“The Queen of the new flow”

 Viviennes Westwood’s first ever catwalk collection was performed 1981 in London. 

This collection was collaboration with also English close designer Malcolm Mclauren and was inspired by history and the third world. (The early years) After this she worked alone which she thinks is the best way to work, however she learns a lot from other people (interview, 2008)

Pirate outfit, 1981

After the Pirate collection, Vivienne became “The Queen of the new flow” and in 1984 she has the collection “The world’s end” which made her known for being popular by the young crowd because she specialized in clothing that defined the punk movement, which was very big in the early 80s.  When speaking of the collection Vivienne says that she tried to combine punk with a little bit of Kung Fu and a little bit of Karate, however it does not seem something she does consciously but she realises it after making her clothes. (VW presents worlds end, 2012) 

slowdown for worlds end, n.d

The fashion show was made up by dancing models, in a mixture made up by dark and bright colours, winter and summer accessories and heaps of layers. This fashion show, like her others is fun and up speed and never dull. In her other fashion collections she is always inspired by the historical of her home country England and she also believes that “fashion is a parody, and should always be theatrical” (interview, 2008) which is something that her fashion shows always are.  This year, she had a collection at London fashion show and it was another of her bold and fascinating shows. She uses face paint and bright colours on the models that make them look very powerful. When asking her about her idea of how women should look like she says that they should always look very important. (interview, 2008)

London fashion week, 2012

Her collections also always means something, for example in 2007 the collection “I am expensive” was about the gap between fashion and a poverty plagued world and “the world’s end” was about questioning what is considered good and bad in the world of fashion.  (VW presents worlds end, 2012)  In an interview in 1987 Vivienne talks about how she cares about changing this idea,  “Fashion always talks about culture, and a lot of things people think is good, I think is bad” She uses historical references from England because she believes that England is a country that does not want to change, however fashion is a way of doing it for them. “Everyone is born with ultimate potential, hope in life is to top that potential and that is something you can do through fashion” (interview, 2008)

Vivienne Westwood’s fashion shows all have a very special style and when looking at many of them, you can see a pattern in them. They all have:  Fun models, a lot of interesting make up and of course original fashion. She believes a lot in “recycling clothing” (show/interview, 2011) but it does not make her fashion repetitive at all, it just makes it her own.

References

Vivienne Westwood: The early years, n.d, viewed 29 October 2012
<http://www.viviennewestwood.co.uk/w/the-story/the-early-years>

Vivienne Westwood: interview, 2008, viewed 29 October 2012
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iws_u0mJztI>

Vivienne Westwood presents Worlds End, 2012, viewed 29 October 2012
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nI3mcuzak0>

Show/interview, 2011, viewed 29 October 2012
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ3L0shnXoU >

Images

Pirate outfit, 1981, Image, viewed 29 October 2012
<http://www.rmg.co.uk/upload/img_400/subversionImgLOA647.jpg>

Vivienne Westwood, London fashion week 2012, 2012, image, viewed 29 October 2012
<http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/09/16/article-0-150BC9AC000005DC-144_310x783.jpg>

1983: Slowdown for worlds end,n.d image, viewed 29 October 2012
<http://shapersofthe80s.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/f83oct-wea31jdvw-dj.jpg?w=500  >

The phenomenon of Princess Diana’s Wedding dress

Diana Spencer, who is more known for her name Princess Diana, is one of the largest fashion icons in royal history. She was a very loved public figure and her death in a car crash in August 1997 touched a lot of people,

However the thing that people remember the most about Diana is her personal sense of style, in particular her wedding dress.

She got married to Charles, prince of Wales in July , 1981 at St Paul’s cathedral, watched by an audience of 750 million people on television and another 600,000 people out on the street, (Johnson n.d) all intrigued to get a look at the Bride, Diana.

The thing that people was most curious about was her wedding dress.
It had been a close guarded secret to the day of the wedding and was almost more talked about then the actual wedding (Neel 2011, p8)

It was designed by Elizabeth and David Emanuel, two designers who had only graduated college a year before they got a personal call from Princess Diana asking if they wanted to design her wedding dress (Melik 2012)

They were given 3 months to make the dress and worked on it until one day before the wedding was about to happen.

“We are saving the last inch to the very end, because we are very suspicious and I think it is unlucky to finish too early” Elizabeth Emanuel answers in an interview,1 month before the wedding. (youtube 1981)

There was a lot of pressure for the designers and this would be the dress that Diana would wear in one of the most important event in Royal history;

“There was a lot of expectation and formality, she was going in as Lady Diana Spencer and coming out as the Princess of Wales” (Melik 2012)

The dress was featured a ruffled neck, full sleeves and skirt, but also a 25 foot long train which was the longest in royal wedding history. (Neel 2011,p8)

Style File - Diana, Princess Of Wales, n.d

But the fame of Diana’s wedding dress did not die after the event of the wedding.

14 years after her death, an exhibition dedicated to Diana’s life was open in Foxwoods resort Casino in Connecticut which included more then 150 objects, 28 designer dresses and of course, Diana’s wedding dress. (Vann 2011)

The dress was highly guarded and only 2 people were allowed to handle the dress.

This phenomenon of Diana’s dress started in 1981 an

d is still an popular subject when speaking of fashion in royal family’s.

The dress also got a lot of attention in media, in 2011 when Diana’s son, prince William married famous style icon, Catherine Middleton.

Kate’s dress was designed by Sarah Burton from Alexander Mcqueen and was as talked and speculated about as Diana’s.

Kate’s Sarah Burton wedding gown could go on display, n.d

They will both be two of the most important wedding dresses in fashion history and will probably be copied and used as inspiration for a long time in the future.

“Both dresses are an iconic part of history and have inspired and will inspire fashion and wedding dresses moving forward.” (Grundy 2011)

Johnson,J n.d, Princess Diana’s Wedding, viewed 1^st of October 2012
http://womenshistory.about.com/od/diana/a/diana_wedding.htm

Melik, J Royal wedding: Diana's designers on how the dream faded, viewed 1^st of October 2012
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12269667 >

 

Neel,J 2011, Style File - Diana, Princess Of Wales,viewed 1^st of October 2012
<http://www.vogue.co.uk/spy/celebrity-photos/2011/04/15/style-file---diana-princess-of-wales/gallery/8>

 

Grundy, K 2011, Kate Middleton vs. Princess Diana: Who wore it better?, viewed 1^st of October 2012
<http://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/829755/kate-middleton-vs-princess-diana-who-wore-it-better >

Vann,K 2011, 'Diana: A Celebration' Exhibit Opens At Foxwoods, viewed 1^st of October
<http://articles.courant.com/2011-09-16/features/hc-princess-diana-foxwoods-0916-20110916_1_princess-diana-exhibit-althorp-estate-bruce-oldfield>

Youtube 1981, Princess Diana’s wedding dress fitting,  viewed  1^st of October
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gIxVeDekQE>

 
Style File - Diana, Princess Of Wales, n.d, image, viewed 1^st of October 2012

<http://cdni.condenast.co.uk/1280x1920/o_r/PrincessDiana8_V_14apr11_pa_b.jpg>

 

Kate’s Sarah Burton wedding gown could go on display, image, n.d , viewed 1^st of October 2012
<http://elspethlodge.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/kate_middleton_wedding_dress_m.jpg?w=425&h=610&h=610>

Skinhead Fashion

The movement of skinhead fashion.

The skinhead movement was born in the 1950’s when American music started to get very popular in England and different kind of groups was created because they listened to one type of music and dressed in one specific way.

Examples of these groups were: “The mods” which dressed very formally and listened to rhythm and blues, and “The rockers” that worn white t-shirts, leather jackets and listened to 50’s rock & roll like Elvis and Buddy Holly.

The big change came when different kind of “Mods” got split up into different groups which was the more conservative “Mods” called “Mod cons”, that listened to more British rock & roll, and “Art mods” that became more hippies and listened to folk music.

The split up let to fights and riots between the different type of gangs and this resulted in the “Skinhead fashion.”
The way these people started to look like was with shaved heads , black flight jackets, suspenders and Doc Marten Boots. (Skinhead Roots in Britain 2011)

“Mod cons”  became more like the skinheads and  started to listening to the band “Slade” which played fast paste music and had a  skinhead image,  however this image was only created as an publicity stunt since the skinheads was given a lot of press at the time.

"Slade" 1969-1970

Because of the way skinheads were very much associated with violence this created image resulted in a reputation of the band being violant.
This reputation of the band was not true, although it had it’s advantage. (Ambrose Slade 2012)

“An advantage of their hard-knock appearance was there was never any hassle collecting their gig payments from promoters who feared they might get beaten up by the group unless they promptly handed over the full amount” (Ambrose Slade 2012, Para. 6)

The fashion of the skinheads was very specific and all the clothes had a particular function. The way the dressed was created because of the way they lived which involved a lot of violence.

The shaved head was because it made it harder to grab their hair. The Doc marten boots were both a symbol for the working class, since the factory workers used them, and because of the steel toe, which was used as a weapon. (Skinhead Roots in Britain 2011)

Later on the skinheads has been associated with violent groups of "football hooligans" around England and also "Neo fascist" groups that was more committed to harassments rather then political gains.

The different ways that “skinheads” has been associated with  negative aspects has made it a questionable way to dress and there are not a lot of people that has the courage of dressing that way because of the way it is considered as a political statement that is not accepted by the society.

I think that you can still see trace of the “skinhead fashion” everywhere, however the people who are wearing it does not see themselves as skinheads.

This is England, n.d

Different movies like Green street hooligans and This is England has made people take after the different things like suspenders and Doc Marten boots, however it has nothing to do with the political views or even the subculture that it is created from, it is simply something different that gives an impression of individuality and style.

Many different groups has been inspired by this fashion and two examples are the brands Doc Marten and Lonsdale which both has a specific connection to either the early violence in the 50’s or the subculture of “football hooligans”

Doc Marten, n.d

A few years ago it was questioned to wear these types of brands and they was associated with a violent lifestyle, however I believe that it is changing and that it is getting more accepted in today’s fashion. 

REFERENCES

Ambrose Slade 2012, viewed 9^th September 2012

<http://www.brumbeat.net/aslade.htm>

Skinhead roots in Britain 2011, viewed 9^th September 2012

<http://search.proquest.com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/docview/392373384>

The skinhead international: United Kingdom 2012, viewed 10^th September 2012

< http://www.nizkor.org/hweb/orgs/american/adl/skinhead-international/skins-united-kingdom.html>

Ambrose Slade ,n.d, image, viewed 9^th September 2012

<http://www.brumbeat.net/slade2.jpg>

Tag archives: doc Martens, n.d, image, viewed 10^th September 2012

<http://fashiongrunge.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/full-6.jpeg?w=545&h=754>
This is England 86: The fashion, n.d, image, viewed 10^th September 2012

<http://wardrobemag.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/this-is-england-1.jpg?w=490>

How to connect with the viewer in fashion photography

Like in all types of advertising, fashion is all about catching people’s attention.

 It is all about giving the viewer a feeling or thought that makes them remember the image long after it has passed them by.

There are two major methods of how to make this possible. One is to give us a clear idea exactly what is happening in the image and make us feel some kind of connection. One example of this is the Kate Spade campaign “Visiting Tennesse” photographed by Larry Sultan.

"Visiting Tennesse" Larry Sultan

In these series of images, Sultan creates a fictional narrative about a family that goes to New York and visits their daughter. He is using a very familiar theme that is simply a family going on holiday; it is showing the “American ideal” on how a family should be. In the images the people are interacting with each other in a fun, caring way. This is a way of simply taking something that is recognizable to most of us and allows us to have a glimpse into these peoples lives. It has no beginning or no end, but we do feel something when we look at these images because it has something familiar that we, as viewers can connect with. In each of these images they have different clothes and even though “the clothing becomes secondary to the story that is unfolding,” (Clifford n.d p1) the way we are connecting with the characters gives us an idea of the fashion without realizing it is there.

 Cuba Libre, Philip-Lorca Di Corcia

The other, more successful way to get the viewers attention is to use the technique of mystique that raises questions in people’s heads. Philip-Lorca Di Corcia is using this idea of creating a mysterious story plot in many of his works and one example is the series: “Cuba Libre,” which was published in “W” magazine in the year 2000.  All we see is this woman in different locations and different styles, and we are very much intrigued by this character even though we know nothing about her. “In each image she is wearing a set of clothing, and she might be lovely while wearing said outfit, but at least this viewer is much more focused on what might be occurring in each frame” (Clifford n.d p2). 

 Cuba Libre, Philip-Lorca Di Corcia

Why this is more successful then the narrative way Sultan is using, is because when we look at these images we have to question what is happening and makes us want to dig deeper. Which  means that we think more about what the people are wearing as well. “The viewer must look for the plot as well as the clothes, to buy a dream, a story, an attitude, a mood and a dress” (Stevens 2004)

References:

Clifford, E n.d New aspect of narrative being used in photography, viewed 25 August 2012

<http://thoughtsonart.com/artists/new_aspects_in_photography_narrative/new_aspects_in_narrative_photography_crewdson_garfield_diCorcia_1.html>

Stevens,M 2004 Mirror Images, viewed 26 August 2012
<http://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/art/reviews/n_10211/index1.html>

Philip-Lorca Di Corcia 2000, image, viewed 25 August 2012

<http://www.lslimited.com/cgi-local/view.cgi?level_5=72>

New aspect of narrative being used in photography, n.d, image, viewed 25 August 2012

<http://thoughtsonart.com/artists/new_aspects_in_photography_narrative/Larry_Sultan_Visiting_Tennessee_photograph_1.jpg>

Fashion & Art

 

When looking up the word 'art' in a dictionary the definition is:

"the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles,  

of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance." 

What particular defines fashion is something that is more then ordinary and most of the time also beautiful.

However the question is still asked and discussed if fashion is in fact art, even though there are many examples that clearly proves that it is.

 When Yves Saint Laurent was the first designer ever having his work displayed in an art museum (1983) it should have been the beginning of a time when fashion would be recognized as an art form.

However it was the first and last time this ever happened at that art museum which was "The met" in New York. 

26 years later some of Saint Laurent’s work was planned to be displayed again, this time, at  “The Grand Palais” in Paris.  The thing was that his work was placed under a heading that said “Glamour” instead of being considered as an art piece. Even though it was a portrait made by a man that is considered to be an artist it was not to be considered as art since the piece represented more fashion then anything else.

Saint Laurent is a designer that has been influenced by great artists like Van Gogh and Henri Matisse, which you can see in some of his dresses,

One example is his jacket which is inspired by Van Gogh’s work “sunflowers”. 

He is using art that is very close to him and the that way he is using paintings as an inspiration should be considered as an artistic collaboration. 

These garments is a proof of how they are not just a clothing, they are created from an idea or concept, and the designer who had made these garments, is an artist.

Saint Laurent's collection which was made with inspirations from all the great painters like Matisse and Picasso was sold for more then 200 millions, and this was not because someone wanted to wear these clothes, they were sold because they were a artistic masterpiece made by a real artist.

So what would be the different between this and a famous painter ?

why would Saint Laurent's sewing needle be any less significant than Picassos painting brush?

If art is something that is to be considered as something beautiful that can open people's mind, then there is nothing more like art as fashion. 

Postrel, K"Fashion as Art" viewed 11th August 2012
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703453804575479902076411376.html>
Sheldon,B "The artful inspirations of Yves Saint Laurent", viewed 12th August 2012
<http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/34445/the-artful-inspirations-of-yves-saint-laurent/ >

<http://dictionary.reference.com/>