PART TWO- SUBCULTURE BLOG

Before deciding on my subculture I began to think of why I came into fashion and what inspires my current ideas. Then maybe I could get into the core of what influences my style and puts me in a subculture.

I take great pride in my pinterest board patterns and texture, it is a visual display of the type of style I like. However the things on there can be very varied as well. I know that I love texture and detail, wether that's structured or abstract. I honestly find it difficult to design anything without wanting to embroider and embellish it with swarovski crystals. I love vintage and I'm a hoarder, because you never know when you could use something again. I like the thought of wearing something completely  unique, and owning something that was part of another era. I find it difficult to pinpoint where I belong because I like so many aspects of different subcultures, which can contradict each other.

I honestly do not think that I fit into one subculture. When researching subcultures, a couple grabbed my attention: Mod, Folk, Hippy and Bohemian.

To help me discover my subculture I began looking at the past. From when subcultures began in 50/60s teenagers to the current day, I watched The Don Letts Subculture films which actually focus on male fashion, it seems that changes in male fashion have more of an impact, since womens fashion changes so rapidly. I found that a lot of the subcultures revolve around the modernists (mod) that put their own twist on the teddy boys. They were described as "working class dandies" descendants from the devotees of italian style. They were a little pop and a little beatnik, bold and graphic. I feel like I can realate to the original modernists..they were always dressed up, pin sharp, they want to live fashionable not just on the weekends. When I go shopping I always find myself buying clothes that are not everyday, e.g fitted jackets, skirts, dresses for going out or formal occasions, just because I like them. I have been told in the past that I dress a bit "posh" when I'm as common as you can get.

My grandmother in the 50s wearing an oversized blazer

I think to some extent I have gotten some of that from my grandmother, who is always well dressed for any occasion. I also own some of the old clothes that she gave me.

Mary Quant

I love how the mod girls took what the men did and put their own twist to it. It's still the same clean simple style, but feminine, short skirts, streamlined forms. I love these outfits, especially the shoes! It all seems carefree, fun and young. 

This is a close up of the trousers my grandmother gave me. Which has become a big part of my wardrobe since I wear them all the time. 

This is my cambridge satchel. It's probably the most expensive bag I've ever bought. I like it because it's a classic style. I was adament that I was going to have one and I couldn't forget my initials. 

Although I love the mod style, for me it can be too simplistic, and when I'm designing I like to think about different styles and silhouettes, the stuctured form limits possibilities. I also think about how clean cut, simple, perfect they could be, and I'm just not. 

My shoes are never polished, my hair is free flowing, (wild) not in a perfect, straight pixie cut. I think I would embrace the mod look but in a sloppy way. 

Other subcultures which I think I can relate to is Hippy/Bohemian/folk. Although these subcultures are different, I feel that they all intertwine and have developed in a similar way.

I like the sense of freedom, psychedelic, colourful and expressive, eccentric, offbeat and artistic. Girly but grounded as well. I can imagine a girl with tousled, scraggy hair and dirty bare feet in a field but shes wearing a lace gown and a floral garland. It's very pure.
The hippies and bohemians were very experimental with clothing; the look originates from many different cultures.

"The Hippy Trail" is an acronysm for some of the young 'beat' generation of the 1950s-1970s who traveled through Istanbul to India, as an escape from the capitalist, mainstream culture in the West, they felt nostalgic and felt a need to go to a place that's pure, untouched and uncontaminated. In turn they discovered different cultures, different dress, which influenced their fashions. I am inspired by their desire to explore the world, to leave conformity.

 

I think what inspired me most about hippies, isn't the subculture itself, but from where the styles come from. the diffusion of style from the east to the west, which is the same with bohemians and folk. I like the combination of traditional clothing and modern patterns in this picture. i especially like the cloggs, a reminder of my own culture in Wales, where cloggs are worn for folk dancing.

 

Laura Ashley 1970s. Floral nostalgic dresses.  

 

Valentino. Folk style dresses. I love Valentino!

What I admire most about Valentino is that he makes clothes that are purely beautiful. These dresses have the essence of freeflowing, hippy style, but it is sophisticated. rich and fresh. The detail is everything. 

 

I made this combination about two years ago. I took a page from a magazine which had a modish edge to it and scanned in some vintage abric from an old chair and overlaid it. 

 

In conclusion my subculture is hippy/mod. Although they seem worlds appart, through this project I will attempt to experiment and combine the two/ ecide my favourite. to discover my own aesthetic.

VIDEOS.

In our last lesson we watched lots of different videos that might light up some ideas about subcultures. At the time I was at a complete standstill. And I couldn't think of any videos to contribute to the group. However I've now found some that are really up my street. I've come up with these videos after having a long hard think about my possible subculture. There are many factors that can contribute to it and one of those factors is music.   

Since arriving at uni, I've felt completely lost when it comes to music. everyone knows different bands that I've never heard of. And you get the question.. "so....what music do you listen to then?"

I used to dance a lot. particularly slow dancing, it's like contemporary dance, it's passionate and dramatic and you have to really feel for the music. So I actually like music that I could physically dance to in that way. 

I could just shove on some classic Christina Aguilera ballads and Bonnie Tyler. MY FAVES. but I found these pretty interesting. 

Why do I suddenly love this colour so much?

The colour: Salmon Pink

This colour gives the feminity and naivety of the typical pastel pink, but without feeling like a marshmallow when you wear too much of it. However I wouldn't want to run the risk of looking like a skinned salmon either. 

Pastel colours are clean, crisp but feel cold, making them perfect for summer. And with these pastels coming into A/W 2014 it just doesn't make sense to me to be wearing something that makes me feel cold. Being the mix of both orange and pink, salmon pink somehow feels warmer and more sophisticated even.   

 This is a blanket I bought from a second hand shop, when hunting for cheap interiors for my uni room. On the opposite side you get the white as the base colour and the pink coming through as the pattern. This is something interesting for me to think about when designing knitwear or woven textiles.

I love jewellery, I don't even wear that much, this hasn't been worn at all. It's a long piece which I bought to drape on my back with a cut out dress, feeling the 1920s great gatsby flapper vibe at the time.  It's covered in sequins and knitted with rope. I think the rope gives it an organic feel. 

Left is a jacket I spotted at the vintage market in Brick Lane, I love the drape and lightness of it, and also the subtle patterns. I love jackets! I think the right coat, jacket, cardigan can make an outfit, it creates more layers and depth. Right is a top I made out of vintage material, I love patterns, how can I not! I'm doing fashion textiles, I especially like brocade style patterns like this one. It also consists of one of my other favourite colours. MINT GREEN. I made it oversized with contrasting colours for the sleeves and back, and a statement zip. 

Also at the vintage market was a crop top and matching midi skirt covered in these sequins. I couldn't help but make the connection with current styles from topshop and the co-ords which are invading my depop app 24/7. 

I remember, at one stage of my life, I had a slight hatred for pink. To me, growing up with my barbie dolls and then my very pink room, it seemed alltogether a very childish colour. It put me in a box.. where I was still the silly little girly girl who likes all things pink. I didn't want to be that. And I think that really puts into perspective what this project is about, by researching and evaluating which subculture I belong to, I can try and find my own aesthetic to inform my designs. But do I want to be in a box? hell no! I am making a commitment, that I always challenge my ideas, not going back to the same things all the time.. Ironically. I like pink again. 

Part One- FASHION SHOP BLOG

For the first part of my research I went to some Central London shops, when I went to these shops I was thinking of the layout, how they display the clothes, the music playing, how it makes me feel, and do I feel an impulse to buy the clothes. In many ways, all these factors help to attract different subcultures.  

Beyond Retro

After being to many vintage shops and finally being able to hunt down this one my usual manic, vintage frenzy mood got a bit deflated. It's a warehouse. But it's full to the brim with anything and everything, which is great. If you have the whole day and a wallet full to spend here then it's a thrifters dream. There was also a photo booth which took a polaroid of the customers, they were scattered all over the wall. I think this makes customers feel part of a society. I liked the costume section the most.

Absolute Vintage

Then I got to Absolute Vintage, by this point I was exhausted. This ones fairly similar to Beyond Retro but not as good, the best pieces were put up on the back wall with colourful scarves which I liked. You also have a lot of options to go through, e.g you want a carpet bag? take your pick, it's the same situation with many of the clothes there. I felt the shop had a very charity shop feel to it though, in the centre was the clothes bins where the employees were sorting stuff out, a bit messy really. 

When I think about vintage shopping I imagine unique and high quality albeit (sometimes) moth eaten ,garments.These goregoes gowns represent what I like about it. Dressing up.characterful. something you can't get from high street throw away fashion. 

I need to go back to brick lane for a good shop me thinks... 

Topshop

Topshop is probably where I spend most of my money. They tend to cater for everyone my age. And I can see from the clothes how up to date they are with current trends. Having their own line in London Fashion Week and all. They had a live DJ at the door which is pretty awesome. I found it all a bit much though, it was hectic! It ended with me heading towards a nice quiet corner which turned out to be the personal shopping area...nicer, inviting, clean, crisp and expensive.

Urban Outfitters

I see Urban Outfitters, and I think yes! Shopping at Urban Outfitters is always a good experience for me. They're always inventive with their interiors, like this lamp installation. The shop has a vintage edge to it, but its in keeping with modern taste. I like how they don't just sell clothes but the other things that define which subculture you're part of like music and books etc. 

Liberty

 

I like Liberty because it has a more homely feel to it, in comparison to other large department stores like John Lewis and Selfridges. The building itself is beautiful, the golden coloured wood just feels warm. But annoyingly, I thought the way the clothes were presented was a bit boring and repetitive, when there are so many there. But they look professional with velvet coat hangers. I like the inventive way these Manolo Blahnik shoes are displayed. 

Burberry

I loved Burberry. The shop is sophisticated and chic and the staff are really welcoming. As soon as I get in I see the hand painted bags which I adore! When you get to the main part of womenswear, this years A/W collection is on dispay, the presentation is simple but effective there's a clever use of lighting. Next to it is Burberry's classic trench coat. I like that they've kept it on it's own, like a reminder of the brands identity. I also noticed the entire store has hues of cream, beige, camel and deep browns like the coats. They convey a feeling of warmth and luxury.

Acne

The Acne shop was very small but busy, it was very plain but it somehow stuck in my mind. I like the clothes and was tempted by a blue wrap over scarf. When I came into the shop there was a live pianist, I think this gives a relaxing mood. I really liked the large paintings as backdrops to the clothes, it has the same colour scheme as te rails of clothing. These wooden bird sculptures shoved at sthe back of the shop were just a bit random though.

Dover Street Market

Dover Street Market is more like an art gallery than your generic shop. It's really cool. The walls and floors are bare so all the attention is focused to the things around you and the clothes.  Care has been taken to display the clothes. I like the ceiling installations and the poses made by the mannequins seen here. 

Matches

I liked matches, nice staff, chilled atmoshpere and brands that I like, Mary Katrantzou, Peter Pilotto. The shop itself didn't blow me away though. Unlike some of the other shops, it didn't have any distinctive features. Except the floor... 

Despite this I was still mesmerized by the clothing, taking quick snaps on my phone before the shop assistant could see.  

Selfridges

Neon lights on the ceiling whilst travelling up the escalator. Entrance to shoes

Selfridges is massive ,obviously, but, unlike Topshop I wasn't overwhelmed, I still got a good experience from it. Large white open spaces are inviting and some shops have their own walls and entrances that still give you the feeling of exclusivity. There's loads of cool displays, like the rabbit for Alexander McQueen and unique window displays at the entrance. A lot of the mannequins had these spiraling wire, erm....things which I thought gave it an extra edge. 

Browns Focus

Browns Focus was really cool and completely different in comparison to Browns. It's a small shop but it's packed with edgy clothing, bright colours and sequins. It reminded me of a club, tuning into youth and popular culture. It's dark but with good mood lighting on the clothes. One of the brands I really liked was Ashish, by finding brands that I admire I can hone in on their style and how that can relate to my subculture.  

Oxfam Boutique

The Oxfam Boutique in Chelsea was very small and cute it was fairly busy. It felt very communal and welcoming. The outer is noticebly different than the usual green oxfam sign, it's matt black and classic. But, I was pretty unerwhelmed to be honest. 

The Shop At Bluebird

                                      

I really liked the shop at bluebird, I like how large and open it is, with big glass windows that shows you the restraunt garden and lets light seep through the shop. I like the random white horses and other interiors like trees and dangling light bulbs. Sadly I only had the money to take away a new ID magazine.