfort in petting it. I photographed at my childhood home. I feel the stole is a way for myself to connect that spiritual world my Grandmother has now joined.

statement

2007-12-14T10:27:00.000-08:00

Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved to sew. However, when I became interested in Art, dress-making was not a part of it. It wasn’t until coming to art school and being exposed to a wider variety of artists did I realize fiber to be as legitimate as painting or sculpture. Yet the question remained; why garments? After wrestling with this over the last few years, I’ve decided that I simply love to sew. The garments I make are meant to suggest narratives and emotions. Fabric creates a sense of intimacy: it is tactile and familiar.  My current work is about uneasiness. To express this I have created a series of costumes that illustrate an indirectly autobiographical fairy tale. Various animals represent different parts of my life. The character of the hunter represents an indefinable ever present threat. Currently, I am using scale and gesture to cultivate the ethereal feeling of a dream. This reflects the way things are sometimes warped in retrospect. I also explore feelings of powerlessness and the desire for comfort, physically and emotionally. Fabric and garments have a tenderness which I feel emphasize my ideas.
It is important to me that my current series functions as both wearable fashion and sculpture. I feel that fashion items should be appreciated as static objects as well as on the body. The detailed surface embellishment I am attempting to impart on each piece will make them more interesting when stationary. I am also creating forms on which to display the garments, which are specific to each one. This will allow me to add depth to the narrative as well as demonstrate both the aesthetic and functional nature of each piece.

Final Project: Natty Boh

2007-12-14T09:47:00.000-08:00

(No longer in order.)

statement and link

2007-12-14T09:34:00.000-08:00

My work explores themes of survival, need, and comfort—emotional and physical. In my life, I am a nomad. At times, the predators are bears, bobcats, poor weather and rough trails. At other times, the predators are human and sinister, their behaviors less predictible. In either case the problem remains, how do I as an individual engage with my environment and protect myself at the same time? What happens when a protective garment become an inhibition? In a world full of mass-produced objects, how can I enable others to assert their individual identity?
I create garments that are high-tech and high-touch. They are both engineered and crafted. The materials encompass those worn by time and use (old clothing and blankets woven into a rag rug) as well as high-tech textiles which can be used in risky situations (climbing harnesses and shoes, ropes, packable rain gear and tents).
It's also important to me that risky situations are not limited to the ones we choose to adventure on, but instead the daily venture which occurs the moment a person decides to interact with the outside world. Some people spend thousands on expensive high-test gear, plane tickets, guides. Other people use the waste and materials readily available to craft a home out of nothing in the urban environment.
My art is not about manufacturing a product, though there is a process that results in an object or garment. Making these one-of-a-kind garments that exist equally as items of utility and fashion for others is of little interest to me. Instead, I think about the collective knowledge, about blogs, hives, and Wikinomics. While I may make garments for myself, perhaps recipe cards or patterns are closer to my intention with the viewer. I want the viewer not to covet what I have made for myself, but to understand that they, too, have power over the objects in their life and the ability to create solutions.
Longing, too, is at the core of what I make. What are the unmet emotional, mental, and physial needs and wants of the intended user? As someone who experiences two dual roles which are very much opposite eachother, I long for a little city in my wilderness. I long, too, for some nature in the urban jungle of Baltimore. My art seeks to reconcile these two halves into one logical outcome.

and my images are blogged @ http://elleasinswell.blogspot.com

Project 3

2007-12-14T05:37:00.000-08:00

FINAL- TRASHION AND CULTURE

2007-12-14T02:42:00.000-08:00

I have always really liked hooded sweatshirts and cowboy shirts. Since middle school I have hunted vintage western shirts in thrift stores and recently made a few of my own. I had the idea to use the same pattern multiple times with vastly different fabric, allowing for some modifications along the lines of our uniform rules. I began researching the garments and found some bizarre facts online regarding the hoodie's place in contemporary British culture.
The United Kingdom suffers from vast differences between the "lower" and "upper" classes. In the 70's, malcontent youth from both ends of the income spectrum began reading Guy de Bord, rejected consumerism and tradition, and Punk was born. Today, however, American hip-hop culture has influenced disadvantaged British youth more than Situationist philosophy. Due to the glamorization of conspicuous consumption among low-income people, a major point of contention is fashion. Designer and knockoff hoodies are as ubiquitous in the poorer suburbs of London as skinny jeans are at MICA.
For the latter half of the twentieth century, and today, many urban planners have engineered class division and control of the masses (regardless of constitutional rights) by privitizing public space. Former civic places are neglected while tax benefits and eminent domain are used to turn huge chunks of the city into malls, atriums, parking garages, skywalks, hotels, etc... places where the right to assemble or the right to freedom of speech can be denied by whichever corporation owns the property. Today, many malls and privately owned public spaces in the UK are enforcing an anti-hoodie dress code to keep low class people from loitering outside of businesses hoping to attract a wealthier demographic. The London-based musician Lady Sovereign wrote the song "Hoodie" in defense of the garment and in protest of the blatantly elitist trend. The song has gone on to be remixed by Spankrock, a Baltimore/Philadelphia based Baltimore club dj and inspired the creation of savethehoodie.com. On this site, I uploaded images of my non-traditional hoodies to the community gallery to see if they would be approved or censored by the webmaster. This is both a test of whether or not the website adheres to its own message of protecting self-expression, and a way to subvert the garment's iconography by reaching its fanbase with images that question branding and the gender identity that hip-hop culture promotes.
Similarly, I posted an ad on Houston's Craigslist for western shirts (http://houston.craigslist.org/clo/508961124.html). When one follows the link in the listing, two videos play. One is a homoerotic music video from the 70's- "Life at the Outpost," whose lyrics are "give your love to a cowboy man, he's gonna love you as hard as he can." The other is of me dancing to the song in front of a webcam while changing between the cowboy shirts I made out of non-traditional materials- bedsheets and neon taffeta.
By subverting user-generated-content-based websites with my garments, I hope to comment on the subcultures that inspired them and their preoccupation with masculinity and the clothing that expresses it.

Extra Credit- Fashion Week

2007-12-13T06:15:00.000-08:00

This year my good friend April Camlin and I had the idea to throw a Baltimore Fashion Week. There is a huge garment-making community here that has never really formally organized because everyone makes totally different clothing that often doesn't fit most people's conception of "fashion." With our friend Pam Hayner made a list of venues, possible sponsors, and different artists/designers we thought would want to participate. Eventually I realized I hadn't made any actual garments and had to redirect my energies towards actual garment making and stopped helping with the planning. I knew I wanted to design for the sustainable fashion show, whose inception I think of as my biggest contribution. I ordered organic hemp, bamboo, and cotton blends and dip-dyed them various shades of grey or black (my collection was titled "Grey is the New Green"). To add some variety I incorporated found materials such as bedsheets, a neon laundry bag, scraps, old t shirts, and Melanie Freebairn's old long underwear. Overall, I was really pleased with my finished project. I completed the majority of the 8 looks in under six weeks. Every night for a week there was a event. There were couture and t-shirt, respectively (obviously), shows at Metro Gallery, the sustainable show at 2640 (a former church, now event space), A ready-to-wear show and a show of clothes from local boutiques at Red Maple, and a lingerie show at flux gallery. My collection was really well received so I decided to show it again at the ready-to-wear show. I received good reviews from Gutter Magazine (http://www.guttermagazine.com/oct07/fash2Pg1.php) even though they mislabled their photos, and the Johns Hopkins Newsletter (http://media.www.jhunewsletter.com/media/storage/paper932/news/2007/09/20/ArtsEntertainment/Baltimore.Struts.Its.Stuff-2982324.shtml) even though they thought I was a Whamcity member. I was most excited about a photo of my work being used in the City Paper's Best of Baltimore Edition:

(even though they did not give me credit)

Backstage at the sustainability show.

A dress made of old t shirts with a shrug made from a found blanket. A cowboy shirt made from bedsheets and scrap fabric with jeans made from hemp.

The patchwork sweater is made from Melanie's old thermals. The leggings and bodysuit are a spandex/bamboo blend. The shirt I am wearing was made from a bedsheet. My jeans and the jeans in the back were made from hemp. His shirt was bamboo and the cardigan was hemp. My friend on the right was a last-minute replacement, so the dress doesn't really fit like it was supposed to. Her dress is hemp, as is the girl in the jumpsuit's hood/shawl.

My really proffessional documentation of the complete collection.

Video of the show:

Final Proposal

2007-11-30T09:35:00.000-08:00

I'm not planting myself too far from the Club Kid tree this time, so I'm content with this idea.

Goal: To garner and document reactions and curiosity from civilians and passersby.

After learning about Leigh Bowery, I came to understand that people who dress in a "crazy" manner - managing to stick out completely from most people - do so in accordance to location. If you're living in a fashion hub such as New York or London, you'd have to step it up quite a bit to actually stand out. I understand that Leigh Bowery's styles are a bit too extreme to get away with in a less than fashion-busy city such as Baltimore, and could put me in danger. I'm also incapable of grasping such designs, and I'm aware that he went through a lot of pain and discomfort to achieve his artistic vision. So I thought, how do I tickle Baltimore's senses?

Natty Boh.

I think it would be interesting to create several Bowery-style masks and casually release them in public, documenting their reactions.

Mmmm, Dario

2007-11-16T07:16:00.000-08:00

The department and Tracy Jayne really need to own this book ASAP. Dario Robleto works with death and mourning in the antebellum style, using lots of hair, paper, photos, fabric to create really dynamic works. He's a friend of Allison Smith's.

i got a review from someone who came to our opening!

2007-11-15T11:19:00.001-08:00

http://feedmyface.blogspot.com/2007/11/its-divine.html

Rabble Show Pics/Martha McDonald Costume Gallery

2007-11-11T08:20:00.000-08:00

follow this link to see more!
http://lureprojects.org/photo/fashioning-culture/Fashioning%20Culture%20MICA/

Pics from Martha Mcdonald's Lecture and Costume Gallery:

Project #3 Progress...

2007-11-09T08:21:00.000-08:00

I'm afraid to bring my progress to the station building because of the weather, but here's my trial and error:

I don't like the line on the left side, and I'm considering spray painting it. I'm also thinking: Instead of using the cool paper, I might use fabric and bone/stuff it into the same shape (as my sketch)... The paper wasn't long enough for my original idea, but I may be able to extend it with the rest of the (torn) paper. With fabric, I'd be able to create the kimono mo(train) effect I want:

Input/suggestions would be nice. :)

Shades of Grey.

2007-11-08T18:59:00.000-08:00

Heres to the Rabble show opening; guacamole for everyone!

Cheers, Jillian.

panda fashion

2007-11-07T09:23:00.001-08:00

Models presented creations by Chinese conceptual artist Zhao Bandi for the Bandi-Panda fashion show at China Fashion Week in Beijing Nov. 4, 2007. Zhao uses the medium of fashion to present 33 Chinese social classes and social issues.

http://pranks.com/2007/11/07/panda-fashion/

collective selection:Class Photo

2007-11-07T08:41:00.000-08:00

Project #3 Inspiration

2007-11-02T04:39:00.000-07:00

Collective Selection--process shots and fitting#1-walking around MICA

2007-10-31T19:54:00.001-07:00

Project #2: Collective Selection: Fashion as a Mechanism of Belonging

"there is a natural urge in human beings to seek out resemblances and invent correspondences with the world. Through empathy human beings can, if not fully understand the other, at least come ever closer to the other, through the discovery and creation of similarities." --Walter Benjamin

Sept. 28: Intro: Project #2-Collective Selection
* 3 to 5 hours of studio work outside class (finish project #1)

Oct. 5:
Rabble talk and Anna Slides
Measuring/Pattern Construction/scour/wash/divvy-up fabric/ Dye Free form piece--
* 3 to 5 hours of studio work outside class (finish project #1)

Oct 12: Cut and Sew--piecework and dye
Class Icon/Embroidery Machine help with Michelle

Oct 19: Studio day

Oct 26: Crit/Presentation
(* 3 to 5 hours of studio work outside class)

NOV 2: Intro Project#3/Set-Up Exhibition

Questions:

Can the group insight a critical mass via the garment/ a visible segment of society?

Can the group invent a new style/ a symbol of group membership?

What would a collective line of clothing look like for this class, this time, this group?

How can the group exercise the notion of fashion as relational--continuing to "culture a fashion"

What is the purpose and function of this garment?
Individually:
Group:

What is the storyline?

Where/how will it be presented?

What is the collective Icon-draw it:

What could be individual Icons within the group umbrella?

Color Palette--see handout

Style/theme?

2007-10-26T07:20:00.001-07:00

PARIS, October 7, 2007 – "It all came from our collaboration with Richard Prince, who is an artist who appropriates references within his work, which is what we do—which is fine, so long as there are three differences in everything!" declared Marc Jacobs, in the push and shove of the media mayhem backstage at Louis Vuitton. "And I'm a fan of SpongeBob SquarePants—and for all I know, so is Rei Kawakubo, because that's where our color came from!" Phew. If you take the decoder to that rush of explanation, it might take all night, but essentially what you have is Jacobs' defense against critics who skewered his New York show last month as derivative, especially of Comme des Garçons.

Pulling in Richard Prince for this season's Louis Vuitton project was a typical Jacobs coup of multidimensional, referential, and self-referential significance. The artist's spray painting and texts were worked into LV bags, recalling the hit collaboration with Takashi Murakami. Prince's body of work also triggered a rerun of the 12 Carita-uniformed girls who opened that Murakami show, but this time, they were sexy nurses in see-through plastic coats—Stephanie Seymour, Eva Herzigova, Nadja Auermann, and Naomi Campbell among them. That hilariously kinky parade was inspired by Prince's Nurse paintings—one of which appeared on a Sonic Youth album cover, which again links back to Jacobs' family circle of personal reference.

The collection? It was a reconfirmation, in less extreme form, of the controversial show with which Jacobs kicked off the season in New York, full of nutty combinations of fabric and garish SpongeBob pastels. The Lurex knits, pencil skirts, and gazar trenches came in mauve, yellow, pink, and purple, with deconstructed fragments of pinstripe vests, tweed suiting, and goddess-y chiffon fused into the mix. It was crazed, random, playful—yet grounded, as always, in bottom-line business sense. To see that, you only had to focus on the shoes—pointy pumps with bows and sparkles in the toe—and a new chunky line of costume jewelry. It's Jacobs' way of walking the line between creative freedom and commercial innovation.

– Sarah Mower

KNIT KNIT KNIT!!! Rachel Project 3 images

2007-10-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

These are looks from Central St. Martin's MA collections by Emma Gale and Louise Goldin. Their approaches to the use of knit in garments are inspiring to me, and provoke me to explore different ways of crafting with it.

2007-10-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

These are all pieces from Christian Lacroix's spring 2008 collection. I am drawn to these intricate patterns and embeslishments on the clothing.

Polarity

2007-10-19T08:09:00.000-07:00

Looking through this year's Spring fashion shows, there seems to be a dichotomy between structure, rigidity, and stiffening the image of the human body versus the liberating of human form. Not only can this division be seen from designer to designer, but within certain collections themselves. In some collections, there is an exemplification and clear focus on the idea of disorder and chaos (ex: Commes des Garcons) and even a satirical view of urbanism today. Rei Kawakubo's projection of anime on the floor of which the models walk on, the brightly colored garments, the face painted hearts placed symmetrically on each models cheeks are countered by the disorganized appearance in which the placement and proportions of actual pieces of cloth give off. Some of these pieces consist of bright fuschas, royal blue, and yellows, printed with bold stripes or ruffled skirts that seem to simply be tacked onto the surface of fabric that lies beneath, opposed to more mundane, neutral colored coats (or half coats) also layered one on top of the other. The austerity in the later are in sync with the expression of the models faces, all painted a base of white along with the choice of having them each walk out with uncombed, disheveled hair, leaving strands falling carelessly in front of their faces.

Some oppositions sensed through this line:
Work vs. play
Masculine vs. femininity
East vs. West
Childhood vs. maturation
Tradition vs. informality
Honesty/Humbleness vs. pure display for public
Which one of these are portrayed as the core of each being, or maybe both of them are, consistently battling each other. Or perhaps neither. I even sense that this conflict between polarities is placed on the base of a dispondent figure. Emotionless, drab, spiritless one could say.
It seems as though there is a mockery depicted of pop culture and perhaps specifically of Japanese culture. Where has the sense of tradition gone? The arising of many groups in Japan, such as Harajuku girls, Gothic lolitas, anime obsessions have countered much of the history of Japan. Its as though these groups have be created for the mere purpose of rebellion.

You even get a sense of this through Alexander McQueen's collection

these are a few of my favorite things

2007-10-19T08:07:00.000-07:00

I just can't move on from Gaultier's spring 07 couture line, there a similar theactricality in Galliano, and i particularily like this dress, i feel like it had more structure,
and was dissapointed to see gaultier's pirate crap in paris... i thought it was boring, or maybe pirates are just played out..or lame

I liked how the Mcqueen line really emphasized how clothing shapes the body inside, shoulders hips//

GUCCI

2007-10-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

does anyone want to buy me an early christmas present?

marc jacobs for louis vuitton

2007-10-19T07:59:00.000-07:00

the orange/yellow/blue pallet that dominates this collection reminded me of marc by marc jacobs spring 2003 collection combined with a few prints and his unique gathering that i've seen alot of in his stores recently. I love that he's been consistently moving toward a more draping-oriented method of designing. the way he manipulates masses of cloth in unexpected places is really thought provoking. much of his asymetrical designs tread a line between awkward and elegant. I really enjoy his signature combinations of patterned cardigans and overcoats with drapey, loose fitting garments. the clashing of different iconographies, prints, colors, and construction methods has a really nice bohemian, salvaged look about it without coming across as an imitation. The few looks that were exclusively grey and black could easily be worn in a more conservative environment but also managed to seem very "downtown" due to creative layering.

I was really pleasantly surprised to see some beautiful couturesque gowns that were uncharacteristic of jacobs's work:

I actually found the handbag collaboration with Richard Prince to be the least interesting (but most hyped) part of this collection. design wise, alot of the bags weren't that impressive. Many of them would be passable in a gallery in the postmodern 80s but carrying one around would seem a little.... art school? I felt the nurses sporting the bags were a bit gimmicky. it seems as though marc jacobs is trying to uphold his reputation for playing with the concept of branding and logo identity without actually having something to say this time. maybe he left his aptitude for subversiveness with his graffiti and rats in new york.

2007-10-18T23:20:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure I didnt take this one... Lindsay?

then theres class time...

Eventually, it's trunk time!

See ya'll tomorrow.

worker bees

2007-10-17T06:58:00.000-07:00

Alec Soth

2007-10-07T08:56:00.001-07:00

Also wanted to throw this on the blog a while ago. Alec Soth is a fantastic photographer, recently working on a project called "Fashion Week"
Check out the link!
http://www.alecsoth.com/fashion/pages/frameset.html

Steve Pyke

2007-10-07T08:53:00.000-07:00

stumbled across this photographer and loved this image.
The graph is possibly an idea for the presentation of these uniforms we are making...

Andrea Zittel's A to Z Garments

2007-10-05T19:59:00.000-07:00

Collector's Coat for Frank Kolondy:

A-Z Single-Strand Uniform:

Panel Uniform:

2007-10-05T07:14:00.000-07:00

!

2007-10-01T22:20:00.000-07:00

saw this at a used bookstore, thought jill would appreciate it.

the jerseyites-nyt sunday

2007-09-30T14:43:00.001-07:00

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2007/09/28/fashion/20070930STREET_index.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Via Via Via

2007-09-30T08:53:00.000-07:00

I read this at one of my favorite fashion-manufcaturing-industry-type blogs Fashion Incubator, who was sent it by Esther at TinyPackages.com. The entry itself is at Organic_Clothing.

In part because of its luxurious softness, smooth hand, flowing and gentle drape, and easy price – at least compared with silk and cashmere – and eco friendly cachet, bamboo has gained entry throughout the fashion industry. But it has been the trumpets heralding bamboo as the latest and hottest sustainable eco-fabric that have been the most strident. And some of the hoopla is justified. Growing bamboo is a wonderfully beneficial plant for the planet and most is naturally organic bamboo. The manufacturing processes where bamboo the plant is transformed into bamboo the fabric are where the sustainability and eco-friendly luster of bamboo is tarnished because of the heavy chemicals, some of which are toxic, that are often required. Very, very little bamboo clothing would qualify as sustainable or organic clothes.

Kate O'Connor, Fibers alum, got some ink in that article on bamboo, go MICA! Anyway, thought it was relevant.

Production Schedule/Timeline

2007-09-29T15:58:00.000-07:00

Collective Selection: Fashion as a mechanism of Belonging:

Sept. 28: Intro: Project #2-Collective Selection:
at the table: hammering out a collective line:

--Can the group insight a critical mass via the garment/ a visible segment of society?
--Can the group invent a new style/ a symbol of group membership?
--What would a collective line of clothing look like for this class, this time, this group?
--How can the group exercise the notion of fashion as relational?
--What is the purpose and function of this garment?
Individually:
Group:
--What is the storyline?
--Where/how will it be presented?
--What is the collective Icon? --
--What is an individual Icon?
--What could be individual Icons within the group umbrella?
---Color Palette?
---Style/theme?
--How should we present this line?

Oct. 5: Measuring/Pattern Construction/scour fabric:

Oct 12: Cut and Sew--piecework and dye
Class Icon/Embroidery Machine help with Michelle

Oct 19: Final studio day-

Oct 26: Crit/Presentation
(* 3 to 5 hours of studio work outside class)

NOV 2: Intro Project#3/Set-Up Exhibition

--the timeline could change at any time.

Uniform Research--kc

2007-09-29T15:33:00.001-07:00

bluebird uniform-Kelly , Tracy and Uncle Harry, 1977.

graceful/leadership--learning giver.

handmade accents "totem"

scarves and badges. An icon?

Uniform

2007-09-28T08:14:00.000-07:00

Personally I want to make a mourner's uniform but I can't.
I agree with the majority idea of a simple uni-sex, uni-shape, uni-non-color
garment.
Looking at Native Americans, they all basically wear the same outfit just modified
from person to person.
I like the idea of a communal group having roles that they have within the community.
Roles like, the leader, the medicine man, the caregiver, the gatherer, the hunter, the warrior,
and so on and so on.
I think we should have a collective garment but give ourselves personal roles we play in this
group we are making by creating personal adornment.

2007-09-28T08:12:00.000-07:00

unisexy

2007-09-28T08:10:00.000-07:00

simple, drapy knitwear. completely devoid of iconography. unisex jeans or leggings, unitard?
i have a sample of bamboo fabric that is super comfortable, sustainable, and can be draped or used for leggings. its about $10 a yard.

2007-09-28T08:06:00.001-07:00

2007-09-28T08:03:00.000-07:00

What is a uniform?

2007-09-28T07:59:00.000-07:00

Thinking of uniforms, I think of the Sound of Music, the play clothes for the children made out of the most ugliest of curtains, differenciating in style and silouette - they still have a unifying theme. The concept of family was raised in class, or cult. Unified gang. Then we thought of the 1979 film the Warriors. Also a slight differnce in the ways that these outfits were put together - you get a sense of individuality but still overall unity.

what will we come up with?

Uniform - Smock

2007-09-28T07:58:00.001-07:00

What better garment than the non-bifurcated simple smock? The t-shirt, it should also be noted, is a "uniform", albeit somewhat casual, of groups of people, workers.

we just want to be liked

2007-09-26T15:27:00.000-07:00

From Neal Leach,Camouflage, (Cambridge, Massachusetts:MIT Press, 2006),pp.1-32,238-249.

"he just wants to be liked" p.2

"...using the tactic of apparent conformity as a means of concealing his true sense of identity, supressing his true emotions, as a means of preserving them"

--the notion of Collective Behavior and cultures of conformity (religious communities, military groupings, sports teams, corporate identities.)

" he just wants to be liked"

standing out/blending in
collective behavior

"there is a natural urge in human beings to seek out resemblances and invent correspondences with the world" --Walter Benjamin

allows for an identification with the external world

facilitates the possibility of forging a link between self and other.

A way of empathizing with the world. and it is through empathy that human beings can, if not fully understand the other, at least come ever closer to the other, through the discovery and creation of similarities.

freud: empathy einfuhlung--an emotional tie

http://www.generation-online.org/p/fpcaillois.htm

ttp://maven.english.hawaii.edu/criticalink/lacan/terms/mirror.html

Roger Caillois "Mimicry and Legendary Psychasthenia"

"at a fundamental level, the relationship between an organism and its surroundings"

mimicry as a form of three-dimensional teleplasty--a reproduction in three-dimensional space with solids and voids: sculpture-photography.

wolf in sheeps clothing
decoy strategies

--using the tactic of apparent conformity as a means of concealing his true sense of identity, suppressing his true emotions, as a means of preserving them.

collective behavior

"there is a natural urge in human beings to seek out resemblances and invent correspondences with the world" --Walter Benjamin

"allows for an identification with the external world."

"facilitates the possibility of forging a link between self and other."

"A way of empathizing with the world. and it is through empathy that human beings can, if not fully understand the other, at least come ever closer to the other, through the discovery and creation of similarities."

freud: empathy einfuhlung--an emotional tie

http://www.generation-online.org/p/fpcaillois.htm

ttp://maven.english.hawaii.edu/criticalink/lacan/terms/mirror.html

Roger Caillois "Mimicry and Legendary Psychasthenia"

"at a fundamental level, the relationship between an organism and its surroundings"
mimicry as a form of three-dimensional teleplasty--a reproduction in three-dimensional space with solids and voids: sculpture-photography.

wolf in sheeps clothing
decoy strategies

note: your stance

2007-09-26T14:50:00.000-07:00

"Suppose, in the spirit of things nonartistic, that having a stance of some sort was important for making experimental performances. A stance includes not just a feeling tone but also a rough idea of the human and professional values you are dealing with. A stance gives a shape and explanation to an unfamiliar course of action. It may be valuable to bring up this issue here because new art tends to generate new stances, even though while this happens old notions are carried over that are incompatible with the new situation. For instance, an existentialist stance was helpful to action painting because it could explain, and therefore justify, personal isolation and crisis better than the Marxism of the thirties. At present (this was written in the 70's) a formalist stance would be inadequate for performance genre that intentionally blurs categories and mixes with everyday life."

- Alan Kaprow

Here is my attempt to over-simplify cyber culture:

2007-09-25T22:52:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you, first off, that cyber culture is a very BROAD, difficult-to-describe subject. Contrary to common belief, anime conventions are not my primary influence, nor are they the origin of cyber culture.

Camden
The first time I was ever exposed/aware of this culture, I was barely 16, in the store Cyberdog (Camden): http://www.camdenguide.co.uk/fashion/cyber.htm

Other good stores:
http://www.cryoflesh.com/
http://spacetribe.nu

The first generalization that I made was that they were all 9 feet tall, had numerous facial piercings, mohawks, and glowing eyes. The guy I saw would have had to be around 7 feet tall (10-inch platforms), but he also worked at Cyberdog and must have had more exposure to the merchandise. I was scared/enthralled. :D

Cyber culture can have many subcategories (raver, goth, punk), but those lines are usually very difficult to distinguish, so thank you Wikipedia:

Cyber, also referred to as cyber culture or cyberculture, is the name given to a subculture that has roots in multiple music scenes including the European Dark scene and rave/clubbing scenes. Someone who identifies with the Cyber subculture can be referred to as a "cyber", although the term "cybergoth" is used to refer to what is perceived by some as a goth-influenced end of the subculture, and "cyberkid" to refer to those who attend trance/hard dance clubs.

Cyber fashion resembles a combination of rave and cyberpunk fashion, as well as drawing inspiration from anime and science fiction. Androgyny is common. Some common themes include the use of starkly contrasting colours such as black, white, luminous neon and/or UV-reactive colours and materials, large shoes or boots, various forms of body modification and superfluous goggles (especially aviator-style), typically worn on the forehead rather than on the eyes.

Brightly coloured and often stylised hair is common in the cybergoth community, either dyed and styled real hair or, more commonly, elaborate extensions or wigs either braided or somewhat resembling dreadlocks known as 'falls'. Falls can be made out of synthetic hair, thick plastic ribbon or more exotic materials such as computer cables; as cybergoth fashions typically aim for an artificial or heavily-stylised look, materials that are very obviously not real hair are particularly common. The perceived ubiquity of falls in the cybergoth community has led to the derogatory term yarnhead amongst non-cybergoths.

Japan
Japan, when presented with some fashion, seems to become a window of exaggeration. Here is "gothic/fetish/alternative club DJ," Sisen:

Here is the only good example of cyberkids I saw at ONE convention I went to:

This is the type of imagery I intend to present with my garment:

Other influences:
Club Kids

Fifth Element

Dirty Pair

Where are all the black people?

2007-09-25T11:31:00.001-07:00

It just occurred to me that the reason why it seems that white Baltimoreans seem to have a more crazy, diy aesthetic is that we all have felt a sense of alienation until recently. Most white or asian people grew up in neighborhoods where they were one of a handful of non-black kids. Its easy to not give a shit about wearing leggings instead of pants when to most of your neighbors you are always going to be "white boy" anyway. Also, most of my friends are the children of subcultural parents anyway. The majority of white people who moved here in the 70s and 80s (our parents generation) were radicals, hippies, gays, punks, bohemians, or people who worked it academia. People were raised to feel mistrust of the corporate mainstream. My friend was literally the only white girl in her high school, where she was picked on constantly, so her "peers" were her parents friends- and to this day she dresses like stevie nicks. When my mom moved us to the suburbs to open a feminist medical center where they formerly wasn't one- I realized how different the bubble of baltimore is from the majority of maryland. Being the only gay child of a pro-choice activist in a catholic school pushed me even further into a sense of alienation, just as my friends who grew up in fells point or belair edison where shocked and alone when their parents moved them to "safer," "whiter" districts for high school. the same anonymity that stemmed from a disregard for white people that allowed us to buy cigarettes and beer when we were 16 empowered us to express ourselves more than our contemporaries who always had the option of looking like everyone else.

The Rabble

2007-09-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

When I hear the word rabble, a sense of disorder and inconsistency comes to mind; a cycle of entities conversing and dispersing at irregular intervals. There is a system of uneven tensions and expansions. It seems that rabble is primarily used in describing a group of people, but can also be the movement and action that is conjured from this term. There also seems to be something extremely liberating and unrestricted from these actions. Much like the freedom that is given by dance.
I propose to create a video performance, constructing a garment that envelops the body almost completely, except for when the muscles begin to contract or the limps oscillate. The body will guide the fabric (possibly manipulated velvet?)to take its natural course and fall where it wants to fall.
And even in what seems to be complete disorganization, there is still a system or a rhythm. The same can be seen in people, such as Baltimore which is a perfect example of a collective rabble. There seems to be little order in the roads, the neighborhoods, especially in fashion, but that becomes the consistency, that there is no consistency.

Here are some images I really liked :)

rabble is DIVINE!!!

2007-09-17T17:34:00.000-07:00

My proposal is to publish a street fashion book/magazine using lulu.com in the spirit of STREET. Many of the photos I plan to use are on my blog (476ad.com -click on the baltimore tab.) I'd like to document baltimore street fashion, which I don't believe anyone has done before in this format. Baltimore has an incredible local fashion scene (did anyone other than gabe check out fashion week? feedback photos?) due largely to the fact that there really is no mainstream here. whereas denizens of any other city large enough to attract interesting people have the option to buy pre-made looks from chain stores, we fortunately are forced to build our wardrobes from vintage stores, boutiques, thrift finds, or whatever we or our friends make. my vision of the rabble is a surging mosh pit at Barclay House; a wave of Critical Mass riders flowing through downtown, and an unruly neon-clad mob stumbling out of bars, drinking in alleys, or peeing off a fire escape.

i want to write a love letter to all the people i ever took pictures of dancing at a warehouse, sitting on the sidewalk, browsing the book thing, and especially to all the people i was too intimidated by to take pictures of and always regretted- the big-haired punk girl in leopard print skinny jeans in front of nino's pizza at 3 in the morning, the 6'5 transsexual prostitute in a magenta weave and silver lamme skirt in front of my building, and the 45 year old in assless chaps and a leather cowboy hat crossing 22nd street last week.

dont sew on that one!

2007-09-14T12:37:00.000-07:00

Seemed relevant...
this is a CAKE!

materials...

2007-09-14T08:10:00.000-07:00

so i discoved i need another 6 yards of satin...AAAAHHHH.
i bought them out last time...so..i guess ill be visiting another joann's
Clarke agreed to weld me an understructure, which will help support the top as well.
thanks kelly!
and heres a picture of a totally ridiculous 'limited edition' Glinda doll, which certainly reminds me of drag queens.

"Rabble?" Ew.

2007-09-13T23:25:00.000-07:00

Rabble:
I am really into street fashion subcultures. Hearing the word "rabble," however, gives me a very bad taste in my mouth. It gives the idea of societal trash, not necessarily as bad dressers, but people who spend too much time on their point of fashion only to fail at it in some way - be that by doing it incorrectly, doing it right and being led by obsession, or overdoing it.

(Ganguro would be a prime example.)

Concept Art:

The current subculture I'm interested in right now is cyber. I want to prove to those who take part in "rabble" that there are more ways to get it right than one. Though it maintains rabble status because of its streetfashion status, I'm going to shoot for a construction style that's not rabble.

I'm also hoping to express a narrative setting that everyone can openly relate to. Here is a short segment of a story I wrote a few years ago that I felt portrays the mood I'm going for exactly:

One unfortunate night, I was serving drinks. As I waded through the flailing, pulsating surges of people, tray balanced on my head, hands drifted forth like serpents, rejoicing over the mere presence of the glowing blue and purple drinks. The glasses, if not returned to my scuffed, battered tray, were sent sailing across the room, disappearing into the deep malestrom of people. As I made my way back through the savage crowd, I heard a light, sweet, tinkling of a voice calling my name... "Ptrs!" I shoved a bumbling drunk out of my path. "Ptrís!" Finally, identifying the source of the voice, I pulled my chin over the edge of a nearby dancer's platform. "Patrís!" said the pallid, naked dancer, dripping pale green paint and sweat. "I'm exhausted, can ya get me a drink?" I nodded soberly (somewhat), and fought my way towards the bar, as her moving form shimmered sexually against the strobelights.
I forced open two double doors, the thumping and violent techno music withering in the presence of the relative silence...

-Grip

Means of Expression:
Short video/photographic series (of someone wearing the outfit), as well as presentation of outfit on a dressform/mannequin.

Samples:
One of the fabrics for this garment is sturdy, and a solid rich color (probably green), the other will be black spandex/lycra material, though I'm still left indecisive about that. Here is a similar dress I made:

Inspiration:
Cyber culture
Club Kids
Techno
JRock
Sisen

Oh Em Gee.

2007-09-13T19:38:00.000-07:00

Got up at 8 am to go to services this morning and was at services all day, so expect my proposal sometime tomorrow. I know, devastating, isn't it?

Rabble

2007-09-13T19:04:00.000-07:00

When I think of the word “rabble” I think of a disorganized or confused collection of things. Things- meaning the bits and pieces of nick knacks that that builds up in our homes over time. The kind of things that are useless that people hold on to in their drawers or closets for no apparent reason. I have always been a pack rat and I have all these boxes and drawers full of broken toys, jewelry and other bits that I hardly remember where they came from. I am going to use the rabble in my own life to create accessories. How many or what kind of accessories? I don’t know. The “rabble” may turn into one big accessory.

inspirational pictures from last week

2007-09-13T18:46:00.000-07:00

PAUL POIRET

2007-09-13T15:25:00.001-07:00

I’m thinking rabble kind of describes the disorganization present in a group of people or their clothes. I feel like it suggests variety and perhaps chaos. When I was little I would take great pride in dressing myself… I’d run out of my room ready for school and my mother would cry; “Jillian, You can’t wear that out! You look like a fruitcake!” She meant this in a few ways… first, when she utilized the term fruitcake she was referencing my great grandmother who everyone in my family knew as a “fruitcake.” She wore lots of accessories, lots of colors, … she would just wear… A lot. Secondly, my mom didn’t appreciate my attempt at individuality or my interests gained from my great grandma, and what about Nickelodeon. The founding tv channel of my youth!

So with that said, getting back to the rabble,.. I’m having a hard time distinguishing the difference between Rabble (being what everyone is wearing on the “streets”) and everything else! Where do you draw the line?! Isn’t it all Rabble?!

Therefore, I’m proposing to take all my fashion related influences and produce one layered look that expresses my feelings toward being a fruitcake and getting lost in the rabble.

I’ll be looking at Japanese streetwear because I love the color and style, children’s clothes because I love small patterns and ruffles, I’ll be looking at various periods of fashion because the past always comes back to haunt us, and I may add a touch of grandma chic.

sites:
www.nordickids.co.uk/
http://www.oilily.com.au/openstudio.php

Mourning Collars

2007-09-12T06:38:00.000-07:00

While traveling through the great state of Indiana this summer I bought a bunch of victorian old lady photos. The women, most of whom it was safe to say were widows, wore elaborate collars added on to their dresses. The dressing to mourn or the wearing of mourning objects is a fashion that defined a culture. I have always been fascinated with this time period where people showed their losses through their clothing but had never really taken interest in these collars until now.
These women ornamented themselves with collars, which look fragile and bird like, to express to others that they had lost someone. I am going to create a collar of my own. A collar that takes on the delicate qualities of the victorian collars as well as their bird-like aspects. I will photograph myself wearing/interacting with this jesture of a collar perhaps in front of a backdrop and/or presenting the images as stereographs. There is some thinking of using projections in the final display of the piece in a parlor trick like manner. However the piece is eventually displayed I hope it will fit in within the Victorian feel to the work.

some inspiration photos for project...

2007-09-10T09:29:00.000-07:00

The Mystery Castle

2007-09-09T15:53:00.000-07:00

Per my studio visit with TJ>>>
images of The Mystery Castle, an awesome place in Phoenix Arizona. Talk about inspiration for installation!

Possible ideas for the show theme/title

2007-09-07T07:37:00.000-07:00

Flaneur - the people-watcher (our own definition)

Does our show represent the rabble of society, the manifesto, the activist, which has to do with Daddaism and rabble-rousing (from Wiktionary):

Is the idea of rabble something that we can play wi (Jilliwillikers brings up the idea of Rebel Rebel and

rabble rouser

(idiomatic) Someone or something that tends to inpsire mobs; something controversial or provocative

rabble

A mob; collectively, commoners; a disorderly group.

We also are talking about whether or not these displays can be lavish. We talk about what the show's purpose is...the purpose, teatively, is to show that fashion is art, and we ask whether or not we are the rabble.

KC also comments that fashion should be communal and invitational, and perhaps we want to exclude these exclusive ideas of fashion wherein not everyone is invited, where the rabble is the inspiration but not the destination of the aspects. KC wants everyone to be invited to the party.

Kant says that

"the rabble's taste is dull it depends more on sensation than on judgement "

they are victims, punks, dullards and dim. But is sensation not the goal, not sucessful these days?

My own sense of fashion by the rabble, fashion as function, clothing and fashion that addresses needs and desires of street culture rabble ostentation from intellectual neck-up ideas. Maybe our show is the inbetween, rejects this mind-body split, the division between high fashion and low culture.

So, how do we want to work with the word "rabble" for the first piece, which will be in our November show? Rabble is the theme, the point of departure (define it for yourself, don't just use the Wiktionary def). You can also find a synonym for yourself. Rabble is the seed!

Architecture, performance, atmosphere, performance, etc. The first assignment is slated to be done for critique as much as possible for the 21st of September. Ninety-eight point nine percent done, ready to hang for November 2nd. Does not have to be a garment!

Inspiration - Rachel

2007-09-07T06:42:00.000-07:00

Schiaparelli has been an inspiration to me for a long time, and was one of the first designers to set me in awe when I was young. She collaborated with Dali for a period, and some of her most exciting and controvertial work came out of their partnership. I would like to focus on the Lobster dress, or "Robe avec langouste," which was produced in 1937. When the Duchess of Windsor wore the dress, it very nearly sent her into social exile due to its suggestiveness.

Defintions of Fashion/Culture as Marriam-Webster Describes it

2007-09-07T05:18:00.000-07:00

(a.k.a dictionary)

Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate,") generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significance. Different definitions of "culture" reflect different theoretical bases for understanding, or criteria for evaluating, human activity. In some contexts, a frequent usage of the term culture is to indicate artifacts in music, literature, painting and sculpture, theater and film.[1] Although some people identify culture in terms of consumption and consumer goods (as in high culture, low culture, folk culture, or popular culture) [2][verification needed], anthropologists understand "culture" to refer not only to consumption goods, but to the general processes which produce such goods and give them meaning, and to the social relationships and practices in which such objects and processes become embedded. For them, culture thus includes technology, art, science, as well as moral systems.

Anthropologists most commonly use the term "culture" to refer to the universal human capacity to classify, codify and communicate their experiences symbolically. This capacity has long been taken as a defining feature of the humans. However, primatologists have identified aspects of culture among humankind's closest relatives in the animal kingdom.[3] As a rule, archaeologists focus on material culture (the material remains of human activity), whereas social anthropologists focus on social interactions, statuses and institutions, and cultural anthropologists focus on norms and values. This division of labor reflects the different conditions under which different anthropologists have worked, and the practical need to focus research. It does not necessarily reflect a theory of culture that conceptually distinguishes between the material, the social, and the normative, nor does it reflect three competing theories of culture.

Fashion is a term that usually applies to a prevailing mode of expression, but quite often applies to a personal mode of expression that may or may not apply to all. Inherent in the term is the idea that the mode will change more quickly than the culture as a whole. The terms "fashionable" and "unfashionable" are employed to describe whether someone or something fits in with the current popular mode of expression. The term "fashion" is frequently used in a positive sense, as a synonym for glamour and style. In this sense, fashions are a sort of communal art, through which a culture examines its notions of beauty and goodness. The term "fashion" is also sometimes used in a negative sense, as a synonym for fads, trends, and materialism.

Touchstones Week 1:

respond to "is fashion art" discussion.
Keywords and concepts from discussion:

rabble,taste,pleasure/displeasure, lower status of craft,fashion theory?, folly, vanity, token, type, aura,purposefulness without purpose, inward eye, cosmetic=cosmos,mimesis,status float phenomenon

Research and Readings are based on Fiber Library books and online searches into the work/research of kindred theorists and historians. I am noting them here for your ease in future research:

fashion-a cultural construction of the embodied identity--Edward Sapir, 1931

fashion is the custom in the guise of a departure from custom--George B. Sproles and Leslie D. Burnes, 1994

--1999, Leslie Davis Burnes, Oregon State University.

Day 1 Touchstone articles/readings:

Burke, Edmund. 1990. A Philasophical Enquiry Into the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful. Oxford:Oxford University Press.

Benjamin, Walter--notion of the Aura

Catalogue of the Biennale di Firenze. 1996. Germano Celand (ed.) Il Tempo e la moda. Florance. Skira Editore.
"To Cut is to think" and "The Sculpted Dress"

Ducasse, Curt J. 1966. The Philosophy of Arts. New York: Dover Publications.
" The Art of personal Beauty"

Hanson, Karen. "Dressing up, Dressing Down: The Philosophic Fear of Fashion"
Kant

Third Earl of Shaftesbury "Characteristics of Men, Manners, Options, Times,"
--notion of the "inward eye" "taste" and "feelings of pleasure and displeasure"

Miller, Sandra. "Fashion as Art; Is Fashion Art?" Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body & Culture, Volume 11, Number 1, March 2007, pp. 24-40. Berg Publishers.

RESPONSES/Inspiration WEEK #1:

TJ:

So I believe fashion as art began when people began to try and represent who they were on the inside on the outside. By looking inward they could express themselves by their dress. I think the inward gaze became a part of dressing during the Victorian period. Charles Worth was one of the first couture designers in the world. Dresses became almost sculptural with the use of armature and became pieces of art due to the fragile one time wear materials. At this time showing mourning through clothes became a practice and an art within itself. The woman who exemplifies this period, and a wearer of Worth's designs, was the Countess de Castiglione. Through her photo documentation of her many personas the bridge between art and fashion was made.

Rachel:

Curt John Ducasse's 1944 essay "The Art of Personal Beauty" presents some interesting points, but I feel that he either glossed over or entirely missed the larger part of the motives behind his argument regarding the "outer self." Ducasse suggests that attention needs to be paid to making one's outward appearance attractive to others in order to achieve relationships and thereby happiness. However on a more biological or survival level, outward attractiveness is a factor in drawing potential mates and perpetuating species. Why did he not expand on that train of thought, or perhaps miss it entirely? Was Ducasse afraid that other philosophers would then dismiss his theory because it implies that adornment and fashion are a natural part of human evolutionary (right word?) processes, or that catagorized as such an organic process they are not legitimately an "art?" Or was he afraid that by taking it to that next level, he would be underhandedly accusing the majority of philosophers and other ascetics of dismissing an instinct that could be crucial to their societal standing and happiness?

Gabrielle---

The first person that I believe presented fashion as art would have to be (Sir) Cecil (Walter Hardy) Beaton, costume designer and fashion photographer.

He is famous for his costumes in My Fair Lady and GiGi:

Both My Fair Lady and Gigi were released around the 60s, but they definitely displayed the most intricate clothing I had ever seen in the first years of my life - thus making it my first clothing-as-art realization.

------MIKE

One of the earliest examples of the "status float" or "bubble up" phenomenon appropriately was inspired by the same element that gave those figures of speach their names- the sea. Coco Chanel revolutionized fashion by drawing her inspiration from peasant fishermen whose garb she observed while vacationing at the shore in France. Bringing loose-fitting jersey, neutral and nautical color schemes, and an unadorned aesthetic back to Paris shocked but eventually won over the world. Looking at the "rabble" for inspiration is a trend that persists today. After Dior's new look lost popularity, designers observed successively bohemians, hippies, punks, ghetto street culture, the military, and the traditional garbs of third world countries and copied their looks. The past few years have seen everything from Palestinian freedom fighters' kaffiyahs on the runway to a Marc Jacobs collection inspired by depression-era farmers and WWII.

---Lyndsey:

I suppose I need a refresher or refocus on what we're basing the inspiring moment of our pieces for our exhibition on, because other than making an EXTREMELY post post-modernist arguement that the discussion of what is art, and also the discussion is fashion art are lack relevancy for me as an artist at this moment in time. Erte, Edith Head, Levi Strauss, Sears Roebuck, American Girl Dolls, Barbie...all strike me as potential subjects, and yet I'm not happy with these as places to start this arguement from, because I do not know if it's an arguement that's worth being made (if that makes sense). Is anyone else having a hard time wrapping their head around this?

I know I have objects of fashion that I desire to make, I just want to get in my studio and create and THEN figure out the context. Also I will argue that the primary reason for fashion, clothing, is function, and ingeniuous housewives before the industrial revolution literally had to make everything for their families (or through bartering obtain them), so it is these housewives as precursors to fashion that perhaps provide a basis or contrast to the evolution of fashion-beyond-function (or clothing beyond function?)

So many questions! See everybody in class tomorrow!

---Corrine:

"The earliest forms of 'clothing' seem to have been adornments such as body painting, ornaments, scarifications (scarring), tattooing, masks and often constricting neck and waist bands. Many of these deformed reformed or otherwise modified the body."
fashion has always been art--some more pleasing than others (marie antoinette vs. a pilgrim)

Maori tatooing

The western rabble adopted the high art of maori tattooing into a common mans form of body decoration (sailors, current sub-cultures), and this aesthetic has in turn been adopted by high society.

'Traditional' art, especially womens work, has been discussed as craft rather than art in the past, just like fashion.

Kant and Burke's descriptions of fashion as imitation of a higher ideal or ambition does not make sense to me, especially given the current climate of fashion--imitating the rabble. Fashion is no longer about dressing for your superiors.
i think that makes sense.

and i really like Kwakwaka'wakw transformation masks-- in reguard to the inward eye, they are dressing in their beliefs.

Jillian:

I believe that the first designer that created fashion as art for me would be Leon Bakst. The colors, styles and movements shown in his sketches catch my interest. Bakst also illustrated designs for costumes and sets. c. 1920

Rachel

2007-09-06T23:54:00.000-07:00

Rachel's living space was light and airy. It felt very natural and organic, with many different off-white tones. It also radiated a sense of age (especially a set of mushroom jars I couldn't catch a picture of).

One of her finals:

Turntable on one shelf, 70s bookshelf (I recognize) with bookshelf wall-paper:

Most of the colors I noticed in her closet were warm, yet subdued. A lot were very vintage, too. Summer clothes only.
God bless Chuck Taylors.

I checked out her collection of vinyl records, but I forgot to write down examples. I did see a Beatles album or two, though, and I have a vague memory of Black Sabbath - but her apartment definitely has an overall vintage timewarp/nature theme.

Inspiration? :)

2007-09-06T22:46:00.000-07:00

The first person that I believe presented fashion as art would have to be (Sir) Cecil (Walter Hardy) Beaton, costume designer and fashion photographer.

He is famous for his costumes in My Fair Lady and GiGi:

Both My Fair Lady and Gigi were released around the 60s, but they definitely displayed the most intricate clothing I had ever seen in the first years of my life - thus making it my first clothing-as-art realization.

"Is Fashion Art?"

I believe that fashion as an art stemmed from functional
clothing, but developed a new meaning all its own. Fashion is the
art of creating a garment/accessory with the overall presentation of
it in mind - the final product. What may or may not be lost in the
process is the function of that garment. Basically, clothing on its
own has a function, while fashion doesn't require it. In addition, I don't believe fashion should be regarded as
vanity/folly. That is up to the wearer to take part in.

The Poet

2007-09-06T21:54:00.000-07:00

Yohji Yamamoto
My hero, someone to whom I turn to first, and then again and again. I really feel that he has captured why I make garments. There are few books that are written about him in length, only a hand full of films dedicated or specifically acknowledging him. But his collections are undeniably forms of art, each garment individually and as a whole. They are his views of women, marriage, his personal past, present, and future. The projection of what is inside and how you see the outside, and vice versa. That's essentially what art really is right?? Functional or nonfunctional, practical or not, it makes no difference. Yamamoto replies to an interviewer to describe one of his collections, "Like a pendulum...Real clothes and costume, yesterday and today. With my two hands, I have mixed the ridiculousness and absurdity of costume and the boringness of real clothes, like creating the salad dressing for nouvelle cuisine." (Frankel, Visionaries, p. 120).

Chew Chew Chew

2007-09-06T20:09:00.000-07:00

There is much to digest when walking into Caitlin's domain. It's as if you have taken every flavored Lifesavor in your mouth, gargled them along the back of your throat, and then thrust them with great force to create a spectrum of unique forms. Circulating the room, neons and pinks dominate the space and lure you in to look closer. What are all these made of?? These tiny intricate pieces that create this whole.

A NOFX poster hangs on the wall along with a Roy Lichtenstein. Bold text and structured shapes compliment her kind demeanor and taste for femininity (aka collection of perfume bottles and hanging lace). Her paintings, a mix of Kandinsky and Pollock. There is this visible...for some reason I want to say with hesitation, violence. Its purpose not to cause harm, but an "intense force", by the execution of her paint, the choice of material on which she paints, the solid colors, mixed with a whirl of POP! culture to tie it all together.

Profile of Brandy

2007-09-06T19:57:00.001-07:00

Brandy's style is difficult to detect from her surroundings at first glance. The place she's chosen to be interviewed in is her bedroom, which at first glance is rag-tag art student, turn-of-the-century and warm-colored floors, though still bears half-packed suitcases, with seemingly only the neccessities unpacked. They include a bottle of almost-full Burberry perfume, orange juice concentrate plastic cans as water cups, several pairs of high-heeled shoes in neutrals and metallics. In her closet, there are a range of neutral-colored shirt-dresses, slips, jackets. While Brandy's style bears many of our art school and fibers-department trademarks--evidence of nomadicism, impeccable selection in thrift-store finds, and a hint of nostalgia--there also exists a subtle elegant sihlouette, light. Bright colors exist sparsely, instead it is soft textures, crisp linens, plain walls, and naked box-springs' that represent Brandy's sense of style.

Thanks, Brandy, for being a great host at too early (though it wasn't THAT early) on Labor Day!

-L

GABE

2007-09-06T18:54:00.000-07:00

Gabe's closet contains corsets, thrift store finds, clothes stolen from her sister, and heaps of red and black. Her cultural influences include the rave scene, manga, and cyberpunk. more impressive than the clothes Gabe has procured are those she produces. her sketchbook reveals more about her personality than her closet. Inside she has plans for costumes that give Gaultier's Fifth Element a run for its money. With a penchant for spandex and showing skin, she's the proud winner of the "Most Hardcore Costume" prize for Orpheus' Otakon afterparty. Friend of breakdancers, patron of goth clubs, and Japanese subculture savant, Gabe has a street fashion vocabulary that's sure to add some color (or lack thereof) to her work this semester.

Michael's Style

2007-09-06T18:22:00.000-07:00

Mike is an interesting Male specimen who is a native to baltimore and drawn to razzle dazzle, sequins, glitter and shine like a moth is drawn to a flame. It seems fit that this hard worker lives away from most of the world in the copycat, a georgous view of the city.

At the copycat, Michael has enough room to spread his wings and keep mannequin heads in the freezer apparently...

New additions to the large heaps of clothes include what seems to be an native american inspired puffy paint tee, a hipster shirt which spells HIPSTER, Hiipster?

And lots of fanny packs!!! I'm thinking the 80's had a powerful impact on Michael but so did the 60's and probably the 70's. Not a wallflower. Knows about the baltimore scene and is educated on how to use public transit. Keep working hard, Mike!

jilly bean

2007-09-02T15:56:00.000-07:00

The Jillian creature is an interesting specimen, often found in adorable basement apartments in Bolton Hill. Upon closer inspection, it appears she is drawn to psychadelic colors and prints, cartoons, and making delicious desserts. More to come...

2007-09-02T15:24:00.001-07:00

The Wonderful World of Corinne

2007-08-31T11:10:00.000-07:00

Corinne Walsh is a delightful conglomeration of opposites and contradictions. Though her everyday style is laid-back and functional, her love of the extravagant and fabulous are now conveyed by her work instead of her wardrobe - the gorgeous pieces stay pristine in drawers. Her home is a similar mixture of the grand (previously part of a mansion ballroom) and the playful everyday (see the dinosaur-print sheet-tent over her homemade loft bed). Fantasy, ruffles and sparkles come through in her work and personality, while I found that her down-to-earth-ness comes through in her day-to-day wardrobe, origins (upstate NY)and hobbies (she has a lot of BEAUTIFUL plants that she loves, and traveled around Eastern Europe this summer). In summation, Corrine's everyday outer presentation shows the world one part of what she is and loves, while her work shows another.

Tracy Jayne

2007-08-31T11:08:00.000-07:00

TJ lives in the Meyerhoff and has filled her bedroom with memories and family history. When entering TJ’s bedroom there is a soft fuzzy leopard print rug on the floor along with her sheer leopard curtains. Her bedding is pale blue with a satiny silver pillow and a bunch of little colorful stuffed animals tucked into her covers. Some of the stuffed animals look like she has had them for a while. One of her walls is filled with antique looking wall hangings and old discolored photographs, some are photos of her own family and some are from antique shops. Some other decorations included Catholic religious imagery, photos of her friends, and her own artwork.

The majority of TJ’s t-shirts in her drawers are black along with some colorful shirts that stood out. Her favorite t-shirt is a black Led Zeppelin shirt that looked like it could have been about 30 years but really it was only a few years old. She has several pairs of jeans in her drawer, just like her t-shirts some look really worn in and some look brand new.

TJ’s clothing in her closet consists of some dresses, skirts, jackets, and sweaters hanging inside. There were several patterns on the clothing like a few floral skirts, a leopard print sweater, and a suquined dress. Her latest purchase is a white sweater with pearl buttons and tiny pearl beads on the front.
TJ’s shelves are filled with books, boxes of jewelry, and random trinkets. She still has a necklace and a ring that she wore when she was a baby.

From talking to TJ about some of the things in her room I learned that there was meaning behind a lot of her belongings. TJ was born and raised in Michigan until she was 14, when she moved to Texas with her mother. I was surprised at some things she told me that I would not have guessed just by her outer appearance or the things in her room. I learned that TJ is a very outdoorsy girl from growing up in a small farm town in Michigan. TJ knows how to shoot a gun. She would go hunting with her father and shoot squirrels!

Survival of the Prettiest

2007-08-31T11:06:00.000-07:00

Lyndsay lives in a world of functionality and homely comfort.
Her room is over flowing with items that in the near future may be
finding a new home in a studio or storage unit. Her fridge is always full
and her bed is always comfy. Recently her style has changed from head wraps, scarves,
and more gypsy like items to more functional tastes. Due to her love of the outdoors and her camp counselor experiences her style has changed with her personality. Counselor t-shirts and various pieces of outdoor gear fill her drawers. The piece of clothing that most exemplifies her new self is a water proof windbreaker. This item is very useful when outdoors but has a frivalous aspect due to the slanted zippers and large amount of pockets. Lyndsay has a very good sense of home about her especially when she shows me her home made chalk bag for rock climbing that her mother made her and her coleman sleeping bag with plaid additions. Her main inspirations for dressing can be narrowed down to two books: her Betty Crocker Cook Book and catalog of the exhibition Safe.

How are you responding to the world through your clothing?

2007-08-31T11:04:00.000-07:00

I will be analyzing Mike's stlye... Shadowing him at his favorite hangout place of choice and photographing his... locker?

stalk like an egyptian

2007-08-31T11:03:00.000-07:00

i'm following gabriel!

Studies.

2007-08-31T11:01:00.000-07:00

I'm shadowing Rachel.

:D ?

Permission to shadow

2007-08-31T10:58:00.001-07:00

I will be shadowing and entering Caitlin's space and discovering where she is most herself.

I'm stalking...

2007-08-31T10:58:00.000-07:00

I'm doing an ethnographic study on the fashion of Brandy. She lives just down Park Ave. here in Bolton Hill, so I am -elated-.

L

shadowy

2007-08-31T10:57:00.001-07:00

corinne's shadowing anna!

2007-07-02T19:18:00.000-07:00

Hussein Chalayan