Brief history of Animal Print:
Unless other
trends, which come and go within the fast rotating fashion seasons, the “animal
print” a firm fashion stable. Its use is widespread from clothes to wallpaper,
shoes to dinning plates, from lingerie to stationary. Famous fashion houses like
Versace, Prada, Dior, Dolce and Gabana, use animal print regularly in their
collections.
Looking back in
history the wearing of animal skin was a necessity for warmth and protection.
Over time it developed as a symbol that represent wealth, and social status. Animal
skin and fur like leopard, cheetah, leather from snake or crocodile are
expensive and exotic materials, which can only be afforded by, privileged few. Kings,
religious leaders, wore and use animal skin to demonstrate their power.
In 20th
century high fashion designers working for Hollywood stars and high society
associated animal with glamour (and sex appeal). From 1920s you could see
actresses and pin up models wearing animal print; Scarlet Nixon, Bettie Page, Elizabeth
Taylor, to name a few. In 1947 Christian Dior introduced a leopard print dress
for the first time. He used this print in his collections regularly associating
it with “sophistication” and “elegance”. So much so that American first lady
Jackie Kennedy wore an animal print coat in 1950s. 1960s and 1970s both hippy
and punk rock movement used animal print in more colour, correlating it with
wild, daring, adventurous vibe of the these cultural movements. 1980s and 1990s
it was a part of power dressing. In 2000s and 2010s its use has spread
significantly. Animal print is now associated with qualities like sexy, chic,
fun, dangerous, elegant, adventurous, primal, and powerful.
Left Betty Page, Centre Dior 1947 Dress, right Jackie Kennedy
Popular use of
the animal print and its application to various products increased over the
decades thanks to of the modern textile techniques. Nowadays animal print and its texture
qualities can be re-produced without animals suffering. Use of real fur and
leather from exotic animals is becoming a rare practice and rightly so.
 |
| Versage Scarf |
There are several
suggestions regarding psychology behind the wearing animal print. One is that
wearing animal print connects us to our primal past to our “inner caveman”. it
is also suggested that animal print increase attractiveness because fear
response increase “looking time”. Generally it
is believed that the characteristic of the animal (like fieriness of tiger) is
transferred to the wearer.
Over the years
many fashion designers harnessed the power of animal print updated its use and gave
it a new lease of life. Among many I was attracted to two in particular: Rudi
Gernreich, and Alexander Mc Queen, both I thought were revolutionary designers.
Rudi Gernreich (1922-1985): Austrian born American an iconic fashion
designer. Gernreich was one of the most influential designers who defined “the
new woman” in 1960s. He designed for relaxed comfortable clothes embracing the
body in motion. He used synthetic materials, jersey, introduced knitted
swimsuit and no-bra. His woman was androgynous yet adventures and risk taking.
I think he really wanted to challenge the “look” of the era and produced very
confident designs with geometric patterns, sharp cuts, daring swimsuits,
uncommon color combinations, mixed materials.
Gernreich made a
collection of animal patterned outfits (Dalmatian, giraffe, tiger skin), with
matching tights and underwear in 1968. His use of animal print is more courageous
and he helped to re-enforce the popular pattern’s rein in fashion, but this
time for the cool, young and new woman.
 |
| Rudi Fernreich Animal Print outfits |
Alexander
McQueen (1969 – 2010): McQueen is described as the wild child of couture who put British fashion on the map in 2000s. His work is shocking,
edgy, disturbing in some places and rebellious. He is known for his long, big
budgeted and theatrical fashion shows.
Coming
from a modest London family, he learned tailoring at Saville Road, worked for a
theatre costume company Angels and Studied Fashion MA at St Martins. He was
discovered by an aristocrat fashion editor Isabella Blow, who later helped him to
establish himself in the fashion world. His early collections and shows have
been heavily criticized for being misogamist and (e.g. Highland Rape
Collection).
My
feminist bones don’t agree with his earlier shows either; but I recognize his
skill as an excellent technician who dares to sabotage the tradition. He uses
animal prints and birds as inspiration regularly. He cuts unusually defying convention
(bumpster trousers). Isabella Blow in one interview said “He is a wild bird
with a good silhouette”. He had a dark, wild side and expressed it in his
design. V&A will be showing his collections this spring (2015) in an
exhibition called “Savage Beauty”, a fitting tribute.
McQueen’s
relationship with fashion world has been rocky but fruitful. He worked for big
fashion houses Givency and Gucci and founded his own label. He won four British
Designer of the year awards and a CBE. But ended his life unexpectedly in 2010
after his final show Plato’s Atlantis. It is this collection caught my
attention.
In
Plato’s Atlantis Mcquen uses animal print very differently. Usually animal
prints are used true to the original pattern and colour. We see them as
mono-prints as a re-production of the original and are used as uniform patterns
on a garment.
McQueen
on the other hand uses many colours. He puts reptile and insect prints from different part of
animal together (some animals like crocodile have different patterns on abdomen,
arms and back of animal). And he puts different animal prints together (snake
with crocodile), making a kaleidoscope of animal pattern. He creates and
explosion of color. He places patterns strategically to emphasize belly, skirt,
bust or bottom. All in place to define the form and cut of the garment. I
though this created balance among all the busy patterns. Some designs mimic bones
and skull adding to wild and danger element. Yet I could make out a flower or
two too. Some materials he use moves (I am guessing silk) some are solid
keeping the form. It creates a fell that this particular pattern is designed
for this particular garment. Not a pattern on fabric for multiple uses. It is
an exquisite craftsmanship and I guess that’s why he is celebrated so much.
Researching
his life and work was curious providing insight to fashion industry, how
demanding, fast and ruthless industry it is. McQueen was producing 10 shows a
year, and despite his entire attitude he was vulnerable subject to relentless
expectation and criticism. I will make an effort to see his retrospective at
V&A this spring.
Notes to myself:
The concept of identity is big and wide and ever
evolving changing, shifting subject. The use of animal print is an example of
how we communicate our personality via borrowed image and its associations.
After all the artists and designers I looked into,
how can I incorporate this knowledge into my design? I am afraid to simplify
and reduce the theoretical and historical research I conducted. But I need to write
some bullet points to get me started.
- Identity is an ongoing process. Our visual
interpretations change with it too. Portrait becomes a common medium to express
identity visually. Feminists employ this strategy by putting themselves in the
work making it a self-portrait. One can use this strategy by doing a tapestry.
But I cannot really easily use this approach in a pattern. Therefore I plan to
incorporate concepts associated with identity into the structure of the cloth. For
example:
- vulnerable and
sturdy: lace-like structure vs manipulated and raised surface (smocking,
machine embroidery)
- feels constant but evolving: (a background color –
contrasted by bust of other colors but in smaller amounts)
- using a varied versions of same pattern
- ever changing: multi-use object to or a carry-able
- layered: layers with embroidery and fabric
manipulation
There is no point of re-producing well-used and
well-known animal prints like, leopard, tiger, and cheetah. McQueen research
has been a good lesson to see what you can do with a print.
At the moment I am inspired by reptile skin
particularly iguana skin. It has different shapes and colors. I am at the early
stages of my development
Next Step: Get sketching. Start making samples.
