Vanessa Fashion Writtings

One recent Saturday morning, my family decided to go to Otavalo, one of the renown artisan centers of Ecuador, for lunch and a walk around it’s poncho market. Strolling through the market I could see thousands of merchants with their provisional stalls selling ponchos, blouses, textiles, bags, neckless and handcrafts. Attracted by a particular bag, my sister stopped at one of the stations and asked my opinion about buying this mundane object. It was not one of the finely handcrafted textile bags, but a plastic woven bag usually used by woman to help them carry potatoes. I was surprised that she wanted that bag, and so she mentioned that it was because she saw a bag that looked similar to it in New York fashion week. Eventually, she did decide to buy it, it wasn’t expensive at all, and looking at it carefully, I noticed that the colors created by the woven pattern were somewhat beautiful. Looking back at this moment, it is clear that luxury brands have a part in the process of approving certain traditional indigenous products in order to make them “a must have” fashion statement, so that they can be seen as an elevated design.

Loewe’s spring 2018 ready to wear collection was inspired by the neo hippy traveler, gypsy woman who picks up souvenirs along the way. Jonathan Anderson, the creative director of Loewe, said the collection is bohemian and gives women freedom from their domestic space. Sarah Mower describes Anderson as being able to redefine luxury with new meaning focusing on craft and sophistication (Mower).

Part of Loewe’s collection was a Cashmere Sweater and a tote bag with two large graphic design elements on the front. On the sweater there is / The sweater includes the combination of two elements. The first, a Loewe logo which is typical of their brand, and since they created the logo, they own the right to use it wherever they please to. The second, is a simple geometric, figurative design knitted into the sweater. The large scale and two primary color contrasts makes the print the central element of the design. A second piece in the collection, the tote bag, has the same design. In this case the graphic figurative element is repeated in a triangle like manner. Each of the figures has a different color and they all lay on a gray background. Loewe describes this bag as a “Perfect expression of LOEWE’s broad creative language and expertise” (Loewe). In reality, this design was not creatively manipulated by Loewe at all from its original design. This is an example of a Western brand copying and pasting an indigenous design without even giving credit to the original creators. This is a clear example of when its right to say it is cultural appropriation by superiority and not a cultural exchange of inspirations.

Figure 1 Moda Operandi web page displaying the Loewe Cashmere Sweater (Loewe Trunkshow)

Do luxury brands have to approve of indigenous products before they can be widely recognized?

This design belongs to the people of Otavalo, and is a depiction of indigenous Otavalo woman facing backward using their traditional daily clothing which includes braids, a hat and a poncho. Their outfit has been preserved for generations and is extremely important to their community as part of their cultural identity. This design is so well known in Ecuador that it has a name “las chismosas”. The Otavalan people are a community of merchants, they are one of the most prosperous indigenous groups in Latin America. Even though they have been creating their textiles for hundreds of years, their international success is recent. Otavalan people depend on their handicrafts to survive economically, but at the same time care about maintaining their rich culture (Cultural Appropriation: Ecuador Vs. LOEWE).

Loews decision to describe this part of the collection inspiration as “traditional hand woven fabrics from South America”, gives no credit to the country, or even more importantly the group of people it took, quite literally, the iconography from. It concerned me that there was no further information about the details of the inspirations in either the collection’s description nor in the designer’s comments about the inspirations. After carefully looking at the official Loewe web page, I found another reference to the inspiration. In the tote bag product description, it mentioned that the bag was an expression of the “brand’s creative language”, it says “Traditional indigenous design, hand woven in Ecuador.” Nevertheless, when I clicked on the product details it says it is made in Spain. Additionally, the sweater product information does not even state it is an Ecuadorian design, only that it is made in Italy. complex, but in this case, it could also be that they didn’t want their inspiration to reveal itself as an imitation. Nevertheless, when someone goes to an Otavalo market, I hope this collection does not make someone decide to purchase one of the textiles because it looks like a Loewe design.

Figure 2 Loewe's web page displaying the Vertical Tote Silhouettes Bag Black (LOEWE Official Online Store)

Figure 3 Otavalo market textiles (Otavalo)

This merited further research, and I found some pertinent information in David Frum’s essay Every Culture Appropriates, which tries to make sense of cultural appropriation. It describes how cultural appropriation “polices”, “crush and deform much of the truth of cultural history and in the process demean and infantilize the people they supposedly champion” (Frum). He gives very valid examples to prove his point, he uses various elements that are seen as if they are symbols of a sole culture and explains how they are merely results of global trade and exchange. Frum wants people to understand and evaluate objects before being too fast to critique, just to have a morality tale to tell (Frum).

To connect Loewe’s pieces to Frum’s idea I tried to investigate more about the textiles, analyzing their history and if there were traces of cultural imbrication. The Otavalan people have been creating their textiles long before the Inca conquest at the end of the 13th century (El Mercado De Textiles De Otavalo). However, when the Spanish took over and conquered the Ecuadorian lands they considered the textiles such high quality that they enslaved the merchants, forcing them to create the textiles for them. (El Universo). For the Spanish, the idea was to compete with the French and European textiles. A positive outcome of this was that the Otavalan’s started learning new ways to produce textiles on a massive level (El Mercado De Textiles De Otavalo).

When there is a merge of different cultures and people living together there is a mix of ideas and designs. Even though the designs could have been created based on what the Spanish demanded, their history of textiles has proven that there was no real exchange of ideas, but rather a domination of production from the Spanish on the Ecuadorian community. As an example of Frum’s piece, I would say that Loewe were the ones who did not research enough about the historical facts and just copied the designs with a blind eye. If they would have considered the rich history behind these artisanal pieces, they would have known that such a highly esteemed brand as Loewe would not want to repeat the cruel history of the Spanish conquistadors who profited from the indigenous community as they enslaved them. To be inspired by a culture, is to understand it through dedicated research so as to know what is the best approach might be. As a conscientious next step, you could carefully change it to a certain degree so as to be different from the original, in a respectful way. If these basic rules for appropriation are not taken into consideration it is right to say that it is a tokenism, or even worse, just plain stealing of another’s identity and culture. The call for “cultural appropriation”, in the case of Loewe, was not just “inspired by travel and souvenirs” with their use of elements from the Otavalan community, but in fact they copy and pasted the design and called it theirs. Additionally, they did not even give credit to the community which works so hard to get their crafts known internationally. The idea of not mentioning the origin could just be part of the idea of the company’s superiority

Works Cited Information

“Cultural Appropriation: Ecuador Vs. LOEWE.” Loop Fair Trade, 14 Mar. 2018, loopfairtrade.org/cultural-appropriation-ecuador-vs-loewe/.

“El Mercado De Textiles De Otavalo.” StudySpanish.com, studyspanish. com/comps/otavalo2. El Universo. “Se Usan Técnicas Ancestrales, En Tejidos De Otavalo.” El Universo, El Universo Http://Www.eluniverso.com/Data/Recursos/Banners/Logo-El-Universo.jpg”, 5 June 2016, www.eluniverso.com/vida-estilo/2016/06/05/nota/5615661/se-usan-tecnicas-ancestrales-tejidos-otavalo.

Frum, David. “Every Culture Appropriates.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 4 Sept. 2018, www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/05/cultural-appropriation/559802

Mower, Sarah. “Loewe Spring 2018 Ready-to-Wear Fashion Show.” Vogue, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2017, www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2018-ready-towear/loewe.

Works Cited Photographs

“Ecuador Individual in 14-Day Trip Standard.” Southamericaplanet Ecuador Individual in 14day Trip Standard Comments, 2013, southamericaplanet.com/ecuador-individual-14-day-standard-tour/.

“LOEWE Official Online Store.” Loewe, 2018, www.loewe.com/eur/en/ loewe-for-salone-18/vertical-tote-silhouettes-bag/320.29.T25-1100.html?cgid=loewe_collection_for_salone_18.

“Loewe Trunkshow.” Moda Operandi, 2018, www.modaoperandi.com/ loewe-ss18?utm_source=VogueRunway&utm_medium=affiliates&utm_ campaign=SS18&utm_content=loewe.

Pantsuit Acceptance within Dress Code

Freedom-Alls was an advertisement introduced in 1918 showcasing Levi’s new garment which was intended to liberate woman. It was a belted tunic over harem pants. They were made out of “Heavy Khaki” and others with light weight cotton. In 1918 World War one was over which left Americans with the feeling of freedom. Therefore the garment was destined for women to participate in outdoor activities (Mondalek). The advertisement uses two women as to be able to show how this garment can be used “for work or recreation”. The woman in the right is the one that is meant to go out of the house, therefore, her trousers still have the style of a skirt. Levi’s uses feminine aspects to the suit so the shift to pants is less of a shock to customers. As well the woman styles her garment with boots, a hat and jewelry which is making the women feel confident of still looking ladylike.

Similarly to the Freedom Alls advertisement, a 2008 magazine post displaying two models in Yves Sait Laurent which are also wearing a pantsuit and have a similar pose with their hands in the pockets. This displays the play between a more masculine pose but introduced in a feminine line of fashion. Nevertheless, Yves Saint Laurent looks are destined to push the boundaries and make the pantsuit formal wear instead of just recreational. Yves Sait Laurent is a notable figure liberating woman from a dress in all occasions. (Mondalek) His innovative style was also not feminizing the pants just placing woman in menswear and creating a different standard for womenswear. Such as in the Levi’s advertisement, The model in the left is still being feminine in her use of makeup , high heels, and tight belt accentuating waist. However, a male stereotype is the short hair for both models which relates to the clothing they are wearing.

Figure 1 Levi’s advertisment for Freedom-Alls

In 1918 and 2008 designers were shifting the idea of woman’s wear; what made it take so long until a pant suit could become “acceptable” for a woman to wear? Dress codes, the set of rules specifying the manner of dressing have prevented the shift of clothing within genders. Queen Elizabeth reign was in complete support of the Sumptuary laws, and incremented the laws in the regulation of dress issued in 1597. It blamed the excess use of apparel for the crimes that were happening. She said that the poor classes wanted to embellish their wardrobes and began stealing to achieve it. Consequently, dress became a privilege of rank and social classes.

The queen being the head of the church caused sumptuary laws to highlight the implications of cross dressing (Garber, 28). Which was followed by the biblical verse “The woman shall not wear that which pertained unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God” (Deut. 22:5). Nevertheless, Queen Elizabeth had been known to cross dress on occasion but only because she had the heart and stomach of a king. However, that did not mean an ordinary citizen possessed the privilege to have two bodies and dress accordingly to such (Garber, 26).

Even though Sumptuary laws for dress were used in the medial and renaissance times, it is still present in modern dress codes (Garber, 23). In France, women needed permission to “dress like a man” to work or ride bicycles or horses, a law that remained intact until 2013 (Mondalek). Though, the modern dress codes are used to enhance fashion and have a higher standard for dress. Fashion follows political and economic motives to create rules, but when gender enters the dress code it creates a system of rank or wealth. For example, women were considered trophies or symbols of their husbands and therefore had to dress accordantly to show the family’s status. Women had to have submission to the rules such as no woman in pants (Garber, 23). Another modern dress code is present in the U.S military, in 1976 they were subject to gender paranoia and women were permitted to use trousers to future hops. The trousers had no back pockets and woman’s coats were cut off at the waist to deemphasize the woman’s curves. As a result, the changes called form more attention to the gender differences and the uniform had to be changed again to fulfill the original purpose which was to conceal.

Even modern dress codes made it difficult for Gender crossing, only in the 1920’s and 1930’s woman stated wearing pants and “menswear”. One of the inspirations for such was Coco Chanel, in the 1920’s she popularized the idea of taking ideas from the male menswear. She stole the tailored tweed, shirt and sailor suit of her lover the Duke of Westminster. Even in the 60’s in the feminist movement it was controversial for women to wear trousers in public. For this purpose, André Courrèges started placing models in trousers and boots in 1964 which encouraged woman to wear it every day. Yves Sait Laurent started gender crossing with “Le smoking” in 1966. Some of the pant suits he displayed were the exact copy of male just smaller and graded and others considered the anatomy of the female body since it is unavoidable (Mower). Woman were beginning to have more external activities and needed more comfortable clothing to fit in those situations.

Figure 3 Yves Sait Laurent “Le smoking” 1966

Now a days in the cross-dressing woman is not astonishing at all. Even Megan Markle wears the pant suit to special events as a way to push the norms of fashion. For Janelle Monáe a singer and actress wearing pantsuit is norm for her in all red carpets and events. In this photograph Janelle Monáe arrived at a Nordic State Dinner in the White house with President Barack Obama. Similarly to the 1918 Freedom-Alls advertisement and the 2008 Yves Saint Laurent magazine cover; she is wearing the pantsuit causing an indication of feminism. The event she is attending is political and elegant and therefore, makes her outfit more as a statement. Even for 2016 her garment, is very male like with, the tie the color of the pant suit and the rose. However, her black suit is feminized with heals, makeup, jewelry and clutch .

John Heilpern in 1992 article explains how woman in men’s clothing shed the female stereotype and no longer are a sex object. The practicality and comfort it delivers woman the freedom they need. “Unlike the drag queen a women in men’s clothing ultimately affirms gender”(Helipern), this is because when a women wears men clothing they are able to move naturally as opposed on how she is usually constrained to move. The pantsuit was a radical shift for dress codes and eventually became a symbol of political activism and woman’s equality.

Figure 4 Janelle Monáe wearing a pantsuit with red accessories

Figure 5 Hailey Bieber wearing an oversized pantsuit

Works Cited

“Dress Codes, or the Theatricality of Difference.” Vested Interests Cross-Dressing & Cultural Anxiety, by Marjorie B. Garber, Routledge, 2011, pp. 21–28.

Heilpern , John. “Vouge’s View: A Woman In Uniform: With Women Borrowing Dress Codes From Soldiers, Sailors, And Even Policemen, John Heilpern Wonders Whether To Salute- Or Surrender .” Vouge , 1 Aug. 1992, p. 120 .

“Janelle Monae Photos Photos: President Obama Hosts Nordic Leaders For State Dinner.” James L. Brooks Matt Groening Pictures, Photos & ImagesZimbio, 12 May 2016, www.zimbio.com/photos/Janelle+Monae/President+Obama+Hosts+Nordic+Leaders+State/oFqz1j1UJs3. Mower , Sarah. “View: Style It like Stephano .” Vouge , 1 Nov. 2008, pp. 182–185 .

Wahl, Madeline. “The History Of Women Wearing Pants As Power Symbol.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 2 Mar. 2018, www.huffpost.com/entry/the-history-of-women-wearing-pants-as-power-symbol_n_5a99bb95e4b0a0ba4ad34fe7.

Is Modern Medow

incorporating

in an ethical sustainable way?

technology

Chapters of human history are marked by the materials and technology that have been mastered. For example, during the stone age, stone tools aided in the beginning of the use of animal skins for clothing. Nowadays, we are in the information age, and are about to enter the bio fabrication age (Our Technology). Bio Fabrication is the production of biological products from living cells, bioactive molecules, bio materials and cell aggregates (“How Do You Define Biofabrication Today?”). It is engineered with existing biological material to reproduce the most ancient materials, natural elements, wood, wool, silk and leather (Forgacs). This seems as if science is catching up with science fiction, which is predicted in Donna Haraway’s, 1985, Cyber manifesto. She reacts to a transgression on the boundary between humans and animals. She said that the cyborg appears in the myth where animals and humans merge. “Biology and evolutionary theory over the last two centuries have simultaneously produced modern organisms as objects of knowledge and reduced the line between humans and animals to a faint trace re-etched in ideological struggle or professional disputes between life and social science” (Haraway).In her writing she explores the anxiety it can cause and the necessity to have it managed in a responsible ethical way. When entering this new age, it important to analyze the social responsibility in the construction of new smart materials. In this essay I will undertake Modern Medow as the example to ask the question on how to incorporate technology in an ethical sustainable way.

Modern Meadow is a U.S. company intersecting the disciplines of biology, material science and design to create bio fabricated leather material. They use fermentation techniques similar to the production of beer to grow collagen which is the main biological ingredient in leather. The result is an essential raw material which creates a leather fabric with no animals involved. It also combines the advantages of natural and synthetic materials since it is a natural product, while still allowing for the same endless design decision possibilities synthetic leather has. This prototype named Zoa, is in liquid form and has the ability to hold any density, any size, any mold, create any shape, take on any texture, and combine with any other material. As well, it can combine textiles without stitching. The advantages of bio fabricated leather benefit the manufacturer, the designer and the consumer (Forgacs).

Figure 1 Bio-leather making in the Modern Meadow lab (Lo).

The manufacturers will not have to go through the process of having to raise animals, take them to slaughter, nor to remove all the hair and flesh fat from hide. This is a long process which typically takes about two years. Additionally, animal hides have an irregular shape and have scars and insect bites which means 20 to 30 percent is not able to be used. Using bio fabrication, manufacturers can grow enough collagen needed to ship it where it will be converted into the materials the designer wants to utilize. It reduces the two-year process to a two-week process which creates a faster production line. Even though there is still a tanning process, since there is no hair, the removal of flesh and fat is a cleaner process which uses less chemicals (Forgacs).

Typically, when designers want to incorporate sustainability into their designs, they have to compromise the materials they use, which can be expensive, or these don’t perform well. However, biotechnology can provide premium materials that are sustainable. Designers can engineer the collagen into endless creations (Forgacs). The fabric can be built to have different performance qualities, making it stronger or stretchier than natural leather (Bain ). Furthermore, there is the possibility of blending colors or growing new textures. Therefore, the design thinking would initiate from the material, instead of using already made materials and just choosing and finding usable pieces (Forgacs).

Figure 2 Zoa textile samples (Design Grow Assemble)

Anneke Smelik, writing about cybercourtur, talks about the existing integration of fashion and technology. Although she is hopeful for cyber couture, she does mention important contradicting points to consider. For example, prototypes rarely leave the catwalk or lab since they are in a developing stage. This could be due to the fact that prototypes are not transmitted into the aesthetics of fashion (Smelik). Modern Meadow does plan to go beyond the prototype stage by selling the bio fabricated leather to companies and develop specific materials for them (Bain). They have to find a way to transmit their product into something extremely usable to be able to use the technology in a socially conscious way. The problem is that they still have not launched their product on the market, and are still using their experimentations for exhibition purposes only.

Another drawback is that they want to enter the market as high-end leather or exotics. This means the prices will not be as cheap as faux leather (Bain). Smelik argued that wearable technology focuses more on functionality and ignores cultural value or adding to the quality of life with the new technology (Smelik). If Modern Meadow wanted create a sustainable change and quality of life, they would have to make their product compete with its cost. If people notice that the price of a leather like fabric is the same as real leather, they will want to buy the animal product because of their attachment to the products functionality and reputation. In addition, they still do not know how the products wear overtime (Bain). One of the main qualities of leather is that it wears well overtime. If Modern Meadow found a way to lower its cost by scaling up production and started producing for companies in the market, it will prove that there is the possibility for this technology to be useful, and deliver the benefits it promises to.

Modern Meadow is using technology for a purpose and even though it is still a prototype it has a great capability of influencing the fashion industry by positively reducing the use of animal skins. All technology started from a prototype and it took years to get it on the market. For example, the most common technological gadget we use as part of our daily life is the computer. In 1822 Charles Babbage developed the first prototype of the first automatic computing machine. It was not until 1964 when the first desktop computer, the Programma 101, was unveiled to the public for sale (When Was the First Computer Invented). Meaning that it took 142 years from prototype to retail sale, and becoming an essential element for everyone. Modern Meadow plans to sell their products in about a year, which could have a big impact on the use of sustainable materials.

Bio fabrication and innovation can allow for a better use of materials and quality of human life. It is essential for designers and companies in this field to think responsibly about how to spend possibly millions of dollars on the investigation of fashion and technology. They should focus on how to socially and environmentally impact life in the long run so that fashion can demonstrate its ability to embrace new possibilities with responsibility.

Figure 3 T-shirt made using liquid Zoa with no stitching required. Exhibited at the MOMA exhibition: Is Fashion Modern? (MoMA, Is Fashion Modern?- ZOA Grown by Modern Medow.

Works Cited

Bain, Marc. “No Animals Were Involved in Producing This Premium Leather.” Quartz, Quartz, 30 Sept. 2017, qz.com/re/waste/.

Forgacs, Andras, speaker. Welcome to the Era of Biofabrication . The Business of Fashion, The Business of Fashion, 30 Nov. 2017, www.businessoffashion.com/articles/video/fashion-in-the-age-of-biofabrication.

“Design Grow Assemble.” ZOA by Modern Meadow, zoa.is/.

Haraway, Donna. “A Cyborg Manifesto .” Manifestly Haraway, by Donna Haraway, University of Minnesota Press, 2016, pp. 262–268.

“How Do You Define Biofabrication Today? .” Physics World, 27 Feb. 2018, physicsworld.com/a/how-do-you-define-biofabrication-today/.

“Our Technology.” Zoa™ Bioleather T-Shirt Added to The Museum of Modern Art’s Permanent Collection – Modern Meadow, www.modernmeadow. com/our-technology/.

Smelik , Anneke. “Cybercouture .” Delft Blue to Denim Blue: Contemporary Dutch Fashion, I.B. Tauris, 2017, pp. 252–269.

“When Was the First Computer Invented?” Computer Hope, 13 Nov. 2018, www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000984.htm.

Lo, Andrea. “Would You Wear Leather That’s Grown in a Lab?” CNN, Cable News Network, 5 Oct. 2018, www.cnn.com/2018/10/04/business/modern-meadow/index.html.

“MoMA, Is Fashion Modern? – ZOA™ | Grown by Modern Meadow™.” ZOA by Modern Meadow, zoa.is/moma-asks-is-fashion-modern.