by smiles » Wed Oct 30, 2013 11:19 am
some fun/interesting things about this(off the top of my head).
All of these designers are based in London, most of them are british. They all went to RCA or CSM (maybe LCF too). So it's certainly a look that the schools are pushing in a big way. I really wonder what this years MA fashion portfolios are like. There's been about six (???) seasons of this stuff and I doubt CSM and RCA wanna get pegged (heh) as the gay thug school. 'Course CSM in particular is all about anti-establishment.
It's quite easy to be a bit derivative in this style. Just slap some crazy materials on oversized clothes and your're good to go. Obvious top tier people are astrid, nasir, and shaun, they're getting the most international press. Kit Neale and Alex Mattson are a bit too deritivative for me. You can see where mattson is getting a lot of his look (shaun samson) and Kit neale is kind of crazy for the sake of it. Overall though, everyone is pretty talented, and it's clearly a lot of fun
for me, I like it because its 'anti-establishment' both in terms of fashionablity and also in terms of gender/sexuality. By taking cues from hypermasculine culture and beautifying them they manage to subvert the 'hard' edge to it and make it sensual (but still masculine). These designers make some of the sexiest clothes for men I can think of. Also, the cultures they draw from (sports, cholos, chavs, etc) tend to be pretty homophobic so its nice (i guess) that they can deconstruct it.
I like it as well because it makes me feel more masculine and gives me the opportunity to wear stuff i'm not 'supposed' to. stuff like timbs, jerseys, baggy pants and shorts. I encourage anyone who gets the chance to try on some stuff from shaun samson or nasir or whoever. I feel 'cooler' but also i feel like i'm fitting in with the people that this look (and I) idolize. There could be an element of the gay designers expressing both aspects of their personality. Someone like nasir especially. Making them into hi fashion really allows them to be appreciated by a wider audience. Is it appropriation? maybe. but 1. it's not really like those groups they are drawing from have any soft of collective heritage and 2. it's celebratory.
need to collect my thoughts better.
草地跑過的腳印