Day 1
The English title of this exhibition is
“You reach out –right now- for something: Questioning the Concept of Fashion”. To
decide this English title, we, Mizuki and Kanako and I discussed altogether.
The meeting was quite hot summer afternoon in 2013. The first part is a quote
from my text in Here and There, happily found by Mizuki’s eyes. The last part, the phrase “Questioning the
Concept of Fashion” was important for me, since I thought, it represents our
attitude toward the world, with whom were involved in this exhibition.
I met this phrase when I was reading Mark
Borthwick’s interview text in one of the magazines recently published. A young interviewer came to see him, asked
about what the mood was and what was happening in 1990s around fashion and
photography. Mark explained to him, what he himself and people around him were
trying to, was “Questioning the Concept of Fashion”. I realized that the mood then
was really “Questioning the Concept of” something. We might also say we were
all excited in finding alternative way to do something, see something, say
something, express something. To look back this 90s spirit again, and realize
it now, is quite important thing I felt.
On 5th February 2014, more than two
weeks before the exhibition starts, Pascale Gatzen arrived from NY to Mito.
This was her first trip to Japan! I was
very excited since we did not see each other for almost 10 years, even though
we exchanged emails from time to time. I knew her workshop she holds here, represents
quite important spirit of this exhibition; it is about sharing, beauty in daily
life, talking about clothes we wear everyday and thinking about them. She named
her blog on hrt workshop“Questioning The Concept of A Uniform”. It’s a happy coincidence.
In this workshop, Pascale will discuss with
women who work as guards in museum about uniform they would like to wear, and
they will make their “dream uniform” for real. During the exhibition they’d put
on them, and they will also share experiences and skills they acquired in this
workshop.
Going back to the exhibition and workshop
title, I think those are quite important. Because when you are questioning,
especially when it comes spontaneously, it is quite important moment. Since it
means you are putting your hand on a door to the new world.
In the workshop, on first day, Pascale said,
in a letter Yukari wrote to her she wrote a question, “For whom uniform is?”,
which is really great.
Several conversation that stayed in my
mind.
MeMe “Clothes give me a lot of joy and also
at the same time, sadness. Here, now, I myself feel strong excitement and also
at the same time, uneasiness about what would happen.”
Pascale “For me lots of joy and love come
from talking and making clothes together with people or students. I am interested in beauty which is close to
our everyday life. “
In the beginning on this workshop, Pascale
also introduced to everyone, one of the questions I once wrote to her, “Do you
think education is one of the most valuable activity you contribute to the
world of fashion today?” She believes so, and she believes what she does right
now: education at Parsons and also the project like this is what could CHANGE
the FUTURE OF FASHION. “Fashion is intimate, close to our lives. And it would
be quite important in our society from now on. This exhibition is about
changing our future.” This thought of
hers is what I really, strongly, feel sympathy with. For Mizuki, Kanako, curators of
this exhibition, and for women here, their colleages, and so for many people
working together involved in this exhibition, and for the audience, it must be the
same.
Ayaka ”How I dress in my school days,
putting on boyish clothes which do not suit me so well, was rebellion to
myself, not to the world. It was not
about feminism, it was not my political statement, my parents did not pushed me
traditional values. It was just my personal rebellion to myself.”
MeMe “My body do not fit well to western
clothes. I do not feel good. But I feel good and look good in old clothes or
even in Kimono.” Pascale “Do you embrace your identity when you wear kimono? “ Meme ”Yes I do. When wearing western clothes and realizing those do not fit me, I
also realize my Japanese identity.”