Monsters have lots of creative scope. Sometimes we are scared of them, but perhaps we don't need to be that scared, maybe we should embrace 'Monsters'!
Apparently the original ancient Greek meaning for 'Monster' is something that is strange or cannot be explained.
The theme for Comme des Garcons Autumn/Winter 2014 collection was MONSTER.
And she (RK) did produce some 'monstrous' shapes, in terms of wearable clothing, large knitted monstrosities which totally enveloped the models.
This letter was passed to a handful of select people backstage at the collection. It explained the beautiful ugliness of RK's 'Monsters', and gave them meaning
Jo-Ann Furniss wondered if RK was haunted by the "monster of fashion itself, consuming everything in its path and always insisting on more from her."
Sarah Mower made the comment that "She (RK) uses the runway as her arena for showing extreme ideas because at Comme des Garcons headquarters she will certainly have an impressive number of sweaters and other derivatives from this collection that are perfectly wearable."
And she did.
I constructed a cool sweater inspired by one of her more wearable takes from this collection...the connection was "over sized" with an interesting interweaving of strips of fabric. The pattern was very square, the challenge was in the weaving.
This is an example of one of the CDG sweaters that was more "wearable", yet still echoes aspects of the extreme concepts from the runway collection.
When RK put out this collection with the theme 'Monster', I think she also put out a perfume...Pearly Monster and Beady Monster! As far as business goes, CDG never miss a beat!
Back to the "Monster of Fashion".........
there are many ways to approach this topic, but here's a cool exhibition that took it on
'Arrgh! Monsters of Fashion' was originally exhibited at the Benaki Museum in Athens in 2011. It moved to La Gaite Lyrique, Paris in 2013. The exhibition consisted of wonderfully monstrous, radical and outrageous creations from 55 designers and artists. The monster exhibits were not presented up on pedestals, but on the ground. Visitors could come face-to-face with the creations, which invited them to compare themselves to the monster, thus questioning their own ideas regarding beauty.
This website will take you on a tour through the exhibition.
I like questioning standard ideas of beauty.
The photographer Brigitte Niedermair produced a cool 'Unexpected Sculpture' series, in which she, along with Lucy McRae and Wallpaper fashion director Isabelle Kountoure, take what could be considered monstrous..or at least far from perfect shapes of certain products, and make wonderful connections with sculptural clothing.......like, this carrot, probably considered commercially imperfect...monstrous...
connected with a coolly distorted image of a pullover and trouser by Chanel.
Some more of these what could be considered grotesque shapes...
Pullover and Trousers by Celine with Unexpected Sculpture - Woman
Coat by Hermes with Unexpected Sculpture - Family
Pullover by Helmut Lang with Unexpected Sculpture - Robert
Dress by Lanvin with Unexpected Sculpture - Virgin of Willendorf
Lucy McRae is described as a 'Sci-Fi Artist and Body Architect', who probes the frontiers of the human body and its' capacity for adaptability. She has collaborated with Bart Hess, an artist and designer whose work encompasses textiles, fashion and animation. Their work together has produced fascinating "monster shape" work like this..
This website will enable you to see some of the astounding work that Lucy McRae has put together, and some other collaborations she has undertaken with Bart Hess. It definitely pushes the boundaries of Human Beauty!
Another interesting artist working in a similar field, is American photographer Bill Durgin. He presents "unsettling" images through his manipulation of the human body to create contorted forms, which are as beautiful as they are strange. They are living sculptures which could be viewed as "kinda grotesque".
I like the work he presents using clothing
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| Yves Saint Laurent |
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| Narciso Rodriguez |
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| Comme Des Garcons |
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| Maison Martin Margiela |
Fashion Stylists work with garments to create wonderful "monster like" shots. Here are 2 fabulous images that were put together by stylist Robbie Spencer, both images involve Comme des Garcons jackets, making them extra cool!
The next images came from a fashion shot called 'hybrid' and photographed by Jill Wachter. A hybrid is a thing made by combining different elements.....could be "monstrous!"
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| Issey Miyake and Junya Watanabe |
And here is something similar....creating some sort of .. Hybrid Creature..a thing made by combining different elements! The imagination of a child can do that any time.
Aren't they wonderful...here's a close-up of one of her works, button used for the eye and the black stitches giving a Frankenstein's monster image to the characters
A strange "cellular' creature.....what does it mean?
and the reptile..it can be a scary creature..is it monstrous?
Another cool shoot about a monster...it could be 'Alien', what do you think?
So what exactly is it?
Is it a Monster Bag.....like this one
Anne Valerie Dupond is a French artist, who creates cool soft sculpture busts from recovered fabric, needle and thread. Such as...
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| Prince Charles and his Mum |
Frankenstein, Mary Shelley's megalomaniac Dr. who creates a monster from corpses, then "it" goes on the rampage!
Victor Frankenstein is the scientist, who thought he could play "God" and create a being, whom he then rejected because 'it' didn't appeal to his eye. Here we are again, back at that idea of acceptable beauty!
In 2011 the National Theatre presented a production of this story. It used 2 lead actors who alternated between the role of scientist and monster/creature.
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| Benedict Cumberbatch and Johnny Lee Miller |
Another version of the Creature/Monster...this time Robert de Niro. It'a all the crazy stitching that connects me to Anne Valerie Dupond.
In 2004 A/W Jun Takahashi (Undercover, who has connection with Comme des Garcons) presented a collection which included "delightfully monsterous like" works by Anne Valerie Dupond. The feet, the hoods, the crazy cool stitching on the clothing...
I really love the feet, they look weirdly Monster like. When I was at K.Mart the other day, I spied these slippers, reminded me of AVD's, so I said "Hey E, would you please take a photo of me in these?" Monster feet!
A major issue we are constantly being reminded of in the 21stC. is obesity!....do some of us consider obesity to be monstrous?
Clarina Bezzola, a Swiss Performance Fibre Artist who lives in New York, produced a study touching on this issue, which she called 'Inside Out'.
A lot of her work is about exploring the psychological boundaries between the self and society.
'Inside Out' has Clarina expressing her longing and self-mourning as she gets rid of her bits and pieces, which helps her to find her creativity. I think it is all about yearning for transformation, and if you ever follow the stories of the highly obese as they undertake weight reduction, transformation of lifestyle is often what they must undergo.
This link will take you to a complete viewing of one of Clarina's 'Inside Out' performances. It is about 45 minutes, but you will undertake the full experience. Clarina's usical expression is described as a small opera. I love all the soft sculptural pieces she throws out of her huge body.
Another story about a big monster, this time Japanese designer Yoshikazu Yamagata, a wonderfully creatively conceptual designer. "The Naughty Boy and the Monster. He is the naughtiest boy in the village. No one can handle him. One day, he sneaked into the monster's house and stole huge bra and panties!"
In 2004 Christian Lacroix created some fabulous Little Monsters for a calendar produced by Le Book. I had to have it! (Photography:Guido Mocafico/ Art Direction:Michel Mallard)
Aren't they wonderful.
I was working at Bexleyheath School at the time I purchased this calendar, so I undertook a project with my lovely Year 7's, which was based on Lacroix's Little Monsters. After reading Monster storybooks and looking at the Lacroix calendar we got to work. The students designed their own Monsters - size, shape, fabric and features, then got sewing and stitching....it was FUN!
And, one that was left behind, I finished off this way...Little Felt Monster
The other person into Little Monsters...
'Little Monsters' is a term she uses to describe her fans. When working on her second album, Lady Gaga developed the theme as a physical form and as a description of her inner fear of death, alcohol and drugs. The name described her fans, because they "crawl and scream" during her shows.
Gaga even presented a "Manifesto of Little Monsters".
Check out this link for Lady Gaga in "strange/fetish" attire delivering her Manifesto.
Lisandra brought in a cool alien creature she has made. There's something about it that reminds me of Lacroix's Monsters. She has called it "Yarnie". Cool!
I had a brainwave with my Yr 7s a couple of weeks ago...Monster Beanies. I got together some images for inspiration, provided the knit fabric and felt, and away they went. They LOVED it!! Aren't they the coolest Monster Beanies.
What about scary monster shorts...
was inspired by this
Childlike monsters can be found in all sorts of places...
a coffee table...
a fur stole...
or make one...a lonely "Wild Thing" sitting on my kitchen bench..waiting for his mates to show up so he can go out to play.
These links will take you to some fun craft activities
Now, I've got to go, 'cos I'm being devoured by my 'Cookie Monster' fur scarf!
Aaaarrgh!!!
Is Fashion a Monster?
What do you think?
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