Creative journal: Team installation
contents ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Page 3- What is seditionary? Page 4- Seditionary visuals Page 9- examples of rebellion Page 11- Rosa parks and civil rights in America Page 12- Feminism Page 13- London riots 2011 Page 14- Ferguson unrest 2014 Page 15- Stormzy Glastonbury 2019 Page 16- Extinction rebellion Page 17- Punk movement Page 18- Anti fast fashion movements Page 20-Slow fashion Page 21- Minimalism Page 22- Youtube haul video criticism Page 23- Exploitations Page 24- Vivienne Westwood Page 26- Stella McCartney Page 27- Fashion revolution quotes
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Page 28- Fashion revolution week Page 29- Criticism of Black Friday Page 30- London fashion week Page 34- Fashion designers who fall into seditionary concept Page 35- Fast fashion by Benjamin Von Wong Page 38- Fashioned from nature V&A Page 39- Visual boards Page 43- First feedback Page 44- Rough schedule planning Page 45- Visual design planning Page 50- final outcome Page 51- References
Radical Deviationist Dissident Rioter
Revolutionary
Insurgent
seditionary
Stirrer
Our given word for the team installation was seditionary. We didn’t know the meaning of this word, we searched the definition. The definition was someone who says, writes or does things with the intention of encouraging rebellion or resistance against the government.
Renegade
Trouble maker
Protestor
Saboteur
Subversive
Examples of rebellion ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Fire/ arson (eg; burning a flag) Disobeying authority and law Protesting with signs (think extincion rebellion or suffragist movement) Hunger strikes Using social media to create awareness/ campaigns Unconventional fashion statements (subcultures: Punk) Gangs and violence Spray paint/use graffiti Petitions Creating controversial art or music
The social commentary of fast fashion then came up as one of our concepts. We thought a commentary of an industry issue would fit in well with the concept of “seditionary”. First visual idea: Red sale signs on the floor and backdrop crossed out with black crosses.
seditionary
Rosa Parks and civil rights in America She was an American Activist in the Civil Rights Movement best known for refusing to move on a segregated bus in 1955 December the 1st, refusing to listen to bus driver James F Blake’s order to give up her “coloured section� seat to a white passenger. She was arrested for Civil disobedience, however her prominence in the black community inspired them to boycott the bus for a year, this was the first action campaign post war civil rights movement. Before the Rosa Parks case Claudette Colvin was arrested for the same act in March 1955, and black activists had begun to build a case for the 15 year old. Often when boarding the buses, black people were required to pay at the front, get off, and reenter the bus through a separate door at the back. Occasionally, bus drivers would drive away before black passengers were able to reboard. Segregation was banned on buses in Alabama as a result of the Browder V Gayle case (1956) The boycott continued until the US Supreme Court and ruled that segregation on buses was against the law on November 1956 She became an international icon for the Civil Rights Movement. Upon her death in 2005 she was the first woman to lie in honour in the Capitol Rotunda. She has her own special remembrance day on her birthday February 4th, Ohio and Oregon commemorate on the day she was arrested, 1st December. Source Wikipedia
feminism Feminism challenges sexism and strives for the equal rights between man and women. Sexism can appear anywhere in everyday life, from workplace, to public transport, media representation, to our home environment at any age. The main causes are standards placed on each gender unfortunately that we are subjected to through our environments; for instance women are expected to be caring, maternal, frivolous and take care of their appearance. Simone de Beauvoir is an author who wrote the book “The Second Sex”, another famous book credited for starting the second wave was by Betty Friedan and is called “The Feminine Mystique” another book by John T Molloy ”Dress for success” was written to help women dress for work to learn what they wore affected how they felt, hence the term “power dressing” was born. Women’s history month is a reminder of the past and the progress society has made from the early suffrage movement. Feminism was a rebellious act, and suggested women deserved a more equal place in society, whereas beforehand women’s roles were often limited to wife and mother prior the 20th century. The first cause feminists fought for was the right to vote, and post world war feminists fought for the opportunity to have their own careers .
Eleanor Roosevelt, Frida Kahlo, Jane Austen , Cleopatra are just a few to standout as historical feminists, with modern role models like Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Emma Watson, Jameela Jamil. Current issues are fighting for abortion rights in countries where it’s banned, domestic abuse, workplace sexual harassment, equal pay, rape and other instances. The #MeToo movement created open conversations about the harassment women are subjected coming out to strangers online, this movement was a success bringing some justice to victims, particularly the Harvey Weinstein’s case.
London riots 2011 Back in August 2011 thousands of people rioted on the streets of london as well as other towns and cities across the country. Some people took part in acts of stealing from shops, arson and a mass deployment of police. It resulted in 5 people’s deaths. The protests started in Tottenham, London following the death of Mark Duggan who was shot by the police on the 4th august. There was the destruction of police vehicles, a double decker bus, and businesses and was heavily featured in the media. It was suspected that “Copycat violence” made nearby cities Birmingham , Coventry, Leicester, Derby, Nottingham, Wolverhampton, Bristol, Liverpool, and greater Manchester take part in the spectacle, social media heavily being a consequence. By the 10th of august more than 3,000 arrests were made, and an estimated £200 million worth of property damage as a consequence, local places were already struggling due to a recent recession the matter made things worse.
Ferguson unrest 2014 After the shooting of 18 year old Michael Brown in August 2014 riots and civil unrest occurred in Ferguson Missouri. The riots sparked the debates of the police brutality towards minorities and the other issues due to stereotyping and discrimination. Police started curfews and deployed riot squads to quiet down the riots. The media reports were world wide, reporting looting and violent protests especially after the grand jury did not convict the shooter officer wilson. The us department of justice concluded that wilson shot in self defense. Time magazine argued that “blacks in this country are more apt to riot because they are one of the populations here who need to,�
Stormzy glastonbury 2019 The South London born rapper performed for the crowds at his performance shouting “f*** boris” Britain’s conservative PM. The reason for it , he says that the prime minister ‘s racist comments have encouraged public hate” (the guardian 2019) He also wore a bullet-proof vest in a union jack pattern. Implying he stands out police brutality and gang violence; a major issue in cities for young people and particularly minorities. Stormzy made history being the first british black solo headliner for glastonbury. The performance tackled topics like racism, and the brexit.
Extinction Rebellion Extinction Rebellion are a group of Eco-radicals. They aim to bring attention to climate change, seeking government intervention by participating in street protests and mass forms of defiance. Simon Bramwell an activist glued himself to a glass door at Shell london headquarters in defiance, he is now the co founder of the extinction rebellion The radicals protested outside Victoria Beckhams London fashion show with slogans like “F** consumerism�. And other instances where the activists have gathered to block traffic or interrupt the tube service. More than 1,000 people ended up arrested many of them for the first time. The groups actions are a response to the lack of action taken by the government to tackle climate change.
Punk movement
Punk is a form of expression musically and visually. Punk Rock emerged in the 1970s with a brash, energetic sound derived from garage rock of the 60s. Originally punk bands rejected mainstream rock, and instead produced stripped-down instrumentation often with political and anti-establishment lyrics. Along with the music was also the DIY fashion which popularised black leather jackets, studs and pins in clothes made by Punk rockers. A punk’s hair was also an important part of the image, sporting the mohawk has a strong association with Punk. Acts like Television, Patti Smith and the Ramones revolutionised the US while The Sex Pistols, the Clash and the Damned revolutionised Britain. At hardcore shows, moshing is often seen in the crowds with stage diving, this is because fan participation is an important part of the show. In early stages of the movement crowds would behave outrageously throwing items at the performers, invading the stage or even spitting which was acceptable even encouraged at these shows..
By 1977 Punk had become a cultural phenomenon in the UK and the subculture revolved around the Punk lifestyle, ideologies, visual art, music and fashion. The ideology was to deliberately stand out and rebel against the establishment fueled by anger of the recession and political uncertainty. The Punk aesthetic was made mainstream when designer Vivienne Westwood opened the shop “SEX” with her then husband Malcolm McLaren. Her designs were made to be shocking with elements of BDSM and street punk. The shop was then renamed “Seditionaries”. Early Punk musicians like Siouxsie Sioux wore a range of styles from bondage gear to androgyny with unusual makeup. Female musicians often acted tough with “macho energy” which extended into the later genre of Riot Grrrrl! Fronted by bands like The X Ray Specs and Bikini Kills. In addition Punk zines were created by the fans for the underground, accordingly becoming the first genre of music to inspire fanzines
Punk fanzines
Anti fast fashion moments
Slow Fashion The concept of slow fashion is essentially anti-fast fashion. This lifestyle encourages only buying what is suited to the style of the wearer. Slow fashion Brands produce lower quantities of clothing focusing on high quality The fashion industry is the world’s second largest polluter after aviation researched by scientists from the UK, Scandinavia, the US and Australia. The demand for new clothes has seen global consumption rise to an estimated 62 million tons a year (to reach 102 million tons by 2030) The constant consumption causes pollution at every stage of the garments life and production. Researchers recommend slow fashion to improve long term sustainability and for the planets future.
Having a capsule wardrobe is another way of keeping to the lifestyle. The idea is to collect fewer items that will been worn by the wearer on multiple occasions and can be used again and again in the future. Slow fashion overall is about making informed choices when purchasing fashion and supporting local businesses (depop, etsy and ebay are just few examples) or clothes swapping, buying donated clothing. It's important that the quality remains after the price is long forgotten. instead of going out to buy new clothes repair them by sewing or diy and being more careful washing them with colder water and line washing.
Minimalism and simple living
The practice of living a minimalist lifestyle means to keep only essential items that are good quality and can be used over and over again. This lifestyle is also promoted by social media influencers and bloggers who want to declutter and simplify their lives. Minimalism could mean getting rid of anything that doesn't conspire joy, so this could mean having a wardrobe of a few basics, it is also part of the wellness trend and is anti-consumption in a capitalist society. Minimalism has also infiltrated home design and art also social media, some people use this approach to simplify feeds with minimalist aesthetics and backgrounds. White walls, plants and wood are common visuals used by minimalists.
Youtube haul videos criticism
Social media influencers will often use their platform to promote brands, and sometimes do shopping hauls where they purchase several articles of clothing worth hundreds and show them off to the audience. This was more of a trend between 2007-2016, backlash criticised influencers for heavily promoting the practice of throw away culture and needless spending, which encouraged their viewers to do the same. Usually the influencer buys from one shop/ brand products (cosmetic, fashion, shoes, etc.) haul videos are rarely negative about the brands they are showing and are sometimes sponsoring the youtuber. Viewers often feel betrayed when they find out if a youtuber has been sponsored. After public criticism the popularity of these haul videos decreased and influencers have become more aware some turning to slow fashion.
Exploitation It has come to public attention that factory workers overseas are often mistreated due to their race, gender and poverty and are overworked and underpaid in unsafe conditions. This is to produce clothing quickly and efficiently and is cheaper for fashion brands. But little is done to protect them from rough working conditions, this can result in fatal death one infamous incident was the tragedy of Rana Plaza back in 2013. Global labour justice reports that brands H&M and Gap have factory employees who are subjected to gender-based violence in Asia. This is because of the pressure to reach targets on time. In 2016 a BBC investigation found brands Marks and Spencer, Zara and Next have exploited the cheap labour of syrian employees in a factory in Turkey. The operation also found that children were being paid to work for less than a pound an hour. Global citizen is helping people take action on the issue online gaining points if they tweet or sign up to a petition.
Vivienne Westwood Dame Vivienne Westwood is largely responsible for integrating subculture fashion into mainstream fashion, also helped shaped the Punk scene. She began by making clothes for Malcolm McLaren's boutique on Kings Road in their first shop “SEX” Her ex husband Malcolm was the manager for the Sex Pistols, and was inspired by the band’s shock value. She is linked to many political causes and fights for social injustice, mainly climate change, fast fashion and civil rights. In April 1989 she appeared on Tatlier dressed as Margaret Thatcher with the caption “This Woman was Once a Punk”
In 2014 she cut all of her hair of for climate change and appeared on a ad for PETA to promote World Water Day and vegetarianism. She also endorsed Jeremy Corbyn’s election in 2019. She had created a manifesto called Active Resistance to Propaganda which she read at a number of venues including the London Transport Museum in 2009 which was also performed as a play. Twice the designer had received British Designer of the year and received a OBE from Queen Elizabeth II, in 2018 she released a documentary about her called “Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist. At 79 she is still seen as a British Icon.
Vivienne Westwood voiced that people should use their limited resources to buy fashion less and instead choose well. She also believes that fast fashion has stripped individuality. The designer is a eco-activist. She said that her jeans will now be only made from recycled denim to make them more eco-friendly. THE DESIGNER STAGED a protest during london fashion week 2019 using the catwalk as a political stage. Models, activists and actors including rose mcgowan, performing speeches criticising the dangers of climate change, brexit and capitalism. (independent)
Stella McCartney Stella is the daughter of Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney, raised with vegetarian values, she first interned for Christian Lacroix where she worked on her first haute couture collection. And further studied at Central Saint Martins where her graduation collection was modelled by the likes of Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss. Stella McCartney uses animal friendly methods for her designs, she strives to make sustainable fashion “cool� like fast fashion brands. Stella has developed skin-free skin that is made out of polyester and polyurethane completely spun from organic fibres. Stella also uses organic cotton that doesn't come from endangered forests At Autumn/winter 2020 Paris show her models dressed up as animals (fox, cow, an alligator) animals that are commonly exploited and killed for their skin. She did this to remind us the abuse the animals endure even though high quality sustainable leather is available and other alternatives. On social media she also posted on instagram comical cartoons of the animals against using them for fashion. (source: PETA)
Charity organisation Fashion Revolution shares statistics relating to the consumerism of fashion and its harmful impact.
Fashion revolution week From the 20th to the 26th of April Fashion Revolution Week took place to raise awareness for workers who make garments and the poor conditions. This was established in 2014 after the Rana Plaza incident. And 2020 particularly is an important year to remember, because as a result of Covid-19, many orders had been cancelled and factories closed. Millions of families will be affected as a result as they are threatened by unemployed, poverty and hunger. Fashion revolution week focused on 4 key areas: consumption, composition, , conditions and collective action. Showing how the current climate is affecting those who make our clothes as well as the impact clothes have on the earth and oceans. The participation was online due to the lockdown in various countries. The activities involved online events, flash mobs, workshops and a worldwide selfie campaign.
Criticism of Black friday Black Friday was an American tradition when retailers noticed a spike in shopping after Thanksgiving. In recent years it has globalised and is now an annual event that even Europe takes part in. The goal is to encourage shoppers to purchase from the sales. Black Friday is quite controversial for it encourages mass-consumerism and waste. Shoppers buy out of impulse to feel like they are taking part. Even further, it is criticised for being an American tradition making no sense for other countries to take part. Instead it is seen as a sale convenient for buying Christmas presents. In recent years more people have spoken out about not participating in Black Friday and instead staying indoors. Brands will keep participating as it expected from customers and are pressured to take part to not fall behind competitors. Brands like Patagonia however had an anti-black friday campaign so there is hope for more brands to take a stance on social issues like mass-consumerism.
London Fashion Week: Activism Many designers used the platform during fashion week for social causes including brexit, climate change, women’s rights and justice for Grenfell tower. Vivienne Westwood used her autumn/winter 2019 catwalk “Homo Loquax” with other activists including Rose McGowan to address the crowd on a number of issues like the consequences of consumerism, climate change, and Brexit. She also chose to honour her Punk anti-establishment roots with her collection, disheveled styles and bold tartan. A slogan on a T-shirt said “What is good for the planet is good for the economy,” Justice4 Greenwell also took a stand at the fashion catwalk as the event took place 20 months after the tragedy which nobody has been held accountable for. 72 models including Emeli Sande, Adwoa Aboah and Clara Paget and activists walked the catwalk with T-shirt stating “No Death In Vain”. Designed by Grenwell Speaks and two young community members.
London fashion week: Edeline Lee Edeline Lee used her platform to put a spotlight on Women’s voices inspired by Mary Beard’s manifesto Women and Power (2017) Lee herself explained that “Fashion itself is an area where women are always seen, seldom heard, As a response, this immersive presentation is conceived as a two-hour marathon of women’s voices. The presentation had more than 20 women sharing their personal experiences and expertise. This included gold-medallist Sally Gunnell, Professor Dame Jane Francis, director of the British Antarctic Survey, CNN war correspondent Clarissa Ward, Meg Matthews, activist and founder of Meg's Menopause, UK beatbox champion Grace Savage and Brita Schmidt, executive director of Women for Women International
London Fashion Week: Mother of Pearl The show transformed the Fitzrovia Chapel into a ball pit. The pearl balls were representing the "plethora of microplastics that are deposited into the oceans each day from the washing of synthetic fibres� Mother of Pearl declared to donate 10 percent of its sales for the rest of the month to a charity that clears up the ocean.
London Fashion Week: house of holland “global citizen” The stage was covered with political posters and manifestos. “Global Citizen” protested against the building borders in the wake of Brexit. “Global Citizen is a love letter to outspoken and the rebellious. For those who cross borders, scale walls and show that creative inspiration cannot be confined.” The British designer’s collection had an array of utilian uniform with Prince of Wales check. He calls for the generation who feel “increasingly unheard, misrepresented and angry at the way their world is being governed.”
Fashion Designers who could fall into the concept:
Early Alexander McQueen Reason being that past work of Mcqueen was known having a dramatic flair in his fashion shows, and used fashion to communicate serious topics (Highland Rape) or rebels like Joan of Arc.
Moschino Past Moschino work had subversive themes, ironically creating a collection inspired by Mcdonalds and somewhat mocking the fashionable high spenders
Vetements The brand has notiably taken a stance in terms of criticising throw away fashion, past window displays are inspired by piles of clothing left in landfills
Vivienne Westwood Westwood’s style is heavily focused on seditionary, her shop was named “Seditionaries” and is known for punk/ BDSM fashion, she is very outspoken about issues relating to the environment and sustainability.
Fast fashion by Benjamin Von Wong Benjamin is a conservationist photographer and recently created a Cosmic Cave made out of plastic cups for Instagram with the hashtag #plastikophobia The idea was to attract people to come in to take photos for their instagram but to also question their use of plastics being surrounded by so much of it and feel claustrophobic.
Where are your clothes born? A project by Benjamin Von Wong where abandoned mouldy clothes were recycled into several installations as a way to remind people how the clothing was made. The exhibition took place in an abandoned factory in Cambodia “Tak Fat� that used to employ 5,000 workers. It was chosen because when it was bankrupt in 2009 it abandoned thousands of new clothes, they were found still in bags ten years later. Using those clothes, the space was used to create installations with the help of volunteers recruited from online. The project took a year and a half. One of the installations was a waterfall, as it takes 2700 Litres to create a single cotton t-shirt, the concept was to remind people how their clothes were born.
World’s tallest closet
The exhibition was to show a lifetime’s worth of clothing. Benjamin collaborated with his designer friend Laura, they realised that a lifetime's worth of clothing depended on gender, wealth and culture so studied different statistics and graphs discovering the total was 3000 articles of clothing. The project took 5 days and were collected in the Mall of Arabia in Cairo. They hoped to attract visitors and share their message of concern and reinstate awareness of how many of there purchases end up being thrown away in a lifetime.
Fashioned from Nature v&A
V&A Fashioned from Nature exhibition overviewed articles of clothing from 1600 to present day. The clothes were creative examples showing examples of how one doesn’t have to buy brand new clothes to be in fashion and can alter clothing themselves. And also humans relationship to nature, how much water is used to produce our garments (like denim) and are we responsible enough? It asks the visitors to think , “How can we design a more sustainable fashion industry?” and “What can we learn from the past?” And if some of the practices we take part in now will be questioned in the future, for example leather and wool.
Visual boards The following are collections of online images that represent sedition in fast fashion Our initial ideas involved ● ● ● ●
Graffiti to cross out shopping bags/ write quotes on the wall, Using a mannequin to show a timeless piece of clothing Clothing on the floor Huge sale signs, possibly painted.
Feedback The feedback we received was that our concept was strong, however it could look messy and overwhelming. Combining the red sale signs with the clothes and mannequin wearing trash bins could look too heavy on the eye which we didn't consider. Next steps: We will draw the concept and see what would fit, what concepts should stay and what could be taken out
We changed our minds about the spray painting, agreeing that it's possible it wont not look effective after experimenting on bags. We also agreed that the message will come through strong without the crossed out SALES. Additionally, we changed our plans to not using a mannequin believing it didn’t need to be included (Thursday 12th March) Start sketching/ creating visual ideas. Arrange who is doing what (Thursday 19th March) Place bags on the floor standing up filled with paper and clothes (i will bring) start collecting bags. Paint out SALE with red and white, perhaps individual letters
Due to the team installation being cancelled and not being able to attend class, the schedule had to change work on a group presentation instead.
Designing the layout Layout idea 1
I used Photoshop to experiment with layout ideas, I tried several layout ideas until the group agreed on one that was the best choice. At first the display was minimal and decided that the display needed more. So I added more bags and clothing for a stronger visual impact. The final outcome takes on board all of our concerns of the display looking too bare but also with a strong message. I was pleased with my results using Photoshop, and learnt that even when placing discarded clothes on the floor, it would have to be displayed in a way to look visually impactful. Overall i was happy with the project, we worked well together and learnt a lot in regards to garment waste and projects that are tackling sustainability issues. We had occasionally issues with communication, however we came through and organised times to meet up on microsoft teams, organising what needed to be done and assigning roles.
sketch
My sketch of the visual planning.
Final outcome
references D Rosie 2017 The Top 5 Anti-Fast Fashion Moments By Designers W Von 2019 This cosmic cave is an Instagram trap made from 18,000 used plastic cups W Von My Friend And I Built The World's Tallest Closet W Von Where are your clothes born? G Sally 7 April 2020 Fast fashion is costing the Earth and slow fashion is the future, say scientists H Harriet and P Olivia 17 Feburary 2017 Vivienne Westwood stages political London Fashion Week show starring Rose McGowan E Josh April 1 2020 Extinction Rebellion: The New Eco-Radicals Saskia March 3 2020 Stella McCartney Talks Sustainability and Fashion's Animal-Free Future WS Danielle 21 February 2019 LFW: A Season For Activism
references P Simone 21 April 2020 Fashion Revolution Week 2020: more relevant than ever R Liliana August 13 2019 Stella McCartney. Sustainability and Luxury: Why Taking the Long View Pays Off. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_England_riotsen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stella_McCartney M Georgia April 20 2018 Fashioned From Nature V&A Museum Fashion Exhibition M Laurence November 24 2017 Are you sick of Black Friday too? Check out these genius campaigns. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_England_riotse n.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stella_McCartney https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montgomery_bus_boycott https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_Parks JTW Intelligence, date N/A The new feminism and the future of women L Helen 15 February 2020 Fighting the tyranny of ‘niceness’: why we need difficult women
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