http://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2012-ready-to-wear/rodarte
This question has been asked many times over the last few decades; there is a constant battle between fashion and art.
One view is that fashion becomes art when designers use artist’s work as inspiration for a collection. Rodarte’s spring collection of 2012 saw them take the work of Van Gogh and evolve it into ready to wear dresses.
Sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy designed the collection using imagery from Gogh and have manipulated it into something new.
The brand and collection have been recognized for using Gogh’s work. Sung Bok Kim, fashion theorist said “designers have established connections in the art world by using artist’s works on their designs” Sung Bok Kim (1998) Is fashion Art?, Fashion Theory, 2:1, 51-57. Whilst I believe this can happen in some cases, I don’t think fashion is made into art simply by digitally printing a Van Gogh, for example, on to a pretty dress.
For me, fashion can be art but can also just be functional clothes we wear to keep warm etc. Alexander McQueen’s Savage Beauty collection is fashion as art, there is no denying that what McQueen created was a collection of beautifully designed and well crafted walking art pieces.
http://iconolo.gy/archive/savage-beauty-alexander-mcqueen/1826
The argument that fashion is not art, has many points; one theory is that because fashion is mass produced, it cannot be art. Whilst I agree that a Primark dress or a TopShop t-shirt, for example, is not art; I don’t agree that because something is mass produced it can’t be art for art that is mass produced like postcards and t-shirts from prints from Andy Warhol for example.
http://www.beograund.com/images/product_images/a0726.jpg
So is fashion art? My opinion? It can be, but more often than not the art from fashion comes from the person wearing it and not the designer – art in styling perhaps?
If an artists creates an art piece that happens to be a dress and tells me it’s art who am I to tell them different? Art is first in the creation and second in the eye of the beholder; those two things can, but don’t need to, coincide together. If I create something I see as art and some one tells me they don’t see it that way well then I have still created a piece of art. In the same way that the person who told me it isn’t art can have that view and be ‘correct’. Art can be defined many different ways and more often than not, it can be difficult to define.
This idea is transferable to fashion, a t-shirt will always be a t-shirt and there is no argument there. However fashion is ever changing and evolving, it is a creative outlet, a unique creative expression much like art. For a designer to create something for function and comfort they have created ready to wear fashion. For a designer to create something conceptual or emotive they have created fashion as art.
I am hoping to do interviews with people in person aswell as over email so I will determine the type of interview based on where they are based. Below are some example interview questions:
The Lavender Hill Company - Sue Pritchard – Florist:
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Tell me about your self and your business
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How long have you been working on the LHC?
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What’s your day-to-day routine at the florist?
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You are in the process of moving to a new store, and have rebranded that store, so almost like completely new start, do you think you’ll carry over the key themes from the previous store? Or will you be doing different things with the brand in the new store? Events etc.
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You say on your site “Every morning when I open up and smell the flowers, I count myself blessed to be earning a living doing the very thing that I adore!” Do you still stand by this, I’m sure it’s a lot of stress trying to build and sustain a small business. Do you question whether owning your own business is worth the stress?
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What would you say your brand stands for?
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Where have you come from/Have you always done or wanted to do this?
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How long have you been doing it?
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Future Goals for the brand
OYF – Josh Harding – Footwear & accessories:
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What is OYF?
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What does your brand stand for?
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How did Studying shoe design at LCF shape your creative direction today?
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Tell me about your jewellery
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Is eco friendly/sustainable fashion important to you and how long has it been?
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More so than style?
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I’ve seen you branch out into photography, footwear, jewellery and bags. Do you have any other secret ideas up your sleeve for the future and what are you focusing your creativity on at the moment?
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If you were to launch a business full time right now, money no object, what would you do? (new or previous idea)
The New Coast – Nick Blyth – Newly Signed Band
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How long has music been apart of your life?
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You’ve recently singed a contract for LUNR right? That’s exciting, how’s that going?
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You’re at uni studying film right? Paired with music these are two very creative but different avenues; which do you see yourself perusing if either?
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How difficult do you find studying whilst perusing music?
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Why The New Coast?
Roberts Clothing – Harry Murr – Clothing Brand
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How difficult do you find studying whilst perusing Roberts Clothing?
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Is it something you would want to do in the future?
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Do you think your outside work influenced your uni work or visa versa or do they go hand in hand?
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Where do you get your inspiration from for your garments?
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Are you purely just interested in the design or are you interested in the process of printing at all?
Etsy Artisans:
Amy Victoria Marsh:
- Manchester uk
- Illustrations
- Push Pins
Amy Laws:
- Bath UK
- Vintage Inspired Clothing
That Vegan Cow // Lydia Ellis:
- Wales
- Vegan inspired badges and T-shirts
Dottie Rocks:
- Gold Foil
- Saying Stationary
For the love of patch // Matthew Hall:
- USA, Denver
- "Makin awesome designs to tickle your fancy"
- Embroidered patches of animals etc
5 key words on my project:
- Passion
- Creativity
- Inspiration
- Innovation
- Excitement
Harding is a creative brand with a passion for innovation and inspiration thriving on excitement for the new, up and coming.
Why is it important // what difference does it make to the world // what about it is new // why it matters:
Harding is a breath of fresh air in a polluted industry, giving rising talent a platform to be creative and inspire others; we are like no other company, focusing on the individual, both reader and contributor.
Who it matters to // who will it effect // who is it important to:
Harding is built to inspire it readers, it is our aim for every reader who picks up our publication to be motivated to create, whether they class them selves as a creative or not, we are the journey between themselves and creation, we are the enabler.
"Harding is a creative brand with a passion for innovation and inspiration thriving on excitement for the new and up and coming. Harding is a breath of fresh air in a polluted industry, giving rising talent a platform to be creative and inspire others; we are like no other company, focusing on the individual, both reader and contributor. Harding is built to inspire it readers, it is our aim for every reader who picks up our publication to be motivated to create, whether they class them selves as a creative or not, we are the journey between themselves and creation, we are the enabler."
Email to Creative:
Hi there,
I hope you are well,
I am a 3rd year fashion communication student in Bournemouth and I'm currently doing my final project, I love your work and would be really interested in featuring you in my project.
I am creating a publication called Harding which brings the latest development in fashion, design and lifestyle in a blog, annual and inspirational, creative workshops.
The publication is set to:
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Focus on creative content sourced from artisans who we collaborate with.
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Produce articles and workshop content our readers want to learn about.
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Bring exquisite hand crafted items and garments from our artisan collaboration to the market - Capture development and interest in a printed magazine built to inspire, motivate and challenge creativity in us all.
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Give rising talent in our industry a voice and an outlet.
So why am I contacting you? Well I would really love to feature you and your brand in the publication, via an interview. If this is something you're intersted in then let me know and I can send over some questions.
I look forwards to hearing from you.
Thanks,
Hope Harding
Dear ____________,
My name is Hope Harding, I am near to completeing my degree in Fashion Communication at the Arts University, Bournemouth