Antifashion

There is a movement happening. A rebel yell, as it were, has disturbed the decorum of the fashion mainstream.

photography by Christina O'Connor

The movement began with flower children of the 60s patching their clothing together from worn out pieces. The next blow was struck by the punk movement in the 70s, which totally rejected shopping. This ethical aesthetic has evolved into the DIY (do-it-yourself) movement of today, which likes its fashions destroyed, layered on, or amended.

The juxtaposition of music and fashion, the old hand-made and the newer rebellious couture, has pried our imaginations away from the overseas factories, leading many of us to the conclusion that there is a better way to dress than we can find at the shopping mall. However slowly, once again, the public is becoming weary of brand names and the rigidity of the next season's must haves.

Once upon a time everyone made their own clothes, as strange as it may seem. Then, industrial progress made it easier and cheaper to produce complete garments. This made skills like embroidery, stitchery, and clothing maintenance obsolete, and passe. In giving up some of these skills for ready made clothing, we lost the artistic and imaginative component of hand-made items.

My own sentiment is most eloquently summed up on the site buyhandmade.org, in regard to buying handmade goods: "The ascendancy of chain store culture and global manufacturing has left us dressing, furnishing, and decorating alike. We are encouraged to be consumers, not producers, of our own culture. Our ties to the local and human sources of our goods have been lost. Buying handmade helps us reconnect."

There are many inter-web sites to entice the style-deprived and inspire the fledgling do-it-yourselfer. At etsy.com you can see goods from thousands of crafters across the country or watch easy-to-follow video tutorials on etsylabs.com. Another great site, craftzine.com, also offers a plethora of hand crafting ideas.

Locally, one need look no further than Homebody, and its owner Margaret Breslau, to find an example of the new antimall clothing culture. Five years ago, Margaret created an event she calls the Anti-Fashion Show. In Margaret's words, "The anti-fashion show was born out of the belief that real style has nothing to do with the mall, brands, or glossy magazines because the real story behind those labels are sweatshop labor, cookie-cutter looks, and high prices. So that is the "anti" part of the show. The "fashion" part of the show means that sweatshop-free looks great, vintage (which is hand-made or union-made) looks great and also that you don't have to be a fashion major or really even know how to sew like a seamstress to make something special, which is what the D.I.Y movement is all about."

The fifth annual Anti-Fashion Show will be held on April 20th, 5:00 PM, at the XYZ gallery at 223 North Main Street in Downtown Blacksburg.

The event not only showcases local DIY designers, but also fairly traded and ethically made goods. The show will include musical performances from local songstress Maggie Clifford and legendary hip hop artist BocaFloja, who will be traveling to do the show from Mexico via the Bronx. It promises to be a swell time.

People all over are coming together, and whether reconstructing items by breathing new life into old garments or starting from scratch, the DIY movement is growing. What was once considered a utilitarian task has a newfound importance as a environmental and political point of view.

Why not jump in hands first? It's easier to shape a movement than to stop it so come to the show and see what's up!