According to
Jenkins “Identity is a negotiable concept” (Tully.A.2012.Identity; Lecture
4.LisofPta). The word identity means different things to different people. For
others identity is individualism, uniqueness, distinctiveness, character,
personality or self. In our everyday lives we express certain elements of
identity within and out of our social circles. We are able to do this through
our sexes, traditions and customs, personas and economic classes.
How do Designers
Construct their Identity?
To understand
where we are today we need to understand where we come from. Kim Gush (2012).
In other words to understand who we are and what we stand for, we need to look
back and reflect on and examine our past. In doing this we allow ourselves the
opportunity of recreating our own identity through challenging and questioning
historic collective beliefs and pre-determined myths. Our postmodern view of
identity is that it is hybrid, fragmented and unstable. However world renowned
designer, Vivienne Westwood, is primarily known for mostly referencing her own
British heritage in her collections and has managed to uphold this image
throughout many different decades. It’s almost as if her identity has not been
influenced by postmodernism. In 1989 she was listed as one of the six most
influential designers by John Fairchild. In 1990, Westwood was the British
designer of the year and in 2006 she was appointed a British Dame. In 2007 she
achieved the Outstanding Achievement in Fashion at the British Fashion Awards.
Westwood has been quoted saying: “My design signature is the adaption of
historical garment construction into modern clothing.” And her inspiration
is drawn from classical music, books and paintings.
 |
| Figure 2.1 |
 |
| Figure 2.2 |
 |
| Figure 2.3 |
On the other
hand Kim Gush celebrated as the new craze and showcased her first collection
(Immorality of Divine Rule) at the Foschini Fastrack Show inspired by the
Chinese terracotta army. As a first time designer many could argue that she is
still in the process of constructing her identity. Kim sees herself as an
aspiring fashion designer with a strong passion for film and costume. Her work
is experimental and she designs the entire look from the garments, hair, makeup
and the accessories. Her love affair with ancient cultures, myths, legends and
the human psyche is what inspires her work. Through her designs she aims to
depict dark untold secrets and by using previous and innovative techniques to
create futuristic stories. Apart from the post-apocalyptic-ninja attributes,
this collection references elements of primitive mysteries and pre-historic
traditions to construct Kim’s identity and design signature. In this collection
Kim has explored the elements of gender and androgyny (within the large scope
of identity) by combining a mixture of masculinity and femininity.
Palesa Selebogo
No comments:
Post a Comment