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/>