BONNER

Behind The Badge

Grace Wales Bonner graduated from the world-renowned Central Saint Martins in 2014. Her graduate showcase collection ‘Afrique’ was awarded the prestigious L’Oréal Professional Talent Award, a sure-fire sign of the inevitable greatness to come. In this first collection, the foundations of Grace Wales Bonner’s unique approach to menswear began to show. Growing up in Southeast London to an English mother and Jamaican father, Grace remarks she was hyperaware of her mixed heritage and it spurred a deep, diasporic self-exploration. This initial blending of European high fashion with the spirit of Afro-Atlantic heritage became the definitive ethos of her postgrad brand. The clothing evokes a fascinating perspective on the rich history of the African diaspora, a whole celebratory one that, though disciplined and refined, is full of love for the culture itself.

The blending of these traditionally Western European styles with the thudding heart of African influence is both proof of her own journey to rationalising her relationship with both cultures as it is her pushing the boundaries for the Euro-Centric high fashion of today. In an interview with The Guardian, Grace Wales Bonner states:

“It’s working out how I could be and that I didn’t need to prove anything to be who I was…I have to be between places, because that’s a creative space for me. It’s the foundation of what I’m doing, a meeting and collision of cultures.” walesbonner.net

This then lends itself to the framing of Wales Bonner clothes, the quietly subversive nature of how masculinity is presented. As her collections develop, one can sense the keenness to which she’s evoking a gentler representation of black men. The cinched waist and angled shoulders of the garments, along with the array of colour spectrum, softens the silhouette and with it defies the expectation of black men both to themselves and to the colonial prejudice. Wales Bonner understands the role of the fashion designer in the broader cultural context, looking at the impact of her work in the wider picture of society and interrogating her own role within it. The evolution of her collections is a demonstration of her challenging herself to find those inbetween places and invite others into them, to find their creativity, their style, and their sense of self, in hybridity.

THE REVERSIBLE CULTURE OF BRITAIN’S ICONIC BRANDS

What comes to mind when you’re asked to think about ‘iconic’ British fashion? It’s difficult to pinpoint one singular look because British fashion and culture have been enmeshed throughout time and we are a society of variety. That being said, there are three brands that spring to mind as quintessentially British: Vivienne Westwood, Fred Perry, and Burberry.

A simple polo shirt might not seem culturally significant at face value; however, in the 1960s, the signature Fred Perry collared polo became an emblem for breaking class boundaries. The Wimbledon-aligned brand designed the now-infamous shirt with the highbrow sport of tennis in mind, seemingly at odds with the loyalties of Britain’s anti-establishment youth culture in the 60s. So why did mods, rockers and punks alike adopt this shirt in particular to be counterculture’s status symbol of the era?

The wheels were set in motion many years earlier, in the blue-collar town of Stockport. The son of a cotton-spinning factory worker disregarded the social narrative that reserved tennis for the wealthier classes and picked up a racquet anyway. He defied the criticisms of tennis authorities and overcame the mental bounds of classism to become the most successful tennis player in British history. With that, Perry became the personification of social ascent and an inspiration to the next generation of working-class youth.

Whether you mod-styled yours with a v-neck jumper, paired with bleached jeans and a shaved head, or finished your outfit with fishnets, studs and safety pins, the embroidered laurel wreath

- a symbol of triumph and victoryexpressed an aspiration to succeed, subvert expectations and move into positions previously deemed out of bounds by society’s norms.

It’s interesting that these factions of working-class youth, who were known to clash in many respects, were united in their appreciation of this cotton-threaded manifestation of social mobility. When the brand went on to experiment with vibrant colour combinations, fans of ska, rave, rock-steady and rude-boy style music, also started to utilise the polo shirts as a mode of self-expression, solidifying the brand’s presence in the underground music scene.

Later, when some skinheads migrated to far-right, white nationalist and neonazi groups, the signature collared shirt began to appear in images of violence and racism. To save its image, the brand opted to collaborate with musicians, such as No Doubt and Amy Winehouse, rather than sports people. It’s interesting the brand opted to realign with the music scene, rather than its sport industry roots. Although Fred Perry hadn’t set out to become a part of youth, music and working-class culture, the brand remained loyal to the people who had adopted it.

In the same era, conspicuous consumerism was on the rise, and an unmistakable red, white, black and tan nova check swept the nation. Most of the time, growing in popularity is every brand's mission, but as demand for Burberry rose on the streets of Britain, its credibility in the fashion industry fell drastically.

Founded in 1856 with the purpose to shield wearers from the dreary British weather, Burberry’s roots were in functionality. They were the outfitter to WW1 officers and secured the trench coat as a mainstay in civilian wardrobes. Its Latin tagline, innovative weatherproof gabardine and hefty price tag, however, clearly tailored Burberry to those who could afford to explore the outdoors. Back in those days, that meant Captains, Lords, Sirs and Antarctic explorers. Despite this history in high society, however, the signature nova check is more readily associated - in Britain at least - with trackies tucked in socks, TNs and shell jackets. Unlike Fred Perry, with its proud blue-collar roots, Burberry was unwittingly sequestered by the working class.

The insurgence of tabloid news and celebrity gossip in the 90s had created an environment where wealth equated to worth and, as a result, lower-income communities were frequently villainized in the media. In the early 2000s, when an influx of knock-off Burberry arrived on the market, it became possible to get the label, and the esteem that came with it, without paying the price. Naturally, head-to-toe Burberry became the latest look among young people who aspired to emulate their celebrity idols and shed the unfair stereotypes pressed on them by the media.

While the rest of the world considered this the ‘downfall of Burberry’, in my opinion, this is when it became a truly iconic British look. Burberry shed the nova check pattern from all but 10% of its merchandise in an attempt to regain a fortune lost in decreased sales; however, years later, with the reclamation of working-class pride, and privilege becoming unpopular, Burberry played into its ‘chav’ aesthetic on the runway. The all-Burberry look went from ‘trashy’ to tasteful in the eyes of high fashion.

It’s a contentious story because there’s an injustice in the way that the allBurberry look was criticised when it was composed in a working-class context, but was praised when it was assumed in an affluent, runway environment. Despite this, it’s satisfying to know that workingclass British fashion is inspiring the global runway.

The photo-negative to Burberry, Vivienne Westwood’s clothing was initially designed for lower-income youth with a passion for self-expression and a penchant for subverting the status quo. Unlike Fred Perry, it wasn’t a side effect of successful social mobility that brought the Vivienne Westwood brand into the heart of the counterculture. Printing slogans such as “Try Subversion” and “Only Anarchists Are Pretty” to fabric was an intentional way of partnering with an audience that craved the opportunity to put on what they preached.

Vivienne Westwood was a punk activist at the helm of a boutique literally named for anti-authoritarianism - Seditionaries. Her style was the antithesis of conformity, yet, in an ironic twist, it is this rejection of commercial fashion that led to her designs becoming coveted by couture and Westwood herself becoming the most influential British fashion designer of the 20th century, the recipient of an OBE, and a Dame.

Following the punk rock 70s, the postThatcher 80s saw a boom in British nightlife and an influx of synth-heavy electronic music. The introduction of the ‘style press’, brought a new level of visibility to bands’ and artists’ style choices, and set the perfect stage for a liberating social movement expressed through outrageous fashion. Westwood’s inspiration at the time - 17th and 18th-century silhouettes - is said to have partly influenced the style in which the New Romantics emulated their new idols: futuristic and gender-fluid, dandystyle buccaneer pants, frilly hats and theatrical hair and makeup.

The New Romantic scene burned bright and swiftly. Social trends came and went, but Vivienne Westwood maintained a symbiotic relationship with society, in which she both reflected and influenced culture. She wasn’t afraid to be political, and no matter the theme, kept a thread of rebellion running through every collection. As the mood of the nationand the world - developed around social justice movements such as climate change, civil liberties, gay rights, nuclear disarmament, and indigenous rights, so too did Westwood’s collections. In turn, her collections shone a spotlight on these important issues, no doubt increasing support for the causes.

The thing about counter-culture is that when the cause or the movement engages enough people, it can become another convention of popular culture - the very thing it set out to break. This is by no means a negative thing, it’s an accomplishment, especially when we’re talking about social justice movements. In the 21st century, now that we all have a platform in one way or another, it’s reassuring to know that concepts and ideas starting out from humble, rebellious, subversive beginnings can grow into the norm in a way that fosters acceptance, equality and positive change.