Monocle's City Survey

As I write London is enjoying a heatwave, which brings out a whole new dimension to the city, with people able to relax outdoors in a park, or sip a cappuccino at a pavement cafe. It is at times like these that you remind yourself of what it is you enjoy about living in the city that you do. Having lived in the Netherlands, where things appear to be so much more organised and smoothly run, it was during my time there that I realised how much I missed the 'chaos' element of London. Waking up in the morning, this is certainly a city where you can never quite predict how your day will turn out, hence most people's relationship with London is very much on the 'love-hate' spectrum, myself included. On the days when it works (not just when the sun is shining, although that helps) it really feels like the best place to be.

Which brings me to the focus of today's post, which is Monocle magazine's annual 'Liveable Cities Index', which has just been published in the July/August edition of the magazine. Perhaps unsurprisingly, topping the list is Munich, followed by such other cities as Copenhagen, Tokyo, Zurich, Helsinki, Stockholm, Vienna, Madrid, Berlin, Barcelona, Oslo, Auckland, Singapore, Portland, Lisbon. Aside from Tokyo, many of these cities are all, medium-sized, walkable cities, with good transport links etc. So far, so predicable... ( Although surprisingly, Amsterdam doesn't make the Monocle list, though given the constant digging up of the city centre for the new metro link to Noord, this is maybe understandable). In my own research on city cultures, and specifically creative city culture, it would seem that aside from Tokyo Berlin, Lisbon, Barcelona and Madrid, many of these cities, at least on the surface, are missing the element of 'chaos' that appears to be one of the key ingredients in forming a creative city culture. Traditionally, artists, musicians and other creatives are the first to move into an area that is earmarked for potential gentrification. Intriguingly, in the same issue of the magazine, the cities of Beirut, Istanbul, Naples, Rio de Janeiro and Taipei are also highlighted as potential places you may want to set up home. One of the key elements of all of them is the sense of 'un-finishedness' that all of these cities seem to posses, the idea that these are all cities that are 'works-in-progress', which is the very antithesis of the famous treatise on Brugge (Bruges) entitled 'Bruges-le-morte' (Bruges-the-dead). Perhaps what this survey misses out most of all is that different people hold different values, and thrive in different environments, which in part may be conditioned by where or how you were brought up. For some a calmer, quieter location and environment is required, where everything is in its place, and everything works (more or less) as it should. I for one, however, would miss the chaotic element, and while the grim, grey carpets at Heathrow are hardly welcoming, and the delays on the Tube are infuriating in their inexplicable-ness, on some days I wouldn't wish it to be any other way...

A Day Off...

As in common with my fellow F&T researchers the opportunity for 'time off' from the research seems almost an oxymoron. It seems as if there is never a day when there isn't some task to be fulfilled, such as a library to visit, an image to scan, a form to fill in, or a contact to chase up. And yet even the 'downtime' moments are important as a means to re-charge the batteries in readiness for the next hurdle to overcome. Not to mention the opportunity for some 'thinking time' just to let the mind wander, as often it is those 'empty moments' when the best ideas are allowed to form and take root.

My birthday this week proved just such an opportunity, not to mention the chance to enjoy some of the glorious sunshine London seems to be experiencing at the moment. And yet even this day provided an opportunity to indulge in the (pleasurable) research of activity of experiencing the fashionable atmosphere of my new favourite gelataria, Amorino, with friends in Soho. 'Fashion as experience' is something that is increasingly becoming an important element for fashion brands, as they seek to branch out from the sale of products, providing their customers with exhibition, eating and entertainment experiences. To this end, some of the birthday gifts I received will also endeavour different ways of experiencing fashion...not to mention the distractive possibilities of settling down with a good novel...can't quite remember the last time I sat down with a non-theory-type book!


Napkin from Amorino, perhaps the best ice-cream in London - check them out at: www.amorino.com/fr/


A bow tie - for the dapper fashion researcher about town


Look! What's this? A novel...remind me what are they for again?


Budapest - the next Fashion Capital?


Some stylish packaging


A fashion film


A well-packaged shopping voucher from Selfridges...well, I could do with some shoes...

Fashion Capitals: London, Paris, Milan...er... Manchester, Rio de Janeiro?

Thinking about the development of new 'Fashion Cities' I came across two intriguing media representations of this phenomenon over the weekend. The first came from Drapers, which this week dedicated its entire edition to Manchester, or 'Brandchester', as it had it on the cover of the magazine. Perhaps surprisingly for many visitors from outside, and in this I might even include Londoners, many UK cities have their own distinct identities that include the way people dress. Londoner's, as a general rule, do not really make much effort to 'dress-up' to go out as such. A pair of jeans worn with a slightly smarter top and a change of jewellery and shoes normally suffices. Yet in many other cities, such as Liverpool or Cardiff, it is 'social suicide' to appear not to care in this way. Merely changing your top just doesn't cut it amongst the style mavens of these cities. What was intriguing about the Drapers profile was the emphasis on the 'indigenous' style culture of Manchester having grown out of specific elements integral to the display of fashion, notably the now fabled, if extinct, Hacienda nightclub. Alongside this, it was the initiatives of local entrepreneurs capitalising on the appeal of this display of fashion that have gone on to achieve success to, in turn, ensure Manchester's status and influence on Northern English style and beyond. Not a little rivalry with neighbouring Liverpool also seems to add to the mix according to some references in Drapers reporting.


Across the Atlantic, FT Weekend reported on Rio de Janerio's establishment of itself as a 'Fashion Capital' in just three short years. Rio de Janerio is famed for its beaches, where its city's residents can flaunt their perfectly sculpted, sun-tanned bodies, in some of the most daring beachwear ever dreamed-up. While Nicola Copping reported that Rio de Janerio's fashion Fashion Week did not disappoint in terms of its range and diversity of bikini's and beach attire, there is a move by fashion designers to branch out and develop their clothing ranges beyond this. The only stumbling block to this seems to be the very 'localised' nature of the collections being made, which, while they may work under the blazing Brazilian sun, still need to be worked upon to appeal those residing in much less blessed climates. As with many designers working in the Southern Hemisphere wanting to sell their collections in the Northern Hemisphere (and vice-versa perhaps), is the problem of adapting collections not only to a different lifestyle, but to a completely opposite weather season altogether. Alongside this, Brazilian designers perhaps have little incentive to sell outside their borders, even to other Latin American markets, when their own domestic market is so huge. In 2009 Brazil's combined textile and fashion sector made $47 billion in turnover (as opposed to the UK's 2008 turnover of $13 billion), of which only $1.85 billion was earned on clothing and textiles made for export. Yet, with so many of us in Europe now able to take cheap, short and mid-haul holidays to catch some sunshine the whole-year round, perhaps Brazilian labels are well-placed to match demand for this. Not least there is the opportunity to educate pale and pasty Brits, Germans and Scandanavians in how to really dress to look our best on the beach. Of course, we will all just have to work on the Brazilian body to go with it...

Horace Walpole & Strawberry Hill

Horace Walpole - Mr. Serendipity

Finally I made it down to see the V&A's exhibition on Horace Walpole and Strawberry Hill, a classic case of (almost) neglecting what's on your doorstep (or, in this case, quite literally 5 minutes from the RCA). Still, better late than never, and am glad that I did. Since my first small test film project Serendipity is called this after Walpole's invented word, it really would have been churlish to miss out. What was most intriguing about this exhibition was how much it was the collection and re-collation of artefacts of collector. The exhibition led the visitor through a series of 'rooms' based on the rooms (e.g. Holbein Chamber, Great North Bedchamber, Tribune etc.) that Walpole himself had created in the fantastical gothic mansion he built for himself by the Thames at Twickenham. The exhibition pre-empts the re-opening of this house, Strawberry Hill, in September, which has recently undergone a very thorough and extensive restoration programme.

Until this exhibition, Walpole has been a rather neglected character, perhaps seen as being a little far out on the 'eccentric' spectrum, and yet he has contributed much to our understanding of our contemporary art history, an area which is much relied upon by dress historians. Walpole's book Anecdotes of Painting in England was the first ever history of English art, modeled in part on Vasari's seminal book Lives of the Artists and remains a basis from which we still draw knowledge of English painting. Walpole was also the author of the first 'Gothic' novel, in the form of the Castle of Otranto, inspired by his own living and ongoing 'work' in the form of his home at Strawberry Hill, and also as a collector of objects, art, curiosities, both modern and ancient. As this exhibition reveals, some the objects that Walpole held so dear, or found intriguing enough to collect, were not as 'precious' or as 'important' as he had believed at the time. For example, one of the artefacts exhibited is a suit of armour Walpole believed to be owned by King Francis I of France. In many respects, however, it is the story behind the collection of an object, and that of the collector, that is more interesting, and indeed relevant, than that of the object itself. This exhibition certainly brought this sentiment to life. Too often, perhaps, curators and designers of exhibitions are concerned with what is precious or valuable in a monetary sense, yet often seemingly insignificant or ordinary objects hold a much more pertinent role. This brings me to reflect on Claire Catterall's comment during the RCA seminar on Curating Design on the importance of the curating of 'ordinariness', particularly within the context of design.

The exhibition finished on 4th July, and I fully recommend a visit, or if you are not able to make it down many artefacts from Walpole's collection are available to view online at: http://images.library.yale.edu/strawberryhill/. This is another excellent example of how the important digital archiving has now become to the work of both researcher's and curators.

Resources:

V&A Musuem: www.vam.ac.uk
Friends of Strawberry Hill: www.friendsofstrawberryhill.org
Lewis Walpole Library: www.library.yale.edu/walpole/
Horace Walpole's Collections at Strawberry Hill: http://images.library.yale.edu/strawberryhill/.

Does Fashion Maketh the Woman?

Yesterday evening I attended the intriguingly titled debate ‘Fashion Maketh Woman’, organised by Intelligence2. The event was hosted at the Methodist Central Hall in Westminster, opposite Westminster Abbey, where I experienced a strong sense of déjà vu. Then I remembered that this had also been the venue of my BA graduation ceremony, which I recall now as being a rather moribund occasion, hence perhaps my reason for having locked away any memory of this place so securely in the recesses of my mind. The topic of this debate also touched upon both personal recollections and psychological issues pertaining to body image, as well the cultural and societal perceptions of fashion and fashion’s relationship with woman. Mediated by Peter York, cultural commentator and esteemed author of such titles as ‘The Sloane Rangers Handbook’ and ‘Dictators Homes’, the panel consisted of a distinguished mix of professionals with experience of design, journalism, art, psychoanalysis, PR, and even finance. These panellists included Madelaine Levy who is Editor-in-Chief of Bon International, while her fellow Swede, Britt Lintner, is a Principal of the Asset Allocation Group at GLG Partners. Lintner also has a sideline in her business Britt Lintner Ltd. providing clothes for professional, style-conscious women, including Sarah Brown. Paula Reed is the Style Director of Grazia, one of the UK’s leading weekly fashion magazines, while Stephen Bayley is a former co-Director of London’s Design Museum and author of several books on design culture, most recently ‘Woman as Design’. The other two panellists were Susie Orbach, a Psychoanalyst and author of ‘Fat is Feminist Issue’ and ‘Bodies’, while Greyson Perry is an artist, a former Turner Prize winner, and celebrated cross-dresser in the guise of his alter-ego ‘Claire’.

The basic premise of the Intelligence2 debates is that three speakers each are assigned to argue ‘FOR or ‘AGAINST’ the chosen topic of debate, in this case ‘Does Fashion Maketh Woman?’. To add an interactive element with the audience, we were all asked on entering about our own thoughts on the topic. That is: are we for or against the motion (or undecided). The results of the audience poll were revealed to show that, prior to the debate, 235 were for the motion, 318 were against, and 256 were undecided. Each panellist was invited to step up to the podium to explain their stance for 8-10 minutes, alternating between the ‘FOR’ panellists, who included Levy, Lintner and Reed, and the ‘AGAINST’ panellists, made up of Bayley, Orbach and Perry.

Paula Reed began the debate by emphasising the differences between how fashion is most often generally perceived, either as something demeaning or empowering to women. For Reed fashion is very much a positive force, as a way of expressing the self, and to announce one’s presence in the world. She also evoked how meaningful fashion can be, and especially specific outfits worn on specific occasions, such as your first suit for a job interview, or the choosing of a wedding dress. Reed declared that she was more ‘’sceptical’’ of people who appeared to be ‘’above’’ fashion than those who stated they have no interest in it whatsoever. Touching on the debate surrounding the media’s influence on eating disorders, Reed asserted that while many fashion designers themselves do not have perfect bodies, they all design with an idealised version of the type of woman they would like to dress. Fashion is, however, ‘’the spectator sport of the many’’, and Reed finished with a personal anecdote about her reasons for becoming a Fashion Editor. She recalled how growing up in Northern Ireland during the times of the ‘Troubles’, her mother ran a hair and beauty salon from the family home. For many of her mother’s customers their visits to this salon were a form of escapism from their daily lives, a diversion from the gritty reality around them. As Reed noted, however small having a manicure or buying a dress may seem, it often retains a great sense of significance to the individual on a personal level.

Speaking against the motion Stephen Bayley began by stating how fashion ‘’makes fools of us all’’, encouraging us to buy things we do not really need. In support of this he made reference to Oscar Wilde’s quote of how ‘’Fashion is a form of ugliness that is so odious we feel compelled to change it every six months’’, and also to Coco Chanel’s assertion that ‘’Fashion is what already went out of fashion six months ago’’. Yet Bayley went on to state that ‘’the person who doesn’t care about their appearance probably doesn’t care about anything’’. For him, clothes, as opposed to fashion, should be functional, and that well designed clothes will, and can, last forever. What fashion actually offers, according to Bayley, is a ‘’false bargain’’, a mere opportunity to show-off, yet also cover up your (bodily) defects. Rather, we would all be better off taking up activities to improve ourselves through exercise. For Bayley, fashion is trivial, and we should really question why we feel the need to buy into its (false) promises.

Britt Linter, speaking for the motion, began with an introduction into how she became interested in fashion and motivated to begin her own business. She illustrated her point with an early photograph of herself, wearing her first ‘’interview suit’’, in which she declared she looked more like an ‘’air stewardess’’ than someone preparing for a role in banking. Linter has come a long way since this first foray into fashionable work wear, having now developed a line of clothing for working women that she believes is classical, sustainable and not ostentatious. She described this as the ‘’new cool’’. More women than ever before now occupy the workplace, and so require clothing that meets their needs in ‘’dressing the part’’. Fashion is also fun, however, according to Lintner, and needs to ‘’feel good’’. Lintner went on to assert that the psychological impact of fashion is undeniable, and that it can be used as a ‘’tool in striving for whatever you want.’’

Greyson Perry, dressed as his alter-ego ‘Claire’, began by firmly asserting that fashion is about ‘’money, waste, carbon’’ and that it also ‘‘makes us lazy’’. Perry recalled that as 14-year-old he would use fashion as a ‘’crutch’’, not to assert his own individual identity, but purely to be appear to be ‘’in fashion’’ alongside his peers. Perry asserted that fashion is in fact a ‘’treadmill’’, an industry set up to make many of us feel dissatisfied with ourselves, and which relies on the ‘’school playground’’ mentality in establishing what’s in or what’s out. Perry stated that while he ‘’loves clothes’’ he ‘’hates fashion’’, and is disappointed to see less and less women who can really be considered ‘’fashionable’’. Rather than making up their own minds about what they like or what suits them, instead they revert to the ‘’lazy option’’ of being dressed by an industry that crushes peoples individuality. For Perry, being ‘’cool is the new straight’’ in an industry where high fashion designers are merely ‘’mad artists selling perfume’’. He asked the question: ‘’If the machine of fashion didn’t exist, would people be more creative?’’

The final speaker in favour of the motion, Madelaine Levy, began by comparing the pharmaceutical and fashion industries. She stated how everyone knows about the corruption inherent in pharmaceutics, yet no-one appears to rail against this in the same way they do against fashion. Levy’s interest in fashion stems from her belief that ‘’fashion is craft or an art form’’. For her, fashion is very much about ‘’feelings’’, and went on to assert how we are now all able to make our own decision about this. With the rise of new web-based platforms we can all now watch, and appreciate, the catwalk shows of Paris or Milan. Yet Levy acknowledged that high-end fashion is only part of the story, as with this increasing democratisation of fashion we can all make use of our own bodies as a canvas through which to express our individuality. According to Levy, we can now all use fashion as a ‘’quick fix’’ to become the person we want to be. Citing a survey made by Stockholm University, Levy asserted that ‘’retail therapy’’ certainly works equally well for both sexes, yet women with a passion for clothes are still considered merely ‘’vain’’. Fashion, because of its association with the feminine is often dismissed, yet it is also an industry that has empowered women through the creation of jobs, particularly in the developing world. For Levy, ‘’fashion is a culture with a 6 month turnover’’, which given the industry’s ability to move with the times, puts it in a stronger position than many other sectors.

Susie Orbach, speaking against the motion, took a different approach to the others. She began by speaking about the ‘’worry and excitement’’ of wanting to ‘’fit in’’ to the seemingly alluring world of fashion from the perspective of a 10-year-old girl. In doing this Orbach invited us to question the paradox of what it means to want to belong to a peer group, influenced by today’s celebrities like Rhianna or Jordon, yet at the same time deciphering how to remain an individual. While we all see the glossy and finalised images of this celebrity world, we forget it has in fact been manufactured by a team of ‘’experts’’: art directors, hair dressers, make-up artists, stylists and photographers. Orbach stated that the second paradox we face is, through this imagery, is that while ‘’the idea of beauty is democratized, the ideal has become restricted’’. Clothing today only looks good on certain types of (thin) bodies, while ‘’fast fashion’’ has intensified the feeling of how we are unable to ‘’get it right’’. In a culture so dominated by the visual, Orbach raised a third paradox, in that ‘’fashion has become the central pre-requisite before anything else’’. While few women know what they like about their bodies, they all have a list of things they would like to change about them. In concluding, Orbach asserted that: ‘’Fashion unmaketh the woman, as it conspires to deflate the spirits of our 10-year-old’’.

The debate concluded with a brief question and answer session with members of the audience, followed by a two-minute summary of their own thoughts on the debate by each of the panellists. This allowed for the time it took to collate the votes of the audience, made using a card we were given on entering the auditorium, to decide if they were ‘’FOR or ‘’AGAINST’’ the motion of ‘’Fashion Maketh Woman’’ after hearing the panellists testimonies. Surprisingly for the panel, this second balloting of the audience revealed a strong shift in perception amongst the audience with the majority, 468, voting ‘’AGAINST’’ the motion, as opposed to 293 who voted ‘’FOR’’ the motion, while only 44 remained ‘’UNDECIDED’’. In speculating as to why such a strong surge in support against the motion occurred, the ‘’AGAINST’’ panellists, particularly Orbach and Perry, each gave a very considered and thorough testimony. Bayley’s own interpretations, however, seemed often to rely too heavily on rather generic, and even clichéd, presumptions. In comparison the ‘’FOR’’ panellists, while raising several interesting points, came across as being much less assured. Indeed, Levy’s delivery of her testimony was particularly meandering, and sometimes confused certain points. This was certainly an interesting exercise in showcasing how the delivery of a testimonial on a given topic can sway an audience’s assessment and interpretation. Given the formation of the panel, it was also intriguing to note how the panellists conformed to their side of the debate. While the ‘’FOR’’ panellists consisted very much of, perhaps, the archetypical well-groomed ‘’fashion-types’’, the ‘’AGAINST’’ panellists formed what might best be described as ‘’anti-fashion’’ or ‘’non-fashion types’’, not least in their obvious physical appearance. Perhaps, then, the audience was wrong to side against the motion, and that really ‘’Fashion Maketh Woman’’ (or Man)?

Notes:

The debate ‘Fashion Maketh Woman’ was held in memory of Joseph Ettedgui, 1936 – 2010

Resources:

Intelligence2: www.intelligencesquared.com
Stephen Bayley: www.stephenbayley.com/
Bon International (Sweden): www.bonmagazine.com
Grazia (UK): www.graziadaily.co.uk
Britt Linter Ltd.: www.brittlintner.com
Susie Orbach: www.lse.ac.uk/collections/psychoanalysisAtLSE/orbach.htm and www.any-body.org/
Greyson Perry: www.victoria-miro.com/artists/_12/

Quote of the Month

A feeling for fashion in anything from architecture to typography is a feeling for what is in the air, for what is right now. I describe fashion as an atmosphere, and obviously all good designers are highly sensitive to this atmosphere or spirit of the times (particularly fashion-sensitive people who have the misfortune to find themselves just slightly in advance of this feeling suffer all the frustrations of seeing their ideas enthusiastically adopted a year or two later). Obviously, those designers who manage to hit this feeling for now are those who are successful, and who in their turn influence further generations.

Ironside, Janey, 1973, Janey, London: Michael Joseph Ltd.:pp 120

June's quote of the month comes from the highly entertaining autobiography of Janey Ironside, Head of Fashion and Textiles at the RCA during the 1960s and early 1970s. Recently I have been thinking further about the role of fashion and its place in everyday life, particularly as I am now preparing a paper on how fashion has become increasingly commoditised, being portrayed and marketed as an object in itself. In coming across this quote, researching more specifically about the role of art schools in producing fashion, I was intrigued by Ironside's description of fashion less as a tangible 'thing' than as an 'atmosphere', something seemingly un-graspable, yet which all successful fashion designers, and indeed researchers, need to grasp and interpret in some way. It is also interesting that Irondside alludes here to fashion in relation to such, allegedly, unfashion conscious sectors as architecture or typography, rather than just clothing. In capturing this atmosphere through the development of physical products, events, or perhaps books or academic papers, Ironside also re-affirms the necessity of timing in the interpretation of this atmosphere, where being 'too soon' is significantly more detrimental than being 'too late'.

Adieu Maria Luisa

In this weeks Editorial Letter Drapers Editor Jessica Brown reports on the immanent closure of Maria Luisa, the fabled independent boutique in Paris. In the same issue of Drapers, the UK's principal weekly trade magazine for the fashion industry, John Ryan reviews Louis Vuitton's newly opened Maison flagship store on London's Bond Street. The reporting of these two stories sheds light on a dilemma faced by many 'Fashion Cities', both the leading centres like Paris or London, and also those with aspirations to become Fashion, or indeed, Shopping Cities. Independent boutiques like London's Browns, Koh Samui and Start Boutique are often the testing ground for new designers, and also add cachet to more established brands who wish to be perceived as 'edgy'. At the same time they act as beacons of diversity in the the retail landscape of cities swamped with identikit monobrand stores by the likes of H&M, Zara and Mango. At the same time cities also seek to attract big-name brands, or those with big ambitions, to open grand and exciting flagship stores, as the success of both Top Shop and All Saints have seen in their recent store openings in New York. As with the Louis Vuitton opening, such stores are a marker or 'stamp-of-approval' in cementing the reputations of both Fashion Cities and even famous Fashion Streets. According to Brown, Maria Luisa herself is set to work on new ventures, both online and with department store Au Printemps, yet after 22 years in business it is a shame to see such store, particularly in what is said to be the 'Fashion Capital of the World', close its doors. While others may take its place, the adventurous independent shop still often remains the first place up-coming designers get their first taste of fashion world, either through selling their work, or working as a sales assistant.

Research on the Run...

Napkin from Luna Rossa, Maastricht, the Netherlands

In the occasional series of Research on the Run I came across this napkin at the Luna Rossa ice-cream parlour in Maastricht. After the cupcake phenomenon I remember reading an article about how ice-cream was set to be the next 'fashion treat trend', notably partaking of a knicker-bocker glory at Fortnum & Mason. In miserable, rainy London this never quite came to pass, but I certainly have fond childhood memories of the Italian-run ice-cream parlours in Wales, and a visit back to Mumbles is never quite complete without a stroll along the coast to the Verdi's. In Maastricht, which felt like a distinctly un-Dutch city in the recent heatwave I experienced there, the multi-coloured, multi-flavoured choice of ice-cream on offer at Luna Rossa certainly felt like a very 'fashionable' experience, particularly in the Roman-esque looking kiosk building the ice-cream parlour was located in.

Fashion Clash Maastricht 2010

Just back from the beautiful city of Maastricht, located in the very south of the Netherlands in the Limburg region. As in my last post I do not really see myself as a 'maker' in the traditional sense, so visiting to take part in the Fashion Clash Expo was certainly an experimental venture. I exhibited my first short film Serendipity, featuring the work of Caroline Collinge, who also exhibited a costume installation, in what was for both of us a kind of combined work.

Due to a misunderstanding on the part of the exhibition organisers, who were under the impression Caroline's installation was 6x6 metres,rather than the skirt circumference being 6 metres in total, we were given a much-too-large space to exhibit in, albeit with a great sky-light and prime position next to the Café/Bar area of the exhibition venue. Fortunately, however, we had arrived early enough on the day before the exhibition started, so we were able to move another more intimate space, almost like shop unit, within another part of the venue. Viewing again the pictures below, this suited the work much much better, yet there remained enough room in the space for visitors to walk around our work from differing angles. We were lucky in the that the Timmerfabriek, an old factory building, where Fashion Clash was located, had such a range of different room sizes and atmospherics to play with.


Installation view at Fashion Clash Maastricht


Installation of my film Serendipity, featuring the work of Caroline Collinge


Costume Installation by Caroline Collinge


Close up of Costume Installation by Caroline Collinge


Boschstraat on the way to Fashion Clash at the Timmerfabriek


Fashion Clash Exhibition Banner


Entrance to Fashion Clash at the Timmerfabriek

As perhaps with all events and exhibitions, you are perhaps never quite sure who it will appeal too, despite all the best laid plans and huge amount of advertising. Yet both Caroline and I were surprised by the diversity of the and range of the visitors, who included not only fashion 'professionals' such as designers, trend forecasters, students, photographers, journalists, but also those just curious to see what was happening and to enjoy the (overall) high-standard and intriguing work on display.


Timmerfabriek, the Fashion Clash exhibition venue in the Boschstraatkwartier

Many exhibits at Fashion Clash were located in their own, self-contained space, which for any exhibitor or curator is quite a luxury. Yet the main room of the venue includes perhaps many of the elements of a 'standard' exhibition space, including a large skylight and windows along the wall, allowing plenty of natural light in which exhibit and view the intriguing exhibits in this room. The photo below also indicates the diverse range of possibilities for displaying fashion exhibits, from high tables, to perspex boxes, mannequins to garments being suspended on ropes.


Main exhibition room at Fashion Clash


Café/Bar area at Fashion Clash, scene of the opening night and closing parties


View of the Hoeg Brögk and Sint Servaasbrug across the Maas River

Outside of the main exhibition venue, the organisers of Fashion Clash had set up an Etalageroute, where photographs and fashion artefacts were displayed in shop windows of boutiques and dis-used shops throughout the city. One of the main elements of this was experimental garments made up in calico by students from the fashion department of Maastricht's AKBM, one of the most striking of which included the inclusion of a pink dinosaur in the window of the De Bijenkorf department store. This was an intriguing element in the organisation of Fashion Clash as it demonstrated how event of this kind can be embraced and incorporated into the local community, utilising the whole city as an exhibition space.


Window display, De Bijenkorf department store, part of the Etalageroute exhibition


Photography by Valentine Vos, part of the Etalgeroute exhibition

For both Caroline and myself one of the most intriguing aspects of this exhibition was what kind of work our fellow exhibitors would be showing. While my own work is much more in the realm of fashion than Caroline's, one of the main aims of this exhibition was to showcase the work of unusual practictioners in the field, or whose work makes use of a 'fashion' element in some form. Hence the word 'clash' in the title. While in some instances the sense of clash in some exhibits was not so clear, in others it was more pronounced. Some the work that most intrigued us had to do with the both the materials used, such as Ulrik Martin Larsen's knitting together of plastic tags to create almost jewel-like pieces, and also in the theatrics of their display, such as Sophie Duran's jewellery, exhibited in jars normally associated with taxidermy, entirely appropriate for their crustation or insect-like form. Susanne Klemm's ceramic necklace and cameo rings were also a highlight of the exhibition.


Knitwear by Ulrik Martin Larsen


Jewellery and film by Sophie Duran


Necklace by Susanne Klemm

In participating in Fashion Clash it was an interesting opportunity to discover more about how fashion can be exhibited in an way that retains its aura of vitality and exuberance. This was particularly the case with the Etalageroute, where visitors were encouraged to explore the whole city of Maastricht, and its own status as a 'Fashion City'. The inclusion of 'performing fashion' through fashion shows and the location of a shop selling clothing and jewellery by the exhibitors inside the exhibition space also added to this experience. The main down-side for us as exhibitors was the mis-spelling of Caroline's name on the exhibition's flyers and in the accompanying magazine, proving that it's not always possible to control everything in relation to your own exhibit. Another curious side of Fashion Clash was the magazine commissioned by the organisers, and made in part to comemmorate its staging. Much of the content of this publication had little to do with the actual content of the exhibition and its accompanying events overall. It was also poorly designed, which was rather surprising given the excellent international reputation of Dutch typography and graphic design generally. Overall, however, both Caroline and I were impressed with the organisation of this exhibition experience, and it will be intriguing to track its future development as it establishes itself as one of the Netherlands leading annual fashion expos. In answer to the question of whether Maastricht is a 'Fashion City' in its own right, it's probably better to say that it is certainly a place of fashion consumption, judging by the number of high-end boutiques to be found in the city. Judging a city on its ability to produce, as much as consume, fashion will, no doubt, be something I shall return to during the course of my research.

Even more photos, including those of the catwalk presentations, taken by top fashion photographer Peter Stigter can be viewed on the Fashion Clash website: www.fashionclash.nl

More of Caroline's work can be viewed at: www.cabinetofcuriosity.org

Preparing for Maastricht

This week has seen me mostly finalizing preparations for the exhibition of my first short film project in time for the journey to the Netherlands. I am participating in the Fashion Clash Expo 2010 which is being held in Maastricht, famous for the signing of the EU treaty, its hosting of the annual TEFAF fine art and antiques fair, and is the self-styled culinary capital of the Netherlands. Am looking forward to this trip, partly as I will be in the company of Caroline Collinge, my collaborator for this project (she'll be showcasing her own costume installation), and also for the chance of visiting Maastricht as the perhaps one the more unusual claimants to the title of Fashion City.

Prior to this project I have seldom viewed myself as a 'maker' in the sense of someone who produces artifacts or objects for exhibition. Yet here I am located in an institution of makers, of one sort or another, and now I am myself producing research which can also be viewed as a tangible product, not only as an ethereal idea or scheme. It will be interesting to hear the responses and feedback from visitors to the Expo about my own and Caroline's work, especially as for me I am entering into very much unknown territory on many levels.

Fashion Clash itself is an unusual event, it that over its short run of just three days it combines the curating of an exhibition, the performance of fashion with runway shows and even a trade fair element with a shop set up for participants to sell their wears (perhaps the opportunity to collect a Fashion Souvenir even?). The event organisers, Branko Popovic and Nawie Kuiper, aim to showcase a variety of practitioners who work across fashion in an inter-disciplinary way, so am curious to see how they achieve this aim.

More information about Fashion Clash Maastricht 2010 can be found at: www.fashionclash.nl