Everyone knows that clothes make the man. From the executive suits that litter Wall Street like the remnants of a ticker-tape parade to the coveralls and work boots worn by construction workers and mechanics, fashion clothes tell the story of who we are and where we're going. Even when the workday is done, what we choose to wear on our own time is still a reflection of our personalities.
Throughout history fashion has been a way to portray social values and political ideas. Fashion has been used to address many important topics, such as women fashion nationalism and vital events and movements significant to the identity of the United States. It is with these ideas in mind, that the museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, New York presents Fashion & Politics, a chronological exploration of over 200 years of politics as expressed through fashion.
As a graphic designer, I found myself interested in the physical appearance of the magazine. Kennedy and his partner (who it now occurs to me has one of the most thankless jobs in publishing, that of Designated Invisible Man) talked to a lot of people. Names flew about. In Esquire, it was reported that advertising legend George Lois, universally admired for his design of hard hitting, often political covers for Esquire in the 1960s had designed a logo and some covers for George. That didn’t work out. “If you want a safe magazine, you’ve got the wrong guy,” were Lois’s parting words. The would-be publishers also talked to—among other people is fashion designers Roger Black (Esquire’s current design director) and (in the interests of full disclosure) my partner Paula Scher.
From the sweat-suit to the wet-suit, our clothes are meant to be not only functional, but forthcoming as well. Clothes tell others what we like, and often, how we spend our time. Sports franchise logos are constantly on display on Main Street America. T-shirts with well known television, film and music icons can be seen almost anywhere. Clothes have something to say, and people are beginning to realize that the responsibility of being a walking billboard requires us to choose wisely.
Now, more than ever, politics are entering the realm of fashion effectively. Blatantly political phrases and slogans are becoming more prevalent on the backs of the public than the bumpers of cars. There are even items of clothing that advertise specific candidates or political parties and were actually purchased by someone, somewhere (not obtained as a door prize at a party fundraiser). But what options exist for those who like a little subtlety with their agenda? Enter the merger of socially conscious art and clothing.
Less politically charged and infinitely more fashionable, boutique clothiers have created garments that are the realization of the finite balance between the message and the medium. Using art as the instrument of exchange and clothing as the canvas, these pioneers of significance are providing people with a method of expressing themselves both in figure and in fact. What better way for entrepreneurs to meet the demands of a public that is focused on reflecting a belief in both style and substance
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