Mah Pony!

Text and film for the subject Visual Arts, IED Barcelona 2010.

This essay will discuss the theme fashion and recycling, touching subjects such as consumerism and ethics, but also creativity and the search for individual style.

In order to discuss fashion and the retail business, it is of sever importance to take the foundation of its economies and our welfare into consideration: the environment.

Our world is seriously threatened by global warming putting the health of key ecosystem services at risk. This is combined with excessive poverty in low income countries with many cases of unfair labor standards (where production for many retail companies is set).

On the other hand, the textile retail business has grown into one of the largest industries of our time. Only in a small country as Sweden people consumed around 7,5 billion EUR of clothing in 2008[1]. Conspicuous consumption has become a part of our daily life now that mass production has allowed fashion to spread out through society and overcome any class barrier[2]. At the same time the textile industry itself holds internal trends and changes, one of the largest ones being the rise of mass producing low cost chains such as the Inditex group and H&M group caused by the new high demand on fashion, but also the severe decrease of purchases in multi brand stores and smaller designer businesses.

Terms like “fast fashion” and “over consumption” are frequently used when criticizing today’s retail climate, but new trends and changes of attitude towards consumption of clothing are actually standing on the doorstep. An increasing understanding of environmental threats and care for the world has led to an urge to re-use and re-think. We seek ways to more eco-friendly lifestyles, and at the same time individuality in terms of dress has never been this important.

The second hand market is growing in popularity every year, and vintage or second hand clothes which used to be for the arty or poor is now a significant element in order to express individuality.

Besides the will to purchase what has already been used consumer-wise, mass producing companies have started to recycle textile materials such as polyester in order to provide the new-thinking consumer with environmental friendly collections. Having a look at energy consumption and sustainability within the retail industry, different parts of the production process are responsible for the energy waste.

A polyester blouse made of non-renewable petroleum cannot be recycled in the eco-system, meaning that the highest energy waste lies within the production. However, it may be sold on the second hand market or broken down in order to create new polyester and thereby recycle. When it comes to a cotton shirt the usage is the highest energy waste period.

Washing the shirt can actually stand for up to 85% of its total energy consumption[3]. This is where the recycled fashion really starts to make a difference, where less production is set for new products with short life cycle and long life cycle products should be used with ecological ethics.

“The Garden Collection” of H&M s/s 2010 was a huge hit not only because of the style and looks offered, but the added value in terms of garments made by recycled polyester. H&M has also started to use Lyocell in their garments, which is the first “organic synthetic fiber” made from cellulose.

However, H&M was not a pioneer in this section. When Alexander McQueen sent out his models in re-runs of looks from past collections combined with creations of garbage bags and soda cans for f/w 2009, people were stunned by the “in-your-face-comments” lobbying for sustainable fashion. McQueen himself stated during the show that “This whole situation is such a cliché. The turnover of fashion is just so quick and so throw away, and I think that is a big part of the problem. There is no longevity.”[4]

The Swedish brand Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair also followed the trend as they showed voluminous dresses for s/s 2009 made by men’s cotton shirts in white and light blue, as if to re-use non sold stock and at the same time show great proof of creativity. For the recycling fashion market this kind of ambassadors are priceless for the industry and our environment.

Another great artist group supporting sustainable fashion is the Cuban duo Guerra de la Paz. Alain Guerra and Neraldo de la Paz create installations of second hand clothing as criticism of modern political conflicts as well as consumerism[5]. Their exhibitions often contain models of humans landscapes and trees and even abstract installations created by used textiles only.

And the beat goes on. On another continent, Japanese designer/artist Jun Takahashi follows the same lead by creating figures of what has already been used. His famous dolls called his “Graces”, seen as muses of his inner mythology and aesthetics, lead the way through live shows and web films for his more wearable fashion collections[6]. Takahashi’s avant-garde approach to fashion has led him to co operations with larger fashion houses such as Hermès, for which he customized the famous “Kelly” bag appearing in printed ads in 2009.

Furthermore, these models made by clothes can be seen as an underlying fear or feeling of threat, as if consumption have reached to a point where it has to be formed into a for the human recognized shape to actually understand that it has overcome us. We are no longer in charge of consumption but consumption is in charge of us. This new attitude and urge to consume less and care more for the world is a counterattack towards “fast fashion” as we know it.

While we seek to make more eco-friendly purchases, we still want to communicate style and individuality to the people around us. Dressing in vintage can be a way to give a personal touch to your style, but “dressing vintage” has also developed into a uniform style itself. It has become so popular and outstanding that brands have chosen to adopt this trend to their collections and images during the last decade. It is here not about being influenced by the 50’s or 80’s, but about adopting a “vintage feeling” to a collection.

There was no coincidence that H&M started to sell vintage clothing in their POS as accessories to their existing lines, or the co operation between Topshop and the vintage chain Beyond Retro. Topshop garments were sold next to extravagant vintage clothing as if to offer that perfect fashion forward personality to every young man and woman without having to go treasure hunting for it.

Within clothing lines the “vintage look” is adopted in order to offer new vintage clothing. When the documentary “Grey Gardens” (1975,starring Mother and daughter Edith Bouvier Beale) showed a massive influence on fashion in terms of the home made creations of Little Edie, the fashion world completely exploded with her way of recycling a cardigan into a shawl, a coat into a skirt. In 2008 Calvin Klein, John Galliano and Marc Jacobs all paid homage to Little Edie in their collections or accessories.

The conclusion is that vintage and recycled clothing have become so popular that we don’t even need to shop vintage anymore in order to get the desired look. It can also be seen as a sign of mass producing brands desperately trying to cover all fields, eliminating all possible competitors. However, there is nothing as authentic as wearing a real vintage garment. Using recycled clothing is truly a lifestyle which nowadays not only has been accepted, but has become a trend people strive to live by and dress like.

[1] http://www.nordiskamuseet.se/Publication.asp?publicationid=11410&cat=148&catName=utstallningar&topmenu=148

[2] www.hec.unige.ch/recherches_publications/cahiers/.../2000.01.pdf

[3] http://www.svd.se/nyheter/vetenskap/matklimat/finns-det-klimatsmarta-klader_3364055.svd

[4] http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/03/22/sustainable-style-alexander-mcqueen-fall-09/

[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerra_de_la_Paz

[6] http://www.ablogcuratedby.com/juntakahashiundercover/five-graces-the-dolls-of-jun-takahashi/

short film in addition to the essay to be uploaded soon...

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I know I have been extremely absent on the blog lately but I recently became "mother" of the sweetest thing on earth. I am now the proud owner of a boxer blend puppy called Ramón.

I HAVE A DOOOG!!! The level of excitement cannot be described in words, which is why I have been absent from anything near shopping and checking out the store's new collections for F/W.

My life and fashion sense just went on to a whole new level in terms of visiting all natural parks of Catalunya (Collserola, Puiggracios, Montsen etc.) in clogs and slip on dresses easy enough to put on in order to walk the dog asleep early mornings (the clogs aren't to bad though, actually a cute bargain I found on a market in Småland; Sweden).

Anyhow, today I finally took a trip up Avenida Diagonal and left doggie at home (he can't be out around other dogs yet). The favorite offer so far among the cheaper brands was definitely Üterque (Inditex). Lots of camel beige, bordeaux red and nice leather details.

(Pic from SELECTISM)

As soon as Üterque update the website (...) I will post some pics. I loved the bordeaux fringed loafers and lovely beige knitted coats to wear when autumn comes . I feel like Ramón also matches perfectly in to the color scale of F/W 2010. When he stops chewing on the leash I will get him a nice brown leather one. Or maybe bordeaux red? :)

(My favorite above!)

Below you see the F/W RTW campaign for Chloé embodying the true essence of the camel color scale. (and a hint of denim)

Model: Rachel Zimmerman
Photographer(s): Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin