Project | Question Everything.

 

I have been working really hard on my textiles project the last week or so, and was having a real tough time trying to actually work out what problem I was actually trying to work out?

My sketchbook was evolving, but I didn't actually understand what was happening.

I like to make my sketchbook about me and relevant to stuff that interests me and that I am actually intellectually and visually stimulated by. I want it to evolve into something, not be pushed into resolving an idea which I created right at the beginning.

As I have explained in previous posts, we are doing a module called 'fashion futures', and we are all therefore trying to develop our own ideas about what fashion will be like in the future.

One point that interested me was fashion as art and as a means of expression.

You all know about my interest in Street Art and Graffiti and I wanted to explore the idea of what propels these artists to take their work to the street, and the meaning of their work - be it political, personal, purely decorative or just for the point of vandalism? 

Have a look at the pictures below, they're just a snap shot of some of the stuff in my sketchbook (I don't want to give everything away in terms of ideas for my final outcome), but hopefully if you read some of the text, it will make some kind of sense and you will get my drift.  :-)

 I also find fashions relation to popular culture interesting and how during the 50's,60's & 70's "Street Style" allowed the self-expression of youth, the London 'Fashion Scene' would make newspaper headlines, and when the youth weren't afraid to wear the S&M clothing of Vivienne Westwood, pornographic accessories and Jean-Paul Gaultier's "Bad Taste".

Nowadays, the term 'Hipster' is used to describe the New London Fashion Scene, when all it is really, is a bunch of people dressed the same, with no expression and no meaning. When I walk down the street I rarely see people dressed interestingly. I don't want to see people wearing BOY stuff because everyone else is, or people who don't have a clue who Shepard Fairey wearing OBEY T-shirts, and I definitely don't like looking at fake Underground Creepers from Primark.

I have spoken with many people about this, and often I hear the idea that people buy 'creepers' in Primark because they simply can't afford Underground, which relates back to fashion and elitism. But, then I think, if the object was something truly unique and expressive then it would be something that the likes Primark wouldn't dare to stock as it couldn't possibly be sold to the masses.

But then again, nowadays the masses can be pretty easily brainwashed into buying pretty much anything! Social media has a lot to do with all of this.

I find it interesting how Punk, centered in London was at most 200 hundred teenagers, and yet was so hugely recognized and influential and had a pivotal impact on the future of fashion. 

You can also have a read of my mates Kate's blog post on similar thoughts, 

(Kate and I always have the best conversations! Our opinions can sometimes be very different, but then at other times very similar.)

http://www.karenbuckley.co.uk/2012/08/top-shop-hipsters-and-lady-gagas-little.html

a post which has also received a lot of hits! 

 "What finally pushed me over the edge, was when Karen and I were satisfying our Professor Green addiction by drooling over "Top of the World", which features the slightly annoying Tawiah with her even more annoying style. Thanks to her we finally managed to coin the term, which best describes these "false" hipsters - Topshop-Hipsters.
Real Hipsters are all about creative thinking, individuality, and freedom to explore yourself, but it seems that our generation is deprived of personality, and rather than developing your own opinions, the Hipster movement has gone from embracing individual originality to encouraging being different for the sake of being different! I am baffled. What started out as something truly great and inspiring has been degraded to a mere fashion trend."

My blog also get a lot of hits from people asking google stuff like 'how do you dress like a hipster?' or 'am I a hipster?'.

I have gone off on a bit of a tangent, but overall, what I want to know is, has Popular Culture and Advertisers stripped the youth of their rebellion? 

And, could you walk around now with a T-shirt printed with some of the obscenities that were often seen on one of London's Punks? 

I must admit I am not the most clued up person when it comes to politics and stuff, and I probably do have a lot of contradicting ideas, but one think I do like to do is pay attention to whats happening around me.

I would love to hear what everyone has to say, and am interested to hear everyone's point of view!

If you have liked my Facebook page, you will also have seen this post (hopefully),

Hi all,,,, I am in need of some help & some outspoken people, I am working on a print for textiles and am trying to create something that is a reaction to our surroundings (the idea is to create some visuals inspired by your emotions and feelings toward your environment), So I want to know the one thing that annoys you most about the city (or the place you currently live)?????! Be as polite/rude/outspoken/frank/honest/political/legislative/crude/abrupt as you like. :-) comment here, or message me, whatever you like,,, but all of your help would be *amazing*...... Thanks X

I got some really interesting responses, each and every person who replied is super. Here are some examples, 

"I would like to to express my hate towards London transport!!! Lol and how inconsiderate people are on the tubes!...people in London aren't very friendly.."

"Rising tube fares, robbing Bastards"

"people having no FUCKING manners!! esp towards small kids walking with mums...they push past...they expect pram to levitate out of the way...kissing their teeth huffing and puffing...don't even get me started on shithead youth's foul language and loudspeaker music on the bus..in short the way Londoners think everyone else is in their way.."

If you have something else to say, Say it!!!