ACDC 2006 - Day 3 (3/25): Glamour Craft

Harold Koda: Radical Couture - Paradigm Shifts from Poiret to Issey
- Curator, Costume Institute of The Metropolitan Museum

- history of couture
- 19th century: codified system, commercial
- insisted clients pick from menu/palette by season
- artisanal crafts are not dead, workmanship still alive

- The basic (radical) element of couture is Cut
- Balenciaga is great master of the cut

Issey Miyake
- radical: combining recognition of basics and subversion of normative expectations

More creative designers going back to basics, revealing process
- engaging us to recognize artistry



Claudy Jongstra: How Old Sheep Learn New Tricks

- weird presentation, had a co-presenter who read from a script, introduced Claudy (after she had been introduced by the conf. organizers), distanced her from the audience, then interjected at the end about the benefits of wool
- object lesson in separating yourself from the audience, how not to do a prezo

- Wool + water + rubbing (friction, heat) = Felt (irreversible process)

Wool is high-tech!
- fire-resistant, absorbs odor, repels water (fatty wax layer), anti-bacterial
- great for restaurants, hospitals

- "Woolbeing" (at least they made a funny)



Isaac Mizrahi: From Class to Mass. or Holly Golightly in a Cornfield
- interview w/ Chee Pearlman

- great wit, skill, creativity, showmanship, interaction, learning, med
- Hates fashion that is conscious, self-conscious
- His creative process: "It's a bodily function - sometimes it's good, sometimes not."

- Can't sit still, not happy when not doing something: "I make a lot of things"

!"Craft is getting the meds right."

Socioeconomically, we're ready for fashion at Target
- Others have tried (Halston) but failed

"Target doesn't pander - the way other businesses in America do."
- didn't feel right w/ anyone other than Target

Started with basement studio and puppet theater
- multimedia: made puppets, clothing, show, music, made the puppet theater set, did handpuppet shows at twelve for birthday parties

!"Almost everything I do refers to the past."

- keep going, success is relative, express the real something I'm supposed to express - personality