SoLoveToSewLikeTheBoys

 

Early days, 1994, Rei Kawakubo delivered a CdG Fall collection called 'Metamorphosis'. Of particular note were the looks featuring lumpen protuberant rolls of fabric on garments cut from fabulous boiled wool.

One of my favourite Cindy Sherman Comme des Garcons collaborations uses one of these creations. Don't you wonder what inspired Sherman to deliver such a fascinating visual concept?

Metamorphosis:

• In an insect or amphibian, it is the process of transformation from an immature form to an adult form in two or more distinct stages
• A change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one.

The insect/amphibian world.

I like the wee message in this video describing the metamorphosis of the monarch butterfly. Be mindful that life is all about change. Isn't it just!

Malaysian designer, Ding Yong, presented a Spring 2009 collection themed 'Metamorphosis'. 

Here are some cool images demonstrating his concept.

And, in the Alexander McQueen's A/W 2018 collection, Sarah Burton described the collection as being about, "extreme nature Metamorphosis. A soft armour for women." She worked with "butterflies and bugs, and paradise found rather than lost."

As Sarah Mower wrote, "tailcoats and leather bodices that seemed caught in the process of peeling away, like cocoons. Butterfly wing patterns on dresses....and exotic insect embroideries."

and the cool concept of garments that seem to be peeling away like cocoons...

One of my Yr.12 students worked with a theme of 'butterfly' for her conceptual standard last year.

She used her design for the pattern making standard,

and the pattern sample.

 

Ukrainian designer, Irina Dzhus works with the concept of metamorphosis in her collections. She takes a clothing item which can be transformed into another one.

Her idea of a few multipurpose items offers a minimal wardrobe with endless options reducing overconsumption.

Want to see more? This is her collection launched a few weeks before the war started. Fascinating garments and a cool video lookbook. Since the war DZHUS has relocated to the EU and donates 30% of their profit to Ukrainian servicemen and animal rights.

https://www.zootmagazine.com/2022/08/02/fashion-metamorphosis/

And, of course the classic insect Metamorphosis

Franz Kafka's, 'The Metamorphosis', first published in 1915, is one of his most acclaimed books. Typical Kafka, it reveals a nightmarish world, mixing fantasy with realism. The protagonist is Gregor Samsa, a travelling salesman who provides for his parents and sister, Grete. One morning he wakes to find himself transformed into an insect. After this transformation Gregor is unable to work and becomes housebound.

The first sentence of the novella is said to be one of the most famous in Western literature.

"Als Gregor Samsa eines Morgens aus unruhigen Träumen erwachte, fand er sich in seinem Bett zu einem ungeheuren Ungeziefer verwandelt".

“As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.” 

This is the video of the 2010, 'Metamorphosis Immersive Kafka'. It is an experimental interactive short film and considered an authentic adaptation of Kafka's novella. It uses a subjective camera, which reveals the action from Gregor's point of view. It is shot with a 360 degree spherical remote controlled robotic camera, that was directed and programmed to interact with the actors and to create an extremely low-angle view of the set as the director envisioned from the insect's first person perspective. Fascinating.

'Kafkaesque' entered into the English language.

Here's the use of it in a classic scene of a Breaking Bad episode. Jessie hooked onto it.

2015 saw 100 years since its publication. Cool article from The Guardian, 100 years 100 thoughts

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jul/18/franz-kafka-metamorphosis-100-thoughts-100-years

There have been wonderful book covers for The Metamorphosis,

but this one is fascinatingly eye catching.

This series of Penguin book covers, produced in 2008, feature portraits that manage to evoke anxiety and disorientation (very Kafkaesque).

The astounding masks submerge the character's personality and ability to communicate (ever had one of those horrible dreams and you're trying to shout out and all that comes out is a pathetic feeble "ahhh ahhh".)

The creator of these amazing masks is Gary Card, who has worked with RK on a number of CdG collections. Cool connection!

Described as set designer extraordinaire, Gary Card was 1 of 3 designers to create the headpieces for the Comme des Garcons Spring 2012 'White Drama' collection. He was given 3 words for his brief, "white, rubber and object." When Rei Kawakubo is working on a collection, she never lets anybody see its progression. The accident of it all coming together is what she is always after.

These are the pieces Card designed.

He was back working with CdG in the SS 2022  'My Present State Of Mind Rather Than A Theme' collection, with models wearing these delightful plastic cartoon like "girly" wigs

Then again, Fall 2022 'Black Rose' collection with wonderful headpieces bulging with an assortment of bundles of rough, rolled up fabric.

If you are taken with Gary Card's glorious creativity, like I am, go into this site and view the video of the guy at work transforming paper.

https://www.creativeboom.com/inspiration/gary-cards-curious-collaborations-bring-us-fantastical-creatures-from-another-world/

Transformation.

The changing of a person into a new/different one, which brings them closer to their highest potential. Such an experience may have to start with a leap of faith.

In the CdG fall 1999 collection, Rei Kawakubo presented 'Transformed Glamour'. It was described as subverting the codes of femininity in glittery fabric, but there was also cool tweed, stripes, and crochet like looks.

I think the one thing this collection transformed for me, was the opening up of my design mind to mixing patterns and colours.

Like seen in this ensemble. The sheath dress, the sparkly top and, of course, the super cool CdG brogues,

inspired this ensemble for me.

The crotchet-look dress needed a bit of  transforming. It had become a tad "snug' around the waist, so I created an under dress, replaced the outer zip with ribbon I had in supply, and a dress which previously was too small was now wearable, on top of another one. The last time I wore this ensemble, a friend was very concerned that I hadn't done up my zip.  I had to say "No, no, that's how it is meant to be!"

Here is a piece I have been working on, relating to personal transformation.

This is an image of American film director Susan Seidelman (on the left) and Susan Berman, who played Wren in Seidelman’s, 1982 debut film ‘Smithereens’, set in contemporary New York city. During that decade New York was a city where it seemed so possible to escape where you were from and figure out who you really were. To leave a small town or suburb for New York city was both a mecca and a refuge.

Think Patti Smith. In 1967 she took a leap of faith and travelled to New York, with nowhere to stay and no prospects. Within time, she met Robert Mapplethorpe and her life as a New York City artist began. Patti Smith described her time with Robert Mapplethorpe as being “in a fresh state of transformation”, about to become the artists they would go on to be.

Patti Smith, 1976 in NYC

In 2016, Seidelman said, “Smithereens is about a woman who is trying to reinvent herself. She makes mistakes, she has some bad judgement in men, but she always bounces back.”  (When Seidelman cast Berman, she instructed her to watch ‘Nights of Cabiria', the Fellini film about a prostitute in search of true love.)

What Wren seems to unconsciously desire more than love, though, is a kind of recognition mixed with a sense of belonging. Though she has friends scattered here and there, she is ultimately alone.

(Seidelman came from a suburb in Philadelphia. She had studied fashion design at the then Drexel Institute of Technology, but discovered that she loathed sewing, however what did stick with her from that experience, was the idea of using clothes to define a character, as signifiers of transformation.)

This is an image of me, taken about the same time as the Seidelman/Berman photo, early 80s, on the intersection of Devon and Aro Streets, Te Aro Valley, Wellington.

I grew up in a small rural Northern Southland town, called Balfour. I had been to boarding school in Invercargill and Dunedin and had now made my way to Wellington. I, like Wren, made mistakes, those bad judgements regard men. I was restless, work life, as well as social life, was problematic.

Eventually a return to my whanau got me back to some stability. A transformation began. I restudied in a direction that fed my curiosity and creativity, clothing, textiles, design. I started to get my own direction. I was reinventing myself and it was good.

London became my New York. Like Patti S I took a leap of faith and exposed myself to many wonderful creative inspirations. I thrived on it and absorbed as much as I could.

One day I purchased a card with this message,

and inside it I scrawled, “I want to be a fabric artist, that is work and express myself using textiles/fabrics/materials, with a sprinkle of poet.”

In ‘An Intimate History of Humanity’, Theodore Zeldin wrote “To discover in what direction one wishes to go, one needs to acquire memories with a new shape, memories which point into the future, and which have direct relevance to one’s present preoccupations.”

Here goes, a stream of conscious memories giving me direction…Danced around in my petticoat to music on the radio and piano Loved discussions at Sunday School Loved going to the Gore Public Library thought Miss Delamore fascinating in her Danish clogs Emma Peel was so cool An interaction with pine trees experimental pubertal experience Wrote asking Len Curry to run a Youth Group A short story of mine was read out in class It was based on another pupil acting out being a pirate Letter I composed (class exercise) was chosen to be sent and the gentleman it was sent to commented on it Loved getting magazines/comics at Smiths Stationery Shop Loved visiting museums, big whale skeleton Otago Museum, the old street Canterbury Museum Loved having my back and tickling other backs nice feeling Outfit I liked from Avengers book Linda Thornton character I got it made for me the pattern as well Knitted string bag on the big wooden needles Loved Mum’s button tin Sewed a cushion with big yellow sun appliqued to it Knitted a black shawl on big wooden needles Took that worsted woollen suit jacket of Mum’s (she wore it in her 20s) and wore it with my wardrobe Thought Mary Quant so cool made a pair of oxford Bags out of calico first wash they shrunk Loved it when Granny bought me a book from Gore Being able to eat fruit good access to big boxes apples and oranges Sally McC and I using beds as trampolines! Loved history that French Revolution book and painting of Marat dead in his bath it fascinated me My kaleidoscope Loved Heather Roy’s wedding outfit stilettos hats always looking at Jackie’s bridesmaid outfit Loved school! Susan in the Land of the Bible I thought her so like me I wanted to be a marching girl That wee lamb and when I went out in the morning it was dead Always admired various modes of dress that other women wore the colours the styles Ballet/Dance books TinTin books The Adventures of Worked with a girl from other school in cooking class Loved doing projects e.g. Marie Curie Garibaldi Louis Pasteur Pink towelling white fringing poncho Pink flower bell bottoms Striped pirate top Loved the animals lambs dogs cats Penfriends Jennifer Mary Davies Debbie Nikaforuk Love of books Madeline Red Balloon Famous Five Malory Towers Old Man and the Sea Alice in Wonderland Through the Looking Glass (Melvyn Peake illustrations) Lottie and Lisa (The Parent Trap) TV programme about woman Samurai she was fascinating Report written from St John’s Granny said she’d never seen such a good one Performing my speech exam piece to the class Sister gave me t-shirt and Mickey Mouse applique loved it TV production Great Expectations vivid memory of Estelle What course hands you have boy Loved watching the old movies on TV Those great recitals of Eve Poole Best of times Worst of times the one about Nuclear bomb I am the one who did this I am the one who did that no one taking responsibility The stage production we did at St John’s I brought along Camp 69 t-shirt for Angela B to wear as a hippie Going to capping concerts with Mother and we got up and danced on stage seeing Christo wrapping Australian coastline film clip it was memorable Loved the series of history books we had yellow orange green covers Paper doll cut-outs Cut up Mother’s wedding dress Created a piupiu got dye all over my dress Sindy doll Tuppence doll Maori doll Wedding doll Book with Emma Peel outfits White beatle boots tent dress sailor suit dress midi coat with fur Painted old cast iron bed ends canary yellow Tie-dyed sheets and covers Hoodie out of cushion Red nylon ski jacket Pink woollen trousers Twiggy haircut Read Anne Frank at rugby match Casey Jones hat.

Want to reinvent yourself as a artist? 

Jerry Saltz has great rules to guide you on the way, like how to deal with rejection. That's a good one to get under your belt. I know it only too well.

https://www.vulture.com/2018/11/jerry-saltz-how-to-be-an-artist.html

sltsltbsigning off transformed.

I also really appreciate this quote from Betsy Greer, the Godmother of Craftivism.

"To create is to transform. The act of creating is an act of hope, but also an act of transformation. When we have an idea, then turn it into something viewable or tangible, we're inviting others into a conversation we first had with ourselves. For me, internally that conversation first looks like sharing how creativity can bring you closer to myself. (And become a home within myself.) Externally that looks like sharing creative mantras as small nudges to people in my universe that echo outward through small pieces of work, talks and workshops. The transformative bit? Taking an idea we had and finding out that we can turn it into something real to share and connect with others."